Kade

by Dana Archer

  I have one more vow to keep tonight.

  Thirty-Nine

  Kade

  My limbs shake. My knees buckle. Still, I fight. Giving up isn’t an option. Never was. Never will be.

  Stumbling to my feet, I wobble forward and grab the throat of another demonic creature, then heave the soulless body against the wall of other red-eyed beings advancing on me. I step to the side, avoiding a head-on attack as I’ve done since Asa called forth his army. The shimmering wall encircling the ceremonial circle stops me.

  I’ve been cornered, led here by the puppeteer too cowardly to take me on. “Fight me! Alpha versus alpha. Man versus man.”

  “Do you feel the change in the air?” Asa’s voice reaches me over the groaning and moaning of the creatures surrounding me and moving closer. “The full moon’s peak is waning.”

  “And if we’re both standing once it fades, we both walk out of here alive.”

  “You won’t last that long.”

  “My head and my heart are still intact, and your army is weakening.” And the demonic creatures are slowing. Their movements are growing sluggish. “You can’t maintain them, can you?”

  Asa moves behind the row of hunched beings. He raises his hands and chants while pulling on the air and rolling his hands. A flash of light centers in his outstretched palm. Black fire leaps from the glowing orb growing there. He slides his thumb and middle finger around the ball, reaching behind him at the same time as he turns his upper body, then hurls the fiery ball at me.

  I lurch to the side, and the flaming orb changes path to match mine. Dropping to my knees, I curl forward, protecting my chest as heat sears the air in front of me. A hand reaches through the iridescent wall behind me and shoves me, knocking me out the ball’s path. I hit the ground and push into a crouch, my gaze on the female’s black fingernails digging into the burning orb. Squeezing, she crushes it, and sparks fly, hitting the ground around me.

  Where each ember fell, fire burns. Tendrils of inky mist bubble over, hissing and popping and growing into massive warriors, not the soulless beings formed out of black fire Asa conjured. Tattooed males dressed in animal pelts with axes and hammers in their hands and shrunken heads dangling from their belts step forth. Each warrior singles out one of Asa’s demonic creatures, and on a unison howling scream, the males Zoe summoned charge their prey.

  And Asa is left standing alone.

  Coming to life myself, strength floods my limbs. Power crackles in the air around me. Lighting flashes above me, sparking against the domed ceiling of the ceremonial circle. The top cracks, letting in the fading light of the moon. Mere seconds remain before the walls fall and this month’s full moon ends.

  Seconds is all I need.

  My tiger bursts free, our forms switching effortlessly. The massive animal hits Asa’s chest as he draws on his lion, but not soon enough to block my tiger’s massive claws from cracking through Asa’s rib cage and piercing his heart. Asa’s big cat staggers. Mine leaps on its back. We open our mouth—my tiger and I—and bite, crushing the spine of our enemy.

  Without a thought, my tiger and I switch places, and I grab the head of the limp lion lying beneath me, then rip it free. Blood sprays, blinding me, but the breath of the Yuran’s spirit drifts over me. Around me. I spread my arms and part my lips, welcoming the soul of the first Yuran and all those connected to it into me.

  The spirit I freed rushes into me, and torturous agony locks my body as hundreds of glowing tendrils—the tie to all Yurans, living or dead—weave through me.

  Head tipped back, I scream, the cry ripped from my soul, but no sound comes out. A flow of energy I can’t stop chokes out my shrieks. I can’t move. I can’t fight. I can’t stop this.

  But I can share this power.

  I reach for the frayed connection to my dying pride mate and pour this power into Megan. For a moment, I’m there with her as her back arches on a screech to match the one echoing in my soul. Then a tattooed warrior takes her hand, and I’m cast out.

  Slamming back into my body, I drop to my knees as the ancient warriors who fought for me fade as if they’d never shared this circle with me.

  Zoe rushes forward and throws her arms around me. Jarah moves into my line of sight, a look of pride on his face. Visiting alphas, my pride mates, my allies, and Yuran males who’d once called Asa alpha hover at the edge of the circle.

