“Ceva, mate, talk to me.”
“Hi, Wolfie,” she slurred.
“Hi, beautiful.”
There was shouting and yelling, and Ceva looked up to see Koen fighting with Farrow and Juliel while the other witches stood guard over her and Lothar.
“You’ll never get the best of me,” he boasted.
“Lothar, can you do me a favor?” Ceva asked.
“Anything.”
“Behead Koen for me.” Her voice travelled through the cave; Farrow and Juliel backed off as another witch came over and gently took hold of Ceva.
Lothar stood and unsheathed his sword. Ceva could see Koen trying to teleport away, but nothing was happening.
She couldn’t decide whether to tell him now or wait. She always loved a surprise.
Lothar took one last look at his weak mate and wanted his revenge for everything she had been through. He wondered why the asshole hadn’t tried to teleport away.
“Who dares hold me here?” Koen bellowed.
Ceva started laughing, and not just a little laugh but full-blown hysterical laughter, and Lothar was worried she’d finally broke. Until he looked down at her hand. Past the bruises left from the handcuffs was the yellow stone that Koen had been using to amplify his power. But now it was amplifying Ceva’s powers. Now Lothar understood the laughter. Revenge was sweet.
“You bitch, that’s mine.”
“Not anymore.” Ceva smiled weakly. “Now you have to face one of the wolves you hate so much.”
Lothar approached Koen fast, a man on a mission. Drawing back, his sword flying, he had no second thoughts. He wanted blood. His first blow was stopped by a block but the next hit home, and sliced Koen’s side open. He bellowed in pain. The wound Ceva had inflicted was still seeping blood, and now he had a second.
Magic flowed over Lothar as Koen attempted to attack with his powers, but none of his efforts affected Lothar. His shield was stronger, and he knew he had Ceva to thank for that. Koen was desperate and threw everything he had at Lothar, but with determination and Ceva on his side, Lothar backed Koen into a wall. He had nowhere to go.
Lothar understood why Ceva had said her parents weren’t powerful enough to pull this off. Without the stone, Koen wasn’t strong enough to hold back Lothar.
In a last-ditch effort Koen lunged for Ceva. It didn’t matter she was surrounded by white witches and was completely safe; Koen was out for blood. And for Lothar, the only thing that mattered was protecting his mate. He raised his sword and sliced it through Koen’s neck, ending his reign of terror on all wolf shifters.
Lothar stood over the lifeless body for a moment.
It was finally over.
He ran over to Ceva and engulfed her in his embrace, cradling her like a child. He looked up to the witches. “We need to get back. Ceva needs healing.”
The witches joined hands and Juliel touched Lothar’s shoulder. In a blink of an eye, they were back in the main hall of Koen’s estate. Ceva was limp in his arms, but her eyes were still open. She held the stone in her hand, and Lothar swore no one else was ever going to use it again.
Ceva must have been thinking the same thing. “It needs to be destroyed. Smash it into pieces.”
Lothar took the stone from Ceva’s weak hand and swore it would be done. She looked at him with such love that he couldn’t help but smile. The doors opened and King Leonidas walked in, followed by Alphas Aldric and Dedric as well as the other Alphas that had come to help.
“I knew I heard voices. You found her, thank the gods.” King Leonidas clasped Lothar’s hand.
“Bring a healer. Hell, bring them all. Ceva’s hurt.” That got the room moving as powerful Omegas were brought in.
“We would be honored to save the life of someone so brave and selfless,” one of the Omegas said. The rest nodded their agreement. “Please lay her on the couch.”
Lothar did as asked and took a few steps back. The Omegas formed a circle around Ceva, and then each placed a hand on her arm. She flinched and Lothar growled.
The air around them began to chill as Ceva’s pale complexion began turning pink again and the wounds from the handcuffs vanished. It took almost thirty minutes, but Ceva looked a lot better.
“She will still be weak for a few weeks, but her injuries are healed. Please make sure she rests,” a young Omega who spoke for the group instructed.
