Shadow looked at me, but I shook my head. “I don’t know who’s worthy, outside of Simone.”
My friend in question held both her hands up as she shook her head. “No. Nope. Absolutely not a fucking chance. I’m not vibing that sort of power play and responsibility.”
I snorted. “And why am I not at all surprised?”
Simone shrugged, and we both laughed. Jaxson cleared his throat, interrupting, and I was suddenly worried he would suggest himself as alpha. He had the power, and the control, but it would take more than that to strengthen this pack. Thankfully, he just said, “Why don’t you allow us to rebuild slowly, and maybe a worthy alpha will emerge? We can have a true selection by the pack… a vote.”
Shadow didn’t love that idea, if the annoyed huff he exuded was any indication, but he didn’t argue. My ancient mate probably just hated his traditions being messed with. “I think that’s a plan to work with,” I said, trying to hide my amusement. “We’ll periodically check in on you all, and hopefully by then, you’ll have figured out who is alpha enough for Torma. Until then, Shadow will protect you from other packs, right, mate?”
He tried to kill me with his eyes, but unfortunately for him, he’d fallen in love with me and now he was stuck forever dealing with my shit. Sucker.
“Right,” he growled.
Simone snorted out some laughter before shaking her head. “What about me?” she said. “Now that Mom and Dad got the old heave-ho back to human they go, I’m not sure where I fit.”
“I’m sorry about your parents,” I said quickly. That had been a tough decision for me, but there was no denying their complicity in all the bullshit that had gone on in Torma. A lot more than I’d even known about until I touched them and saw into their souls. It was dark in there, even if a lot of it was initiated by Victor. But they’d never tried to fight his corruption, and for that, they’d lost their wolves.
She shrugged. “They had it coming, in more ways than one. Mostly I want to know when I will see you again. Can I visit the library?” She took my hand. “You’re my family, Mera, and I refuse to live this life away from you.”
Gods, my friends were legit going to kill me today. Between Angel almost dying and Simone hitting me in the feels, I was maxed out on emotions.
Wanting to have this conversation in my normal form, I released my power and returned to the human-Mera. Shadow handed me clothing that he had to have created in about a second, and once I was dressed, I was able to hug my friend again without feeling like I was a giant compared to her. “You can visit me whenever you want,” I said, sniffling at how happy I was. “I want to see you all the time, talk to you every day, and we will figure out a way to make that happen.”
Shadow didn’t tell me it was impossible, which gave me hope that there was a way.
“We’re pack,” I said, pulling away. “Family. Always.”
“You know it,” Simone choked out with tears in her eyes. “And we have so much to catch up on. I need to know everything that happened. How you turned into a fire bird wolf goddess. Is Dannie gone now? Did anyone else get… hurt?”
I think we all knew who theanyonewas in that situation. “Dannie’s dead, she chose not to be reborn, and all of us made it through mostly alive. Lucien is fine.”
She sagged in relief, her face a complexity of emotions that spoke of memories I still wasn’t aware of. A lot had happened in the library and Valdor between those two, and one day very soon I wanted to know all of it.
“Do you want to see him?” I asked her gently.
She shook her head. “Not… yet. It’s too hard to know the truth of what can never be. There’s a shit ton of backstory there, and I will spill it all when we meet up next for our weekly PJ and margarita girls’ party in Shadow’s room. Deal?”
“Deal!” I said, right around the time Shadow wrapped an arm around me and hauled me back against him. He was still in his huge flaming form, and as the warmth surrounded me, I sighed in pure contentment.
Torma was dealt with. The pack had one final chance. And now it was time for us to head back home. We had a dinner to attend.
61
My heart was slightly heavier as we left the Earth realm, returning to the long hallway. “I’ll bring Simone across soon,” Shadow said, frowning at what was no doubt a pouty look on my face. “You won’t have to miss her for long.”
I forced my lips into a smile. “Sorry, I’m actually really happy. We saved the damn world. Our main threats are eliminated, and we’re together. I couldn’t have asked for a better ending and yet I’m a little melancholy that everything might change now.”
“It won’t,” he said. “Unless you want it to, and then I will ensure that everything changes.”
“As simple as that,” I shot back.
He kissed me suddenly, leaving me breathless and horny as fuck. “As simple as that, Sunshine.”
Before I could think up another smartass reply, he swung me up and over his shoulder, and then he started to sprint through the hallway. Inky and Midnight, who had been guarding the entrance, rushed toward us. “They’re back,” I said, and now I was feeling much happier because this all felt normal.
Like a future I’d been dreaming of but had never expected to happen. I’d been forcing myself to accept the reality. We’d been fighting against a power we shouldn’t have beaten. To know it was over… It had taken me a bit to get there, but finally, I could be happy.
Our mists surrounded us, lifting our bodies off the ground in their version of a hug. “Hey, buddy,” I said to Inky, who started to spark.
