EPILOGUE
Rave
Astrid places her small hand over my heart, feeling my racing pulse. We’re both naked in bed, clinging to each other like we’re all that we have. And we are—all that matters anyway.
“I’m glad Vale is talking to you now,” she murmurs, running her hands over my pecs.
It took a little time, but he’s getting back to the old Vale, slowly forgiving me for lying to him, but he’s turned a lot of his anger toward Bane, which isn’t fair on him at all. If Vale knew the truth, he would hate me. I know it. Astrid knows it.
But Bane has taken this heat for me, and we will all take it to the grave.
He saved my relationship with my son and made himself the enemy.
I owe him more than I care to admit.
We still need to kill Declan, and I don’t know what Astrid wants me to do about Zython. I don’t want to murder her father only for her to resent me for it.
But I will do anything to keep her safe.
The realm might be going to hell, but everything with us is perfect.
We fought to get here, and I will fight like crazy to keep it that way.
Astrid
Pandora comes around, and we carry a bottle of wine outside and sit in the gardens, staring at the stars. She pours me an almost overflowing glass and hands it to me. Our hands touch in the process, and a quick vision hits me.
Frowning, I look at her with furrowed brows, trying to figure out what I just saw. Lowering my voice, I lean my head closer to her. “How the fuck is Soren your fated mate?”
Her violet eyes fill with shock, a dash of fear flickering over them. She grabs my hand and pulls me closer so our faces are almost touching. “You cannot tell him, Astrid. Promise me.”
“How?” I whisper-yell, wanting to shake her. “How does he not know?”
Is he so blinded by his hate for witches that he can’t tell?
If she knows, why didn’t she tell him?
“It’s a long story.” She sighs, tucking her black hair behind her ear. “And most of it isn’t mine to tell. But, when I knew he was my mate, I made a spell.” She touches the black diamond necklace she’s always worn and lifts it. “This blocks the mating bond. He can’t tell that I’m his mate because I’ve been masking it.”
“Why?”
“I’m a witch, and he hates me,” she whispers, shoulders slumping. “My mother is the one who tortured him, who tried to kill him.”
“Your mother gave him the scar on his neck?”
She nods.
Fates. What a mess.
“What are you going to do?” I ask, taking a gulp of the red wine. I suddenly need it more than I did five minutes ago.
“Is your mother still alive?”
She shakes her head. “No, but my sister is, and she helped my mother…” She takes a sip from her glass. “I’m going to make sure he never finds out. He will meet someone else, someone more his type, and move on.”
That’s a terrible idea, but I don’t tell her that.
“Probably someone blonde who answers to the word pet ,” she grumbles.
“Pandora—”
“He’s never going to find out the truth.”
Famous fucking last words.
To Be Continued…