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CHAPTER 24:
I was screaming Noah’s name, the sound scaring the kids and working them into hysterics. My screams coupled with the babies high pitched cries had Noah out of his office and in the restroom in a matter of seconds. “What’s wrong? Micah, what’s happening?” Noah grabbed my shoulders, trying to calm me.
“There’s dragons outside!” I screamed. “They’re burning the outer village! Everything is on fire!”
“What?” Micah moved me aside, rushing to the window to confirm my words.
“We have to go! We have to help everyone! Nadi! She’s at the hospital! I have to-“
“Micah, you have to take the babies and you have to go.” Noah cut me off.
“But-“
“We have to lead people to safety, including our kids, okay?” Noah spoke urgently, gripping my shoulder stighter to emphasize the gravity of his words. “Go into the forest, run… to the caves! Take everyone there!”
“But… I-I can’t shift. King can’t shift so I have to hold him.” I felt tears beginning to well in my eyes as the panic truly began to set in. “I’ll be too slow, Noah! They’ll catch us on foot!”
“Micah, breathe.” Noah ordered me, brushing my hair from my face. “You can handle this. You’ve trained for this. I know it’s scary because it’s real and you have our sons… but who could protect them better than you? You have this, right? Right?”
“Right.” I answered, wiping my eyes.
“They haven’t made it to the house yet. I’m going to run out and tell as many people as possible where to run. I’ll find you after, okay?” Noah kissed my forehead, already turning to exit.
“Okay.” I answered as he rushed out. I took a shaky breath, turning back to the baby whimpering in the tub. “Okay… okay… I got this. Lordy, lordy baby can you shift please? Turn into a wolf okay? We have to go run. Shift, Okay? Shift, Lord. Shift!”
As the last word left my mouth the little baby erupted into a ball of fur. The pup barked at me, hopping out of the tub and shaking dry. “Okay… okay good. Kingy… Apa has to tie you to my belly okay? You have to not move.” I started explaining to him as I rushed into the other room to grab a sheet. King, obviously not understanding, just blinked up at me as I made a makeshift sling and placed him into it, positioning it around my body. “Okay babies… Apa’s gonna become a big wolf okay? One, two-“
As I shifted, King’s sling tightened, pressing him to my belly. He wiggled, uncomfortable. Knowing I had little time I prayed the sling would hold. I went up to Lord, scooping the pup up in my jaw and carrying his little form in my mouth. We had done this a few times before and so he made no fuss, seemingly curious as to what was happening.
Once I knew my babies were secure, I took off, rushing down the stairs and out the back door. Just as we got a few feet away a dragon flew overhead, catching fire to our house. I didn’t let that slow me down. I refused to turn back to witness the carnage. I kept my face forward, running as fast as I could into the nearby tree cover.
There were more wolves in the trees, some in wolf form and others human, seemingly terrified and lost at the same time. When they saw me, they began to follow, running after me as if I knew where safety was.
I didn’t.
I went toward the Caves like Noah had instructed. It was something about having to protect both my children that seemed to make me incapable of independent ideas. I just knew I had to get to safety. When I reached the entrance I motioned them all inside, running back into the forest a few times to get stragglers to follow. My heart was beating like crazy. I needed to save everyone I could…
And then the trees a few yards away caught fire. Nearby branches began to catch flame and I watched as the beloved forest of my childhood turned into kindling. The remaining wolves left in the pack seemed to appear out of the fire, stampeding toward me. Among them was Nadi and several pack warriors, pushing gurneys of sick wolves who couldn’t run. I was so relieved to see they were safe I let myself stand in place for just a moment… a single second really…
I tried to turn too late. Someone barreled right into me, knocking me to my side. As I fell, my sling caught on a nearby branch. I didn’t realize this until I attempted to scramble to my feet and the sling was ripped off. The absence was evident immediately. The wriggling being pressed to my belly was gone. Panic took me faster than the fire was taking the forest.
I stopped in my tracks, ready to shift back to human when someone else smacked into me, softer this time. I looked up into Noah’s wolf’s eyes. His wolf began to push me away and I whimpered, throwing my head in the direction of the sling. He didn’t notice.
He was too focused on the dragons overhead, burning the surrounding forest. I tried to stop moving so I could change back into human… to grab King… but everytime I tried to relax my bones to shift, I was jostled into more movement. I wanted to howl and bark, to get everyones attention, but Lord remained in my mouth. I couldn’t drop him too.
