Chapter 22
MALIK
E veryone goes silent. I half expect Leonora to show up right in front of us, a new collar in hand—not that I’d be able to see her. But nothing happens. Five seconds pass. Ten. Thirty. Ninety.
I take a deep breath, hating the words as I force them out, but knowing it’s the right move.
“Back to the original plan. I’ll go back.
Circe can reattach the collar.” I nearly vomit at the thought, but I go on.
“If I can get this glowing to go away, Leonora won’t suspect anything has changed.
I can wait until her guard is down and then?—”
Bodi barks, “No.”
Circe sighs. “That won’t work, Malik. She’ll still feel how much more powerful you are. There will be no ‘catching her off guard.’”
A faster heartbeat draws closer to me, and a second later, smack! The skin of my upper arm stings from the slap as Amri says, “What did I tell you? You’ve got to stop trying to fix everything on your own.”
Kat chuckles, and Rian says, “She’s right, Malik. You can lean on us.”
Logically, I know they’re right, but … “I promised her … I need to?—”
Bodi steps closer. “Who? What are you talking about?”
I shake my head, taking a small step away from him, cursing myself for letting that slip. “Nothing.”
Circe tsks , and there’s the quiet sounds of her moving, but I can’t see what she’s doing. After only a couple seconds, she says, “Well, fuck. That explains a lot.”
Sadie’s voice is gentle but worried as she asks, “What?”
Circe shuffles as she says, “In his mother’s last moments, she made Malik?—”
My bark comes out with a deep growl. “Stop!”
But Bodi pushes around me, placing his body between me and Circe as he asks, “What? What did our mother do?”
Circe’s voice drops. “She made him promise to watch over you two. To protect you.”
Rian’s steady heartbeat gets closer, but he doesn’t touch me as he says, “Oh, Malik.”
Bodi’s voice gets louder as he turns to face me. “Is that true? We were all there. I didn’t … Malik?”
I glare in the general direction of Circe. “Stop fucking doing that! That was not your memory to share!”
She doesn’t respond, but I get the impression she’s shrugging.
A warm hand comes to my shoulder. Rian’s emotions bleed through his touch … understanding, sorrow, pity, anger, love …
Crack!
Pain explodes across my face, and Sadie yelps, “Bodi!”
I stumble back from my brother’s punch. I touch my cheek and wince. “What the fuck was that for?”
Bodi’s rage trembles through his voice. “You should have told us! You carried that for decades? We’re family! We’re brothers. Rian and I could have helped you carry that burden, but you?—”
I snap back at him. “We were four! What was I supposed to do? Our mother was dying, Bodi. She was in pain. So much pain. And she spent precious breaths to tell me to protect you and Rian. Of course I fucking didn’t tell you!”
Loud, panting breaths fill the silence until a warm body wraps around me. Rian nuzzles against my chest, holding me tight. “Thank you, Malik. I’m sorry you had to carry that, but thank you.”
“Fuck.” Bodi sniffles. Is he crying? His arms come around us, and his forehead bumps against my temple. “I’m sorry, Malik. I could have … I should have stepped up instead of leaning on you so much. You … I’m just so …”
I cup the back of his head, holding him against me as I wrap my other arm around Rian. I hug my brothers, letting their warmth and love soak into me. “I love you both so much.”
Rian whispers against my chest. “We know. And we love you.”
Circe clears her throat, and Bodi growls at her, but we don’t break our hug as she says, “You boys might want to get dressed, or not, I don’t care. Just know that Leonora is trying to contact me, and it’s giving me a migraine.”
Kat asks, “You get migraines? Just use your magic.”
Circe sighs with exasperation. “Yes, yes. Not the point. The point is, Leonora is calling. She wants her pet back.”
I bristle at that term, and my brothers hold me tighter as if they refuse to let me go. If only.
A small hand presses to my back, and I shiver at Amri’s touch as she asks, “Malik, what do you want to do?”
I blink through the white haze of my sightless vision.
