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My heart flutters in happiness, but the feeling is short-lived when I think of my mates being among the shadows that could easily swallow them whole.
“I can see,” Ava responds.
“Leave this place,” Az says with a loud snarl.
Ava grabs my hand and we take hurried steps away from my mate. I pull back, and her red eyes turn to me, standing out like two smoldering embers in the endless dark.
“Ava, I need you to find Julian or Detra,” I tell her.
“Why?” she asks. Because they’re going to be the ones I sacrifice to close the portal I think to myself.
“Just do it.” She disappears, and I really wish I could see what the hell is going on. I can’t see my mates, but I know they’re close.
Moments later, heavy footsteps grow closer. “I found Julian,” my daughter says. “But he looks to be dying.” Perfect, shit, well not perfect for him, but for me it means less struggling.
“Take Julian and me to the other side of the portal.” I can’t leave like Az wanted me to. I have to close it.
“But Mom—”
“Ava, do it now!” I yell. I may not have another chance now that Theo is distracted. There’s no way I’m letting more of those shadow things come out.
She grabs my elbow, and her hand is scaly and hairy, so different from a wolf, but she’s my daughter, and I will never treat her any differently. I grab Julian by his collar, dragging him with me.
I stumble over something on the ground, but Ava is quick to pick me up. We walk again until I’m pushed on my back by a snarling lycan snapping his jaw at me.
I’m done being afraid. I grab the open jaw dropping Julian and using both hands, placing one hand on the upper mouth and placing the other on the bottom, stretching it. It tries to move back and forth, but I have a tight grip on it.
I need to end the lycans life now before it’s too late. I’m no longer afraid. I’ll do what I have to do to survive. The bone cracks and the howling stops. I throw the dead weight off to the side.
I frantically try to look for Ava, but it’s pitch black, and even with my wolf eyes, I can’t see anything. What the fuck am I going to do? How the hell am I going to find her?
“Rely on our senses,”my wolf reminds me.
I take a moment to breathe and catch her sweet peach scent in the air. I run toward her as she yelps. I pick up the lycan that hurt my daughter and extend my claws. I listen for a heartbeat, and that’s when my hand strikes, pushing into flesh and pulling out the heart.
“Ava!” I shout. “Are you okay?”
“My head is pounding, but I’m okay for now.” I let out a long breath.
“Come on, Mom.” She takes my hand in hers, leading me to Julian’s body, and we start walking again. Without my sight, the task before me feels impossible, but the lycan’s uneven footsteps and the sharp pull of their claws grabbing at my flesh gives me direction in this battle. The killing becomes a lot easier when you don’t think about taking a life. Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing, but for now, it’s helping me survive.
I hate not knowing if my guys are fine, but there’s no time to check in on them, I just have to hope they’re holding on.
I know when we make it to the portal because it’s calling to me, wanting me to go to the other side.
I turn to look at my daughter’s red eyes, “Ava—”
“Mom, please don’t do it,” she sobs.
“I have to, Ava,” I say, gripping the book tightly.
“There has to be another way.”
“There isn’t, I’m it.” I put the book underneath my armpit, squeezing it tightly so it won’t fall. Searching for her hands, I hold onto them tightly. “Ava, I love you and your brother so much. Please tell my mates that they’ve made me love life again, and I will never forget any of them. They will always have my heart.”
“Mom, please,” she begs.
“I have to go. And you have to get out of here. After this is over, I don’t want your father capturing you.” Without another word, I drop her hands and run to the other side of the void, landing on both feet.
