Savage Heart

by J. E. Cluney

  How far did I need to take it so its effects would wear off?

  I had no idea, but I wouldn’t stop flying until someone told me it was safe to return. I’d put this horrid thing somewhere safe, and we’d deal with it later.

  I just hoped Mr Oxley and the others could destroy the heart before the swarm of supes reached them.

  Without me on the rooftop, they’d be upon them in moments.

  All I could do was hope and pray.

  34

  The golden power flooded through me, and a wave of relief swept over me as Mr Oxley regained his power.

  Energy pulsed through me, colors blinding my vision as I felt the power draining from me.

  But even as my body weakened and my energy was depleted, I could sense the heart stone cracking.

  A shudder coursed through me as I drew in a sharp breath.

  Nearly done.

  And with one last flood of power, all my magic practically drained from me, I felt the stone explode into a golden rain of glitter.

  My eyes cleared just in time to see a magical golden shockwave erupt from the stone, rippling out from us and over the grounds.

  I watched the shockwave knock back all the opposing supes, and the Golem was howling as it turned back.

  The shockwave struck it, and the Golem was blasted into golden ash, relief sweeping through all of us at the wondrous sight.

  I released Nate and Soren’s hands, collapsing to the ground and rolling onto my back.

  I knew Declan’s people were retreating. Without him, this was all in vain. They had no reason to continue to attack.

  Our side cheered with victory as my mates, Dom, Melinda, and my father all lay on the ground, completely drained and exhausted. All our magic and power had been completely spent.

  “Is it over?” I breathed as I turned my head to Damien and Nate on my left side.

  “Declan is dead. Truly,” Mr Oxley said, his voice rising with relief as he lay on the grass with us.

  “It’s over,” Nate murmured as he took my hand gently.

  I lolled my head back, staring up at the sky as a small smile spread across my face.

  We did it.

  I frowned, snorting as Leon came into view overhead, circling down to join us, his gorgeous white wings spread out like a symbol from the heavens that this was over.

  “Oh god,” I scoffed. “Is that Wes?”

  Nate snickered beside me, and we all watched as Leon descended down gracefully, brandishing the naked infant with fiery red hair.

  I closed my eyes, relishing in the lack of battle sounds. No snarling or shouting, no guns going off.

  Just the cheers and murmurs of our side.

  We’d ended it.

  Finally.

  “So, where’s the Arkonian jewel?” I asked as I lay in bed with Leon and Damien. Tristan sat in the reading nook, while Nate stood, holding a baby Wes, who was now dressed and wearing a diaper.

  “I stashed it on top of a building in town. Melinda is going to go get it and destroy it. They’re nothing but bad news,” Leon said as he pulled me tighter into his side as Damien spooned me.

  “So, Lucy had the heart all this time,” I murmured, still trying to wrap my head around it.

  I nestled between my sexy angel sandwich, grateful that they were here with me.

  We’d all struggled inside, drained and barely able to walk, let alone shower.

  The Council had been called and were sending in a cleanup crew to deal with the mess of our grounds.

  I still doubted I’d ever be able to not see the bodies strewn all across the place.

  Dom had provided a map to some Council witches, and they were deactivating any remaining traps and pulling up the trapped supes in the earthy cages.

  Dom was in recovery right now, along with my father, and Tristan was going to go see him shortly.

  A knock on the door had me forcing myself into a sitting position despite my groaning, aching body.

  “Come in,” I called out.

  Mr Oxley entered, relying on his cane more than usual, and Lucy was behind him.

  “I see you’re all recovering well. The Council has removed their dead, and the fighters are going to rest up here before heading home. Tessa is keeping the kids in the shelter until the place is cleared of any dead. Declan is most certainly gone,” Mr Oxley informed us as he leaned on his cane heavily.

  “He’s definitely dead this time?” Tristan asked as he rose from the reading nook and came to sit on the end of the bed.

  “Yes. There are no traces left of him. His life-force has left this realm completely,” Mr Oxley nodded firmly.

