"Marie, back off. As your alpha, I command you to stand down."
"You aren't my alpha," Marie replies coolly. "My son's, yes. Not mine. But Lydiana is correct. You're missing the bigger picture."
"The picture is solely the fact that Red is dead," I growl. "Nothing else matters."
Lydiana steps over to Cade, despite his deadly glances at her. She touches Nyx's cheek, stroking it gently with her index finger. "She overturned the cosmic balance. A sacrifice for the greatergood. She paid the ultimate price, and in turn, she was rewarded by the Moon Goddess."
"We could have taken them," Maverick says frantically, pacing with his hands on his head. "She didn't have to do this."
"You were losing," Marie points out. "Look at all the lives lost. Look at the devastation. Nyx saw an opportunity and she took it. She was the only one who could have ended it. It was her ruthless fate to endure."
I shake my head. "Why didn't she use the white light? There has to have been another way. How is this the answer? We're—" I shut my mouth, unable to finish the words.
We're mateless now. Three alphas. One dead luna.
"We cannot question the Moon Goddess and her decisions. But perhaps we could try something..."
Maverick stops his pacing. "Tryanythingfor fuck's sake!"
Lydiana throws him a look of disdain before ignoring him, motioning for Cade to lay Nyx on the ground. He hesitates for a moment before slowly lowering her.
Marie steps around Nyx, the two witches kneeling on either side of her.
My brows furrow in confusion as they join hands over Nyx's chest, their palms brushing over the top of the jagged rock. Silently, they start chanting as everyone falls into a quiet hush.
I don't dare to let myself have hope. But my eyes stay glued to Nyx, watching impatiently, wondering what they are attempting to do.
Around us, the sky suddenly darkens, wind picking up. With the sun gone, an early full moon incredulously glows in the distance.
Leaves rustle and sweep around us, the air becoming chilly as their chanting increases in volume, the words foreign to my ears.
Even Maverick is frozen still, eyes locked on Nyx.
Marie pulls the blanket down slightly, small wrinkled hand grasping the rock. Gasps and quiet shrieks sound out around us as she pulls the bloodied stone out. Fixing the blanket back up, they hold their open palms over Nyx's chest, the roaring of the wind picking up speed.
Then suddenly—nothing.
I blink a few times to adjust to the sunlight as it returns, the wind immediately disappearing.
Stepping closer to Nyx, I stare intensely at her, that shattering pain flaring when nothing happens.
Then slowly, her eyes open.
"Nyxie!" Her mom cries out, rushing forward and dropping to her knees.
"Mom?" Nyx's weak voice asks, confusion on her face. "What happened?"
Jules can't answer, only sobbing harder as she buries her face into the blanket draped over Nyx.
I push forward, my knees slamming into the ground as I fall beside her. "Red…"
She swivels her head to look at me, a tiny smile appearing on her lips. "Lex."
Cade is beside me a second later, and poor Jules is nearly propelled aside as Maverick launches himself to Nyx's side.
"You're okay," I mutter, stroking her hair. "You're alive."
"Why the hell did you do that?" Maverick croaks out, finally losing control as he hunches over in quiet tears. "Don't you dare ever leave me again."
