“Our bodies heal much faster than our minds do, Zara. And even then, every person heals at their own speed in their own time. I don’t know your whole story, but I see the pain in your eyes. You experienced something even I didn’t go through. You’ve got to give yourself some grace. Wadim is a good man. And it’s very obvious he is deeply in love with you. He’s going to be patient.”
The younger female nodded and laughed quietly. “He said he didn’t care if our relationship never progressed physically. He’s the other half of my soul, and I’m the other half of his. For him, that’s enough.”
Bethany had to admit that regardless of the fact that theCanis lupusmales were flawed, they were pretty amazing when it came to their devotion to their true mate. “And you know you can believe him because you can feel the truth of it in his words and emotions.”
Zara nodded. “Honestly, it makes it a little easier that he can feel my emotions. I don’t have to convince Wadim it’s not him, that it’s not in any way related to him. He understands because of everything that’s happened to me. When I want to talk about it, he listens. When I don’t want to talk about it, he’s just there for me.
“I want to be that for him, you know? I need Wadim to feel like he knows that I’m with him. He’s my ride or die.”
“He knows, Zara,” Bethany assured her. “But I get it. You don’t feel like you have anything to offer.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ve done that song and dance,” Bethany admitted. “And it leads nowhere but down a path of lies. If you had nothing to offer, then the Great Luna would not have made you Wadim’s true mate. But she did. You have strengths where he has weaknesses, and he has strengths where you have weaknesses. You complement one another, but that doesn’t mean you are perfect or that your relationship will be easy.
“Drake and I have already had a couple of pretty big battles of will. Being soul mates doesn’t mean no problems. But you have plenty to offer him. You’re his best friend. You’re the one he will turn to when he knows he can’t go anywhere else because you will always accept him and always love him, even when it’s hard.” Bethany squeezed Zara’s hand, the one she hadn’t even realized she was still holding. “We’re going to be okay, Zara. We will figure this out, and I’m here for you, too. Sometimes we need another female to help us get our thoughts straight. Please know that you can always come to me.”
Zara leaned over and wrapped an arm around Bethany, giving her a side squeeze. “I’m not much of a hugger,” Zara said, “but this was definitely a hug-worthy conversation. And one I didn’t even know I needed. Thank you, Bethany. Wadim has said similar things, but it’s nice to hear it from someone who has felt similar feelings to what I’m feeling.”
Bethany understood that. Having someone who could relate to you and say, “It’s okay to feel that way. You’re not defective.” It was something that could soothe the ache inside of you. She was just about to say as much when she felt a sharp pain rip through her abdomen.
“Bethany!” Zara’s voice blended with the voice of Drake’s as she tumbled backward from the bench she’d been sitting on. Another sharp pain stole her breath before the darkness took her.
Chapter 12
“Most people shy away from pain. But not me. I embrace it. Pain means I can still feel. It means I am still alive, and if I am still alive, then so is she.” ~Drake
“Where the hell are they coming from?” Drake growled as he wielded the fae sword that the elf prince had tossed at him the moment he and his mate, Cyn, had arrived on the grounds in front of the Keep.Vasile had sent out a group of warriors while he’d discussed battle plans with King Cypher, Thalion, Jareth, and the other pack alphas. Less than fifteen minutes later, the other wolves and supernaturals had joined them by being flashed into the middle of the battle by more fae warriors.
“Would it be cliché if I said, ‘out of the woodwork’?” Thalion, the elf prince, asked as he wielded his own sword with expert precision.
“I’ll forgive it this time,” Drake answered. “Considering it does seem like these elves are literally emerging from the damn trees.” As soon as one enemy fell, two more took their place.
“My father has more loyal followers than I realized,” Thalion said and then shouted, “Behind you!”
Drake pivoted one hundred and eighty degrees, his sword swinging up in an arc as he caught sight of the hissing vampire soaring through the air toward him. His blade sunk deep into the chest of the bloodsucker. When the vamp hit the ground, Drake pulled the sword out and then sliced it across the neck, severing the head in one clean sweep—one of three ways to make sure a vampire didn’t rise again. The others were to remove the heart or set them on fire, but Drake didn’t have that kind of time.
When he turned back to where Thalion had been, Drake saw that the battlefield was so full it was nearly impossible to see more than five feet in front of him because of so many struggling bodies. He also noticed that it was dark, unnaturally dark. In fact if not for the magic the fae and elves were throwing around, it would have been impossible to see.
“They’re using a spell,” Thalion called out.
“It’s fae blood magic,” Cyn said as she stood at his back, protecting him as he was her. “I can sense it. Alston has stooped to a new low.” Cyn’s skin began to glow, much like Peri’s did when she was using some serious power, though it wasn’t as bright, but it did help make it easier to see.
Drake wasn’t surprised. Alston had proven he had no morals. Drake’s attention was then caught by another glowing female fae he didn’t recognize. She was fighting three vampires. His eyes connected with the fae’s, and he gave a slight nod toward the vampire on her right. Drake pushed up with his legs, using his wolf’s power to jump over the vamp in front of him. It drew the attention from all three of them, allowing the female to take out the other two while Drake beheaded the one he landed right in front of.
He turned to check and see if he had a foe at his back and saw Cypher had joined them. The fae warrior, Vale, appeared next to them with the warlock king in tow and Lilly, his mate, at his side. Drake had seen Lilly join them in the hall when Vasile had taken the call from the sprite queen, but he thought she might stay behind to protect those who stayed inside.
“Blood magic,” Vale hissed, and his skin, like Cyn’s, began to glow.
Drake’s attention shifted to Lilly. “Should you be fighting?” Drake called out to the warlock queen. Her daughter was in the hands of the enemy. Drake didn’t know if he would be able to focus enough to do battle if his child had been captured.
Cypher just shook his head at him. “Her daughter and our grandson are in the hands of the Order,” he said. “Her blood lust needs to be satisfied.”
Okay,that I can understand.Perhaps he would be able to focus if it meant getting to kill people within the organization that had captured his child.
Lilly’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she slammed her foot into the stomach of a vampire that had been running straight for her. The vamp flew back a good fifteen feet and hit a tree before crumpling to the ground. “My mate has been training me,” she said in a deadly voice before turning her attention back to the battle.
“Y’all look like you’re having all the fun over here,” Tyler, the alpha of the Missouri pack, said as he fought his way toward them.
