James, take care of him…take care of all of them. They are my gift to you. We are proud of who you have always been.
It’s a reminder that the life Jay lives is blessed, and all he can do is nod as tears course down his cheeks.
He catches Nix when he collapses, a marionette with his strings cut, while whispering his own thanks into his beloved’s soft hair.
27
Coursing through the Chosen (Nix)
Rewind
Turning his mind’s eye inwards, Nix watches his bonds trail off across the vast expanse of purple-black lawn behind Carnell’s grotesque castle. They’ve been sparking brightly all evening, and while it’s a comfort to know they’re as strong as usual, he can also feel that most of their emotions aren’t good ones.
The bonds are swirling with so many emotions, including anger, concern, and a visceral fury from Rowan, who must be in wolf form. Nix can always tell when the alpha is wolfed out, as his emotions are 100% unfettered. He can often feel them like a physical touch.
Grayson’s magic surges through their soul, relentless and overwhelming—so intense, it makes it hard to focus on the scene playing out before them.
With a level of precision that’s almost hypnotic, Gideon dismantles Carnell in minutes. On a normal day, Nix wouldrelish the sight of their nemesis taken out at the knees, the sharp efficiency of Gideon’s every move a display of pure dominance. But right now, Nix’s focus is split, with the overflow of Grayson’s magic making it impossible to fully appreciate the moment.
At least Luca is enjoying it. The beta’s mocha-sweet arousal cuts right through his scent blocker, heavy in the air around them. Nix doesn’t need to glance his way to know Luca isn’t worried about the outcome in the slightest.
As much as Nix wants to run to where he can feel Jamie’s bond sparking like a live wire, he has to trust in them to handle Withers, just as they had trusted him to take on Hayes and his guards standing around the darkened perimeter.
While Luca might not be worried, Nix isn’t taking chances with Gideon. Carnell has proven time and time again to be a wildcard.
Nix hadn’t been the only one shocked to hear Gideon issue an official challenge, mostly because despite Gideon’s casual mentions of murder, his heart is good. But there is no denying that Carnell deserves what Fate would dole out, with Gideon as her instrument.
Perhaps it was courtesy of Nix’s learning curve about Were culture and traditions, but when Gideon issued his challenge and they stepped foot on the vast lawn, it felt right.
Facing his father in the tried-and-true way of Weres throughout time would satisfy Gideon’s honor and his wolf’s desire to avenge Nix, Jamie, and even himself. It would finally ease the burning drive that had been riding Gideon since Nix woke up in the pediatric ward of Lupine Hospital four months ago—the same drive he had held down in deference to Nix’s need to save himself all those months ago.
Gideon deals the final blow in exactly the way he’d trained Nix. As his father spews his false triumph about prophecies that Nix is tired of hearing about, Gideon doesn’t gloat, only crouchesbeside him, his words quiet enough that any stray onlookers aren’t privy to his final words.
Seeing the tide has turned, Carnell’s guards fade into the darkness. Nix sheathes his claws, letting his senses slip back to their normal vigilance now that he no longer fears retaliation. It’s not a surprise to see that Carnell had not inspired loyalty there, either.
Luca gasps quietly beside him as Connall steps into the light, his long shadow cast by the Wolf Moon and the flickering lanterns.
Like the challenge had, it felt right to have Connall there. He and Gideon are a matched pair under the full moon, like two kings intent on negotiating a transfer of power. Nix is considering a sassy smile at his greeting just to see Connall’s frown, when all four bonds from his missing mates flare hot with fear. Finn’s presence in the back of his mind surges before blinking out—something Nix hasn’t been without since they bonded.
It’s followed by Jamie’s heart breaking before it mends, only to break again, finally filling with resignation and pure love. Grayson’s exhausted frustration and Rowan’s wolf’s unabated, fear-laced fury are overlaid with hopelessness.
It’s this hopelessness that has him whispering to Leo, “Something’s not right…”
Racing across the lawn, he sheds his ridiculous suit coat, wishing he had time to remove his shoes so he could feel the earth under his feet as he covers the distance toward where his bonds are calling to him.
The door set in the base of the wall comes down easily with a well-placed kick and, taking the stairs three at a time, he bursts through to see Grayson and Rowan-Wolf shielding an injured Finn. The scent of his mates’ blood stokes his anger, but seeingWithers leaning over Jamie with a curved blade poised above his mate’s heart is what sets his wolf free.
How dare he? Jamie’s heart belongs to Nix—to their mates.
Nix lets his fury propel him through the mild resistance he feels from Withers’s tainted power when he steps inside the candles, barreling into him with enough force to send them sliding across the rampart on Withers’s back. The stench of rotting, burnt meat is nothing compared to the sound of moist flesh tearing away under the friction, which causes the being beneath him to shriek with rage.
He wastes not a single moment on this corrupted soul—not his pain, not his fury.
Jamie is bound to the altar, cold iron cuffs infused with corrupted magic, and no matter how hard Nix tries, he can’t push through it. Every pull and wrench only makes them tighter.
“My hero,” Jamie whispers.
“Release him,” Nix growls, his wolf infuriated that this creature would dare restrain his alpha.
