Hunter, Freja, and Chasen strayed from the gathering packs and walked up toward Lita and Asher. They passed Drew and Ace, who nodded their heads in acknowledgement as they continued back to their pack. Lita hugged both Hunter and Freja, then Chasen, squeezing him tightly.
“Rest easy knowing she’s at home safe.” Lita whispered in his ear. Then in a breath only audible to him, “I bet your brother wishes he could have left Freja there, too.”
Chasen smiled and nodded. He understood what his mother was saying. He needed to actually be thankful that Jin wasn’t here. Hunter had the real worry of losing his mate. Their whole family was fighting against the demons, and he knew they were all nervous. There was a chance their family would forever be altered after this war. He glanced over at Hunter, who was holding Freja’s hand as he talked with their dad and Grayson. He would do his duty as a guardian. It was his job to protect Hunter no matter what, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
“Little cub.” Grayson took a step toward Chasen. Lita smiled up at Grayson and returned to Asher’s side. “I know you’ve had a few fights before, but this is going to be completely different. There’s no holding back here. We can’t afford to offer mercy. Every enemy we encounter is a dead enemy. No matter what. You understand?”
Chasen smiled. “Yes, Uncle Grayson.”
“We’re going to make sure we get you back to your mate,” Grayson said with a smile as he slapped Chasen’s shoulder.
“Did Mom tell you we’re having a little girl? I sent her a letter explaining everything.”
“Yes, I heard. You’re sure we don’t want to just off this demon?” Grayson asked quietly.
Chasen chuckled. “Actually, I left Jin with him for protection. If anything, I guess I know she has a strong protector.” Chasen said with a small smile. “We’re going to name her Destiny.”
“I think that’s a great name.” Grayson sighed and squeezed Chasen's shoulder. “Don’t get flustered and forget everything I’ve taught you.”
“Hunter, your mother and I have been trying to find another way with this black hole business, but we can’t find anything.” Asher looked at his son’s silver eyes. “We’re going to win this demon war. Then you’re going to do what you have to do. No matter what, we won’t give up on you. No matter how long it takes, we’ll be waiting for you and Reiya to come back to us.”
“Don’t worry, Dad. We’re going to make it out of there.” Hunter felt Freja’s grip on his side tighten. He squeezed her back gently and nudged her lightly.
“You’re going to make it out of there no matter what,” Asher agreed.
Hunter could hear the noise coming from the packs, and he turned his head to see what was causing their agitation. Thevampire army was slowly coming into view. As he glanced over at the different packs, he could see they seemed a bit antsy.
“I better go keep the packs calm and greet the vampires. I’ll be back shortly.” Hunter turned and looked at Freja. “You can stay here. I won't be long.”
“Nonsense. My place is at your side.” Freja smiled at him, and he grinned widely.
“Yes, it is.” Hunter looked at his parents and then Chasen. “We’ll be back. Chase, go ahead and stay here with Mom and Dad.” Chasen nodded, and Hunter and Freja headed toward the vampires. He wasn’t sure if the king and queen would be there, but he was certain Jester would, at the very least, and maybe Irene, too.
Chasen watched Hunter walk away until a dark shadow fell upon the ground. He looked up and his eyes widened. “Hey, look!”
The sky was covered with large, ancient beasts. The sky monsters blocked the sun as they slowly made their descent. In front were the largest dragons, and on top of a familiar blue dragon was Reiya, waving down at them. The moment they landed, they all took to their human forms.
Reiya smiled as Lee cradled her at his side. Her premonition that she’d had before was no longer valid. The dragons were here. She had done her part to change the future. Mason and Ruby strolled up to her side and looked ahead toward where her parents and brother were standing. Brody jogged up to them, along with Xander and Lila.
“That is my twin brother over there.” Brody grinned, pointing at Chasen.
“Another bear with a voracious appetite?” Weston teased as he strolled closer.
“I don’t even want to hear that from you, Wes. You can eat more than me.” Brody laughed, and Weston chuckled and shrugged.
“That makes sense. I am a dragon, after all.”
“Come on. I want to introduce you all,” Reiya said as she dragged Lee along. They might be getting ready for war, but Reiya was still her excited self. It was better this way. Why worry about it? She was going to have faith in the army they’d gathered and prepared. And she was ready to do her part in the war. She would believe in Lee, because she had to. He was their only hope against Mephisto. She wasn’t under the illusion that this would be an easy fight … quite the contrary. All the more reason to make these last moments as precious as possible.
“Chasen! Where’s Hunter?” Reiya asked.
“He’s over there, greeting the vampires.” Chasen nodded toward the distance behind them.
“Mom, Dad, Uncle Grayson. I wanted to introduce you to the other dragon kings. Of course, you already know Xander and Lila,” Reiya said as she turned to look at the others. “That is Dex, the King of the North, and by his side is Ciana, his mate. Then this is Mason, the King of the East, and his mate, Ruby. Then, last and possibly least, is Weston, the King of the South.”
“Hey. I resent that,” Weston said as he clicked his tongue.
Reiya giggled. “You were meant to.”