“She will,” Lothar promised.
“Thank you for your help,” Ceva murmured before cuddling into the couch and falling fast asleep.
“How long will we be staying here, sire?” Lothar asked the King.
“A few more days to gather everything we’ve found and arrange for the survivors to be taken home.”
“Then I’ll find a room for Ceva to rest in over the next few days until we return to Black Ridge.” Lothar lifted Ceva from the couch and cradled her again to his chest.
“I’ll come with you. I have to leave shortly and wish a few words with Ceva before I go,” Juliel said as she followed behind Lothar. Joseph, Rowl, and Karli followed as well. They opened every door on their way down the hall until they came upon a small but comfy-looking bedroom with an en suite. Joseph and Rowl went in first to make sure the room was safe. It would take a long time before Lothar felt his mate was safe anywhere other than Black Ridge.
Lothar laid her on the bed and removed her boots. Once everyone was gone, he’d give her a sponge bath. “Rowl, could you return to our vehicles and get new clothes for us?”
“Sure.”
“Thank you.”
Rowl left and Joseph took up a guard position in front of her door. Karli remained in the room, as well as Juliel. Ceva opened her eyes and blinked several times before saying, “I didn’t dream it all. I’m out of the cave.”
“Yes, my love. You’ll never have to deal with Koen again.”
Ceva gifted Lothar with a brilliant smile and raised her shaky hand to touch his face. “I never thought I’d see you again, Wolfie. Never thought we would make that addition to the house.”
“Oh, the addition is being made. I’ll start working on it the moment we get home. But you must rest until all your strength has returned,” Lothar ordered gently.
“Addition?” Juliel asked, and Ceva bared her mating tattoo. “Ah, now I see. Little ones are a blessing from the gods.”
“Yes they are, and we have been thoroughly blessed,” Lothar said proudly. He couldn’t wait to welcome their firstborn.
“Juliel, how are you here? I watched you die,” Ceva questioned.
“Ah, yes. You should know by everything you’ve seen that death could not be the end. We just move to another plane of existence. I was granted special permission to come back and help find you, but I must return. I haven’t much time left.”
Ceva struggled to sit up. “No, we haven’t had a chance to talk or spend time together.”
“I know, dear, but you must know how proud I am of you. You’ve turned into an exceptional white witch.”
“I’ve missed you so much, Juliel. You were like a mother to me.”
“Thank you, child.”
Juliel began to fade, her body no longer solid but a mist hanging in the air. “I must go now, but never doubt that I’m always nearby.” With that, she vanished.
Ceva let out a small cry, and Lothar crawled into bed to comfort her. She wept softly, and he guessed it was like losing your mother twice—not her birth mother but the one who had acted more like a mother than anyone, Juliel.
Once she calmed, Lothar wiped her eyes. “Are you up for a sponge bath, beautiful?”
“Absolutely. I feel disgusting and need the stench of that place off my body.”
Lothar stood and Ceva tried to open the buttons of her shirt, but failed without any real strength left in her arms and hands.
“I’ll get that for you, baby. Don’t you be worrying about a thing.”
“I’ll go out into the hallway. If you need me, just call,” Karli said as she stood and walk
ed out.
Rowl had already brought their extra clothing in. After her bath, Lothar would have to find her some food.
“Do you want me to sponge bathe you in bed or carry you to the bathroom and use the tub?”
“Tub please. I feel so dirty.”
“I’ll go run the bath water.”
“Thank you, Wolfie. For everything. For saving me, for caring for me, and loving me. I’m so thrilled to have you as my mate.”
Lothar caressed her cheek before heading to the bathroom and starting the water. If Ceva only knew, he was the lucky one, not the other way around.
He got everything set up in the bathroom and lit some candles in hopes it would help her relax. When he returned, Ceva was awake and trying without any luck to unbutton her shirt.
“Let me help you. Do you want to save any of your clothing?”
