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RUBY
Icouldn’t believe six whole months had passed since I’d been home. An hour ago, Axel and I woke up in the woods without any memory of where we'd been or how we got back, but here we were.
It felt like the war had only happened yesterday, and I’d been knocked out. I’d fallen unconscious so many times while learning to control my powers, it made sense. But that hadn’t happened this time. According to Xavier, Axel and I had both died. And we’d been gone for six months. So how was I alive then?
The pack was overjoyed to have us back, and while I didn’t mind the curious, although happy, stares, I was confused. I remembered fighting the vampire queen Amythia and giving myself to the Goddess to use as her vessel. I knew that that meant certain death, and I’d been ready for it. So, I’d died….
Everything after that was blank.
“Are you hungry?” Xavier said, joining us. “Either of you?”
“No,” Axel answered. “Thank you.”
I shook my head. "I'm okay," I answered.
It warmed my heart to see everyone in such high spirits. For me, it was as if we were fighting for our lives against the vampires only a day ago. Now the world was safe—or safe enough—while everyone left tried to find balance again. Back at the packhouse, Xavier had briefly filled Axel and me in on what we’d missed. Werewolves and supernatural creatures were now protected by law, but there was a growing black market for them.
How he’d managed to bear the pain of losing me, I couldn't imagine. I’m sure, wherever I was, I’d been going crazy without him, too.
Reaching out, I took his hand, and he kissed the back of it. It was a little strange—it seemed as if I’d only seen him yesterday…yet there was a longing in my chest. Had I missed him?
“Something happened a couple weeks ago," Xavier said, as sparks flew into the air from the bonfire. "All over the world, a lot of vegetation died off. There were storms, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. Everyone thought the world was ending. But while everyone was panicking…I felt you."
“You felt me?” I asked. “How?”
"I don't know," he answered. "I felt our mate bond, when I hadn’t felt anything for six months. And now, here you are. Maybe what was happening then has something to do with the two of you coming back now. It was chaos for a few hours."
"Chaos," I mumbled, turning to Axel. The word echoed in my head, ringing with familiarity, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it meant. "I doubt we'll ever know, Xavier. We can't remember anything."
“It’s okay.” He smiled. “You’re back, and that’s all that matters.”
“People are going to want answers,” Axel said. “They’ll want to know why we’re back and not others.”
I hadn’t thought of that. Why hadn’t Natalie returned with us? Wherever we’d gone, perhaps, she was there, too. If so, why didn’t she come back? Surely, she deserved to.
“We’ll handle that when we get to it,” Xavier reassured him. “Who is going to question the woman who saved the world?”
"Humans," Axel replied.
I laid a hand on his thigh. "We'll handle it, the three of us, okay?" He nodded, and I continued watching the pack. “I’m just happy we have a second chance.”
I supposed this meant I’d be Luna. I wasn't sure I was ready for that responsibility, but not so long ago, I had a lot more of it on my hands.
That aside, our return meant that my mates and I were back to being the rare trio. I doubted we'd meet as much resistance as before, but this was a new beginning for us. I was ready to live a normal life—or as normal as a wolf/human hybrid with two mates could get.
* * *
Iwoke up with a start, the nightmare I had forgotten in seconds, and I tried to sit up. When I couldn't, I found Xavier on my right, his arm over my chest, and Axel on my left, his arm over my waist.
I smiled.
I never thought this would happen. These men had hated each other, and now we were sharing a bed. Still, they were crushing me!
I tried to move their hands when Axel grumbled.
"Go back to sleep," he said, and Xavier shuffled closer to me.
I loved them. I loved them with my entire being. Axel had sacrificed his life for me, and Xavier had loved me from the start. I had been gone for months, leaving him to bear a pain no one should experience. And even though Axel and I had only just returned, we didn't know what tomorrow would bring.
