Chapter 35
35
Amir
I ’m not much for gatherings or crowds. I prefer to keep to myself, but this needs to happen. I have to fix what I’ve broken. My bond with the House of Zorah, the bloodline that’s stood by me from the beginning, is fractured. I didn’t want it to come to this, but my choice tore us apart.
They vowed to stay by my side until the end, but I broke that trust when I chose to save my sister. I put her above them. I understand why they feel betrayed; their faith in me was deserved. But I can’t turn my back on her yet. She’s not herself. I know what people say—execution would be the easiest way, the cleanest solution. She’s done terrible things. But dark magic? It’s a poison, a drug. It takes over, warps your soul. That’s not her. Not really.
I sit in the steaming bath with Anora. The hot water eases the stress I’ve carried for so long, and for a few moments, it’s just us. I hold her close, watching her unwind in my arms. She deserves this calm. She hasn’t had many moments like this, just to breathe and feel like herself again.
But eventually, her hunger stirs. She doesn’t complain, but I sense it. I pull us both out of the water, and with a quick spell, fresh clothes appear for her. I’m sure the House of Zorah had something ready, but I like being the one to care for her. I like giving her what she needs.
When she’s dressed, I stand back and watch her. Today, her spirit seems lighter. Stronger. I plan to wash her hair later, make sure she feels whole again. She hasn’t had time for herself since she’s been with me. Too much danger, too many battles. The sooner I destroy dark magic, the better—for her, for my sister, for all of us.
Anora smiles at me, then reaches for my hand. Her warmth steadies me, anchors me as we step outside. I let my spell cloak me in clothes—one of the small perks of magic I never tire of. I don’t care much for the routine of getting dressed anymore.
We walk together down the path to Kane and Tami’s home. From a distance, I see the smoke from their chimney curling into the sky, smell the scent of wood burning. Their little house radiates warmth, the life of a family. Women laughing. Children playing. It’s a home filled with love, and I know they’ve worked hard to make it this way.
“There’s something between you and the House of Zorah,” Anora says as we walk. “Is everything okay? You always spoke so highly of them, but they seemed distant.”
Her words catch me off guard, and I slow down, pausing to gather my thoughts. There’s no use pretending, no point in hiding the truth from her. “Aya came here for the key,” I admit finally. “Hazel had given it to Jacob to protect in Wintermoon, but Aya used Tami to get it back.” I stop walking and turn to face her .
Her expression shifts as understanding dawns. Her mouth parts slightly, and she lifts her hand to cover it.
“Oh,” she whispers, her voice low. She clenches and unclenches her fists.
“I know, Anora,” I say quietly. “I know.” I take a breath and force the words out. “She was pregnant. When Aya attacked... while she was carrying. Aya took her hands. One of her feet. It was—it was bad. Anora, it wasn’t like with your attack.” My voice trails off, and my gaze drops to the ground. “Angie saved her. She healed Tami as fast as Hazel healed you. And... Angie had the spell. The spell made to destroy my coven. She tried to use it. She almost did.”
“How did she?—?”
“I stopped her,” I say. “I stepped in. I stopped her, and I saved Aya.” I hear my own voice break, but I can’t take the words back. I don’t want to.
Shame washes over me as I speak, but when I force myself to lift my head, Anora is there. She strokes my cheek, her touch light and calm.
“You did what you thought was right,” she says, her eyes soft but unwavering.
I take a step closer until our foreheads touch. Her words, her voice, her steady hands—she sees me. She understands. And for that, I’m grateful in a way that’s almost too heavy to hold.
“But what if you can’t, Amir?” Anora asks, her voice calm but firm. “What if you can’t save your sister? You can’t keep letting her do this. You were made to keep balance, but she’s destroying it at every turn.”
She’s right, and I nod. “Yes,” I say quietly. What I’m doing—it’s selfish. I know it’s wrong. But I love Aya. I love Asma and Alina. They’re my family. There has to be a way to fix this, to find the sanctuary we were meant to build together. To be the coven we once were.
“If it doesn’t work,” I tell her, my voice hardening, “I will do what must be done.”
She tilts her head up, asking for a kiss, and I give it to her. Her lips are soft, warm. In that moment, everything else falls away. Being loved, wanted—it’s grounding. But she pulls back after a moment, glancing toward the cabin.
