“Mom, I…” Tessa leaned her head on the bed, holding her mom’s hand, and silently cried.
Talon’s mom looked up at him again. “I was so happy when you found your mates. That was my greatest joy.” She glanced at Lucas and then at me, her gaze filled with gratitude. “Take care of my son. I can see how much you love him already. Please, take care of him.”
“We will, I promise,” I assured her firmly.
She smiled faintly. “Maybe in my next life, fate will be kinder to me and give me a fated mate.”
“Mom, don’t talk like you’re dead already. We’ll get you help,” Talon implored.
She shook her head slowly, a sad acceptance in her eyes. “My sweet boy, I…” Her breaths became shallow. “I love you… I love you both,” she whispered before her eyes fluttered closed.
“Mom?” Talon’s voice broke as he shook her gently. “Mom… mom,” he repeated, desperation coloring his tone, but it was clear. She was gone.
Talon sucked in a sharp sob and rose to his feet. I placed a supportive hand on his arm, offering him a steady anchor. He glanced at me, his eyes briefly acknowledging my support, before turning to face his father with a hardened expression.
“I will never forgive you,” Talon said, his voice steely. “The last tie binding me to you is gone. Stay out of my life.”
Eye of the Storm
Talon
Iletlooseatired sigh as I gazed across the shimmering black sands of the nether realm. After the funeral, I just had to get away. My dad had tried to approach me several times, and the pressure felt like walls closing in. Thankfully, Dominic and Lucas were always by my side, running interference and recognizing my downward spiral. They were my beacons in these dark times. I couldn’t believe my mom was gone.
Chuffing, I collapsed onto my side, letting the warmth seep into my fur. Upon arriving in the nether realm, all I craved was to shift and be alone with my lion. I could sense Lucas’s reluctance to leave me, but Dominic, ever perceptive, assured me no one would disturb me and gestured toward the area near the purple sea.
At his encouragement, I instantly shifted and ran—ran hard to escape the pain clawing at my heart. I ran until my limbs could no longer carry me, and then I just stopped, overwhelmed by a sense of loss.
Laughter pulled me from my thoughts, and I lifted my head. I should’ve known better than to believe my mates would leave me totally alone. Lucas was on the shore of the water, and he splashed along with another demon, Ez.
Ez was a friend Lucas had made, and the two appeared to be having the time of their life, playing with another creature—a plattag. From what Dominic told me, it was the demon equivalent of a dog. While it stood on four legs and had fur, its eyes blazed red, and it was at least two times the size of the biggest Mastiff in the human realm. Not to mention its razor-sharp teeth and whip-like tail—it was terrifying.
“Lucas really loves that plattag. He’s a big kid at heart,” Dominic said with a chuckle.
I lifted my massive head and looked at my mate. He was in his demon form. Since arriving, that was the first thing he did: transform into his demon.Did he have to? Or did he just want to?I thought.
Dom’s taloned hand brushed through my mane, sending a shiver down my spine. “You are so beautiful like this,” he murmured, his fingers gently teasing a tuft of fur that stood up at the top of my head like a mohawk. “I especially love this part of your mane—it’s adorable.”
I rumbled a low growl, not quite in agreement with being called adorable, but Dominic just grinned wider at my response. The warmth in his eyes told me he found more than just amusement in my lion form—it was genuine admiration and love.
Love. I knew for a while that he loved me, and I loved him just like I had fallen for Lucas. I was just too chicken-shit to vocalize it. I knew I needed to tell them; they deserved to know, but with everything, I hesitated.
Ez’s laughter pulled me from my contemplation. I glanced over to see Lucas, now in his fluffy brown rabbit form, darting around in a playful chase with Ez. Dom’s laughter, rich and carefree, encouraged me to let go of my lion form and return to my human shape.
“He really is a big kid, isn’t he?” I asked as I sat up, my voice still rough from the shift.
Dominic looked down at me, his smile softening. “He is. And I love that about him.”
I nodded, the sand cool under my hands. “I do, too. He’s perfect for us.”
“He is,” Dominic agreed, his tone turning serious. “How are you holding up?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m okay. It’s just been a lot. I can’t believe she’s gone.”
Before Dominic could respond, his head snapped up, his eyes narrowing into the darkness. Suddenly, he stood, his form tensing as he let out a protective roar. A fireball blazed across the night sky, hurtling directly toward Lucas and Ez, illuminating the dark realm with its ominous glow.
In a flash, Dominic was beside them, his massive wings unfurling in a protective arc. With a decisive movement, he deflected the blast, shielding Lucas and Ez from the fiery threat.
The scene instantly descended into chaos as minions appeared, their roars and cries filling the air. Dominic was instantly clad in majestic black armor, and he drew two mighty swords from his back and released a mighty battle cry.
