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Brandy and Reardon stared at the clothing as if it were going to suddenly rise up from the stone floor on its own and attack them.
“I realize you desperately need those,” Brandy whispered, “but I’m afraid of what putting them on might do to you.”
“It won’t do anything.”
Brandy’s heart nearly leaped right out of her chest at Flidae’s voice behind them. Instinctively, she stood between the goddess and Reardon. She wasn’t letting Flidae harm her werewolf. Not happening.
“You’re not dead.” Brandy’s voice crackled a little and she cleared her throat, wishing she had some magic of her own that would transport them back to the sanctuary before Flidae had the chance to toy with them further.
“Goddesses are eternal, mortal. While you can temporarily incapacitate us, you can’t kill us.” Flidae was fully restored. Not a trace of blood anywhere though Brandy had seen Reardon’s wolf teeth tear into her leg and she’d skewered Flidae with that sword as if she were a cube of meat ready for the grill. The goddess even wore a new cloak. This one was a rose color and appeared to be as soft as a rose petal too.
“You live forever?” Brandy asked.
“Livemight not be the correct word.” Flidae floated deeper into the cell. “A better word would beexist. We exist forever.” The goddess’s eyes darted to Reardon. “I live through what I command. When my wolves don’t act honorably—as in they change their men without consent—I feel that betrayal as well. When you lead wolves onto the battlefield and massacre the enemies of your employers, I feel that wrath, that hatred, that fierce clinging to the last shreds of life. I could tolerate when it was just you out there, killing your way through your life, as a human. Once part of your army was wolves and you and those wolves killed, however, it was too much. Too much for even a goddess to shoulder. My protection binds us. I punished and scattered all of you to spare myself the grief.” Flidae closed her eyes for a quiet moment. “I feel all those emotions, and when you… love, I feel that too. I’m not supposed to, but I do.”
Reardon regarded Flidae for a stoic moment. Her expression gave her a faraway look, as if she were somewhere else, with someone else. Who was she thinking of?
When she shook her head and pointed to the clothes, Reardon retrieved them. He put them on and stepped in front of Brandy. After lowering to his knees before the goddess, he grabbed Brandy’s wrist and gently tugged her down into position beside him. His head was bent low, so Brandy did the same.
Her gaze zeroed in on Flidae’s feet.Hooves.The goddess had hooves instead of feet.
“You’re willing to take on paws, human?”
Brandy flicked her gaze up to Flidae’s face. “If it means I get to be with Reardon longer, I get to be with my son longer, then yes, I’m willing to be changed.” She was destined for this to happen to her. She knew that now.
Flidae turned her attention to Reardon. “And you truly want to make her happy? It’s not just whatyouwill get out of the union?”
Reardon squeezed Brandy’s hand which he now held. “I only want to please this woman beside me. I want to give her everything she’s ever wanted. Her son too.”
Flidae glanced from Reardon to Brandy and back to Reardon. Brandy would have paid big bucks to read the goddess’s mind. Was she going to spare them? Was she going to allow them to be happy?
Or were these their final moments together? Their final moments period?
Flidae rubbed her thigh where Reardon had bitten her then her hand grazed over where Brandy had impaled her with the sword. “I witnessed firsthand what you two are willing to do to protect each other. It may surpass the protection I offer all the wild things. You were able to injure me and spill actual blood because I got too caught up in your very human emotions, your mortal reactions to one another.” She looked at Brandy. “You said love was something worthy. I have never experienced love, but have witnessed it between the two of you. I won’t deny you something so powerful.”
Brandy wanted to pop up to her feet in excitement, but Reardon held her firmly in a kneeling position.
“Thank you, Flidae. We are humbled by your gift,” he said as his hand squeezed Brandy’s again.
“See that you don’t waste the gift, wolf.” Flidae eyed Brandy. “I suppose I should saywolves.Turn her and you shall both be returned to her time if that’s what you choose.”
Now Reardon dragged Brandy up to standing. “What of my men? Shall they be granted access back here?”
Flidae had turned toward the cell door and was on her way out. She paused and glanced over her shoulder at Reardon. “They shall be granted access when they complete their own journeys.”
She left and neither of them moved for a long beat of silence.
“So we get to live?” Brandy leaned her head on Reardon’s shoulder then looked up at him.
“Aye, we do.” He turned those beautiful green-gold eyes her way. “We get to live our days together. Loving each other.” He caressed her cheek with his fingers, and she couldn’t resist pushing her face into his warm palm.
“That sounds perfect to me.” Brandy brought Reardon’s hand up to her lips and kissed his knuckles.
“Are you sure you want to be turned? Take your time with this decision. It can’t be undone.”
Brandy stepped closer, slid her hands up Reardon’s chest, and clasped them at the back of his neck. When his arms came around her waist, answering him was the simplest thing in the world.
“There is nothing I want more than to be a werewolf, Reardon. It will be the best of both worlds for me. I can still be the wildlife biologist who oversees wolf residents at Silver Moon and raises Dylan, but I can also fraternize with the pack as I’ve never been able to. You can communicate with them in wolf form, can’t you?” She knew she probably sounded like a super excited dork, but the potential tospeakto her wolves exhilarated her.
