by Quinn Loftis
Cyn’s heart felt as though it would burst from all of the love filling it. This man was willing to accept every part of her—good and bad. He’d crept slowly into her heart and gently pushed down the walls she hadn’t even realized she’d erected.
She had honestly never expected to have such a love. Cyn had accepted that she would only have the satisfaction of destroying evil and protecting those who couldn’t fight for themselves. And she’d thought that was enough—until she met Thalion. But now, after knowing what it was like to feel the unconditional love of another, she couldn’t give it up. She couldn’t walk away.
“I don’t see what it is you see in me.” She held up her hand to stop him from arguing. “I’m not putting myself down. What I mean is … I’m a warrior. I am not like the elegant women of your court. I have rough edges—very rough edges. And I have only you to thank for any of those edges that have been smoothed. You have opened my eyes to a side of me I didn’t know existed. I don’t want to lose that—that feeling I get when you look me. I cannot wander this earth for endless centuries without you.”
“You won’t have to,” Thalion assured her. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. It was a kiss that sealed the promise he’d just made her. They didn’t know what the future held. With so much darkness filling the human realm, and more enemies rising as soon as others fell, it did not look promising. But whatever it held, they would face it together. She could lean on him in her times of weakness, and he could turn to her when he needed reassurance that he was doing the right thing. Together, they would stand with those who had decided that darkness and evil could not have any of their realms.
Thalion stared into her eyes, and Cyn felt as though he was making an unspoken promise to always protect her, always provide for her, and always choose her, no matter the cost.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips. “One day, in the very near future, you will become my wife. I will spend the rest of my existence doing my best to be a servant leader worthy of your affection, friendship, and love.”
She knew without a doubt, though it took her a while to figure it out, that Thalion was meant for her and she for him. Cyn anticipated dark days ahead. She could feel the storm coming. They would be faced with horrors no one should have to endure. But they would not face it alone. They would stand together and fight, with each other and with the other supernaturals who refused to give in to evil. They would prevail…or die trying.
Epilogue
“I give advice, and yet I am wary to follow the words I preach. I long to see those I care about healthy, safe, and happy, yet I deny myself those very things.” ~Perizada
“I feel a malice in the air I haven’t felt before,” Peri told Vasile and Alina as she stood in his office staring out into the forest.
“Darkness will never be fully gone, Peri,” Vasile stated.
“If you’re trying to be encouraging, your attempt is an epic fail,” Peri chided.
“I am simply stating the facts.”
“Do you have any idea where your sister could have gone?” Alina brought up the topic that Peri knew needed to be addressed, yet she couldn’t bring herself to focus on it. Deep down inside, Peri was very hurt by all that her sister had done, but she couldn’t say she was surprised.
“I haven’t thought about it, but I’m sure once I do I will be able to come up with some ideas. She won’t stay hidden for long, even if I do not know where to begin,” she explained. “She craves attention too much to stay in the shadows.”
“That will be her downfall.”
“No, Alpha. The fact that I am her sister and she dared to hurt those under my protection—that will be her downfall.” Peri felt the anger she’d been suppressing attempting to knock down the walls that held it back, but she didn’t allow it out … not yet.
“Have you heard from Cyn?” Alina asked with a sly smile.
“She came to me briefly to ask for a short leave of absence. I am glad she made the right choice. Had she chosen otherwise, we’d all want to stab ourselves repeatedly with forks for having to put up with her.”
“What a pleasant thought,” Vasile said dryly.
“I must be off. I will return to tell you of my plans as soon as I know them.” She flashed just as the door to Vasile’s office opened and Lucian walked in.
Lucian saw his mate’s back briefly before she disappeared. She was still running. This disappointed him, but didn’t discourage him. He would give her the time she needed. Lucian and his wolf had been trapped for so long, alone, sure they’d never find their way home. His heart had been a withered husk until he’d laid eyes on her. He could hold out a little longer.
“Has she even spoken to you since finding out about your bond?” Vasile asked his brother.