“This is a good first step,” she says. “We go in, strategize. Make peace with the pack. I know you love them, Amir, and I know they still love you. There has to be a way to make amends.”
I laugh a little under my breath, running a hand through my loss. She’s hopeful, but deep down, I know the truth. The only way to restore peace with the House of Zorah is to kill Aya. Still, I help her up the porch steps and open the door. She steps in first, and I close the door behind us with a flick of my hand, my magic doing the task for me.
The moment we walk into the living room, it’s completely silent. Anora shifts slightly next to me and then lifts her hand, offering a small wave.
“Hi,” she offers tentatively.
Before anyone can respond, Olivia breaks away from the group and rushes toward her. She throws her arms around Anora, squeezing her tight.
“Anora!” Olivia says, smiling brightly. “I can’t believe you’re fated. And in my mate’s favorite pack!”
Anora lights up at the comment, but then Kane scoffs. “Favorite? We’re not his favorite,” he mutters.
Levi slaps Kane’s chest, and he clears his throat, glaring down at the floor. Olivia pulls back from hugging Anora and levels Kane with a sharp glare .
“Don’t start, Kane,” she warns, her voice firm. “She’s family too.”
Kane sighs, lowering his head. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles, though it’s half-hearted. Then, more clearly, he adds, “Welcome to the House of Zorah.”
Anora nods politely, letting Olivia pull her into the kitchen, leaving me alone to deal with the pack. I take a step closer to them, trying to gauge their mood. Jacob smiles when he sees me, the only one who does. He doesn’t carry the same bitterness as the others. Maybe he understands. When you have family to save, you save them. Right or wrong, you try. If he’d had the chance to save his own family, I know he would’ve done the same.
I give Jacob a nod of respect before stepping forward, stopping beside an empty chair. “House of Zorah,” I say, keeping my voice even. “Thank you for taking me in.”
Jacob doesn’t even hesitate to respond. “You are the King of Wintermoon. Why wouldn’t we?”
The others don’t echo his warmth. They just stand there, silent and rigid, as if waiting for me to give them permission to do anything. It makes my jaw tighten. This unshakable loyalty they still cling to—I don’t deserve it.
I groan under my breath. “I am no longer the King of Wintermoon,” I tell them firmly. “You don’t have to address me that way. Not anymore.”
Still, they don’t move. They remain standing, statues of unbroken loyalty. I hold up a hand, showing them my palm. That’s all it takes—they sit down immediately. Obedience I didn’t ask for.
I sink into the empty chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “I owe you an apology,” I say, my voice lowering. “For Aya. ”
The room is quiet. Too quiet. None of them move, none of them speak.
“It was selfish of me not to put you first,” I continue, forcing myself to meet their eyes. “Aya put your Luna in danger. She put your child in danger. And I—” The words stick in my throat for a moment, but I push through. “I chose her over you. I won’t make excuses. I know what I did.”
Jacob speaks up quickly, his voice kind. “I understand, Amir.” He says it like he means it, but I notice the rest of them don’t echo his sentiment. It’s silence again.
My gaze shifts to Kane. His face, his body language—nothing about him has softened. He’s still angry. Rightfully so.
“I will do whatever it takes to earn your favor again,” I tell him, leaning forward slightly. “I know an apology isn’t enough. I’ll show you. Through my actions.”
Kane doesn’t respond right away, and their silence stretches between us. I steel myself, waiting. There’s no quick fix for this, but I made my promise. Now I have to figure out how to deliver.
“First, she convinces the dragon shifters to turn on us. Then she curses us. And when she comes into my pack village and attacks my mate, you still show her grace,” Kane says, his tone sharp. “Even when you know the law of fate: ‘You can’t take a mate from a mate. Fate will never allow it.’”
I lower my head, pressing my hands together in my lap. I hate hearing him say it out loud because he isn’t wrong.
“I wish I could explain how dangerous dark magic is,” I say finally. “What she’s doing—it isn’t her. It’s the darkness. It consumes her. She wasn’t always like this. Maybe that’s hard to believe for your generation, but she wasn’t.”
Micah nods slowly, almost like he feels sorry for me. “It’s in the journals,” he says. “Our ancestors wrote about her. An Aya struggling against dark magic. She fought it, but... it sounds like it’s taken her completely now.”
