Aspen blushed at having his thoughts read.
Odin looked over his shoulder. A wicked smile touched his lips. “Don’t start. I have business with this one.” His smile grew larger. “You’ll have your fill later.”
You are a lucky woman.
Celeste took a deep breath, as if fighting the butterflies in her stomach. “I absolutely am.”
Odin’s attention returned to Bernard. Aspen couldn’t see his father’s face, but he tensed, nonetheless. There was a crackle in the air. Odin was their god. It was his place to choose final punishment.
“You are no alpha.” Total silence filled the room at Odin’s words. The water didn’t even drip any longer. Aspen swore he heard his father shaking. “There’s a reason you were never chosen for that position even though I know how much you coveted a leadership role. You have been given the same opportunities to thrive as every one of your Were brethren. Yet the only good thing you did was create two amazing sons, a blessing most Weres never achieve. You’ve already sent one home to me and sealed your fate long before today.” Aspen’s eyes fell closed. His chest hurt. Odin kept talking, unaware of the pain he caused.
From where Celeste’s hand rested on his shoulder, a warmth spread to his chest. He isn’t unaware of your pain. There was no good way to tell you, but he can reassure you Torbren is thriving in Valhalla.
“This is my punishment for you.”
Aspen had missed the verdict, but his father was gone. He blinked. “Is he dead?” Aspen sounded as baffled as he felt.
Odin held his stare. His electric blue eye bored into Aspen’s soul. “You are all that’s good and kind. It pains me to admit he has been sent to spend his afterlife with Lucifer. It’s a sentence unimaginably unpleasant under normal circumstances. Even I can’t imagine an eternity with Lucifer after attacking his son.”
Aspen didn’t point out he was pretty sure his dad had meant the attack for Waylon. His heart hardened a little more by the second at the knowledge his brother was gone. “Good.” He fought tears and swallowed past a swollen throat. “For Torbren’s sake at the very least. He should’ve been put down a long time ago.” The more seconds that passed, the more the truth set in. His brother was gone. Aspen supposed he had known that in his heart. There had been a reason for his panic when he had left the bubble Leif had created for them all those years ago. Since he hadn’t found Torbren afterward, he had held on to a fruitless hope. He would never forgive himself for not finding a way to protect him. Now that it was too late, the knowledge he hadn’t even gotten a chance to say goodbye crippled him.
The air popped and sizzled. A strong smell of alcohol overcame him. In an instant, he sat inside a vast great hall with roaring fires and unconscious men. Celeste and Odin stood at his back, holding hands.
Odin flashed a kind smile. “You have five minutes.”
Before he could process the change in scenery, someone spoke his name. “Aspen?”
Aspen’s head whipped around at his brother’s voice. “Torbren?” He looked grown and healthy. Aspen came to his feet. Torbren pulled him into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it’s you.” Aspen sniffed, trying his best to hold himself together.
Torbren pulled away, but he didn’t release Aspen’s shoulders. “Look at you. You haven’t changed at all.” His gaze slid toAspen’s mating mark. His smile grew. “You finally got your wish. You have no idea how happy I am for you.”
Aspen tried to speak through his rapidly swelling throat. “I can’t believe you’re gone. I should’ve stayed and protected you.”
Torbren’s smile turned sad. “You did all you could to keep me safe. Rest easy. There is no pain here. Food and wine flow freely. No one hurts me here.”
Tears rolled down Aspen’s cheeks. Torbren wiped them away. “None of that. I’m happy.” He motioned someone forward, and a beautiful woman who looked like a warrior moved to stand next to him. “This is my mate, Arie. Arie, my brother, Aspen.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Her voice was musical, and her handshake soft and warm.
“You as well.” His gaze moved between the pair. This was the life he had prayed Torbren could have. Of course, Torbren had been alive in the life he envisioned. But this wasn’t about him, and Aspen could live with knowing Torbren thrived, even if it was in the afterlife. “You two look perfect together.”
“It’s time.”
At Odin’s warning, Aspen tried his best to find peace. “I’ve decided I won’t say goodbye.”
Torbren smiled brightly. “Good. No one ever really dies, brother. I’m happy here.”
Aspen gave him a sharp nod and took a step back. “I imagine we will be together again someday.”
Torbren laughed, and Aspen sat at his kitchen table again. The chair Bernard had occupied was gone. The sound of a dripping faucet returned. Aspen was alone. He took a cleansing breath. Torbren had a good life now. Aspen was at peace with that.
No grass rustled. No twigs popped. Lysander’s steps caused zero noise. He was a fairy. Lysander was in the earthly realm, but then again, he wasn’t. Faerie existed all around him. The two planes were one, but they weren’t. Only certain creatures andthose who ate food prepared by a fairy could see the seamless union. Stone had given up on food centuries ago, and Lysander hadn’t allowed Stone to drink from him. Lysander easily stalked him through the woods.
While Lysander had no idea where Stone headed, he kept pace. He needed to know what Stone had done to him. Lysander was like any other fairy. His life revolved around sex. Just as a vampire needed blood to survive, Lysander required the lust-filled energy to thrive. Sex was rarely personal with his species. Unless they found their true mate, fairies were unabashed flirts and sexual creatures. Since Lysander had allowed Stone to seduce him, something changed inside him. His thoughts were mired in jealous rage. Stone was very similar to fairy folk. He didn’t hide his base needs behind a veneer of fake relationship goals. He fucked like sex was his fuel, and Lysander hadn’t been right since. Lysander didn’t feel this driving need to own someone the way he did with Stone. He was furious and determined. Stone would lift this spell, or Lysander would see him dead to escape this hell.
Stone stepped around a large tree and disappeared.
Lysander froze and searched his senses. It was daytime. Vampires couldn’t vanish in the daylight. It was further proof of Lysander’s theory. Stone wasn’t—
