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I nod, filled with determination. With a deep breath, I turn away from the wellspring and its guardian. The magic releases me from its grasp as the cavern's shadows fall away.
ChapterThree
Itake a deep breath as the wellspring releases me, expelling me back into the world. The dark, rushing current around me vanishes, replaced by solid ground beneath my feet and fresh air in my lungs.
Blinking, I look around. I'm in the center of the Mating Circle, right where I was when the wellspring's magic grabbed me.
My four mates—Thale, Lucian, Adar, and Everett—stand around the circle's edge, worry creasing their handsome faces. Ali is with them, her brown eyes wide. Even the First Alpha Eli is here, though he keeps his distance from the others, his shoulders hunched submissively.
Seeing my guys waiting for me fills me with relief and love. Especially Adar—his jaw is tight, arms crossed over his broad chest, tapping one foot impatiently. As soon as our eyes meet across the circle, he crosses the space between us in three long strides.
"Precious," he breathes, engulfing me in his strong arms. I melt against him, breathing in his smoky scent.
"I'm okay," I tell him, tilting my head back for a kiss. His full lips meet mine hungrily, making my body flush with heat. I've missed this—missed him. Missed all of them. However long I was in the wellspring, it felt like far too long away from my mates.
Adar keeps an arm wrapped firmly around my waist as the others join us.
"You're back," Thale rumbles in his deep voice, relief softening his stern face. He squeezes my shoulder gently.
Lucian's clever fingers brush my hair off my forehead. "What happened in there, darling?" His voice is light, but his blue eyes are troubled.
Everett just folds me carefully into his massive arms, surrounding me with his solid strength. "Missed you, sweetness," he murmurs against my hair.
I cling to them, breathing in their varied scents of earth, sea, and sky. Their hands soothe me, stroking over my back and arms, re-memorizing my body.
Finally I take a small step back, though Adar keeps me tucked against his side. "I met Fern," I tell them simply.
Ali inhales sharply, brown eyes wide. "The last omega? The one who sacrificed herself?"
I nod, remembering the wellspring's rushing darkness, and Fern's spirit within it. "She's connected to the wellspring now. But..." I hesitate.
Do I tell them everything? About the omegas Fern sacrificed, my father's sad fate, the difficult solution Fern offered?
No, I decide. Not yet. One crisis at a time.
"She gave me a way to fix things," I say carefully. "To heal the crack in the Mating Circle, and stop the omegas' souls from being reborn. But it won't be easy."
I meet each of their eyes in turn.
"We have to find Fern's bones, and use them to sever my connection to her soul. Lucian—“ I turn my gaze to the Sky Pack alpha. "That means going to the peak just outside your pack's territory. Where we'll face vampires, and likely General Teller."
Lucian's jaw tightens, but he nods. "We'll manage, darling. Anything to keep you safe."
The others murmur agreement. I feel a rush of gratitude for these powerful, devoted men.
"What do we do in the meantime?" Thale asks pragmatically. "The wellspring still needs a guardian. With Fern's soul tied to yours, she can't take over that role yet."
I bite my lip. He's right—the wellspring needs a guardian to stabilize it until I can sever my connection to Fern.
Which means another sacrifice.
My eyes drift to Eli, lurking silently at the circle's edge. He meets my gaze, then looks down, shoulders hunching further.
When we tried to sacrifice him before, the wellspring rejected him. But with Fern's soul now in control...
"Eli could try again," I say slowly. The others turn to look at the First Alpha. "To be guardian. Now that I’ve spoken to Fern, it might work this time."
Eli's head snaps up, hope flashing across his face. Before he can speak, Adar growls.