I exhale, feeling some of the burden slip off my shoulders. At least someone remembers that part of her.
“So what now?” Gabriel says, his voice rough. “How do we stop Aya? Do you know Brookstone and Blackstone Enterprises aren’t even human? She’s behind it, pushing the humans to become radicals, stirring chaos everywhere.”
“I know.” My voice is low, my eyes fixed on the floor. “I’ve been watching her too.”
Gabriel presses on, his frustration spilling out. “And what about Asma and Alina? All this time, they’ve done nothing. Just sat back in the shadows, letting all of it happen.”
“Aya has power over them,” I tell him. “It’s like they’re prisoners to their own sister. They can’t go against her.”
Gabriel huffs, his jaw clenched, a low growl escaping him. “So we get the book,” he says. “We destroy dark magic. Aya goes back to who she was. Then what, Amir? You really think we can just sit with her, like she’s just another supernatural being among us? After everything she’s done?”
“No, Kane,” I answer him. “That’s not what I’m asking.” Truth is, I don’t know what to do with Aya once she’s free—or if we even manage to free her. I want her saved. I love her. But I know she’ll have to face the consequences of her actions, just like everyone else. Just like the dragon shifters did.
I rub my hand across my face, the guilt weighing me down. I hated making that decision. Executing the dragon shifters nearly broke me. I understood why they snapped, why they fell into madness. The loss of a mate does that to you. It pulls you into the kind of darkness you don’t recover from easily. But I had to put my people first. That’s what a king does, right? And it’s the same here. I owe the House of Zorah that much.
“I want her free of dark magic,” I say quietly, “but I won’t stop the supernatural community from making her pay for her crimes.”
Levi leans forward, his tone serious. “The key—it’s back here in Wintermoon, isn’t it? Does that mean she’ll try to come for it?”
Before I can answer, Hazel and Angie walk in, chatting, both of them looking far too relaxed for the moment at hand. Hazel has the key tied around her wrist, and the way she looks at me, I can feel the disappointment in her stare. It’s deserved. I gave Aya the chance to take it. I nearly broke another promise to my people—to protect the baby shifters and fated mates of Wintermoon. I’m not fit to hold the key, and Hazel knows it.
“She won’t come here,” Angie says confidently before I can respond. “Not with the numbers we have. She’s outpowered here. The only thing she has left is her ability to whisper. Who knows what she’s stirring up in Detroit, but it isn’t good.”
“Then we strategize,” Levi says firmly. “I’m not letting her ruin what we’ve built here. Wintermoon is our home.”
The men nod in agreement—Kane, Gabriel, Micah, Jacob. For the first time tonight, they all seem united.
“It starts with The Book of the First, ” I say. “That’s what we’re waiting for. But in the meantime, I think Anora might have a connection to all of this. A strong one.”
Hazel’s smirk is immediate, her eyes flicking to my neck. She’s seen Anora’s claim mark. Of course she has.
“Congratulations, Uncle,” she says with a grin. “Looks like you finally completed the mating process. ”
“Yes,” I say, my tone clipped. “But her curse remains. It didn’t break when the bond formed.”
Angie frowns at that, her eyes darting toward Olivia, who’s laughing with Tami in the kitchen like they haven’t a care in the world.
“I feel something with her,” Angie says after a pause. “A connection. Maybe there’s something in my spellbook that can help us figure it out.”
Levi stands then, his presence commanding. “And we need to increase patrols,” he says to the group. “Kade needs to make sure no radicals try to sneak into Wintermoon. Not on her behalf.”
Angie clears her throat, looking more serious now, her posture stiffening. “There’s another problem,” she says, her voice lower.
All eyes are on her, waiting.
“The Witching Glen,” she says. “They know you’re trying to destroy dark magic, Amir. They aren’t happy. I think they’ll try to stop us.”
I laugh at that, standing from my seat. My hands shift behind my back, and when I speak, my tone is cold, calm, final. “I think everyone here knows about my fits of madness. If Anora so much as has a scratch on her, I will burn the Witching Glen to the ground. Every last one of them.”
I bow my head to the group and step away, heading toward the kitchen. I’ve been away from her too long, and after this night, I need to smother her in every ounce of love she’ll let me give.