  “Thank god,” I muttered as I leaned back, some of the tension easing.

  Although, when that Golem had exploded, I’d known right then that it was all over.

  We’d won.

  “So, you had the heart this whole time,” Nate mused as he turned to Lucy, little Wesley folding his arms as he gave her an accusatory look.

  “I wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but I knew it meant a great deal to Declan as he kept it under magical wardings in his room. When you all came to the mansion and the fighting ensued, I figured I may need leverage should he ever find me again, so I stole it. He needed all his magic to fight Mr Oxley, so the warding around it had fallen. When the Council began talking about a Golem, I suspected it was related, but didn’t trust them. Declan spoke of having inside access to the Council, so I didn’t know what to do. I tried to destroy it myself as soon as the rumors started, as I did sense his magic within it, but I couldn’t. Nothing I did worked, smashing it, using my magic, nothing. So I hung onto it. Figured if it wasn’t in his hands, that was better. And if he found me, I could use it to bargain,” she admitted quietly. “When I came here, I wondered if you could help, but I wasn’t sure who I could trust here.”

  “How come Declan couldn’t find it?” Damien asked.

  “Lucy comes from the Bronton line, known for being incredible thieves. They can also hide things incredibly well, and were used over the centuries to hide special objects from those who sought them. They were known as the hidden kitsunes, not needing warding to hide themselves,” Mr Oxley explained. “Her magic hid the stone from him. I suspect that’s why he also kept her so close.”

  “How’d he even find you in the first place then?” Tristan queried.

  “My mates I believe. One of them was a hellhound,” Lucy said.

  “Damn, I heard about them, fiery things,” Tristan clucked.

  “So hellhounds are a thing too,” I murmured. Of course they were. Next would be yetis and unicorns.

  “He died trying to defend us, and Declan took me instead once he realized what I was,” Lucy’s face had hardened as she straightened.

  “Well, we owe you, big time,” Nate said as he set the now wiggling Wes on the floor.

  “You owe me nothing. Mr Oxley took me and the children in. It’s more than I could have asked for,” she said, her mouth quirking upwards.

  “Izzy, Chris, and Lionel, will be here soon. They’re coming to check on your family,” Mr Oxley added.

  I smiled softly, knowing she was probably stressed out of her mind.

  We were all okay, I’d checked on my family before even coming inside the institute, and we’d all rejoiced in the defeat of the Collector before needing to settle down and rest.

  “We’re all okay,” I murmured as I closed my eyes, contentment settling over me. We really were all okay. Exhausted, drained, bruised and scratched up, but alive and still kicking.

  We’d not lost too many today, and none of our inner groups.

  I nestled back into the pillows, my aching body demanding rest as tiredness washed over me.

  No more grand threat loomed over us.

  We’d fought hard to protect this place and our loved ones.

  We’d earned a well-needed rest.

  I lounged on the couch, loving the feel of Nate’s warm arms around me as we relaxed. Damien and Leon were i
n the armchairs, while Tristan was on the floor with Wes snickering about how this was all too familiar.

  “Fuck off. I practically saved the day with my sacrifice,” Wes grumbled, struggling to pronounce the words.

  “Of course, definitely,” Tristan nodded with amusement, his eyes twinkling with delight at Wes’ expense.

  “He’s right, without him, I couldn’t have gotten the jewel,” Leon stated, nodding gratefully to the fiery little toddler, who gave Tristan a smug smile.

  “Melinda destroyed that thing, right?” I checked. We’d pretty much all passed out after the grand battle yesterday, and somehow, Melinda had enough the energy to go collect the wretched jewel and dispose of it.

  “Yep. Took it to some friends of hers, they destroyed it,” Leon nodded.

  “I still can’t believe it’s all over,” I sighed as I rested my cheek on Nate’s chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

  “Believe it.”

  My lips pulled into a smile at the welcome voice.

