Chapter 26
Chapter
Twenty-Six
Ilunged to the side, dodging the fairy guard’s hit, but I wasn’t out of danger. The guard advanced toward me, but Torin’s wolf charged at him and sank his fangs into the man’s lower leg.
He let out another howl, snapping his head at the silver wolf. Now his wrath aimed at Torin.
My heart pounded wildly behind my chest as I watched them fight, trying to find an opportunity to retrieve the key again.
Torin’s wolf stood back, baring his fangs at the guard, challenging him. The second silver wolf joined in, snarling. The challenge must have worked, because after a moment of hesitation, the guard pulled the chain off his neck and dropped it on the stony floor.
And then his transformation began. I watched, unblinking, as he changed his form into a wolf, but he was different from the werewolves.
The fairy wolf towered in front of us, a nightmarish creature. Its slender body reminded me of Hayden's wolf form, but this beast was something else entirely. Its fur shimmered with an otherworldly green hue, shot through with red undertones that glinted like embers in the dim light.
Its ears were pointed and far longer than anything I'd ever seen on a wolf before, standing straight up and alert. The eyes were the most haunting part—piercing orange orbs.
A tail as long as the creature itself whipped behind it, ready to strike at any moment. The elongated snout bared sharp teeth that gleamed menacingly, and its massive claws and paws suggested a power I didn’t want to discover.
My heart pounded in my chest as I focused on the key lying discarded on the ground, just out of my reach and underneath a heavy paw. The wolf was guarding it.
"Keep him distracted," I called to Torin and Robert as I tried to maneuver closer to the key.
If this creature moved out of the way…
The silver wolves launched themselves at the fairy wolf, their powerful forms moving in perfect unison as they fought. The chaotic dance of snarls, growls, and snapping jaws filled the air, making it difficult to concentrate on the key.
“I got this,” I whispered to myself, forcing my legs to move closer.
The cacophony of the fight between Torin, his brother, and the fairy wolf was deafening, but I had to block it out.
I reached for the key, and I finally grasped it. But I couldn’t let out a sigh of relief. The air thickened with tension, and the scent of blood and sweat mingled with the dampness of the prison.
I turned to the larger silver wolf, scanning his body. Blood stained his shimmery fur, but I didn’t see any wounds that were bleeding. The second silver wolf moved freely and didn’t seem injured.
Good.
The three beasts engaged in a deadly battle, but Torin and Robert appeared to be dominating. I dashed forward, my heart pounding in my ears as I focused on the glinting metal in my hand and the lock in the heavy door.
The moment the cell door creaked open, a wave of cold, stale air washed over me.
My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped into the small, dimly lit room.
The walls seemed to close in on me, and I couldn't help but shudder at the thought of my mother spending countless days and nights within these confines.
"Breanna?" came a fragile, barely audible voice.
As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw her—Willa, my birth mother. Her recognition of me, even as an adult, came as no surprise. After all, I was the living embodiment of her, as Dad had once told me.
Willa stood shorter than I had imagined, but she radiated strength. She wore a white dress with a high waistline and wide sleeves, an unusual style for our present time, yet it looked stunning on her.
Her brown hair reached her waist, and her fair complexion spoke of years without exposure to sunlight. I could see glimpses of myself in her, but there was so much more to discover about this woman who had given me life.
"I've come to save you," I said, my voice catching in my throat.
"You… You found me, my dear child. I almost can't believe it.
" Willa's voice trembled with emotion. Her gaze never wavered from mine, as if she were trying to memorize every detail of my face.
"I left you clues, and I could only hope you'd follow.
You are braver than I could ever be. The werewolf King and Queen raised you well. "
When she reached out to grasp my face, the warmth that radiated from her touch caressed my skin despite the frigid temperature of the cell.
"I wasn't going to leave you to suffer alone here," I whispered, my heart swelling.
There was so much I wanted to ask her and find out about her and her life that I had to take deep breaths.
Slow down. I have my whole life to learn about my birth mother.
The sudden growl, bone snapping, and a thud jolted us out of our emotional moment. Willa and I exchanged a glance before we rushed out of the cell.
In the corridor, Torin and Robert’s wolves loomed over the fairy wolf's lifeless body. Blood pooled underneath its massive form, darkening the stone floor beneath it.
