by Lexi Ander
I didn't know, nor did I care to know. All I saw was the asshole who'd taken my brother from me. When I transformed to my Lupe, our rage and snarls echoed off the sandstone walls. Ushna and Brian watched from the shadows, making no move to stop us as we destroyed that which we hated. When I left the tomb, others entered to clean up after me. I vowed to never speak Daniel's name again. Neither Brian nor Ushna commented on the beast I'd allowed myself to become in my grief. I'd never regret what I did or how people walked a wide path around me after I left the tomb covered in blood and bone. No one would be resurrecting Daniel Sullivan because there was nothing but tiny bits left.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Brian Minoa
It didn't take a genius to see Tristan was operating on emotional overload. I kept glancing at Ushna, praying he'd know what to do. But he seemed almost as stunned and overwhelmed as Tristan. I was the only one who didn't know Nathan well. Although the situation was tragic, I wasn't emotionally connected, essentially the stranger on the outside looking in.
On one hand, I was thrilled Nathan hadn't betrayed Tristan, but the cost had been high. Overall, we fared well from the battle, but Nathan was a reminder we hadn't emerged unscathed. In a way, I sensed I had to bear witness to their pain, their loss. So I stood in the shadows as Tristan horrifically disposed of Daniel Sullivan's body.
Corey waited outside the King's Tomb with several men. One look at Tristan and they knew what we'd left behind wouldn't be pretty. I steered both Tristan and Ushna to the hut where a Shadow Mover was stationed. Coba straightened when we approached, his eyes going wide when he saw Tristan.
"We would like to go home," I said when his worried gaze met mine.
"Yes, Your Highness." He led the way into the low building, a single candle burning on a table next to a bowl of fruit.
I took Ushna and Tristan's hands, not trusting them to be cognizant enough to hold on to Coba. I had this deep-seated fear of losing them to the void. With how disconnected they acted, I didn't dare let them go.
The cold darkness wrapped around us, the shadows acting differently. A low moan raised the hair on my neck, skittered across my senses. That was the first noise I'd heard while travelling with a shadowman. Both Tristan and Ushna squeezed my hands, at least slightly aware something was off kilter. When I stepped into the dimly lit room, Coba was sweat-soaked, pulling on Tristan with all his might. My ears popped when Ushna bumped into me.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I've never had the void fight with me before." Coba wiped his damp brow.
"No, I'm sorry." Tristan's voice rasped over the words. He'd screamed himself horse earlier. "I'd forgotten the way is sensitive to deep sorrow. Nacht had a little trouble earlier when he transported me. We should've taken the Anunnaki Gate instead."
Coba looked as if he was at a loss at what to say. Tristan's eyes grew distant again, so I stepped in. "Thank you for getting us out safely. If you'll let Nacht know Tristan will want a report on the wounded in the morning, I'd be grateful."
With a look of relief, Coba bowed. "My pleasure, Your Highness. I will relay your message right away."
I ushered Tristan and Ushna out of the room and down the hallway to our bedroom. Several guards saluted as we passed by. A group of four stood in the corridor outside the nursery. Tristan made to enter, but I grabbed him firmly by the bicep. "You cannot see the boys as you are now."
He looked down at his hands stained with blood and his bottom lip trembled. "I need to check and make sure they are… they are…"
"And you can, after you shower." I pushed him through our door, reaching back to manhandle Ushna into the room as well.
Before the door closed behind us, I heard the highest ranked warrior send one of their number to report. "Put the captain on notice the kings have returned."
For a second I didn't realize he spoke of us.
"I'm sorry," Ushna burst out, his gaze trained on Tristan. "I should've questioned Nathan about what we found. If I hadn't accepted the evidence leading us to believe he'd betrayed us… betrayed you, then perhaps we could've helped him. Set up some kind of contingency plan. I should've done something more."
Tristan struggled and failed to keep his emotions under lock and key. His face crumpled, his gasping sob causing my own eyes to burn. I hated to see them conflicted and in pain. Ushna's shoulders shook as he held out his hands, and Tristan fell into his arms. The choking cries grew in volume. I draped my body over Tristan's, lending him my warmth and strength. Ushna whispered broken words, pleading with Tristan to forgive him. I could've told Ushna that what happened wasn't his fault. I'd been there. I heard and saw everything they did. Nathan was an Ophidian Vikrum working on getting closer to his target. The Ophidian wise men would probably take the parameters of Nathan's mission to their grave. I would be surprised if they crumpled under any order Tristan gave them.