Is that the outline of a shadow, or am I just desperate to see something?
I think about Amri’s words. What do I want to do?
Choice. I’m free at this moment, but I’m appalled to find that I’m terrified.
My decisions here and now are completely my own. What if …?
Bodi pulls his face away from mine, but he doesn’t leave our hug, and his breath puffs against my cheek as he says, “Whatever you decide, we’ll be at your side, Malik.”
Soft footfalls come closer and join our group. Sadie’s soft scent drifts to Bodi’s side, and Kat’s voice comes from next to Rian. “We’ll all be with you, Malik.”
After a second, Circe sighs, but something about the sound makes me think she’s smiling. “Oh, all right. Yes. I’ll be with you too, brother .”
I grin in her direction, wondering if everyone else had been staring at her, silently demanding she join our group.
Something must pass between my brothers, because they slip away but don’t go far.
I realize they were making room for Amri as she slips around to the front side of my body.
I should have summoned clothing, or at least pants, because having my little wolverine pressed against me is …
distracting. Her palms lay flat against my chest as she whispers, “You are not alone, Malik, and you are so loved.”
By you? I want that clarification. Is the answer in her eyes? I focus as hard as I can, trying to see my mate’s expression through the white of my vision.
Amri’s arms slide up my body, firmly gripping the back of my neck.
I’m aware my brothers, their mates, and Circe are still standing very close, but I don’t care as I dip my head, going where Amri pulls me.
Her lips brush against mine, and she whispers, “And yes, that includes me, Alpha. Try not to freak out about it.”
Am I freaked out? Maybe. Possibly. No. I’m not. I’m … elated .
I don’t need to see to find her lips again, and I press a soft kiss to her mouth. She smiles against me and manages to mumble, “You better put some pants on …” Even through her clothing, the heat of her body is jarring as her hips press forward against my half-hard cock.
I manage not to groan salaciously in front of my brothers and my new sister, but I do wrap my arms around Amri’s back to pull her all the way flush against me.
Kat giggles, and a second later, a pair of loose pants slide onto my body.
Amri angles her head away from my searching lips to say, “Thanks, Bodi. He obviously wasn’t going to do it. ”
I laugh, squeezing my mate. “You also have the power to clothe me, and you didn’t, so …”
She kisses my jaw, whispering against my skin. “Can you blame me?”
Circe’s high voice pulls me out of our little bubble. “Break it up. Leonora is gone.”
I don’t let go of Amri, but I ask over her head. “What do you mean, she’s gone?”
Circe says, “I mean just that. She’s not trying to get in my head anymore. She was banging on my mental door, and now … nothing.”
Sadie whispers, “Well, that’s probably not good.”
My beast goes on high alert. “No. That’s not good at all.”
Amri steps back, and I reluctantly release her, but at least she stays close by my side, keeping her outer arm pressed against mine.
I stare at the white light of my vision, using sound and scent to place where everyone is around me as I say, “Okay. Grab the tooth, call up your magic. Let’s act before she does. We can?—”
A scream—gurgling with blood, filled with agony—comes from the sky. Amri doubles over, her movements telling me she has her hands pressed over her ears. The screams come from all around us, and Sadie shouts with tears in her voice. “What is that?”
Pain. Torture. A sound that conveys death would be preferable to what is happening.
Askari.
I still can’t see, but I don’t need to. I don’t bother to weave signs. I don’t slice into my hand. I don’t draw the circles. I just reach out and tear open a portal to Leonora’s palace. I leap through, rage driving me forward, vengeance singing in every drop of blood coursing through me.
From right behind me, Amri grunts, “Oh no you don’t.”
I feel the press of her power as it passes through the portal I made, and I both hate and love that she’s with me.
Shadowy forms flicker in the white expanse of my vision, and while I’m grateful that I might not be permanently blind, I don’t have time to celebrate as Askari’s screams continue to rip apart the air all around me.
Please.
I’m coming. Please.