Lucie was going to be the queen of the vampires. She didn’t need a wolf.How will this affect me … with everything?
“Your vampire will take over more. Your vampire strength and pureblood abilities will finally be able to take hold. They can’t now because of your lycan blood. You will still have your fairy magic as well. As far as the children you carry, they will be born as purebloods, just like the vampires need. Even as a lycan, that was already all you would have. Vampire children with enhanced abilities. And that won’t change. Obviously, the fairy bloodline will also remain.” Lycaon pinned an intense gaze on Lucie. “The decision is yours, though. Take the time you need, because it is irreversible.”
Lucie swallowed hard. She would never feel the earth beneath her paws again. She would never feel the wind rushing through her fur as she raced through the woods. It wasn’t everything, but it was part of her. Hell, it was her. This was like splitting her soul in half and giving half of it to the other girl.
Her paws trembled slightly, but there wasn’t a real decision here. Her brother’s fated mate was sealed in there. How could she walk away from that? His happiness was important to her. She wasn’t sure how she would cope with it, but she knew she would adjust. Her grandfather’s beta lost his wolf during the demon war, and he was doing great. It took him a while to adjust, but he was now okay with everything.
It was a bit different for her, since her lycan was her. Would she feel empty? Would it hurt? She turned her head to look at Aedan clawing at the ice desperately. For her brother … she could sacrifice this. It was his happiness on the line here too.And as long as she had Derrick by her side, she would be able to face anything.
She took a deep breath. She had to do this for Aedan. She loved him and couldn’t condemn him to this type of suffering. He would never be able to move on knowing his mate was sealed here. She firmly looked at Lycaon.So how do I give her this part of me? How do I give her my lycan?
CHAPTER 65
Lucie felt herself transform back into her human. She looked at her hands and balled them into fists. Was that it? The last time she would ever be in her feral form?
“I have another question. What of the girl? Who is she? What about her memories? She will be waking up in a world where everyone she loved is gone.”
“She will be able to heal. Having her fated mate will ease her mind. She is the lycan princess of the original kingdom. It is through her and Aedan’s line that a descendant will help aid in reclaiming the world. At least, that is one of the legacies seen.”
“Selene again?” Lucie said in annoyance. This was getting ridiculous.
“Unfortunately, a terrifying future will come. And at this time, Elysia will seal to protect those inside it. It will become a refuge for all magical creatures that seek safety. The kingdom will expand and create a parallel world of its own. However,some will choose to stay and fight, and what happens to humanity will be on their shoulders alone. Instead of saving themselves, they will choose to stay and fight to protect the humans. They will become the guardians of the world. We all know of this potential future. The deities will not be able to get involved in this war, because doing so would cause a war among the gods. Instead, those on the side of humanity can only do one thing: try to stack the chess pieces on the board and hope it’s enough.”
“Like Selene did with the demon war?”
“Only on a larger scale. What is coming will not be a simple war. This is going to be a life-altering time. Think about it … for Elysia to be sealed, the threat must be monumental.” Lycaon could see realization hit her then.
“In reality, me helping this girl is more than just helping Aedan’s mate. The future also depends on it. Talk about there not really being a choice.”
“But there is always a choice, Lucie. And there is always a cause and effect from the choices made.”
“This isn’t a choice for me. I won’t see my brother miserable. I love him, and his happiness is important to me. I could never be happy if he wasn’t happy. So … tell me what I need to do.”
The ice barrier collapsed, and the spring returned to a trickle of water. Aedan came to Lucie and put his head in her hand. The barrier had prevented him from mindlinking, but he could still hear the conversation.
Don’t do it, Lucie. Don’t. I’ll be okay. I won’t have you destroying yourself.
Lucie patted her brother on the head and smiled. “I’m the vampire princess now, Aedan. I don’t need my lycan. But you need your mate, and the Black Ice Pack needs their alpha and luna. The wolves need their king and queen.” She shook her head. “This is what I can do to help out my old pack too. Don’tworry … I’ll adjust.” Her heart hurt as she explained. This was a painful decision, albeit a necessary one. It would take time to adjust, but she had time. She was immortal. She would be okay. She had Derrick. Thinking of Derrick gave her strength. Her love was waiting for her and probably worrying. She looked up at Lycaon, who nodded his head toward the encapsulated young lady.
Lucie jumped over the trickling water and noticed the black heap shredded in the corner. It was a monstrous-sized scorpion. She looked back at Aedan, quickly scanning his body for any wounds, but he looked fine. With a sigh of relief, she took a step forward.
Aedan’s jaws clamped around her wrist.No, Lucie!Aedan growled and tugged on her arm.
Lycaon smirked, and a second later, Aedan released her.
Damn it Lucie, don’t do it! Please … Lucie! Please don’t …
Aedan seemed to be frozen in place. He loved her enough not to let her sacrifice a part of herself, but she loved him enough to sacrifice it. He was the best brother she could have ever asked for. She smiled at him, showing him it was okay before turning back to look at the crystal.
She could hear Aedan’s loud growls in protest as she got closer. She looked into the crystal at the young lady. The woman had light blonde hair, looked to be around their age, and was curled up in a fetal position. She looked scared and lonely. She wasn’t sure what to do, but something inside her told her to touch the crystal.
She breathed in deeply and reached out, her fingers gently touching the clear solid encasement. She felt her fingers turn ice cold as the warmth of her lycan flowed into the crystal. The icy feeling spread through her body. She trembled as the cold bit at her from the inside, her breath becoming ragged as ice seizedher lungs. She felt like all of her warmth was flowing out of her and into the crystal.
The young woman’s body began to illuminate, and the crystal started to slowly drip away. It oozed onto the ground like a gel and disappeared into the stone floor. Lucie felt the crystal shrink away from her hand and the girl landed slowly on the ground.
Lucie felt arms around her, and she curled into the warmth. She was freezing. Her whole body was like ice. She recognized the smoked cedar smell as she rested her head on his chest. Aedan approached in his human form, his eyes darting to the woman on the floor and back to Lucie.
“I-I-I’m f-f-f-fine. Take care of your m-m-mate,” Lucie shivered out.