“Nope. It’s all ruined and can go directly into the garbage.”
“Good.” He extended one sharp claw and cut the fabric away from her beautiful body, careful not to so much as nick her with his claw.
Once he’d cut her free, he removed his clothing, lifted her, and walked back to the bathroom and the now-full tub. Slowly, he stepped in and lowered their bodies into the warm, soapy water. He held her close while gently rubbing her body with a washcloth.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” he admitted, his voice cracking.
“For a minute there, I thought I’d never see you again. But I prayed to the gods you would find me, and you did.”
Lothar looked away. “I failed you. For that I’ll be plagued by guilt for eternity.”
“Failed me?” Lothar had saved her from impending death. What did he have to feel guilty about?
“Yes, for the longest time I couldn’t get a complete image of where you were, so we couldn’t teleport to you. You suffered so much pain because of my failure.”
“You saved me. Without you, I’d be dead by now. You shouldn’t feel guilty. You should be proud that you accomplished something that takes months to perfect. Teleporting yourself, let alone a whole rescue party, takes a lot of strength. You have no idea what an amazing feat that was.”
“I should have been able to do it faster, get to you faster.”
“By all rights, you shouldn’t have been able to find me in the first place with that stone sucking the life out of me. It was you who saved me. If you don’t believe anything else, believe that. Without you, I wouldn’t have survived.”
“Speaking of the stone, I’ll destroy it once you’ve had a chance to rest some more. No one should have that kind of power. No one.”
“You got that right.”
“Let’s get you cleaned up, beautiful.” Lothar leaned over and gently captured her lips. “I love you so much.”
“Love you too, Wolfie.”
For the next hour, Lothar cleaned and massaged Ceva’s body. Many of her muscles were hard as a rock from fighting the stone for so long. After, he wrapped her in a soft towel and carried her back into the bedroom. It was easy to tell Karli had been there. The bed had clean sheets and there was a plate of food sitting on the bedside table.
He laid Ceva on the bed and covered her with a warm quilt before retrieving the plate of finger foods. “Are you hungry?”
She knew she had to eat, but her stomach was still queasy. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep it down.”
“We’ll try a little, and then you can rest. You have to get something into you so you can recover.”
Ceva knew he was right, so she tried the first thing he offered, a strawberry. Its sweet juices filled her mouth, making her moan with happiness. Her stomach held it down, and Lothar fed her a quarter of the plate before she started falling asleep. She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
The next thing she knew, the room was dark and Lothar was sleeping in a chair beside her bed. That won’t do. She tried to sit up, but her body was so heavy and her arms were too weak. So instead she slid her arm across the bed, reached for his hand, and gently squeezed it. Immediately, he woke and sat up straight.
“Are you all right? Do you need anything?”
“Yes, I’m fine. The only thing I need is you to lie in bed with me.”
“I was afraid I’d hurt you.”
“I need you to hold me,” she confessed.
He stood and began to undress, his muscled body slowly revealing itself to her. Too bad she was just too exhausted to do anything about it. He crawled into bed beside her and gathered her into his arms. She placed her head on his chest and was asleep in seconds.
Her routine for the first couple of days of recovery: she ate and slept. The only time she got out of the bed was when she had to use the facilities, and even then, Lothar had to carry her. She was just about done feeling like an invalid. She was making it out of this bed today, getting dressed, and getting outside. She removed the quilt and sheets and slid her legs toward the side of the bed. Slowly she sat up, doing her best not to shake. Placing her feet on the cold floor felt like tiny needles were being poked into the bottom of her feet. She refused to stop. She needed to get out. She was about to stand for the first time when a shout of fear came from the doorway.
“Stop. What are you doing?” Lothar raced into the room.
“Getting up. I can’t lie here any longer. I need to be out.”
“Then you should have waited for me. You’re not strong enough to stand on your own, let alone dress and walk.”