I struggled against the crowd, whimpering and throwing my head in the opposite direction, but it was to no avail. I wasn’t stronger than the crowd. I never was. I was finally able to detach myself from the crowd when we reached the cave. Instantly, I shifted back. I settled Lord at my feet before taking off at a sprint toward the Cave’s opening.
Several hands stopped me at once. “No! No! Let me go!” I screamed, throwing off one set of hands just as another took hold. Noah was at my side again, trying to calm me. He didn’t know yet. He didn’t realize.
“King!” I yelled, fighting against him now. “He fell! He’s out there!” I can’t remember everything I shouted. I could hardly hear my own voice over the sound of my own heart beating in my ears. I only knew he understood when his arms released me and he too tried to force his way back out.
“Micah! Noah! Calm down!” It was my father. I could see his hands holding back Noah, as my mother created a wall in front of me. “You can’t go back out there.”
I was screaming obscenities, the panic finally too much to bear. King was out there! What weren’t they understanding? I had to save him! I had to go back! “Micah, darling look at me.” My moms hands were on my face, forcing me to look into her eyes. “If you go back out there, and they kill you, Noah dies.” She said this slowly, as if to let each word sink in. “You are a mated pair. Your lives are forever connected now. If the Luna dies, the Alpha dies and if the Alpha dies… what happens to us? What happens to Lord?”
I wanted to care, but I couldn’t. I had once thought there was nothing more important to me than my pack, but that was before my children were born. I didn’t care what happened to anyone as long as they were safe. I had to go. I had to. “I’ll go.” My head snapped toward the Cavern entrance, where Nico stood sweaty and bloody simultaneously. “I’ll go get King.”
He could see the hesitation on my face. I could tell. I needed to go on my own. I had to save him. Only I- “Micah…” He was in front of me now, taking our mothers place to grab my face. “I would die to save King. Have faith in me. I will come back with him or not at all.”
Several excruciating seconds passed as Noah and the rest of the pac seemed to wait on my reply. My stomach twisted in knots, unsure of what I should do. I hadn’t had a meaningful conversation with my brother in over a year…
And yet my mind drifted back to the day the boys were born. Nico had stayed with me for as long as I needed him… he had never let me down. “Come back no matter what.” I whispered, gripping his hand tightly. “I need you to return with him, Nico. Please. Find him.”
He pulled our intertwined hands toward him, placing a kiss to my wrist before pulling away and running back outside. Just as he disappeared, fire began to lick at the entrance to the cave, seemingly unable to enter.
I was numb.
I turned my back on the crowd, trying to tell myself it would be okay. There was no one on earth I trusted more than Nico. he would find King. he would protect him with his life. The pack wouldn’t have let me leave anyway. I repeated these reassurances as I searched out Lord, who seemed to have run deeper into the cave. I caught him just at the edge of the stream, head dipped to drink.
“No!” I cried, diving to the ground, knocking the pup headfirst into the stream. He yelped, shaking off the water and hopping back onto dry land. He growled at me, clearly displeased with me. “You don’t ever drink from there!” I lectured him anyway, grabbing him and pulling him into my lap. “It’s not safe! Bad water! It’s bad!”
“What kind of nonsense are you teaching the poor pup?” A gruff voice snapped at me. I tried not to roll my eyes as I looked up into Mick’s wrinkled old face. His gray hair looked singed on one side and he was using the stream to clean soot from his cheek. “Do you even know what this is, boy?”
“Do you?” I snapped back, watching in horror as he dunked his hands in and took a drink. “What? You-“
“This here is old magic kid. It’s before your fathers fathers time. Back when this pack was powerful… this was why.” He smacked the water, splashing both Lord and I. “It was you selfish Alpha bastards that up and decided us regular folk shouldn’t have access to this.”
Mick was, admittedly, pretty senile. Most of the things that left his mouth bordered on incomprehensible. He was hardly a reliable source… “How does it work?” I asked. “How do you drink from it with no consequences?”
“Are you slow?” He insulted me, laughing as if I had just said something very funny. “Consequences? From this puddle?”
“It’s the stream of life.” I corrected him. “And it’s written that no one should drink from it.”
“Lies.” Mick snapped. “Propaganda from filthy Alphas who think they’re so important!”
“But… I’ve seen it hurt people.” I defended.
“Have you?” His tone was taunting. “I’ve seen babies drink from it.”
“I don’t understand. How is that possible?”
