The night was quiet, the kind of stillness that pressed against the senses and made every sound feel sharper, louder. Finn lay in bed, staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling above him, his mind swirling with fragmented dreams that refused to settle. Lizzy was curled beside him, her breathing soft and even, her warmth a steady comfort against the cool air that seeped through the room.
And then, it hit him.
Finn sat bolt upright, his chest tightening as a wave of energy slammed into him, sharp and unrelenting. It wasn’t just magic—it wasfamiliar. His wolf stirred immediately, claws scraping at the edges of his mind, snarling in recognition. Fane. The Alpha.HisAlpha.
The connection was faint but distinct, a pulse of power that thrummed through Finn’s veins and sent his heart racing. Fane was back. In the human realm.
Finn swung his legs over the edge of the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold, wooden floor as he tried to steady his breathing. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair as his thoughts raced. This wasn’t just some random ripple of magic. It was Fane’s presence, undeniable and commanding, and Finn knew with every fiber of his being that something was very wrong. He could feel rage, anguish, and devastation pulsing from the alpha bond.
“Finn?” Lizzy’s sleepy voice, soft and laced with concern, broke through his thoughts. She shifted under the blankets, her eyes blinking open as she sat up to look at him. “What’s wrong?”
He turned to her and tried to put what he was feeling into words. “It’s Fane. He’s back. I feel him. He’s in the human realm.”
Lizzy’s eyes widened, and whatever remnants of sleep had clung to her were gone in an instant. She pushed the covers aside and swung her legs over the bed, her expression a mix of worry and determination. “Are you sure?”
Finn nodded, his jaw tight. “I’m sure. The connection—it’s him. I’d know it anywhere.”
Lizzy didn’t question him further. She trusted him, and he was grateful for it. Instead, she reached for her robe and slipped it on, her movements quick and efficient. “We need to let the others know. Gwen, especially. If they’re back then maybe that means we can get out of the sprite realm, and she can take us to them.”
“I’m on it.” Finn reached for his phone.
The air hummed with tension as he scrolled through his contacts, his fingers moving with practiced ease. The faint glow of the screen illuminated his face as he found Gwen’s name and hit the call button.
It rang twice before she answered, her voice sharp and alert despite the late hour. “Finn?”
“Gwen. Did you feel it?”
There was a pause on the other end, and then she exhaled sharply. “I felt it,” she confirmed and almost sounded relieved. “And it wasn’t just Fane. I felt Peri’s magic, too.”
Finn’s grip on the phone tightened. “Peri?”
“Yes. I know where they are. Call Maxim and Alice. I’ll get Cindy. Let’s meet at the front doors of the meeting hall in fifteen minutes.”
Finn glanced at Lizzy, who was already dressed and pulling on her boots, her movements quick and determined. He could see the worry in her eyes, but beneath it was a fierce resolve that mirrored his own.
“We’ll be ready.” Gwen’s voice came through the phone.
“Got it. And Gwen? We need to be careful. We have no idea what we’re about to walk into.”
Her laugh was soft but laced with steel. “Careful doesn’t get the job done, Finn. I’ll see you soon.”
The call ended, and Finn slipped the phone into his pocket. His mind raced ahead. Lizzy was by his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm.
“The main thing is Fane is back, and Peri, which hopefully means so are the others,” Lizzy said confidently. “We’ll figure out what’s going on.”
Finn nodded, his jaw tightening as he let his wolf rise just enough to sharpen his senses. “Yeah. We will.” He cupped her face, leaned down, and pressed his lips to hers. “You stay close to me,” he said, his forehead against hers.
“Always,” she whispered.
And with that, they moved, the stillness of the night broken as they prepared for whatever was waiting on the other side of the sprite realm.
* * *
The clearing was deathly silent, save for the faint rustle of leaves stirred by the night breeze. Peri stood at the edge of it all, her verdant eyes locked on the still forms of Jewel and Dalton, their lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. Dalton’s arms were wrapped around his mate. Even in death he wouldn’t have to let her go. They would be together forever, but that meant they were now gone from them, from their pack and family. Peri clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the ache in her chest.
Her gypsy healers. Her responsibility.
The weight of it all pressed down on her, crushing her. They had trusted her, believed in her. She had found them, brought them together, led them into this supernatural life. And now, Jewel was gone—snuffed out like a candle in a storm. And with her, her mate. The impulsive, brooding, protective mate who fought so hard for Jewel. They’d endured so much as a couple, and this was their end.