"He… I think… He needed us to believe the lies." Tristan pulled away, wiping his face. The tears only caused the splattered blood to smear.
Ushna glanced away, his jaw working before he said, "Perhaps."
"Come on," I interjected. "We need to shower."
Carefully, I removed Tristan's crown and set it on the dresser. Ushna helped me unbuckle the breastplate and move it to the armor stand Corey had delivered to our room. There were three for our dragon scale armor, but we'd loaned that out to friends for the battle. Once the crown and breastplate were cleaned, I'd have them moved back to the King's Tomb with the other mes of power.
While I finished stripping Tristan, Ushna started the shower. Without a word, Tristan wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my neck. "I don't know what Ushna and I would've done without you thinking so clearly for us."
I grunted in response, not knowing what to say. I didn't need to be thanked for taking care of him and Ushna. So I held onto him, giving him what he needed, running my palm over his sweat-matted hair. Today had been a hell of a day. I expected to feel some sort of giddy elation at all we'd accomplished. But our successes paled in the shadow of such personal loss.
Once I finally pushed Tristan into the shower, Ushna took over, helping to wash him. Tristan's eyes fluttered closed, and he swayed between us. After Tristan had been taken care of, I washed quickly and efficiently. Tristan was half asleep on his feet, Ushna wasn't much better, and they both protested when I commanded them to get under the covers. They wanted to see the boys and I promised to bring them into our room if they climbed into bed.
Pulling on a pair of sweats, I stepped out of the room, pleased at the deep breathing and sudden soft snores from my men. They were wearier than they knew.
In the hallway, I stopped. "What…" I didn't know what to ask. Was there something wrong? Another crisis?
As my eyes met Gregori's and Jory's gazes, suddenly I understood. Stepping aside, Gregori assisted Randy through the door, followed by Jory carrying Stan, who was still unconscious. The line of people going into the bedroom just seemed to keep going. Neesie, Lonnie, Justus, Neoma, and Dawn carried blankets and pillows. Ushna's mother Donya, handed Little Brian to me. Her husband Hami followed her, carrying Atar. Justus's mother, Christie, held Ramsey, and Neoma's mother followed, almost smothered under the weight of her armload of duvets and pillows.
The last person left standing in the hallway, other than the guards, was Corey.
"He needs you," I prodded.
Corey hesitated. "Does he? I don't want to intrude on his grief."
"You're his family. Of course, he does." I made an impatient gesture. "Get up on the bed with him. He needs to know you're safe."
Corey brushed by me with a soft thanks. Why was everyone thanking me? Before I could close the door, Saéna trotted by, her favorite throw clasped in her snout.
After telling the guards we weren't to be disturbed, I secured the door behind me. Our room was more like a suite, but with everyone settling down to sleep, I had to watch my step. On the bed, Jory and Gregori cuddled behind Ushna. Corey wrapped around Tris
tan. I think Corey needed the comfort just as much as Tristan did. He had been working toward today's outcome all his life, and in the process, we came close to losing Tristan. What would Corey do now that his goal had been accomplished?
Neesie and Lonnie had changed into their wolves and took up the foot of the mattress. Ramsey and Atar lay between Ushna and Tristan, blinking back at me tiredly. Even with how large our bed was, designed exactly for this kind of Lycan puppy pile, there wasn't an inch for Little Brian or me.
I wasn't ready to rest anyway. I crossed to the easy chair and sat down, cuddling Little Brian to my chest. He immediately began drooling on me, not that I minded. Next to the chair, Justus sat clutching the large egg to his chest. On one side of him, Randy snored, and on the other, still in a healing sleep, was Stan. Half of the others had changed into their wolf, ears perked for any strange sound. Over all of them I stood sentinel, watching after them while they rested. Little Brian blew bubbles and gnawed on his fist. With the busy day he'd had, I would have thought he'd be the one to sleep the hardest. The image of Daniel with Little Brian and Justus in his custody would be a nightmare that would plague me for decades. Later, when Stan was better, I'd discover what had happened. For now, I simply gave thanks my pup had come away unscathed.