Lucian felt his wolf stir with the need to chase that which he so desperately wanted to hunt. “I’ve contacted her a few times, but she attempts to block me from her mind. I don’t know why she thinks she can avoid the inevitable.”
“She’s been alone a long time,” Alina pointed out. “It will take some time for her mind to wrap around the fact she doesn’t have to be alone anymore. She’s powerful and independent, and she knows how the males of our species can be.”
“I don’t want to control her or change her.” Lucian grumbled.
“No, but regardless of what you want, it will require change and compromise on both of your parts. Peri has many powers, but the ability to compromise is not one of them.”
“Or change,” Vasile added.
“I’ve learned how to be patient,” Lucian admitted. “I can wait for her. If she thinks I will go away, she is going to be disappointed.”
Alina laughed. “She has no illusions about you giving her up. I think she just feels like it needs to happen on her terms. She feels out of control of the whole situation, and that’s a very foreign feeling to her.”
Lucian nodded. “I understand that, and I hope she will soon allow me to ease whatever frustrations or worries she has about us.”
“You are the perfect mate for her,” the Alpha female assured him, “because you recognize her worth. And you also recognize that she won’t back down or pretend to be less powerful than she is just to stroke your ego. She will come to realize that eventually, and when she does, she will grab hold of you and love you as fiercely as you will love her.”
Lucian smiled at her and then looked at Vasile. “You’ve been blessed to have such a wise mate.”
Vasile reached out and gently stroked his mate’s face. “I have,” he agreed. “She was more than worth the wait. As your mate will be, as well.”
Lucian left them. He needed some time to himself, time to think and assure his wolf that their mate would one day be claimed by them and bear their mark. As a man, he understood the emotions Peri was struggling with, but his wolf could only see that they’d found their mate and they needed her just as she needed them.
“Soon,” he told his wolf. “We will claim her. In due time, we will show her how precious she is. We must be patient hunters.”
His wolf huffed his agreement but sent him a picture in his mind of them throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her off kicking and screaming.
“I don’t think she’d appreciate that,” he informed his beast.
Fine. We will wait.
Lucian didn’t think it would be much longer. He felt down to his marrow that, soon, she would need him. And he would be there, ready to bear whatever burden she may have.
* * *
Author’s note
I hoped you enjoyed this small glimpse into the story behind Cyn and Thalion! Thank you for taking your time to read it. If you haven’t read the Gypsy Healer Series, I suggest you read books 1-3 in that series before moving on to Den of Sorrows (Book 10 of The Grey Wolves Series). While not essential, it does provide some context for the story, including information regarding the relationship between Perizada and her mate.
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More Titles by Quinn Loftis
www.quinnloftisbooks.com
The Grey Wolves Series
Prince of Wolves
Blood Rites
Just One Drop
Out of the Dark
Beyond the Veil
Fate and Fury
Sacrifice of Love
Luna of Mine
Piercing Silence (Novella)
Den of Sorrows
The Burning Claw
Resounding Silence (Novella)
Gypsy Healer Series
Into the Fae
Wolf of Stone
Jewel of Darkness
Book 4 coming 2017
The Elfin Series
Elfin
Rapture
Surrender
Queen of the Warlocks coming 2017
The Dream Makers Series
Dream of Me
Dream so Dark coming 2017
Stand Alone Novels
Call Me Crazy
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About the Author
Quinn is a “retired” nurse thanks to all the amazing readers who made her dream to write full time possible. She lives in beautiful West Arkansas with her three precious sons, whose smiles are as contagious as their laughs, and husband who is her best friend and biggest fan. She writes about the deep, unconditional love she does because of the love he shows her every day of their lives. She is the author of 17 novels and 2 novellas, including the USA Today Bestseller Fate and Fury. In her spare time she likes to read, watch movies, spend time with her family, and correspond with readers. Quinn gives all glory to God for the success of her books and is so very thankful to the readers for their support.
