Epilogue
PAXTON
T he sounds of the battle outside reached them all the way in the solarium. Pax paced, sword out, waiting… avoiding the only other person in here.
“Paxton, just come here,” she whispered behind him.
He stopped pacing, but he didn’t go to her. He couldn’t. The moment he did, he wouldn’t be able to fight this anymore. He wouldn’t be able to hide his pain.
“Please.”
His eyes closed as he heaved in a breath. Then, he made the mistake of turning toward her, looking at her. Rosalyn Ferway. His best friend’s younger sister. The alpha’s younger sister. The young woman Pax was here to protect, the one most were fighting for down below.
As a child, she was incredibly pretty with her long blond hair and bright blue eyes. Now, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Even sick and waning, she was breathtaking. But more than that, she was sweet and intelligent. She had a mind for strategy. And she was stubborn, fierce, sarcastic. His .
Every part of his soul cried out to go to her, to hold her in this dwindling time.
“Pax.” Her blue gaze held his, glistened with tears. The eyes he’d never been able to look into without melting, without giving her anything she ever wanted.
A loud boom ricocheted through the solarium, rattling the windows and making them both jump. She clung her blankets to her chest as she glanced around.
And that broke his resolve. Her obvious fear and concern were worse than anything.
In four long strides, he was next to her bed. She stared up at him with wide eyes as they both hesitated.
Rosalyn moved first, lifting the blanket in invitation.
“Fuck,” he said with a sigh. Setting his sword against the edge of the iron bed frame within easy reach, he climbed up next to her. He wrapped his arms around her while she curled against his side.
“It’s not like you’ve never shared my bed.” Amusement tinged her words. Because she was trying to make him feel better, even though it was her demise they were facing. With her head on his shoulder, her hand on his chest, she whispered, “Tell me what would’ve happened.”
Paxton didn’t need more of an explanation. He understood what she wanted—a distraction, a dream. Tightening his hold on her, he pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Well, first, your brother would’ve wanted to kill me.”
She let out a breathy chuckle.
“I would have let him get in a good punch or two before stopping him.”
“ Let him?” she asked.
“Mhmm.” He lifted her hand and entwined their fingers. “I mean, I deserve it.”
“Why?” All the laughter left her tone.
Bringing her palm to his lips, he smiled. “For making you mine in every,” he kissed her soft skin, “single,” another kiss, “way.”
A shudder ran through her, making him grin. He could smell her desire, feel it in his soul. And he knew now how to satisfy that flame inside her. He knew how she tasted, how she sounded in those moments of pure bliss. Smiling, he kissed her shoulder.
But that happiness didn’t last as he remembered this future was hypothetical. They would never get those moments. It was nearing midnight, and her time was almost up.
“Then, what?”
“Then, I’d explain that I…” Pax swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. “That I love you, that you are the most important person in my life. And eventually, he’d ease into the idea, at least enough to let me live.”
Wetness soaked into the collar of his shirt, and her tears brought forth his own. He closed his eyes, breathing her in, marveling in the way her body fit perfectly against his. Even after giving in to her begging a few days ago, after memorizing every inch of her beautiful body, it still amazed him.
For two years, he’d refused to act on their mutual need. She was his best friend’s baby sister and she was too young for him. Eventually, they made a deal. She’d wanted to know what it felt like before… something happened to her on her birthday. So, he’d promised that they would be together the day before.
But when her strength waned even more, when Gabriel was gone, Rosalyn convinced him to break their deal and show her early. It’s a few days. In the grand scheme of it all, what difference does it make?
He hadn’t been able to deny her, or himself, any longer. For one day, they’d loved each other fully. It had been a difficult week between saying goodbye to Brinley and watching Rose fade before his very eyes. It had been his and Rose’s way of comforting one another through their fear and sorrow. And even while wracked with guilt, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.
Clearing his throat, he focused on the present.
“And then, we would’ve had the most beautiful wedding in the courtyard near your tree, surrounded by our family and friends.” His words were barely more than a whisper now. He only just managed to get them out at all. “We would’ve had a bunch of kids, our own little pack running around.”
This time, her quiet laugh was a half-sob. “I love you, Paxton.”
