Strong, gentle hands lifted Zeena’s chin until she had no choice but to meet the Creator’s radiant gaze. Forgiveness and sorrow shone in His ageless eyes.
“Your heart has been led astray, but the fault is not yours alone.” Sadness weighed down the rich voice. “Another’s cruelty dimmed your inner light, but it is not extinguished.”
Zeena’s voice hitched in desperate hope. “Can I be restored?” She clung to His hands as though they were her only tether from plunging into shadow.
Visata drew her close, and Zeena wept into His side like a lost child. He soothed her tenderly as the tide of anguish slowly released its grip.
When her tears finally ceased, the Creator drew back enough to tilt her chin up once more. “The light within can never be fully swallowed, only hidden for a time.” His understanding eyes pinned her in place. “I have known you since before you were formed in your mother’s womb, Child. Your life is no accident.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “Sadly, fear led you down dark roads.”
Shame flooded Zeena, making her turn away. Visata held her fast. “Yet you were but sheep led astray, never fully seeing the precipice before you.” His luminous gaze poured strength back into her spirit. “By my grace, you will now walk in the light again.”
“You would grant me such mercy?” Zeena asked brokenly. After centuries at Azure’s side, witnessing evil while doing nothing, she felt stained beyond saving, unworthy of this gift.
Visata cupped her face in His hands, ancient eyes burning with compassion. “All have fallen short of my glory. But mine is the only judgment that carries weight.” His smile held both sadness and understanding. “I know your heart was warped by cruelty not your own. Your sins are forgiven, Child, if you but choose to walk the right path once more.”
Overwhelmed by the enormity of his pardon, Zeena could only nod wordlessly. How could He absolve her so easily after all she had condoned? The light within Visata was truth. Her battered spirit recognized that bone deep.
The Creator drew her close once more, into an embrace of forgiveness and belonging that Zeena had craved her entire existence. “Though darkness surrounds, hope remains,” He whispered over her hair. “You will find your way again.”
When He released her, resolve settled in Zeena’s bones. She would spend the rest of her life proving worthy of this undeserved gift. “I will heed Your guidance in all things,” she swore fervently.
Visata’s brilliant aura filled the dingy room. “Then listen close, Beloved Daughter. My plan unfolds through your life anew.”
He told her of two who would seek her out soon, led by His whisper, to help save an innocent in grave peril. “The Dire Wolf comes cloaked in shadow, but he brings light in his mate’s heart,” Visata revealed. “The three of you will bring change and, through that change, watch night recede before dawn’s hope.”
Though the counsel was cryptic, Zeena clung to every word. The Creator had given her a second chance. She would not fail Him again. Bowing her head, she swore, “I will watch for them and trust in Your wisdom, though the way seems dark to me.”
Visata touched her shoulder, smile radiant. “You no longer walk alone. My spirit shall illuminate your every step.”
As his image faded, Zeena cried out, “Will I see you again?” The thought of losing His presence devastated her now that she had found grace.
“I am always near, Child,” Visata’s voice echoed. “You only have to call out and listen, and I will answer. Only believe…”
Then He was gone, leaving Zeena on her knees in a rundown motel room once more. But she rose with joy, and her once empty heart was filled with joy. The Creator Himself had come to renew her life. She was no longer damned and alone, but delivered into destiny. Her heart ached for her mate. She thought him fully lost. Zeena honestly didn’t know if there was anything good left in him. She remembered their early courtship. Azure had been so charismatic and charming. She’d been smitten from the first words. His father was King of KOV then, and Azure didn’t bear the burden yet of a kingdom. Notto mention there was peace among the kingdoms. But then his father was poisoned, though the culprit never found. Azure had to take up the mantle of ruler, and it was from that moment forward that his transformation began.
“What happened to us?” she whispered. Her knees throbbed from the hard floor on which she had knelt. They’d lost their way, but Azure didn’t seem to want to find it again. She was on her own.
Whatever came, she would cling to the plan Visata shared. Zeena would watch for the Dire Wolf and his mate, never doubting they were coming. Zeena had no idea how they would respond to her, considering she’d been unkind to both of them. She deserved their wrath, not their help. But the Creator had spoken, and she would listen. She had been granted another chance. This time, she refused to fail.
Lola awoke to dawn’s first light creeping across her opulent room. No, it wasn’therroom. It wastheirroom—hers and Callon’s. Which was still a weird thought, but she didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Today, they would hopefully confront the voodoo priestess who held Katy’s life in her hands. The twisting knot of anticipation in Lola’s gut hadn’t let her rest easily, and the fact that she’d been separated from Callon didn’t help.
Slipping from bed, Lola dressed swiftly in the combat gear the KOC warriors had provided. She and Maddie would need the added protection of leather and light armor in the treacherous bayou. Lola truly appreciated the fact that she could shift from human to animal and back again and still have her clothes on once she was in her human form. She’d read so many bookswhere the shifters were butt naked after a shift and had always wondered how they hadn’t felt vulnerable. Did she think of her book characters as real people? Yes, yes, she did. Don’t judge.
Lola’s inner beast rumbled eagerly at the thought of the coming hunt and confrontation. They would find this voodoo priestess-witchy-chick and make her undo the sinister spell.
When Lola entered the mansion’s vast kitchen, she was surprised to find Callon already there, shoveling down breakfast. Her mate’s head jerked up, nostrils flaring as he caught her scent. Relief flashed in his golden eyes.
“There you are.” He was across the room in three long strides, folding her into a fierce embrace. “I’ve been pacing like a caged animal waiting for you.”
“Why didn’t you just come to our suite?”
Callon’s eyes narrowed on something behind Lola. She turned to find Otto sitting on the end of the counter, his little legs swinging back and forth and his tail swishing from side to side. He wasn’t in his full-beast form, but neither could he pass for a human.
“Good morn, Lola. Sleep good?” The little lizard grinned and waved his clawed hand at them.
“He is the reason I didn’t come to our room,” Callon rumbled. Her mate was not pleased.