Ceva was getting angry. She never liked being told what she could and could not do. So she pushed off the bed and immediately fell into Lothar’s arms. Her legs gave out as soon as she stood.
“Satisfied?”
She had to admit she expected to have a little more strength than that, but she knew when to declare defeat.
“Okaaay. Will you help me get dressed and take me outside into the sunlight?”
“Of course, my mate.” He lifted her back onto the bed and gathered her clothing. “I have some good news. We head back to Black Ridge tomorrow morning. We’ve transported all the survivors back to their towns and villages, and we’ve cleaned out and destroyed all the dark magic spells and instruments Koen and Adela used.”
“That’s great. I can’t wait to be home.”
“I love the way that sounds coming from your lips…home.”
Lothar finished dressing her and brushed her hair back into a long ponytail. He opened the door then carried her out into the hallway. It felt so good to be out of her room. He walked her down the hall to the small ballroom where King Leonidas, Aldric, Dedric, and their team, as well as the King’s soldiers stood. The King had already come and seen her when she was awake, as had Aldric. Helena had called to check in. Ceva was beginning to believe she did have real friends, and now she was about to start a family with Lothar.
“Well, it’s good to see you up and around,” King Leonidas said as they entered.
“Good to be out of bed. I’ve had enough of lying around.”
“We’re almost done here,” Lothar explained. “We’ll pack up tonight and head home. Alpha Dedric, Karli, and Karli’s parents are coming with us.”
Lothar had told her what the King had decided with regard to Karli, and her parents’ wishes. Ceva could see his logic. This way the parents should be satisfied once Karli had been courted by Alphas, but she still chose Joseph and Rowl. But Ceva didn’t think these parents would be satisfied without an Alpha mating. She’d have to keep a close eye on them because the gods only knew what Karli’s parents would do to push the odds in their favor.
“I can’t wait to leave. I never liked this place.” Ceva shuddered. “But what about the person who gave Koen that stone to amplify his power? It had to have happened recently because Koen would never be able to wait to use it.”
“It won’t be too long before they try to use dark magic again. Once they show themselves we’ll deal with whomever it is,” King Leonidas stated.
Haroon, who had avoided her and had bee
n silent since the battle on her parents’ estate, came forward. His face was unreadable, but if he thought to get a few verbal shots in while she was weak, he’d be sorely mistaken.
“Ceva, I wish to apologize for the way I acted toward you on our mission. Just because you were born to dark witches does not make you dark. I understand that now.”
She regarded him closely. She sensed he was telling the truth and his emotions were true and pure. He was really sorry.
“Thank you, Haroon. I appreciate your honesty, and I’m glad we’re not at odds any longer.” She didn’t like thinking someone didn’t trust her, especially when they were fighting on the same side.
“Now, let’s get you out into the gardens for some sun.” Lothar turned and headed for the French doors.
Lothar fussed. He placed her in a comfortable lounge chair surrounded by flowers. Such a beautiful place, and completely at odds with the evil that used to inhabit the house. Lothar sat on the grass beside her. They were holding hands; she needed the connection.
“Thank you, Wolfie.”
“Thank you for what, beautiful?”
“For giving me my chance.”
“What chance?”
“The chance to have a normal life, a chance to have my own family. A chance to share my life with a spectacular mate. You’ve given me my chance to live.”
“All I did was love you, Ceva.”
“And that was enough.”
Epilogue
The sounds of hammers and power saws filled the air as Ceva rounded the back of her and Lothar’s home. It had been a little over a month since they had left the estate, and finally, she was back to full strength. The journey home had been torture on her sore body. No matter how many pillows and blankets Lothar had wrapped around her, she’d felt every bump and turn like knives in her skin.
Once they had returned to Black Ridge she began to truly relax and heal. Helena, along with her adorable baby, had come over multiple times a day to check in. And Lothar had refused to go back to training the warriors until Ceva was completely healed. Now he was back doing his job, and at night and on the weekends he was working on the addition to their home.
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