He didn’t try to hold back the tears falling down his cheeks. “I love you too, Rosalyn. No matter what happens, no matter where the stars and moon bring us. I will always find you. I will always love you.”
She pushed up, and he opened his eyes to see her. He knew it took all her strength to move, but she did it. She put her hand against his cheek, brushing the wetness away with her thumb before moving down to his lips. The look took him back to a couple years ago.
“Kiss me,” Rosalyn said with a pout. She sat curled up on her settee, a blanket across her lap and the sun beaming down on her through the high windows.
Pax shook his head. “No.”
“No?” She crossed her arms.
“You’re sixteen.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I know how old I am.”
“Then, you know why I’m not going to touch you.” He crossed his own arms to mirror her, but really, it was to keep his hands in check.
“But we’re ? —”
“I know.”
Her lips parted, the frustration from before shifting into pain. “Are you… rejecting me?”
Pax sighed and moved to sit next to her. “Of course not. I’m just saying we need to wait a little longer.”
“I’m just asking for a kiss,” she said, turning toward him and pulling her feet up under her. “I’m not asking you to take me to bed and f ? —”
“Rose,” he cut her off, running a hand through his hair, “please. It’s difficult enough to tell you no; don’t make it worse.”
She glanced down at her lap. “I just don’t understand.”
“You are a child.”
“I’m not though,” she said. “What does it matter in the long run? If we know we’re going to be together eventually, why do we have to wait?”
He tilted her chin up. “Because I can’t just kiss you once and then not touch you for a couple years, Rosalyn. It’ll kill me.”
Her gaze softened. “So… you want this too? Eventually.”
“More than anything,” he whispered, staring into her brilliant blue eyes. “But not before you’re eighteen.”
She visibly inhaled and then nodded. “Two years.”
“Two years,” he agreed. “Then, we’ll have forever.”
“Pax?” Rosalyn said, bringing him back to the present.
He sniffed. “Yes, sweetheart?”
She leaned down, and he didn’t stop her now. Her breath tickled his lips when she stopped just above him. “Thank you for the other day.”
Smiling, he swept his fingers into her hair and then pulled her to him, closing the final gap between them in a searing kiss. His tongue darted out, tasting, needing more. Her lips parted, welcoming him in, and she let out a soft moan as he deepened the kiss.
Rosalyn backed away just enough to meet his gaze again with a sad smile. He stroked her jaw before lifting his head to kiss her again, taking his time. It was a sweet, gentle kiss—one that promised a future he wanted with every part of his being. The bond he’d felt the last couple years tugged on his heart. It had clicked firmly into place after making love to her the first time, confirming what he’d suspected for so long.
She broke the kiss with tear-filled eyes. With a hand on her chest, she said through the bond, You’re mine, Paxton.
I always have been, and I always will be. His lungs tightened, squeezing in fear and worry. The clock in the corner ticked, and he glanced up to see the hands nearing the top. They were almost out of time.
“Don’t,” she said, turning his face back to hers. “Don’t watch it.”
But he still heard each tick like an explosion deep in his bones, each one creating a new crack in his aching heart.
After a moment, she said in a hushed tone, “I’m scared.”
He shattered. “No matter what happens, I promise I’ll fix this. I will find a way to save you.”
She nodded against the side of his neck.
“I will go to the ends of the world to break this curse, Rosalyn. We will have that future together. I swear to you.”
“Pax—”
“No.” He didn’t want to hear any sort of argument.
“You need to move on and live your life.”
He gently pushed her back. “I don’t want a life without you in it.”
Instead of saying anything more, she kissed him again. For too long, he’d wanted this, waited for this. The clock chimed midnight, and Rosalyn shook her head. Paxton held her tight, enveloping her in his arms as if he could protect her from whatever was coming.
A wave of air rushed over them, blowing out the lanterns. It nearly took his breath away.
But then, he felt it, felt something change within him.
He was free.
The curse… it was broken. Somehow, he knew it was Brinley. She’d returned for them, had figured out how to set them free. He smiled in the dark, running a hand through Rosalyn’s hair and kissing her brow, her temple.