  Finally, a harrowing howl fills the night.

  Ilan takes another breath, his chest expanding, and again blows into the bone horn he’d impaled into the ground at the start of the ceremonial challenge, but instead of calling a warrior to his death, the chilling story told by his song speaks of sacrifice and honor and victory.

  A male died tonight, but a king rose from his ashes.

  Forty

  Kade

  Piles of rock and tarp-covered building supplies still dot the yard behind my home just as it has since last summer, and half-finished rooms still make up most of my large home. Last time I’d risked allowing outside eyes into my personal space, I’d spent hours cleaning and arranging to present a perfect portrait of my “perfect” life.

  Today, I don’t hide anything from the judging eyes of the shifter world. Not my nearly barren home that’s been waiting for me to decorate but unsure how I should proceed. Not my yard I’ve left untouched without knowing which plants and flowers would look best. Not the troubles looming over my loved ones I don’t know how to solve.

  I don’t have to figure out any of it alone. Zoe has already been choosing colors and selecting fabric swatches. Alphas from around the country have been discussing the common issues affecting us all. And Shifter Affairs has been working tirelessly to contain the attack that’s left the lives of dozens of humans in jeopardy along with thousands of shifters around the world.

  With my hands linked behind my back, I survey my lands from the window in my office. Trays of hors d’oeuvres, decanters of liquors, kegs of beer, and bottles upon bottles of wine line folding tables set out in the yard. More offerings of food and drink await in the many unfinished rooms in my home, while my pride members and their mates, my allies and their children, and those shifters whom I call friends mingle among the crowd of visiting alphas and important dominants all waiting to kneel at my feet and offer their blood and their loyalty to me.

  As king among alphas.

  “The humans who attacked Megan and the other children are being transported to our facility in Alaska.”

  “What?” Zoe demands in response to Ella’s declaration. “We’re locking them up?”

  “They’re all Elixir addicts who were being controlled by Vince. When Vince lost his head, the compulsion he planted within their minds broke, but us knowing they didn’t attack the children on purpose won’t save them.” Ella’s voice carries a sense of defeat to it I can’t remember ever hearing, even when she spoke about her fake true mate connection to Zach. “They’re all dying from the effects of Elixir use, and as of right now, there’s no way to reverse the effects. All we can do is keep them on a low dose of Elixir and hope we can come up with a cure before their bodies shut down.”

  “And we need to do that in Alaska? What about…” Zoe tilts her head and purses her lips, considering her choices. “Riley’s Sanctuary is right here. Now that Megan has recovered and is with her sister and learning how to be an alpha, the hospital is empty. If those who attacked us are not being eliminated, can’t we keep them there? I’m all for punishing them, but Alaska is far away. How will we be able to monitor their progress?”

  Turning my back to where dozens of alphas are gathering in the open area outside, I face Ella and my mate. “Riley’s Sanctuary would be a prison, and we can’t justify locking them up. They didn’t intend to hurt us, but they did. In doing so, they saw too much.”

  Zoe’s shoulders slump. “And those who know too much are eliminated.”

  “Yes.” I nod. “But in Alaska, they’ll get the care they need and, hopefully, live long enough to be int
egrated into our world so that they’ll willingly keep our secret just as you did and Ella did and countless other humans have. Before we can even entertain that option, we need to stop them from dying from Elixir.”

  Ella steps forward, her long, loose hair shining in the sunlight and the sequins of her curve-hugging dress casting rainbows across the floor. “Officers who specialize in containing infectious diseases are coordinating with Shifter Affairs on this cover-up. Officially, there’s been an outbreak of a highly contagious virus that appears centered in this area. A placebo vaccine is being distributed for free to all residents in a five-hundred-mile radius. Humans are panicking. Media reports are talking about the next great plague.”

  “And those who attacked us are being isolated.” Zoe crosses her arms, drawing attention to her deep cleavage and creamy skin on display, along with my mate bite. “I get that they’re dying. I get that they should be punished, but it still doesn’t seem right. Their freedom is being stolen from them.”

