A cool breeze blows in from the desert, lightly brushing my face and making little Faith gurgle in my arms as she reaches out with her tiny fingers. I look down at her, smiling at her joyful expression as she tries to catch the wind.
“Beautiful girl,” I whisper, bending down to kiss her forehead. She giggles, wriggling in my arms to pat my cheeks.
“Shh, I’m watching your mama,” I say, very softly.
Faith goes quiet, her big blue eyes dark and serious.
I look up, out across the stone circle. It’s been exactly a year since the defeat of Sakesh, and the witches decided a cleansing ritual was needed. A vigil was kept on the stone for a long time, and even though it stayed still and cold, Grace said there was still dark energy hanging around it.
The emotions of all the people who were sacrificed, begging to be put to rest. Nothing to do with Sakesh. He’s gone for good.
Out in the middle of the circle, the four lunas hold hands in the center, the desert breeze lightly stirring their long white gowns. Witches from the coven stand around the edges of the stone, and on the grass around the edge are more witches who have lived within the packs but were afraid to show their powers.
It is truly a new age, when everyone is accepted for who they are. We don’t tolerate inequality anymore.
The girls chant softly, their voices rising and falling in a beautiful rhythm like chimes in the wind. With the fresh breeze, I feel a faint hint of darkness being cleansed away, and it reaches all the way to my soul.
I don’t have to be afraid anymore. Now, I have Faith.
I look back down on my baby girl, smiling as my heart fills with joy. She is the embodiment of true faith to me, proof that all I ever needed to do to heal was open my heart to love.
The ritual ends, and the girls laugh and sing as they hug each other, hurrying from the circle. Somewhere in the crowd, a flute starts to play, followed by a drum, then strings. All around the circle, people laugh and celebrate, sharing food and wine.
All four packs come together in unity. I wonder if Gretchen knew this would happen?
Grace hurries up to me, her big smile the sweetest sight I’ve ever seen. Faith giggles and reaches for her mom, and Grace sweeps her into her arms, covering her face with kisses.
“Everything went well?” I ask. “I mean, it looked like it did, but I don’t really know much about it.”
“I think you know more than you want to admit,” she says. “But yes, it went perfectly. Any tortured souls that were tethered to the stone are now at peace.”
“And Sakesh?”
“Gone,” Grace says, snuggling Faith as we walk towards the trees where the others are sitting on the grass. “It was our rejection of him that was his final defeat. All his years of manipulation came down to that one event—if he could turn us to follow him, and take the power he offered.”
“He chose the wrong girl,” I reply, taking her hand.
She smiles, giving my fingers a squeeze. “He sure did.”
We sit down in a little circle with the other alphas and the girls, relaxing and enjoying the cool air as the shadows slowly lengthen. Grace holds Faith close to her breast and feeds her, and my heart feels so full, it might burst.
“So, what are Luke and Marcus up to?” Brad asks. “Is Luke still your beta, Dan?”
“Yeah,” I say. “He’s more than happy with it, and it’s not a problem for me—he handles all the boring stuff.”
“That’s what betas are for,” Rex chuckles.
“What about Marcus?” Shawn asks.
“He’s been head of scouting,” Rex answers. “We still have patrol units, and he’s really coming into his own.”
“We’re completely safe here,” Sara says, rocking her own new baby in her arms. “I’ve never felt such peace through the valley.”
“Speak for yourself,” Alisha growls, picking herself up to run towards the crowd of children screaming nearby. “Brad, help me!”
“Duty calls,” Brad says, jumping up and chasing after her. All of us laugh as the small army of kids made up from all four packs turn on Alisha and Brad, tackling them both.
“I believe it’s their daughter who is the ringleader,” Scarlett says, squinting in their direction.
