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We shifted the moment we got outside. Even in wolf form, I didn’t feel restricted; there was no lingering beast in me. It was just my wolf and me, running to protect our mate and baby.
“I don’t feel or hear anything,” Aeon said, as we made our second lap around our home.
I didn’t either. The sun was about to rise so maybe he wouldn’t attack during the day. I thought, taking a deep breath. All I could smell was the forest, a little bit of rain and the lingering smell of Katarina.
We stuck close to the perimeter as the sky lightened up. I didn’t realize it was so close to morning and our first full day was here. My wolf whined, wanting to leave the perimeter. We didn’t have time and I wanted to get back to Katarina. My wolf grumbled, but I knew he wanted to go back to her too.
I think we should run one more time outside of the gate, just in case.Aeon mentally projected, slowing down.
I can’t hear anything.I projected, rubbing against him.I don’t want to be away from her too long.
One lap and we can do a simple barrier spell. I also want to place a few spells to give us a warning if someone is near.He rubbed against my side.We need to be efficient in the way we protect her, Lu. I don’t doubt he will come for her, and we need to be prepared.
Ok, then let’s run and get this over with so I can lay in bed with her, I said, nipping at him.
He yipped at me before taking off and I followed. The moment we passed the gates, I expected to hit the barrier, but I didn't. It had been almost two hundred years since I had stepped foot out of these gates. A rush of conflicting emotions threatened to take over, and I sent a small thanks to the goddess for giving us this gift. The trees surrounding the gate smelled like men had been here. Uneasiness unfurled in my stomach as I took in more than twenty scents.
It was a small quantity, but I knew that was probably a fraction of the people Caston or her father could assemble. Were they working together? So many questions flitted through my mind as we finished our run. We headed back inside, grabbed the things we needed, and went to work on the spells around the perimeter. We put up a barrier spell that wasn’t nearly as sophisticated as the curse barrier, but without Katarina, it would have to do.
The sky was beautiful with pinks and yellows by the time we finished. I was exhausted, but it was another reassurance that the curse was broken. I had never been awake long enough to feel tired and it was hitting me now.
We made our way back to our bedroom feeling better that we had something in place to keep us marginally safe. I’m sure all of us were tired. We no longer had Mr. Potter to be our first line of defense, it was just us now.
I curbed the urge to cry at the loss of him, feeling lost without him. He gave his life for us, that's a debt I don’t think I would ever be able to repay. I hoped he was basking in the afterlife with his mate, enjoying whatever was offered after we leave this plane.
Walking into the room, we saw Katarina curled up against Zev, who opened his eyes just to confirm it was us before he pulled her closer. We were dirty from patrol, so we took a quick bath. Even though a part of me wanted to celebrate our newfound freedom by making Aeon come hard, I was also really fucking tired.
Drying off, we kissed for a moment before we crawled into bed with them. I slid in first, wrapping my arm around her, pressing our bodies as close as they could possibly get while Aeon did the same thing to me. I laid my hand on her stomach, wondering how far along she was and smiling when I pictured a sassy dark-haired little girl running the halls of our home. Ireally hoped my quick decision didn’t come back to haunt me, I didn’t know what that vial would to do the baby
“She’s beautiful,” Aeon whispered, and I knew he was talking about the little girl he saw in his vision. “Just like her mother.”
I don’t know why, but it hit me. Everything all at once made me want to cry, laugh and love the people around me. We had come a long way as a pack from an arranged mating to being cursed for a few hundred years to being mated to a Belladonna. I had no idea what our future looked like, but we were a family right now, and there was no way in hell I would let anyone take that away from us.
I let my exhaustion lull me into sleep thinking that if Caston didn’t come for us, we needed to go hunting and make sure I delivered on my promise.
31
KATARINA
My head was pounding fiercely. I winced when I opened my eyes, seeing too much sun in the room. Quickly closing them, I pushed my face into someone's chest taking a deep breath. What the hell had happened? My body felt awful, everything hurt. Even my ears hurt but upon further inspection, I could feel an energy coursing through me, something that felt like my own, and not some borrowed magic.
I sat up quickly, realizing why everything hurt. Bits of last night came back to me, from the spell, to saying goodbye, my weird vision and the intense pain I had experienced.
Love. Our love broke the spell.
“Oh my fucking goddess!”
My men sat straight up, everyone looking around. Aeon sprang right off the bed, looking around the room.
“We fucking did it!” I yelled, launching myself at Zev.
I don’t give him a chance to say anything. I pressed my lips against his for a quick kiss, but Zev didn’t let me go. He brushed his tongue along my lips, and I opened up for him, not expecting the fierceness of his kiss. It was slow and gentle, it didn’t havethe finesse that Aeon’s or Lucien’s did, but it was Zev. I think this might have been his first kiss.
I nipped at his bottom lip, licking the sting as he growled into my lips.
“Katarina,” he gasped, when I crawled onto his lap.
I sucked his tongue into my mouth, making him moan before I kissed him softly and pulled away.