  “Their organs are decaying, and their bodies are shutting down.” I close the distance between me and the keeper of my soul and take Zoe’s hand in mine. “It’s a horrible way to go, and that’s how each and every one of the humans who attacked us will meet their end if we don’t intervene.”

  Zoe rests her forehead against my chest. “Does it look like they can be helped?”

  “As of now, no. All we can do is keep them alive and work on a cure.”

  “Uri’s mate, Lyla, is among those doctors coordinating on the research being done, and Riley Kagan plans on joining in on the efforts once she delivers her babies.” Ella steps closer to Zoe and reaches a hand out, maybe wanting to offer some comfort or needing some herself, but drops her fisted hand instead. “Shifter Affairs is doing their best in this situation.”

  “And the order you gave Ilan…?” I leave the question dangling. Despite Zoe having free access to my thoughts, she hasn’t taken the memory of my conversation with Ella, and I haven’t shared it. Zoe prefers to talk and tease and force me to justify my actions.

  “To eliminate Jerry and Stan?” Ella leans a shoulder against the edge of the bookcase behind my desk. “Yes, I’ve shelved the order. It didn’t feel right to begin with, but at the time, it was the only choice I could make.”

  “You didn’t make it lightly. I heard that in your voice when you told me of your decision to call in an assassin, and I don’t doubt the choice weighed heavily on you. That’s the sign of a worthy leader, Ella. You understand the consequences of your actions, and yet, you were willing to make the difficult decisions for your loved ones. I respect you for that.”

  A smile graces Ella’s mouth. She touches her lips, then shakes her head. “Enough about me. This day is yours. Enjoy it. See you both outside.”

  Ella pushes away from the bookcase and walks out of my office.

  Zoe links our fingers and steps back, drawing me with her. “Are you ready for the ceremony, my king? I’ll even volunteer to set the crown on your head.”

  “I’m not wearing a crown.”

  “They’re calling this an alpha crowning ceremony.”

  “There’s no crown involved. Someone decided to give this special event that name, and it stuck, but that’s all.”

  Zoe scrunches her face, but her twinkling eyes speak of mischief. “How about a bounty of war you can put on display? Something that’ll say, ‘Fear me. I’m a badass.’”

  I laugh, uncaring who might hear me. “I don’t plan on using fear to keep the shifter world in line. I plan on leading by example and guiding those loyal to me.”

  “That’s great and all, but the spirits of the Conway shamans I called forth think you should keep those who aren’t loyal afraid. Very, very afraid.”

  “Do they?” I won’t question the wisdom of the ancient shamans of Zoe’s bloodline. They guided her, whispering the powerful chants in her mind she used against her demon and occupying the demonic beings attacking me so I could end Asa’s life. We wouldn’t be here now if it wasn’t for them. “And what do they think I need?”

  Zoe bites the edge of her bottom lip and untangles her hand from mine. “Jarah loved the idea when I told him.”

  “And what do they think I need?” I repeat.

  “Okay.” She hurries over to where the same tote bag she’d carried the day I met her all those months ago sits next to the wall of photos representing our growing family. “Just remember, it’s meant to be creepy.”

  “Just show me.”

  Zoe sticks her hand into the large tote, then glances at me. “Nadia sterilized these and crafted the handles for the vessels and decorated everything. She assures me they’re completely safe.”

  “Zoe.” My mate’s name on my lips is a demand and a request. The longer she teases me, the more curious I get, and I don’t want to spoil her presentation by going over there and dumping the contents of her tote on the floor.

  “Fine.” She pulls two skull cups from the depths of the tote, then holds them up, putting the grotesque props on display. “One for you and one for me, but I’d really, really prefer not to drink from Vince’s skull tonight.” She shoves one mug out. “He…he was my friend.”