“I guess it’s not your fault you’re this stupid. They made you this way.” he sighed. “You don’t know any better.” I opened my mouth to curse him out, officially done with the old bat when he began to speak again. “I guess i’ll tell you how things used to be. Back when they were good.”
I took a deep breath, willing myself to be kind. “Please tell me. I would like to know.”
“Alright, alright.I’ll tell you, but interruptions will not be tolerated. Better to keep your mouth shut if you really want to understand.” Mick waved me off. “Centuries ago, when I was just a pup, this was called the Lunar stream. It was said that when our Goddess first walked upon the earth, she was attacked by humans with such savagery she escaped into this tunnel to hide. Within the tunnel she found many wolves and pups on the verge of dehydration. Despite this, they welcomed he rin. They protected her with what little energy they had. The tears she cried for them turned into this stream, her gift to the wolves to thank them for their allegiance. However, when they drank from the pool, the wolves took in her divinity, becoming both god and beast, man and wolf. And so the first lycans emerged from the cave and walked the earth.”
“I’ve never heard this story before.”
“Of course you haven’t! You’ve spent your whole life being lied to!” Mick snapped, slamming his fist down into his lap. “In the past, there were no alpha’s. There were only the strong who protected the weak. We had no need for fancy titles. We were all family. And every new birth, the pup would be brought here and placed into the stream, strengthening their connection with our goddess. It was tradition. It was law.”
“So then what happened?” I asked, shocked when Mick turned to glare at me. “I’m sorry.”
“Alpha’s happened.” Mick sneered. “Wolves who wanted to rule, to be the strongest, began to fight over territory. The pack split and splintered apart. At this point generations had passed and lycans were born, not created so… the need to return to the stream became less important. Afterall, Alpha’s fought over who got control over the stream. They would steal it, bottle it, even try to pollute it. Eventually, the stream began to dry up. It’s but a trickle of what it used to be.” He sighed, dipping his hand in and allowing the current to brush along his fingers. “This stream… it’s magic. Wolves before would develop all kinds of gifts. Premonition, strength, resolve… it’s as if the goddess took the greatest thing about you and amplified it. However, all power comes with a cost.”
“A cost? Like what?” I asked, somehow engulfed in his story. Mick was hardly a reliable source, but damn could he spin a tale.
“It was different for everyone. Afterall, the goddess maximized your strength so it only made sense the cost would be just as personal. I’ve heard many different tales in my time. Some claimed to switch souls and others might lose their life. Most wolves, however, cared most about one thing: their mate. So… the goddess took them away.”
“What?” I cried.
“Stop interrupting!” Mick snapped, shaking his head in frustration. “It’s not as tragic as it sounds. It just wasn’t as easy to find mates as it was before. Sometimes because wolves had swapped or sometimes because one wouldn’t feel a pull. It was different for everyone. However, the goddess didn’t leave us in the dark. If one came to drink from the stream and asked the goddess, ‘please, I sacrifice your gift to me. Return my soulmate to me’ she would. It’s an equivalent exchange after all.” Mick looked at me, searching my face for something. “What did you sacrifice to get your mate?”
“What?”
“You drank from the stream. I can tell. I can feel the connection, but… you have a mate. So what did you sacrifice?” He seemed genuinely curious to know.
“I… I don’t think I gave up anything.” I admitted.
“Hmm… then perhaps the goddess simply took what she wanted from you.” He looked down at the pup in my lap. “A runt for a first born… or maybe no first born at all.” he motioned his head toward the cave entrance where the fire still raged. “I guess we’ll see what your miserable sack of a brother brings back.”
“You’re evil.” I spoke without thinking. “How could you say such a thing?”
“I say the truth. You have been lied to.” Mick spat at me. “Seven generations ago, your bloodline began its strategic attempt to cut all wolves off from this stream. They told the pack they didn’t need to touch it, that it was dangerous. Then, as the years passed, it was simply forgotten. And now your pup is dead and your brothers mate is fucking a pack whore.”
“I can’t wait for you to die, old man.” I cried, standing to my feet.
“You forget, Luna. I have drank from this stream.” He chuckled at me, clearly amused. “I have no mate. My reward? A long life.”
“A life not even worth living.” I countered, holding Lord tighter to me. “An empty, wasted life.”
