The room went silent.
“If I haven’t said it before, I fuuuckinghateher,” Neera cursed.
We all raised our brows in surprise.
“Settle in and listen. I’m about to fill you in on everything,” I said to my friends.
I recounted my time in the Inner Kingdom, backtracking to Crimson City, Aelius, Seamus, the scroll, and the trial of the mind. I even told them about how I healed Nyssa and the other fallen creatures in the wilt. And then I spoke of Silver Meadows. About Idris, Adohan, Zola, and Gunnar. I told them about the Ice Gauntlet, showing them the silver mountain peak on my black leathers. Then I told them about the trial of the body, the basilisk, and then the unfortunate plan that involved my mate being captured by the High Fae queen.
“Gods a-fucking-bove,” Rhea cursed at my side.
“Right?” I said, glancing across the kitchen island at Shaw and Neera. My eyes darted between them, theirfamiliarity and intimacy no longer something I could ignore. “Are you… Are you two…”
“Don’t start,” Talon warned with a palm raised.
“Please.” Rhea sighed, squinting her eyes and pinching her brows.
“What?” I questioned.
Shaw reached for Neera’s hand, giving her a soft smile. “No. We are not a mated pair, but—”
“But,” Neera added, “perhaps a mate bond is not theonlyway to find happiness with another in this life.”
“Oh,” I replied with surprise—no, shock, actually.
Neera swore to us time and time again that she would only be sharing a claiming mark with her true mate. Weallknew this.
I glared at Shaw, pinning him with my stare. He blinked at me, understanding my protective intent, and wisely shifted a half step from my cousin.
“Like we said.” Talon chuckled with amusement. “Don’t start.”
“What does Magnus think about this?” I asked, turning my head and sniffing the air. “In fact, where is Magnus? Why is he not home? He should be here.”
Knowing that Julia had passed less than a month ago, it was logical that Magnus would stay close to Neera, regardless of his role as beta.
“F-Father is—” Neera stammered as the room fell silent.
“Where is Magnus?” I asked again, looking at Talon and then Shaw.
“He’s alive,” Shaw answered. “But—”
I bit my lip, straightening my shoulders as my eyes blazed with the demand for an answer. The magic of my alpha command laced into my words. “Where is my uncle, Shaw?”
“He’s lost. Lost to his animal form,” Shaw answered, staggering back a step as my power filled the room.
I fought to catch my breath at Shaw’s response.
When a shifter experienced a loss too great to carry, their animal spirit took control. They succumbed to their animal’s power, and their human half faded into a distant memory. Some never came back, while others could return when the pain of their human soul was healed, or they were called back by something strong enough to guide them through a shift.
“What the hell was that power, Skylar?” Talon demanded, drawing me back as he instinctively moved closer to his mate.
“Oh, that.” I shrugged as I scratched the back of my head. “It’s new.”
“Explain yourself,” Talon snapped. His eyes flared as he tilted his head to the side to look me over. “That felt like a fucking alpha command, Sky.”
Neera placed her hand on Shaw’s shoulder, but he waved her off, insisting that he was all right.
“That makes a lot more sense now,” Shaw said. “It’s not the first time you’ve used it, is it?”