  Exquisitely etched runes and symbols decorate the bone while dual handles that shine of pure gold complete the elaborate cups that could double as soup bowls. Had they not been the skulls of the males I’d slain earlier this month, they’d be almost beautiful, at least by gothic standards.

  I take the cup crafted from Vince’s skull and run my finger over the gemstones embedded into the braided handle. Gold, pure gold that’ll mold to the user’s grip over time. “Nadia did a wonderful job. I remember seeing such skull cups in the treasure trove room hidden under the Shifter Council’s chambers. The first shifters gloried in displays such as this.”

  “Because they’re meant to spark people’s primal fears.” Zoe wipes her hand on the front of her short black dress.

  I take in Zoe’s actions and the sorrow creeping into her soul, then lift her hand and press it to my chest. “When I claimed the Yuran spirit, I released Vince’s soul. He’ll get a new life and return as a human.”

  “Another chance at life.” Zoe’s voice cracks. “He doesn’t deserve it. For all the bad things he did, he doesn’t deserve it. Rationally, I know that. I just…” She presses her lips together. “Just, thank you. Thank you for doing that, Kade.”

  “He was Asa’s pawn from the moment he was born, but he deserved the same chance at becoming an honorable male that I got.” I squeeze Zoe’s hand. “And the same chance your son will get.”

  “Has John… I mean, has Zion been located?” She’s stresses the name Asa gave her baby, maybe to remind herself the child she’s always dreamed about isn’t the one she’ll meet today.

  “Yes. My older cousin, Aron, and young Zion are at the airport as we speak. Aron says your son appears polite and intelligent and looks very much like a young Josh. I have the pictures on my phone he sent, and I must agree. Your son looks like a Conway. He even has the same dark blue eyes you and your brother have.”

  She shakes her head. “I’ll wait to see him in person, but…appears polite? What exactly does that mean? He appears polite but isn’t actually polite?”

  I hesitate despite the fact Zoe knows exactly how Asa had been raising her son and for what purpose—to kill for him. “Zion knows to hold his tongue and lower his gaze. We won’t know his personality for some time, but we’ll be patient with him, just as the other families who agreed to take in the rest of the child assassins Asa’s been grooming will be patient. All the kids will get a chance at a real childhood.”

  Zoe swallows hard, then nods quickly. “Will he be here in time?”

  “For the naming of Mira’s babies, not for the alpha-crowning ceremony.”

  Again Zoe nods, then loops her arms around me in a tight hug while the skull cup she still clutches presses into my back. “I don’t know if I can be the mother he needs. When my demon was talking to me, sh
e said he was a killer. That he was bad. My crazy side’s been pissed off with me since I tricked her into sharing my soul with me permanently. I try to talk to her. You know, reach some kind of peaceful arrangement with her like Josh has done with the Golden Goddess sharing his soul, but my demon just walks off sulking. I swear it’s like trying to live with a perpetual moody teenager.”

  I laugh at Zoe’s description. “I thought you said your demon was grateful you saved her from getting dragged back to Hell, even if she’s not getting to walk free like she wanted.”

  “She is, but this is weird. For both of us. We’re different entities with different wants.”

  “Much like I am with my felines. My tiger, my lion, and my jaguar all have unique personalities, but we’ve reached a truce, so to speak. They’ve accepted I’m the one ultimately in charge. Your demon will too eventually.”

  “Eventually, yeah.” Zoe tips her head back. “But in the meantime, we have a party to get started.”

  “Two parties. Josh’s barn has been cleaned and decorated for the naming ceremony tonight.”

  “Then let’s get out there, my king.”

  I kiss my mate, loving her mouth when all I want is to strip Zoe out of her clothes and worship her as I’ve done during every free moment we’ve stolen this week. Desire flares between us, and love blooms, but the urgency to join our bodies doesn’t consume me. We have eternity ahead of us.

  “I love you, Zoe Jane.”

  “And I love you, my pretty…king.” Zoe taps my rear with the skull mug. “Forever and always, Kade.”

  “Forever and always. This I vow to you.” And nothing will stop me from keeping that promise.

  Epilogue