Stretching over to the dresser, I grabbed the nearest cellphone. When I activated the lock screen, I realized it was Tristan's. I swiped and punched in the code. Turning on the camera, I took pictures of the moment. How Corey's face was pressed into the back of Tristan's nape. Neoma using Mary Jane's wolf as a pillow. Christie wrapped protectively around Dawn. How Tristan clutched Ushna's hand. Saéna wrapped up in her blanket. I caught it all and then turned the device around. Little Brian and I made silly faces for the camera.
All this was evidence of the good Nathan had accomplished. We were here because he'd prevented Daniel and Inanna from finding and releasing the chaos monster. He'd kept Justus and Brian from harm. I could only imagine what Nathan had endured to complete his assignment. I sensed the loss of his wolf, an open wound my beast had wanted to mend. What else had happened? What other sacrifices had he made? There was a very good chance we'd never know.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Tristan Janick
When I woke, I didn't open my eyes. Instead I listened to the soft inhalations and snores in the room. The scents tickling my nose told me I was surrounded by friends and family. The image that put in my head pleased my beast. I didn't sense Brian behind me, realizing Corey slept next to me instead. Even as I wondered why, I remembered Nathan. My chest constricted as if a steel band crushed me. Ushna and Brian had seen me lose myself to grief last night, but I couldn't allow the rest of my family see me this vulnerable. They needed me to be strong, especially now, when our lives were changing so quickly and drastically. They needed to have confidence in my ability to lead them; allowing myself to cry wouldn't shore up their confidence in me.
Breathing deeply to find a core of steadiness, I opened my eyes. My little Ramsey grinned widely and waved his arms excitedly, as if he'd been waiting for me to see him. Now that I had, he endeavored to keep my attention. My breath caught when I noticed Atar sleeping in the crook of Ushna's arm but didn't see Little Brian.
My rising panic dissipated when I caught sight of Brian reclined in the easy chair with our pup sprawled out on his chest. My grin of happiness and relief was quickly followed by blurred sight.
Carefully extracting myself from the bed, I took Ramsey with me. Grabbing a pair of jeans and my cellphone from the dresser, I slipped out of the room. The half dozen guards in the hallway thumped their fists to their chests in a silent salute. Unable to speak, I nodded and bowed, which only confused them.
Hurrying to the nursery, I changed Ramsey's diaper and dressed him to go outdoors with me. As I passed through the kitchen, I lamented the fact that Marjan had moved to Bahbelle with her husband Hakim. Theo's pups already missed their son, Atash. I was in withdrawal. If I asked really nicely, would Marjan send me a package of pastries? When I'd hinted as much to Ushna, he'd had this secretive little smile that made me think he was up to something.
Outside, dawn barely brushed the horizon with brilliant fire. I walked around the house so Ramsey and I could watch the sun rise on a new day. A new beginning. Ramsey giggled and clapped, talking nonsensically, and I pretended I understood every word he said.
Deciding we would check on the horses, I crossed the yard to the big barn. The guards standing sentry were from the tents, Lycan warriors we'd freed from the human labs. I could practically feel their need. Once I waved them over, others followed. Even though they were maimed and scarred, they had a fierce pride that hadn't been there when we pulled them from the human facilities.
They greeted me with a reverent Your Highness and inquired about the battle. Then they told me of Corleone calling to them for aid. They'd hurried to the house, helping those who'd been incapacitated. Meeting Saéna, they discovered there were royal pups who had no protection, the knowledge firing their blood. The Lycans from the tents had been guarding the property in shifts ever since.
I bowed low. "I owe you a debt. Thank you for protecting my family."
Ramsey squealed and held out his arms to the nearest warrior.
"Your Highness?"
I grinned through my unease. "He wants to say hello." I trusted them, but I'd just gotten back one kidnapped pup, albeit briefly, and I was loath to have my Ramsey out of my arms. But the warriors needed this connection to us after being separated from our people for so long.
Ramsey was passed from man to man, all the while chatting up a storm. When he finally returned to me, the guards thanked me and excused themselves, returning to their posts.
