I closed the distance between us. “Oh, my little shadow,” I purred. “You have no idea what I have in store for you.” I gripped her chin, bringing her lips to mine for one final kiss. “You’ll forget every male or female in the centuries that came before me.” I nibbled her bottom lip before pulling away, leaving her wanting more.
Zola went as still as death, her eyes closed as she sucked in a shuddering breath. “Well, we shall see,shifter.”
I couldn’t help smiling as Zola and I parted ways. She returned to their fallen friend while I ventured to find Daxton and Skylar.
Back at camp, I felt Sky’s presence in the clearing, surrounded by citizens awestruck by their very existence. Daxton, the High King, commanded respect with his every breath, while Skylar, the shifter champion and alpha of the Solace pack, radiated raw, untamed power. Individually, they were forces to be reckoned with—Daxton’s authority unyielding and Skylar’s strength unmatched. But together, they were something more: aunited front, a symbol of power and unity that inspired both fear and unwavering belief.
They stood as one. Even without the Heart of Valdor in our possession, I pitied anyone who dared stand in their way.
Wading through the crowd, I called to my alpha, “Skylar!”
Immediately, she turned to find me, keeping her hold on the male standing proudly at her side. Sky wore a simple black slip draped over one shoulder. Her golden-brown hair was pulled to the side, proudly exposing a bite mark along her neck. I smiled. Seeing the blissful joy on my friend’s face brought happiness to my heart.
“Shaw,” Skylar called out as she released her hold on Daxton and ran through the parting crowd.
When Skylar died, when I watched her die, our connection as alpha and beta snapped, damn near breaking me. I shuddered at the memory, with my mind still second-guessing what my eyes were seeing, still doubting this reality until she jumped into my arms.
She’s here… She’s alive. My alpha is alive.
Tears of joy threatened to fall, but I fought to keep them at bay. My friend was here, and this wasn’t a dream. Pulling back, I cupped her face, finding those familiar amber eyes flaring to life with the fire I always knew burning within.
“What now, Sky?” I asked.
“Our actions of defiance may seem like nothing more than a pebble cast into the vast pool of injusticecrafted by Minaeve’s hand—” Sky paused, her voice steady but charged with a newfound resolve.
I watched, captivated, as she embraced the fire she had kept locked away for far too long.
“And yet,” she continued, her gaze blazing with determination, “that pebble is enough to send ripples through the once stagnant waters. It is enough to disrupt, to challenge, and to spark a change no one thought possible.”
Daxton stepped behind Sky, and I dared a glance at the High King of the Inner Kingdom, the look of pride beaming from every facet of his being as he held my alpha in his gaze.
“So, a phoenix, huh? Well,” I chuckled, “we always knew you wouldn’t be a stealthy animal.”
Sky laughed. “What do you mean by that?”
“You are a firebird, Sky, a blazing beacon you can see for miles.”
My alpha smiled, giving me one final hug as her mate joined us.
“Daxton,” I said with a nod.
Daxton returned my gesture as Skylar returned to his side. Her arm wrapped around his waist as he pulled her close. I watched as he turned his head to kiss her brow, the mating mark on his neck visible along the collar of his shirt.
“Can you hear me?”I sent out a telepathic thought to my alpha’s mate.“Daxton?”
The High King of the Inner Kingdom tilted his head in my direction. His once gray eyes, now glowing with an alluring silver hue, narrowed as he stared me down. Instinctively, I lowered my posture, waiting to see what would happen next.
“Beta.”Daxton’s voice boomed inside my head, confirming my suspicion.
Skylar glanced between us, only taking a second to realize what was happening. “I always knew power should be shared with a ruling pair,” she said, smiling.
“And not just among the shifters,” Daxton said, taking Sky’s hand and turning to face the crowd. “Skylar Cathal is my mate.” Daxton’s voice boomed over the clearing, his magic amplifying his voice. “If you wish for me to remain your high king, then—” Daxton turned his head, locking his gaze on Sky’s.
She gave him a firm nod, pulling her shoulders back and holding her head high.
“Then she is your high queen.”
Silence crept across the meadow. No one spoke a word or dared to move. I silently knelt on the grass, allowing the High Fae to come to their senses and acknowledge Daxton’s proposal.
