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Fenris gave me a sideways look, but I simply licked my lips, taking a moment to steady myself. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him to see his brother, his best friend, reduced to this state, and I refused to make it any worse. There was a softer, gentler spell I could use, and I was about to cast it whenI remembered what my mother had written about the soothing effect of a fated mate.
“Hey, Fenris?” I said, taking a step away from the door. As I retreated from Lyka’s mind, the howling and snarls faded, and he went silent again. “If we track Lyka’s fated mate down, would that help him recover?”
Chapter 5
Fenris
Fenris’s Private Villa
Isla Lobo, Panama
Time Until the Eclipse: 25 Days
I frowned, not sure how to answer Celeste’s question. The first issue was the matter oftrackingthe fated mate down. If they weren’t in your pack, or in a neighboring one, you might not ever find them. Even now, when the world was a much smaller place with the Internet and all the connections it offered, you might meet your fated mate and never know it. It wasn’t a bond recognized without meeting in person—you smelled it. Youfeltit. As powerful as the inner wolf was, it wasn’t somagicit could transcend that fact. Otherwise, fated mates wouldn’t be such an uncommon prospect.
And that didn’t even address the second issue: I had no reason to be confident finding this person would soothe Lyka’s tortured mind.
“I am not sure that would be a good idea,” I said, looking warily at the door. My brother had gone silent in his cell, butthe furious snarling was a stark reminder of the past. “He was unhinged hundreds of years ago, and that wasbeforeSabine messed with his mind. What if he ripped another person apart?”
“I don’t think he will,” Celeste said.
“How are you so sure? Is that really a risk we should take?”
“I found some notes in the Handmaiden grimoire about wolf shifters. About the lengths they’ll go to keep their fated mates from harm, even from themselves.” She paused for a moment, giving me a thoughtful look. “You did throw yourself off a cliff into a ravine instead of harming me, remember?”
I grimaced. That I’d even put Celeste in any danger at all still didn’t sit well. I’d left her alone in the Antarctic wilderness, but it was the lesser of two evils. I couldn’t take the risk of my wolf causing her harm under the influence of the moon sickness.
“I suppose you have a point,” I said, rubbing my chin. I trusted Celeste’s judgment, and her interpretations of the Handmaidens’ written history. “If you’re able to pinpoint who his fated mate is…it’s worth investigating. If you can’t, magically speaking, then we don’t have the time or resources to spend on it right now. Not before the eclipse.”
“I understand,” Celeste said, already looking brighter.
“And,” I continued, holding up a finger before she got too carried away, “If we can’t bring this person safely to the island, it will still have to wait, alright?” As much as I cared for my brother, I couldn’t jeopardize Celeste’s safety. Not now. Not when we were so close to sealing our own bond.
After that, we’d have eternity to help Lyka heal.
Celeste paused for a moment, then gave a nod. “I understand,” she said again. “But I think I at least have to try. I’ll start practicing right away.” She turned, already hurrying back down the corridor.
I trotted after her, grabbing her by her wrist before she could escape into the night. “The moon is weak,” I said. It was barelypeaking over the horizon, which meant it wouldn’t provide Celeste with much power. “And you’ve already done quite a bit of work tonight. Come back upstairs with me. We can pick up where we left off.”
She stopped as she held her book against her chest. “Uh-huh. It’s not dawn yet. I’m notthattired.”
I rolled my eyes. “Celeste, I am well-aware you’d work until you dropped if you thought it was the right thing to do,” I said, matching her smug smile with a smirk. Her optimism that she could help Lyka had buoyed my own mood. Celeste had made a good point regarding my inner wolf. I found I struggled against him far less often now that I’d met her. It’d given him a new focus I hadn’t even known was possible.
However, that didn’t mean I wanted Celeste to wear herself out just as she was getting back on her feet. “I can think of plenty of ways to tire you out,” I added.
Celeste leaned in and gave a playful nudge. “Are you sure? Because I could—”
I leaned in to press a kiss to her lips. “I am sure,” I growled. “And I can think of nothing I’d rather do than make sure you’re well-cared for. Come to bed with me, and I will make sure you’re relaxed enough for somerealrest.”
She gave me a thoughtful look before she stood up on the tips of her toes, kissing my nose instead. “Alright, consider me intrigued,” she said, turning to the corridor back toward the main house. “Do your worst, Fenris.”
“On the contrary, I will do my absolute best.”
As promised, Celeste spent the next few days working with Val and Morgan, continuing to train with her magical abilities, while I moved on the plans I’d made prior to her disappearance. I was no longer in contact with the Order of Stars alone, but withvarious faerie courts, covens witch and vampiric alike, shifter packs—the list went on. I didn’t want to leave any corner of the globe uncovered. The Solar Sovereign was still trying to hide, but I couldn’t afford to leave her unpressed, even if I did not want her to know the extent of my plans.
The undercurrent of the paranormal world had grown tense since my visit to Florida to meet with the Order of the Stars a few weeks ago. Everyone had become aware this would culminate in an all-out fight, and few within the paranormal world wanted that, no matter how inevitable it became. Thankfully, the Order had been swaying beings who’d pledged to neither myself nor the Solar Sovereign over to my side.
The legend of the Lunar Lord went in and out of fashion, and they made sure to retell the story of the “wolf god” who protected the balance between the normal and paranormal worlds, ensuring no human looked too carefully beyond the veil. By carrying his curse, instead of depending on the moon’s cycle and the sickness that came with its full power, the Lunar Lord allowed shifters to shift at will.
