“You’ve been lying,” I say, anger slicing through my grief like glass. “Using magic to move around, hiding shit. What else have you been hiding?”
Carter finally speaks, his voice shaking. “How do we know it wasn’t you?” he asks. “You disappear all the time, too, Theo. Where do you go? What do you need to do so late at night?”
“Enough!” Ares bellows, power rippling outward. “Why are we tearing each other apart when Mom is dead? We need to bring her back! NOW! I fucking need her back… I… I owe her an apology… Fuck… fuck!”
Every single time he’s brushed her off, gotten angry at her. Us leaving for the Academy, her always being there… Even if we didn’t want her to fuss over us… she was always fucking there. And like every other goddamn fool, we regret not having more time with her.
I stagger backwards, the image of her headless body burned permanently into my mind, the weight of our failure crushing me as the truth settles in.
My eyes skim over the injuries. She didn’t expect the attack; there are no injuries to her hands or bruises on her arms. Either she was taken by complete surprise with no time to react, or whoever did this was someone she trusted.
Someonewetrusted.
I look at my brothers.
Carter stands frozen, Ares is clutching her hand, and Renji is still sobbing quietly. As I look between them with a cold certainty that terrifies me, I realise I don’t know who to trust anymore.
Hades,I whisper one last time, lifting my gaze to the darkening sky.Selene. I’m still your wolf. You brought the dead back before. Please. I’m begging you. Bring her back… please.
The sky remains silent.
My mind remains empty; it’s just my wolf and me.
No one answers my prayers.
Because the gods don’t protect the kind-hearted.
They don’t protect the selfless.
They don’t protect the ones who give everything and ask for nothing in return.
They protect only those who are useful to them.
Those strong enough to carry out their bidding.
They don’t protect the mother who birthed the prophesied king.
Because she has already completed the task they expected of her.
No one will help my ma.
I can’t help her.
Fuck, I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry, Ma…
I feel so fucking helpless.
I slam my fist into the ground, a snarl tearing from my throat as grief and rage rip through me.
The gods are fucking selfish.
I Won’t Lose You
Liam
The chaos is everywhere, but with Dante taking on Enzo, I take on a morghul instead. There are so many of them. All around me, my warriors are fighting, and I can feel the pack-links snapping as they lose their lives.
It’s hard, the pain, knowing I’m losing someone every few minutes. The burden an alpha must carry. It’s my job to protect them, and yet they’re dying.