  Izzy strode in, grinning widely, with my brothers and fathers in tow, and I clambered off Nate to greet them.

  “So Declan is finally gone for good. About time,” Izzy sighed as Nate rose from the couch to allow her to sit.

  She thanked him, and I joined her on the red couch.

  “The grounds have been cleaned quite well. You’d never even know there was a battle here,” Lachlan said as he glanced around the library.

  “Got some memories in here,” Benny grinned as he nudged Lachlan, who smirked as well.

  Izzy’s face reddened, and she glared at the pair before focusing on me.

  “I’m glad everyone is okay. I hated sitting it out, and I managed to talk Lionel and Chris into bringing me here. By the time we arrived, it was all over,” she sighed gratefully.

  “The Council lost a few good fighters, but Declan’s followers lost so much more,” Soren stated.

  “What’s going to happen to them?” I asked.

  “That’s up to the Council, but without Declan, they have no reason to do his bidding. Still, they’ll be punished for what they did and for aiding him,” my father stated.

  Good, they deserved it. Anyone who sided with such a wretched creature deserved to be punished.

  “So, grand battle is done, we won, now what?” Tristan asked as Wesley crawled closer to the couch to sit and lean on my leg.

  “Well, the Council fighters will return to wherever they came from, we might hang around here for a few days before heading home,” Soren said before glancing at me.

  “I’m going to just enjoy the freedom and lack of stress. No Collector to worry about, just good old bounty hunts. I intend to enjoy my life, travel and whatnot,” I stated as I leaned back on the couch.

  “Well, you’ll be an aunt before you know it, so make sure you’re around for that,” Izzy winked at me playfully.

  “Of course,” I smiled softly at her.

  I’d be there for my niece. She was family, and family was important to me.

  “You can get some baby practice in with Wes?” Tristan suggested to Izzy and my brothers, causing them to snicker as Wes grumbled by my feet.

  I smiled as my fathers chuckled away, catching his twinkling eyes.

  He was content with life, with having his entire family around him.

  And I knew exactly how he felt.

  Because in this moment, I felt complete peace and happiness, surrounded by my family and mates.

  I was home.

  Epilogue

  I sat in the garden, smiling up at the old institute before me. It had evolved over the years since I’d first come here and met my mates. Mr Oxley had gone full Xavier on the place, and it had become a school for special supes.

  I’d even taken up being a part-time teacher, teaching all sorts of self-defense to the students.

  I’d travelled and hunted with my mates, but finally chose to settle down in the place I’d come to call home.

  I flicked my gaze as a white, golden-tinged wolf came zooming around the garden, the black wolf hot on his tail. Two young boys sat on their backs, laughing gleefully.

  The kitsune was in full shift, looking like a wondrous white fox running alongside the pair.

  My heart fluttered momentarily as one of the boys began to tumble off Damien’s back, but Nate’s aura arms burst to life, righting him in his seat.

  I shook my head with a soft smile as they continued darting around like mad.

  “Why’d you stop?” the four-year-old blonde girl sitting before me asked as she peered over her shoulder at me. Her blue-grey eyes made me soften as I sighed.

  “Sorry, got distracted,” I murmured as I continued to gently brush her beautiful locks.

  “We’re going to visit Aunt Izzy and Uncle Lachy this weekend, right? I want to see Uncle Chris,” she stated as she watched the boys play with my mates.

  “Yes, that’s right,” I chuckled softly. She’d grown fond of her Uncle Chris, since he’d taken up baking cupcakes and cookies with her every time we visited.

  “I want to see Renee too,” she said brightly.

  “You’ll see all of them, Wally, Brayden, Drew. And definitely Renee,” I said when she cast me a worried look.

  “Grandpa Lion sure is funny,” she mused, and I chuckled. Somehow, Lionel had become Grandpa Lion to them all, and he’d softened a lot with all the children.

  “Can I go play too?” she asked after a moment.

  “Of course. But Nakima, remember to play nice with your brothers,” I reminded her as she shot to her feet, grinning widely.