The sight was gruesome, so I looked at Willa for signs of lightheadedness or dizziness. But she just stood there, her gaze darting between the two silver wolves, her eyes taking in their forms.
I swallowed hard. "This one is”—I pointed to Torin’s wolf—“was my fated mate.”
My gaze locked with Torin’s crimson eyes.
A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You were given a mate who could walk next to you as you forge your destiny."
I couldn’t stop the frown from making an appearance. "That's not how it felt. It was more like the Fates tested me over and over again and shoved a certain destiny my way."
Willa shook her head, her lengthy hair swaying gently. "No, dear. There's a reason he is your fated mate.” I wasn’t sure what she saw on my face, but she added, “In every fight you've faced so far, your bond was essential to win."
I didn’t want to immediately shock her with the revelation of the chosen bond that Hayden had formed, so I pressed my lips together.
Willa’s gaze flickered to my exposed neck and shoulder, no doubt finding my mate markings.
“I’ll explain everything to you later,” I said.
She smiled warmly at me, and it felt like the sun breaking through the clouds after a storm.
We waited until the silver wolves trotted behind the corner, shifted into human form, and dressed. They returned, smiling and disheveled.
Torin extended his hand to shake Willa’s but quickly retreated it and wiped it on his pants first before grasping hers.
Her smile widened. “You’ve also gone through a lot.”
Torin nodded, his gaze flicking to me.
“The Fates have a reason for everything. You had to build up your strength so you could stand next to Breanna.”
My mother radiated wisdom and grace, and I wondered how much she knew about what had transpired in the human world.
Robert studied Willa and me with a mischievous grin. "I see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he said, his gaze darting back and forth between us.
Willa tilted her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked him over. "What do you mean?"
"Ah, well," Robert said, unabashedly bold, "I can see where Breanna gets her sexy curves from."
My cheeks burned, and I opened my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but before I could say anything, Willa strode towards him and smacked him on the head, just like Torin would've done.
She shook her head. Her gesture was at odds with the eternal wisdom surrounding her aura.
Torin burst into laughter, a rare and uninhibited sound that caught me off guard. My surprise must have shown on my face, and my mother's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Okay, okay, I deserved that," Robert conceded, rubbing his head and chuckling. "But seriously, it's finally nice to meet Breanna’s mother."
"Thank you for coming for me," Willa said, smiling warmly. “And you’ve already met Milo. He’s a pixie fairy.”
On cue, Milo fluttered close to Willa and sat on her shoulder.
“Why can’t Milo talk?” I asked.
“The fairy King cut his tongue after I escaped into the human realm about twenty-six years ago,” she said, her smile fading.
Although Milo looked like a boy, he must have been much older than I thought. I didn’t press for more information because Willa’s face turned ashen. And Milo crossed his legs and pushed his hands onto Willa’s shoulder, averting his gaze.
“We need to leave,” Torin said, nodding toward the dim corridor. “We have some ways to go until we reach the portal to the human realm.”
He gave me a serious look and mouthed, “Talk to her.”
And I knew exactly what I needed to say to Willa. The family athame. We couldn’t return empty-handed to the human realm. It wasn’t the perfect moment to ask her about it, but we were running out of time.
Milo flew ahead of us, leading us through the hallways. The air grew colder, and an eerie feeling crept in as we rushed through the corridors.
"Breanna," Willa said softly, glancing at me from time to time. "I need to know everything that happened so I can protect you better."
I stumbled on the uneven stones but recovered quickly. “Protect me?”
“The fairy King is after you, dear. He found out I had a child when I escaped into the human realm, and he’s searched for you with one purpose only—to kill you. To erase the reminder that I was with my fated mate.”
I sighed. “Oh, about that. The fairy King is dead.”
My mother abruptly stopped in her tracks and placed her trembling hands over her mouth. For a moment, I couldn’t tell if she was upset or happy, but when her hands dropped to her sides, a slow smile lifted her lips.
She let out a heavy sigh. “I didn’t wish for anyone’s death, but his reign was tyranny. He made me and many other fairies suffer.” She paused, tilting her head back and staring at the low gray ceiling. “Did Hayden kill him?”
She looked at me, and I finally closed my mouth and nodded.