When I entered the barn, Corleone lay outside Dancing Sock's stall. He blinked at me and sent a greeting through the Earth. "Good morn to you, my friend. The first dawn after victory is the sweetest, is it not? I was saddened to hear about your nestmate. He had a strength of will that rivaled that of several men and even some Gods. His bravery will become legendary."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat, sitting on the hay bale next to him. Ramsey's chatter sped up and he waved his arms at Corleone. I sensed Corleone reach for Ramsey through the Earth and was surprised when Ramsey instinctually completed the connection. He immediately went silent, staring at Corleone with wide eyes. Curious, I peeked at their conversation. Corleone was showing Ramsey what it was like to fly, and Ramsey inserted the image of himself on Corleone's back, soaring through the clouds with him.
Before I could catch him, Ramsey crawled to Corleone's side, clutched the side of the lion's pelt in his fist, and levered himself up onto wobbly legs. My brows climbed upwards in surprise. Ramsey looked at me expectantly. Shrugging when Corleone indicated he didn't care, I lifted Ramsey to straddle Corleone's back between his wings. He immediately stretched out on his stomach. Within moments, he slept.
Corleone preened smugly, placing his huge hawk head in my lap and urging me to relax. He wouldn't allow my pup to fall. Eventually, the tension bled away. Dancing Socks craned her neck over the stall door and nuzzled the top of my head. Her foal, the little hippogriff she and Corleone had created, nosed my shoulder. A cute little guy with feathered forelegs and talons instead of hooves, his hawk's head had the same deep brown feathers as his father. He also sported a horse's body, mane, and tail. His wings were tiny, but I imagined they would grow larger as he matured.
We needed to name him. With everything demanding my attention, I hadn't gotten around to it. Perhaps the pups would select one. Corleone refused, insisting my family had the honor.
The scrape of a boot heel caused me to look up. Neesie strode into the barn looking puffy-eyed and sleep rumpled. "Are you seriously sitting out here?" She wrinkled her nose even as she took a seat next to me.
We sat in the quiet, simply listening to the world waking up around us.
"I disowned him. Told him he was no brother of mine," Neesie whispered.
&n
bsp; "You're not the only one who had terrible arguments with him, believing the worst. Even when I sat down to talk to him, I was accusatory instead of delving into the situation. He chased me away, saying things that were so out of character for him, I was surprised and hurt he felt the way he did, wrapped up in myself instead of asking why. I believed everything he said." I took her hand and wondered if I'd live the rest of my life with the horrible ache in my chest.
Neesie wiped angrily at her tears. "I told him I was sorry, that I never stopped loving him, but it's not enough. It will never erase what I did or said. What do I do now? It wasn't until last night that I realized he'd sacrificed his whole life to his duty. He never dated or took a mate, saying his work as a doctor took up too much of his time. He claimed his work ethics wouldn't be fair to anyone he brought into his life.
"First, I was angry with Daddy for pushing all the responsibility onto him. Then I was pissed with Nate, again, for not allowing me to know all of him. For not trusting me to help him bear the burden."
I threw my arm over her shoulders. "I wish I could give you better words of comfort, but I'm asking the same questions, struggling to understand why. What I do know is that he was in the right place at the right time to protect us and our people. He safeguarded Justus and Brian. He disrupted Inanna's plans, keeping an unimaginable horror caged. We need to ensure our people know of his sacrifice, that we never forget."
Neesie rested her head against my shoulder, holding my free hand in a death grip. I dug my phone out of my pocket and unlocked it. The picture app was active and I gave a small grin; Brian had been at it again with the selfies. But the addition of a new file made me pause. The name was, "Nathan's Legacy". Neesie's breath caught when I opened it. As we flipped through the snapshots, my eyes burned, then blurred at the final selfie of Brian holding Little Brian, both of them making goofy faces.
At that moment, Ushna and Brian stumbled into the barn, barely dressed. Their expressions of relief told me they'd been worried. Neesie kissed my cheek, making me promise to send her copies of the pictures before she stood. Cocking her head, she grabbed my phone and took a picture of Ramsey sleeping on Corleone's back before she gently picked him up. Brian and Ushna embraced Neesie and kissed Ramsey as she passed.