“Perhaps. I would expect you to think so.” He shrugged. “And if your brother is lucky, he’ll get to live just the same. He drank from the stream too, right? I can tell. He’s got quite a gift. I can see it in his eyes. Premonition. To sacrifice a gift like that for a mate? It would be a shame.”
“You know nothing of shame.”
“No, I don’t, but you?” He smirked at me, wrinkled face creasing even more. “The shame sticks to your skin. I can see it. You are consumed by it. Where does shame end and Luna begin?”
“You’re a senile old man.” I continued to insult him, desperately hoping it might take some pain away.
“You want to right your wrongs?” Mick continued. “Make a sacrifice to the goddess. Ask her to undo what you’ve done. Drink from the stream. Perhaps i’m senile or perhaps you want to get rid of your shame. Which is more true?”
Nico… he had run back into fire to save my son. He had remained by my side through birth. He had been my closest confidant my whole life. Perhaps Mick was trying to get a rise out of me. It wouldn’t be his first attempt… but if he were right…
I sat back down, settling Lord on the flower beside me. He remained curled up, deeply asleep. “What if it can’t be undone, no matter what?” I asked.
“It can always be undone. It only matters what you sacrifice.” Mick motioned to the stream. “When you drink, you will understand.”
He was daring me with his eyes to proceed and every nerve in my body told me to beware. Mick was not a good man. He wasn’t trying to help. Still, I had drank many times. I would survive. So what was the risk? “Fine.” I lowered my cupped hands, bringing the water slowly to my lips.
“Remember to be intentional.” Mick reminded me. “Be clear about what you want.”
I closed my eyes, letting the cool water flow down my throat. At that moment, I thought only of Nico. Nico would save my son just like he always saved me and what would be his reward. Goddess, I thought to myself, allow Nico his happiness. I would give up any strength or special ability I had. I would give up my sight or my hearing. I would do anything to undo what i’d done… and to give Nico the mate he deserved. He deserved to truly be loved. He deserved more than anyone could ever give.
And then I felt it, a tugging in the back of my mind. Nile or Von, which one was it? Then words began to repeat in my head “When we were young, Nile and I had issues connecting with our wolves. It caused a lot of concern in our family and we went to see a lot of healers who basically said don’t worry about it. We’d grow out of it. Eventually, one day, our wolves would just sync up with us, but they never really did.” Von had told me.
“Mick? You said something about souls switching?” I opened my eyes, turning to the old man.
“Yes… in the past pups would switch wolves. It would become painfully apparent in adolescence. Thankfully, taking them to the stream and submerging them in the water usually did the trick.” Mick explained. “I’m assuming the Goddess has provided you clarity?”
“Maybe.” i said stiffly.
“And what did you offer her?” He asked. “Hopefully this time you were specific.”
“Nadi!” I called, ignoring him.
———————
“If i’m right about this…” i trailed off as a few pack members finished dragging Nile into the water. They lifted Von off his stretcher, carrying him into the stream.
“You didn’t finish that thought.” Noah pointed out as Von was laid in the stream.
“I know.” I answered. The truth was… i had no idea what this would do, only a feeling that it needed to be done. The rest of the pack members stepped out of the stream, staring at the two lifeless bodies expectantly. For two very long minutes, nothing at all happened.
And then the water began to glow.
The glow was bright and blue, forcing many to shield their eyes. The water in the stream seemed to flow faster, sloshing about the sides… and then their bodies began to convulse. “What’s happening to them?” Veri cried as someone held her back from rushing into the water.
My whole body began to tingle as energy filled the air. I couldn’t look away. Something was building. It got higher and higher and higher until…… crash. The glowing stopped and the energy faded.
Again, it was two brothers lying lifeless in a stream. I wanted to scream in frustration. “Micah, it’s okay.” Noah whispered in my ear. It was only then that I realized I was crying. I turned around, burying my face in his chest. What was done could not be undone. I knew that. I should have never put any faith in the words of a crazy old man. I sobbed into his chest, tired of the weight of guilt that remained on my shoulders. I was exhausted.
And then the sounds of splashing water reached my ears. “Oh my goddess.” Noah whispered, spinning me back toward the stream. I wiped my eyes, the blurriness of my salty tears forcing me to rely on shapes. It was two large shapes slowly sitting up in the water, stretching and cursing. As my vision returned, it got cloudy again as new tears welled up.
“What the fuck is going on?” Von cursed, shocked to see the whole pack staring at him. He shook water from his hair, shocked as Nile cursed beside him. For a moment they stared at one another. “I-I can’t believe…”
“What’s going on?” people began to whisper and murmur.
