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"I went to the woods and begged for death. It just... it hurt too much," I murmured softly, ignoring the tensing jaws and teary eyes.
"I should have just called when I found Mylen. I wanted to be sure, and I wanted to show up tomorrow—that's when she originally said she and Hank could come back with me. I was trying to surprise you, and I nearly destroyed you. I'm so sorry. I never thought of how much harder it was on your mortal state."
I shook my head, refusing to let him carry the guilt this time. "It was me, not you. I would've been dead in the woods if Lokan hadn't saved me."
"Lokan saved you?" he asked, seeming as shocked as everyone else.
"He's bound to protect me until my transformation. He was actually just like a member of my family in that moment. It sucks to know that one day he'll be an enemy. I feel a connection to him, and he felt one to me."
Iris sighed heavily as she sat down and faced me. I could tell this was weighing on her, too, because family had always held the highest meaning to her. Even her extended family was just as precious as her blood.
But Tallis wasn't to be derailed from his original question. And he spoke before Iris could.
"That still doesn't explain how you ended up with Yastine," he says, looking as though he knew I was stalling.
The last thing I wanted to do was deliver another blow to my family. The look that Henry had on his face when Tallis asked the question made me wonder if he didn't already know. I tried to ignore him—again. I was worried he might go after McKee right away if I told him, and right now I just had to be with him, because he was finally mine.
"Did Allaysia not know Edmond was her soul mate when she was mortal? They knew each other before she turned immortal right?" I asked, acting unfazed by his narrowed eyes.
Allaysia's gentle voice interjected as she made her way over to me to answer the question herself.
"I wish we had known. Edmond left shortly after his transformation—to search of his soul mate, ironically enough. Little did we know it was me all along. He was my best friend, but I had never had those types of feelings for him. Then after I transformed, we ran into each other, and... well, we just knew. I can remember how much perfect it felt to have my best friend as so much more."
Edmond walked up behind her and put his arms around her in a gentle embrace, nuzzling her neck with his face.
"I only wish I had known when we were mortals. I couldn't have been happier that it was her," he said softly, smiling as he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, adoration oozing from his eyes.
Allaysia stroked her husband's cheek affectionately, and turned back to us.
"Magic grows stronger by the minute. Now it's apparently seeking out soul mates before they even turn. I hope this is all true. I hope that our magic is so strong that it placed you two together before Aria even received her immortality."
I didn't like her skepticism. I thought we were beyond the realm of doubt now.
Mylen nodded, taking over the conversation once more. "The magic is so strong here, and they're obviously soul mates. She felt as though she lost Tallis forever. I honestly can't believe she found the will to live.
"The stronger the magic, the stronger the bond between soul mates. That bond just makes the magic that much stronger the longer they are together. This is a powerful connection. It's the most powerful one I have ever felt, and Aria is still mortal. I'm eager to see how it is when she gets her eternity.
I was torn between sticking my tongue out at my whole family or snuggling in better with the guy who was no longer fighting his feelings for me. I could feel all the passi
on resurfacing that I had tried so desperately to bury, so I chose option number two.
I had been right all this time, so it was hard not to gloat.
"Told you so," I said to everyone in the room, causing a few lips to twitch.
I turned back to Mylen. "So why hasn't this been heard of before? If it has happened to you, Amelia and Henry, and to us, then why was it thought to be so frigging impossible?"
She grinned as a few snickers spread across the room. Everything seemed so much easier—less intense. I was breathing easily again, and I loved it.
"I think it was coincidental for you and Amelia to your mates while mortal. Everyone questioned me when I told them I knew that Hank was my mate. That's just the way most everyone has believed. I don't know how many times it has happened, but I know we didn't exactly advertise our relationship.
"Hank's family had a hard time adjusting to the fact that a changer could be anything but bad. My mother is a changer, and my father is a witch. My father was almost killed by a group of changers when my mother and her pack swooped in. She's the leader of our pack, and she stood in front of him, defending him when he was on death's door.
"The rest of the pack was attacking the others while she took on ten changers on her own. My father was too wounded to even help her. She shredded through them and carried him to safety. The moment their eyes met, it was all over.
"My father never went back to his coven because he knew how they would react. Everyone assumed he died that day with numerous others from his group. We've lived in secrecy, only making ourselves known to a few changer packs. It's old magic clashing with new magic, and rarely does old magic relent."
I sighed, glancing over toward the tight lips of all the old magic here. Iris had nothing to say to defend them, because she was guilty of the same thing.
