Chapter 24 #2
“Hey, I’m right here, ain’t I?” I whisper. “I’m real. We’re married. We’re gonna be one happy Lycan couple.”
The words are meant to comfort both of us. We both know that the day after tomorrow we might die at Alastair’s hands if we fail. Harlow takes my hand and places it over his chest. His heartbeat reaches my palm, steady and warm.
“I never told ya this,” he says quietly as his fingers move through my hair. “I’ve been watching you for a long time.”
“How long?”
He hesitates. “You want the honest truth?”
“Uh-huh. Tell me.” My fingers trail lazily across his broad chest.
“Since I got Eldritch. Since my first blessing ritual.” His voice remains low, but my eyes widen instantly.
“Seriously?” I push myself upright so I can look directly at him. “Your first blessing ritual means I was...” I do the math in my head. Then I gasp.
“I know how it sounds, so hear me out first.” His expression turns serious. “Don’t get me wrong. I kept catching this scent around you. Something different. Something I couldn’t explain. No offense, but back then I thought you were a weak little thing. And I just kept paying attention.”
“Yeah, well, you weren’t exactly wrong. I was pretty weak back then. So, what happened?”
He shrugs. “I’d wonder all day if you were alright. Wonder if you’d gotten hurt. Wonder if your family was treating you right. Any time I had a chance to help you, I’d do it. Little things nobody else ever noticed.” His voice softens.
“Then your first blessing ritual happened. When you transformed for the first time, you shocked the hell outta me. Everybody else was terrified. But me?”
He reaches up and brushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “I realized something beyond your physical transformation. Your scent. Your aura. Even that imperfect half-shifted form. It all made me think the same thing.” His gaze settles firmly on mine.
“You are my mate.”
My brows pull together. “Really? That’s crazy. I remember everybody surrounding me, getting ready to attack me. Even Gabriel.”
“Yeah.” Harlow nods. “I was the exact opposite. I wanted to protect you. And that’s exactly what I did.”
I stare at him. “What’d you do?”
“I held you.” His smile is small. “When Mrs. Geeny needed somebody to support your body while you were still stuck halfway through your transformation, I was the one supporting you from behind.”
The memory hits me immediately. That scent. Mint and pine. The warmth surrounding me. Arms that never seemed afraid.
“Of course. You saved me. Why didn’t I realize it sooner?” The words come out as a whisper. Both my arms wrap around his neck.
“Now hold on.” He laughs softly and hugs me back. “Mrs. Geeny’s the one who saved you.”
“Thank you anyway.” I press a kiss against his cheek.
“Never mind that.” His hand strokes my hair. “In the end, I never told you my feelings. I figured I was probably losing my mind. You were a respected Alpha’s daughter. You’d been with Gabriel since you were kids.” His thumb traces slow circles against my arm.
“But then Gabriel told me you’d been sold at an auction and bought by Alastair. The second he asked for help, I agreed without thinking. As soon as I opened that dungeon door, everything became clear.” His eyes meet mine.
“Your scent hit me all at once. It was the sweetest thing I’d ever smelled.” He shakes his head. “Never figured Gabriel would end up destroying both of us after that.”
I place a finger against his lips. “Can we leave the past where it belongs?” I ask softly. “Can we just enjoy what we have? Now and forever.”
For a long moment, he says nothing. His thumb glides along my cheek. A tenderness I know I’ll never forget. I close my eyes and lean into his touch.
“Sure, honey,” he whispers. “Now and forever.”
The next second, we kiss. We breathe in the familiar scent of one another. We kiss for as long as we want, losing ourselves in the sweetness we’ve become addicted to. And together, we drown in the union of our passion.
* * *
“Hell, they’re inside.” Harlow points at the building I immediately recognize.
We return to the Southern Star Club as our final stop before marching to Silver Moon Pack territory. Several smaller packs under Silver Moon are already in turmoil because of this struggle for power.
For the past week, we prepare ourselves in First Light Pack while Alastair’s forces continue moving south, conquering everything in their path.
Wolf families, witches, and several other shifter clans living in the forests are attacked and forced to submit to Alastair.
Some families surrender. Others refuse and are left scattered across the wilderness, grieving for the kin they’ve lost.
That’s where we come in. Not to be heroes. We’re here to offer shelter to anyone who needs it and to fight against the tyranny of Alastair, the vessel of the Dark Ruler.
Around four hundred and fifty people depart from First Light Pack and travel to the abandoned station before gathering with the others at the Southern Star Club.
The lights outside the club are dark. A sign hanging on the front door says the club is closed, but when Harlow pushes against it, the door swings open without resistance.
Every magical being inside turns to look at us. Most of them are wolf shifters, but there are no fewer than a hundred people gathered in the main room.
“You made it.” Jo greets me with a warm hug.
“Hey, Jo. How you holding up?” I ask.
“Doing alright. C’mon inside. Mr. Moris’s been waiting on y’all.” Jo walks ahead, leading us toward the club owner’s office.
Harlow, Jack, Julius, and I follow while the rest of the troops settle into the club and eat the lunch that’s already been prepared.
As I pass through the kitchen area, I notice some people sitting near the back entrance smoking outside.
Others head upstairs and gather around the gladiator ring.
Everyone follows the orders flowing through the mind link as Harlow instructs them to rest.
When we enter Mr. Moris’s office, I notice a man I’ve never seen before. His jet-black curly hair hangs loosely to his shoulders. Thick eyebrows frame sharp eyes that move back and forth between me and Harlow. He’s sitting beside Mr. Moris. But the moment we enter, both men rise to their feet.
“Harlow. Alexa. Glad y’all made it.” Mr. Moris gestures toward the stranger. “I’d like you to meet Marlon. He’s a dragon warrior.”
I gasp, processing everything in my head. Dragon warrior? As in dragon shifter?
“They mean it when they said Mr. Moris has otherworldly connections,” Mythril whistles.
Harlow steps forward and shakes his hand. Marlon then greets Jack, Julius, and me in turn. Afterward, we take seats arranged in a circle. No table separates us. Nothing blocks anyone’s view. It’s an open space designed to let everyone observe each other.
“Well then,” Harlow says as he leans back slightly in his chair. “Marlon, the dragon warrior. Mind telling us what brings a dragon warrior all the way to our neck of the woods?”
“I come as a representative of the Dragon King.” Marlon’s voice is calm and formal. “His Majesty received Mr. Moris’s message regarding Alastair and the emergence of the Lord of Darkness. After reviewing the information, he decided to offer his assistance in eliminating the threat.”
“Well, I’ll be damned.” Harlow glances toward Mr. Moris. “Mr. Moris asks for help and the Dragon King sends a warrior halfway across the world. That’s mighty impressive.”
Just a week ago, that man had seemed determined to stay out of this fight. Now he finds us a powerful ally. Mr. Moris presses his lips together, looking as though he’s trying not to smile.
“Mr. Moris has served as one of our trusted contacts for many years,” Marlon explains. “In truth, we’ve been searching for the Lord of Darkness for quite some time.”
“Searching for the Lord of Darkness?” I ask, unable to hide my confusion.
Marlon turns toward me. His gaze studies my face for a brief moment before he nods.
“Yes.” A strange heaviness settles in the room. “Lucifer,” he says. “The Lord of Darkness.”