“I switched them back.” I laughed, the sound cloaked in disbelief. “Their wolves were switched as children and I switched them back.”
“Is that even possible? And how are they awake?” Nadi asked as she rushed forward to help both men to their feet and begin checking them.
“The Goddess made it clear.” Was all I could say. It was all I knew.
“Veri? Veri!” Nile cried, searching the crowd as Veri rushed forward to throw herself at him. As they embraced, Nadi helped Von to his feet who still seemed unsure of what was happening.
“Wait, i feel…” Veri pulled away, clutching her throat. “I-I can’t believe it. i-I-“
“I feel it too.” Nile assured her, pulling her back to him again.
“Are you two alright?’ Nadi asked, deeply concerned.
“They’re fine.” I spoke off for them. “I fixed everything.”
“What do you mean?” Noah asked.
“They’re feeling what they should have felt from the beginning.” I chuckled. “They’re mates.”
“Von?” Nadi looked to him for confirmation. He was still a bit shaky, pushing his hair from his face.
“I-I don’t feel anything toward her.” He eventually spoke, which caused a new chorus of gasps from the pack.
“I’m sorry. I’m still lost.” Noah sighed.
“Nile and Von never connected with their wolves as kids… it’s because they were switched. They had each other’s wolf inside of them. Which means once they switched back… Veri is Nile’s mate.”
I sniffed the air, a familiar scent flooding me with relief. I rushed toward the cave opening, the smell of Nico and King wafting in. They were getting closer and closer. The fire had just begun to die down and Nico rushed through quickly, a ball of dirty white sheet in his arms. “Oh thank goddess.” Noah cried from beside me.
Nico was staring down at the sheet, his pace slow now. “King! King? Is he okay?” I asked, an odd smell reaching my nose. Nico paused a foot or so away, finally lifting his face. His cheeks were tear stained, fresh rivers of tears running and washing away the dirt and blood on his face. His whole body was scratched up, in fact, not a single inch of him seeming unscathed. “Nico?” He looked into my eyes for a moment, before squeezing his shut. He held his arms out, letting the blanket unravel.
It was empty, covered in dirt and debris. The very bottom was dripping, coated in a thick red substance. I screamed, collapsing to my knees.
Blood.
King’s blood.
I couldn’t hear anything over my own screaming and crying. I knew people were trying to talk to me, trying to comfort me, but it was as if I had entered a soundproof black room. The tears burned as they raced down my cheeks. Not my son. Not king. It couldn’t be.
Why couldn’t the goddess take me instead?
Someone tried to pull me to my feet, but I couldn’t feel my legs. The ground had fallen out from under me and I was floating in a cold, lonely space. A world without my son was not one I wanted to live in. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” Someone was holding me, trembling, begging me to forgive. I tried to blink through the tears, making out a familiar curly mop of hair. “I tried to find him, micah. I tried. I couldn’t find anything but this. I’m so sorry. Forgive me. I’m sorry.” Nico sobbed, his whole body shaking.
He had never looked so small. Not when he was a kid, not when he had visited me in the cage, not when he was in the hospital… he was collapsing in on himself. The guilt was crushing him into the ground. He had his head on my shoulder, still sobbing but this time about needing to find him. In my silent black void, he was gravity.
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him to me tightly. He hugged me back, the two of his shaking in unison.I could smell King’s blood on the blanket in his arms and it made me sob even harder. How could I have dropped him? I killed him.
Noah sunk down beside us, pulling the sheet into his lap. I looked toward him as he brought it to his face, inhaling it and bursting into tears. He clutched the blanket tightly, holding it as if he could hug King back into existence. My heart broke all over again.
He stood up, getting everyone’s attention who wasn’t already staring. “It’s enough.” He spoke calmly, wiping his eyes. “As of today, there has been enough fighting. We’re done.” No one spoke, not even Mick. he held his hand out to me. “Let’s end this, my love.”
Shakily, with his and Nico’s help, I stood to my feet. Noah held my right hand and Nico held my left. Together, for the first time, we walked out into the fire.
Hi everyone,
Long time no authors note. I’m writing one just to let you all know that there is one more chapter in this story before the end of the book. After that, I will be posting the book details for our final installation of the series.
Let me know what you guys think and also let me know if you’d like to reimplement the authors notes into the chapter updates. Thanks for all your support everyone <3 -MADAME
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