“She did it,” he said with a half-laugh, half-cry. “Happy birthday, Rosie.”
Silence greeted him. The sounds of the battle slowed to a stop outside, replaced with the soft tinkling of rain.
“Rose?” His heart hammered in his chest.
She still didn’t respond.
“Rosalyn!” He eased her onto her back, feeling for any sign of life. Putting his fingers to her throat, he found her pulse. His brow furrowed. She was still alive, but then, why wasn’t she answering?
Pax stumbled out of the bed. He reached for one of the lanterns and scrambled around for the matches beside it. Once he had it lit, he brought it over to the bedside table and set it down. He knelt next to the low bed.
Her eyes were shut, but he could just make out her chest rising and falling with breath.
“Rosalyn.” He cupped her flushed cheek. “Wake up.”
Nothing.
He gently shook her to no avail. Whispering her name over and over, he rose up to press a soft kiss to her lips. Still, she didn’t move.
“No.” He shifted her more to lie flat on her back, placing her hands on her stomach. Covering them with his, he cried, mirroring the rain on the windows surrounding them. He felt as if his chest had been cleaved in two.
What felt like a lifetime later, shouting sounded in the hallway. Footsteps raced toward them. Paxton didn’t flinch as the locked door flew open. He’d known it wouldn’t stop one of the witches if they came looking.
Luckily, it was the only witch he wanted to see right now.
“Rosalyn?” Gabe’s deep voice said as they approached.
Pax shook his head and looked at Brinley. “Please help her.”
“I…” She trailed off. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes, flickering in the single lantern, but she raced forward anyway and climbed onto the mattress on Rose’s other side.
“She’s still alive,” Pax said to his alpha, who’d gone preternaturally still. “But she won’t wake.”
More footsteps rushed down the hall, and soon, two familiar faces entered. Joel gasped at the sight, Daci cursing beside him. Light filled the solarium with the flick of Brinley’s hand. She’d lit all the lanterns without even looking.
That same hand now hovered over Rosalyn’s chest. Brinley closed her eyes and began muttering under her breath. Gabe finally neared the bed, stepping up behind her and putting a hand on the witch’s shoulder as he begged, “Please.”
Paxton wasn’t sure how long they all remained there, frozen in place, waiting for something. When blood began to fall from Brinley’s nose, Paxton shook his head.
“Gabe,” he whispered.
His friend looked at him before following his line of sight. Realizing what was happening, he knelt on the edge of the bed. “Stop, Brinley.”
“No, I can’t. I… I broke the other curse, I-I can do this,” she said, stuttering. Her hands shook, and Gabe reached out to grab them, turning her toward him.
“Stop,” he said again, wiping her blood with the end of his sleeve. “You’re using too much magic; you’ve already used too much tonight. She wouldn’t want you to kill yourself trying to save her.”
Paxton saw the absolute pain in his best friend’s eyes as he looked from his sister to the woman he loved. Gabe was right. Rose wouldn’t want that. She’d quickly grown to adore Brinley, loving her like a sister, and she wouldn’t want to tear them apart.
Which meant it was up to Paxton. He stood, remembering his vow to her.
“What are you doing?” Gabe asked.
Taking a deep breath, he bent to kiss Rose on the brow. He lingered a moment, risking his alpha’s wrath, and then he straightened with new resolve.
To Brinley, he asked, “You said you broke the other curse, meaning this is something else?”
“Yes. My grandmother said this one promised…”
“What?”
She visibly swallowed. “An eternal slumber.”
Paxton nodded, more to himself than them. He looked down at Rosalyn and then headed toward the door.
“Pax, where are you going?” Gabe demanded.
Turning, he said, “To find a way to break this fucking curse.”
Without another word, he stomped through the room. Every curse could be broken, according to the stories. It was just a matter of finding out how to do it.
Eternal slumbers be damned. Paxton would wake her up.
And then, he’d give her the happily ever after she’d always wanted, the one she deserved after the hell she’d been through.
He’d promised to travel to the ends of the world in his search, and he meant it. For Rosalyn, he would do whatever it took. For his beautiful mate, he could do anything.
Thank you for reading A Crimson Fate! I hope you enjoyed it.