That's all she says with a brief nod, and I tap into my magic again, bringing it to the surface.
Our powers merge in our palms, the wafts of silver and lilac dancing together and casting a shield around us. When Aurora releases my hand, her magic remains in my palms, powering up mine so that I feel invincible. Running on the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I follow Aurora’s lead as she shoots bolts of silver and lilac from her palms at the two newly emerged demons in the ingress of the woods.
Flashes of magic, luminescent bolts, slice through the air as both of us work to impair the demons. Before long, the alphas and soldiers join us, and the forest turns into a battlefield with werewolves and witches fighting against creatures of the underworld.
The air is filled with the sounds of growls and roars from the werewolves, and the demons make treacherous screeches as they flash through the air, morphing between black smoke figures and their physical, dog-like forms. Dawson’s wolf lunges for one demon when I immobilize it with magic, and he uses the unique opportunity to tear the demon’s head off its neck. A cloud of screeching smoke foams in the air in place of its physical body, and it’s like it’s being dragged back to the dark depths of the underworld, screaming before it dies from this world, and the smoke dissipates in the air until it disappears entirely.
I nod at my mate with a chuffed smirk on my face, turning to the other demon to execute damage that can impair it longenough for the wolves to decapitate and kill it. The one Aurora is concentrated on is injured enough to send it crashing into a tree, the bark snapping behind it, just as Alpha Elias and his Beta, Dillon, tackle it in its physical form.
While the one is being taken care of, I focus on the other, striking it with all my might and the force of the combined magic in my hands. I’m able to crack into its ribs, breaking a knee while it’s in physical form, but it scrambles onto its paws and wheezes just as the other demon is killed behind me.
The demon whimpers as it struggles to its paws, then spins and rushes in the opposite direction through the forest, dripping thick streaks of black, greasy slime from where it’s been wounded. Dawson and a group of other wolves charge after it, giving chase out of Girdwood.
I turn to Aurora just as she signals to her mate that the only demon that’s left standing is getting away. I’m about to breathe a sigh of relief because two demons are dead and gone, when I’m hauled into a vision of a fire burning in a square pit.
I look up just as Alpha Elias carries over a black, cast-iron pot and places it over the fire, realizing that I’m seeing a vision because he’s no longer in wolf form.
I turn my eyes slowly around the moonlit meadow, the stars in the sky twinkling brightly beside the glowing full moon. Dawson is behind me when I glance over my shoulder, and Alpha Elias takes a step back, allowing Aurora to throw some herbs and plants into the cauldron.
On her left is the figure of a woman, but only her short-haired silhouette is visible as if a shadow is cast over her, another figure lurking behind her. I frown, trying to focus on the figure of the woman when a faint buzzing whirs in my eardrums.
“More demons will come to test you over the days…” A soft, lilted whisper enters my ears. “This is how Emile McGruff will defeat the demon when he is ready….”
I gasp, realizing that this is a vision of the future, when Aurora and Elias’s son is supposedly prepared to defeat the demon for good—or, perhaps, the underworld, where there are other demon dogs involved, not just one.
I glance to Aurora’s right and become stunned.
A familiar face wields a spoon, ready to mix the contents of the cauldron.
“Rissa?”
She looks up at me, smiles, and shakes her head slowly.
“Now’s not the time. You’ll know when it’s right.” Her voice enters my mind, but her lips don’t move. She doesn’t stop smiling, even when the male figure behind her steps into the light, and silver eyes glimmer with amazement at the crackling fire.
“Brooks?”
My shock snaps me out of the vision, and I’m back on the battlefield with all the soldiers and the Alphas present. Aurora frowns at me, probably recognizing that I’d just had a vision. But when she comes forward, I collapse onto the snow, a wave of exhaustion washing over me because of all the magic I wielded, and the vision I just had.
Epilogue - Dawson
Three Months Later
“Happy birthday to Gio! Happy birthday to you!” Yvonne and I cheer in unison, erupting in a series of claps as our son blows out the six candles on his birthday cake.
He’s beaming from ear to ear as he leans back while Yvonne proceeds to cut the first slice of his chocolate and pecan cake.
“You’re growing up well, Champ,” I wink as I gently pat his back. “I think it’s time to start learning how to be an alpha.”
“Not yet,” Yvonne warns with a lighthearted chuckle. “He still has a long way to go until he receives his wolf.”
“Twelve years long time!” Gio pouts as he crosses his arms, and I shrug to show that, despite my eagerness, his mother has a point.
The rest of the night drags on with Gio opening his gifts, his favorite being the one Elias and Aurora sent over—the Gio-sized elephant that he plans on keeping beside his bed.
I haven’t figured out what his fixation with elephants means, but I’m guessing it’s tied to his mother’s link to the ancient tribes. All that matters is that this year, I get to celebrate his birthday with him after missing five of them, and even his birth. We’d decided to have an intimate party between just the three of us since it’s our first one, and there’ll be many more that will be celebrated with the other members of the pack.
Even Gio seems happy to have both his parents with him, and doesn’t want to let go of either of us when it’s time to go to bed.
