He smiled. “And I love you, little sister. Remember that. Only love is real.”

Great. Leave me with a metaphor. Typical Nahuel.

He walked off into the woods, leaving me confused. 

I exhaled. It was true. I was super powerful, two affinities, Matefinder, werewolf, witch. Earthshaking magic, healing abilities. I swallowed. If I took Layla down and survived the Devi leaving me, I would be a completely different person. Still a Matefinder, but … who knew? I shook off these thoughts and turned around to see Sylvia was waiting in the barn doorway for me.

I tried to put on a smile. “I got her full name.”

Sylvia nodded, but her eyes gleaned with tears.

I walked over to her and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

She laughed. “I’m just proud of you.” She smoothed my hair. “I’ve watched you grow from a scared, unsure, newly-changed werewolf, to a beautiful, strong woman. I’m very proud. As if you were my own child.”

“Sylvia.” I hugged her, but I couldn’t help but feel like people were saying goodbye to me. What the hell?

When she pulled back her face was serious. “Do you trust me, Aurora?”

I frowned. “Of course.”

She nodded and produced a dagger and glass jar, then asked for my finger tip. I hesitated for a second but I did trust her. I extended my finger and she pricked it, milking the blood from it. Then she pulled a hair from my head and placed it in the jar.

I wanted to ask her what it was for, but part of me didn’t want to know.

She gave me a sly smile and a big hug then walked back into the barn to get her things and left with the rest of the witches. I stayed behind for an hour or so, lost in my thoughts. I thought back to a year ago; my biggest worry was getting enough donations to keep Safe Haven running. Now I had two locations, I was married, probably pregnant, and had a legion of vampires after me and another soul sharing my body. WTF? Major life issues.

I put my head in my hands. There was also RAIDOS to worry about. They were so hell-bent on taking me out, they almost killed Earl, a human. They had gotten reckless and it scared me. The world was a scary place right now. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t sense Kai approach until he was right behind me. Not being able to smell him was so weird.

“I can feel your stress,” he said and began to massage my shoulders.

I sighed and let my head roll forward, pulling my hair out of the way so he could rub my neck.

“I’m just trying to make decisions that will be the best for everyone involved, while also having my happy ending, too. Sometimes I don’t think I can have both,” I confessed.

Kai stopped massaging me and sat down beside me on the bench.

“Don’t say that. Where is my confident ‘I can do anything and I don’t give a shit what you think’ Aurora?” He gazed in my eyes and I laughed.

God he was gorgeous. My gaze roamed over his body.

“Maybe I just need something to take my mind off of everything.” I raised one eyebrow. He grinned and his white canines pressed into his bottom lip. I was told newly-mated couples rarely left the bedroom. Kai and I didn’t have that chance with all of the drama. He got on his knees before me and peeled my shirt up over my head revealing my black lace bra.

“I am at your service,” he said and kissed me with heated passion. I smiled as he lay back and pulled me on top of him. How would I explain this feeling to a human? This complete wholeness that comes over you when you’re with your mate. People go lifetimes without ever finding a love like this.  I had made a lot of stupid choices in my life, but being with Kai wasn’t one of them. No matter how much people wanted to bring us apart, Kai was my destiny; I knew it.

Healing

I had just finished another shift of watching baby Avery. Emma was doing well and Kai was in the basement with Jeremy and Alek. Today was day five of feeding him clean blood and they were testing whether or not he could be let free. I sat there playing with Luna when Alexa knocked on the door.

“Come in!” I shouted.

She came in holding a tablet. “We might have some more trouble,” she said. Alexa and Jameson were so damn cute together. I was really happy for her.

“What’s up?” I stood.

The tablet flickered in her hand. Alexa had a gift of shorting out appliances and lights. She could make an EMP blast and take out entire buildings. She was inarguably our most valuable wolf.

I took the tablet from her and saw a news clip. “We’re live and humans have stationed themselves at the base of Mount Hood. They are requesting a meeting with the wolves,” a newswoman said and the camera panned to a scene that showed the humans at our farthest check point. Some militia members and Anna were holding them back. Shit.

Kai burst into the room then, as I continued to watch the screen. One man wheeled a frail woman with no hair forward. “Is it true that if you change a human into a werewolf, they won’t have disease or get sick? Please change my wife. Save her!” he shouted. The other humans shouted Change me! Change me!

“Shit,” Kai said and started running outside.

“Stay here,” I ordered Alexa and ran after him.

We ran to the base of the mountain in human form and slowed when we saw reporters so we wouldn’t scare them with our super speed. Seriously? Could we catch a break? It was one drama after another, but I guess that was life. The militia had barricaded the small two-lane road with two pick-up trucks parked sideways. There were a dozen humans and a cameraman with the reporter. Kai leapt up into the back of the pick-up truck making the humans go quiet.