  She rolled her eyes before nodding sullenly and taking off after the wolves.

  “She’s going to own their ass. Like mother like daughter,” Wesley chuckled as he joined me on the grass.

  “She really is. Too much sometimes,” I sighed. “I worry what she’ll be like as a teen.”

  “You mean, being a full kitsune, you think she’ll be a nightmare? Sex-driven and lustful?” Wes snorted.

  “Shut-up, she’s still so young, I don’t want to think about that yet,” I chided him as I playfully hit his arm.

  “How’s our little boy going?” Wes changed the subject as he shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around my waist.

  I smiled softly as he gently caressed my baby bump.

  Nakima was my youngest, Nate’s daughter, while Kristof was the oldest at six years, Tristan’s son. And Harley was Damien’s son, only a month off being five years old. Leon wasn’t too stressed about trying for his own just yet, and now I was carrying Wes’ boy.

  “Decided if you like Ian or Caine better for him?” Wes asked. We’d been tossing around names, and those were the two he liked most.

  “I think Caine,” I said after a moment. I wouldn’t tell him it was because of the Mark of Caine from the Supernatural show I still secretly enjoyed.

  Wesley laughed and shook his head as he kissed my neck, and I knew he’d listened in on my thoughts.

  “Fine, Caine it is,” he murmured.

  My phone sounded off, and I reached for it, smiling at the photo from Jackson of his newborn son, whom they had named Michael.

  He met a lovely siren here at the institute when he was visiting me a few years back, one who had the ability to captivate both men and women. She had taken on two mates too before meeting him, and Jackson got a lot of advice from my mates in regards to sharing her, since he got caught up in her mating bond as well. I’d learned a lot of the rarer supes had evolved to take on multiple mates in order to continue their species.

  She’d fallen pregnant with his child first.

  Watching him adapt to the similar relationship style as my own had been interesting, and he’d struggled to share her at first, despite understanding the bond to some extent.

  He’d finally come round though, and they were all doing well though.

  “Cute kid,” Wesley commented.

  “Yeah, he said he’ll visit once Selena is feeling better,” I said softly as I
flicked to the next text, one from Thomas.

  Thomas had come round a few months after we’d defeated Declan, and we’d started developing a relationship again. He was still trying to make up for everything, and he and Jackson had worked wonders in the hunter community, although they had some troubles with those set in their ways.

  With permission from my mates, he’d even met my children, and he’d changed so much once around them. He adored them, constantly bringing them gifts, and one time I found him asleep on the couch with Nakima, Wesley watching over the pair.

  I never thought my life could have gotten to this point, but here I was.

  My adopted father had changed, although meeting my real fathers was out of the question. They accepted he was allowed around the children (well, Lionel had been dicky about that for a long time) but they wanted nothing to do with him, which I understood. Same with my brothers.

  A message popped up from Dom too, checking in to see if I still wanted to do nails with him tonight.

  I smirked as I sent a ‘hell yes’ back. We’d become quite close over the years, practically best friends, which was not what I’d expected when we’d first met.

  The kids called him Dad Dom, which made us all laugh secretly. Tristan had made the remark on how he intended to use the term in the bedroom with him, and now it was an inside joke. He’d actually been their Godfather, and he and Tristan still maintained their relationship. He was just as much a part of our little group as the others were now, and we enjoyed sharing many things. We did girly nights with rom-coms and wine, did nails and hair, and had a ball. Hell, we’d even had the occasional sexy session with Tristan together. Tristan had his fun with both of us, but Dom and I wouldn’t get involved with one another. It was all about Tristan. And it had helped bring us even closer.

  As if summoned, Tristan appeared, striding over and plopping down beside Wes and I.

  “Nice day,” he mused as he eyed the clear blue sky.

  I sensed his need to tell me something, although he was wondering how.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked as Wes rested his chin on my shoulder.

  “Just something with Kristof,” he sighed.