Chapter 41: Her Tears

WILLOW

“Andrei,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “It was Saoirse. It has to be her.”

I sink onto my cot, my mind racing. “She was there with him, comforting him about Margo’s death. She was crying, Andrei. I saw her tears fall onto him. That must be it!”

I reach out, grasping his hands. “The tears of the Phoenix can heal the earth, wash away the pain. The Goddess told me that. It was Saoirse’s tears that healed him!”

I squeeze his hand, my eyes pleading for him to understand.

He stares at me, his eyes wide. “I… I can’t deny that it’s a possibility. I hadn’t thought of that.”

He stands, pacing the room. “Maybe Lira can give us more insight. If Saoirse’s tears can cure the vampire curse, then maybe we can experiment with the remaining nine.”

“Where’s Peter now?” I ask, my voice steady.

“He’s sleeping in the infirmary tent, with Lira. She took some blood samples and Eros is delivering them to the Royal Pack in the morning. He can get there faster.”

“Okay. Let’s eat and get some sleep. We have a lot to discuss in the morning.”

I smile at him, my heart fluttering. “I need some cuddle time with my mate. I’m so glad I won’t be sleeping alone tonight.”

He grins back at me. “Well, I had an air mattress brought in. That tiny cot might be fine for making love to my mate, but not for much else.”

His eyebrows wiggle suggestively, and I burst out laughing.

The next morning, we head to the infirmary tent. Peter is sitting at a table, devouring pancakes, eggs, and sausage links.

I grin as I slide into the seat next to him. “Good morning. I’m Willow.”

He sets his glass of orange juice down. “You were with Saoirse yesterday. Where is she? We need to talk more.”

I place a comforting hand over his jittery one. “She’s safe. She needed some rest, so I took her to my place. She told me about the thumb drives. Can you tell me more about what you two were working on?”

He glances up at Andrei, swallowing hard. “Do you know what he is?”

He whispers to me, fear evident in his eyes.

“I do. He’s my mate and the king of vampires. He won’t hurt you, I promise. The other king is gone, never to return. I’m sorry about what they did to you and your friends. We can’t bring Margo back, but you’re here. Do you know how that happened?”

He shakes his head, shrinking back in his seat, still wary of Andrei. “I don’t. I… I remember this terrible thirst! I couldn’t control it! I remember biting Saoirse and drinking her blood, but it only helped for a little while. I need to apologize to her. She must hate me!”

“No! No, she doesn’t! She knows it wasn’t you. It was the monster they turned you into! They kept you starving so you would kill. It’s not fair. They were making weapons out of you. But somehow, you’re human again. This is a first. It’s never happened before.”

“She… she was with me yesterday. Talking and crying. I wanted to bite her, drain her. I was so distracted. Then one of her tears fell on my lips. I tasted the saltiness of it. It calmed me. Helped me to think and hear her.

“She was asking about the files and reports we were gathering. There’s a huge cult out there, killing people for money and stealing from other companies to build up their reserves. We were tracking it.

“I managed to get the proof out and hide it. Saoirse was tracking them through their accounts. They have so many! It was becoming obvious we were being watched. So, we planned to escape. But… it didn’t go as planned.”

He shrugs. “Margo’s dead, isn’t she?” It’s not a question.

“Yes. I’m sorry.”

“I heard Saoirse say that. It registered, but then more of her tears fell onto my lips and it was like an aphrodisiac to my system. It was crazy! Her tears were like lifeblood! Refreshing and healing.”

He says in wonder, “Then she was gone, and I woke up and needed to get out of there.”

I glance over my shoulder at Andrei. He moves a bit closer, aware that Peter is still scared of him.

“We’ll need to keep you here for a few more days, then we’ll move you to my place. We need to make sure you stay human for now,” he tells Peter.

Peter nods, seeming to understand. “Okay. But… can I get a real shower? Washing up with a bowl of hot water just isn’t my idea of being clean,” he pouts.

I giggle. “Of course, and a razor, some clean clothes other than those scrubs, and boots.”

I smile as I stand. “Enjoy your breakfast, and we’ll talk again soon.”

We walk away, and I turn to Andrei. “I’ll get Demitri to collect her tears. We have to try again. See if we can bring another new turn back.”

“I agree. It might be safer than releasing nine new vampires into the world.”

We spend time with Lira, discussing Peter. She agrees. Gathering the tears of a Phoenix has always been a difficult task as they are such solitary creatures, but if Saoirse truly is a Phoenix, and it’s looking more and more like she is, then we need to try this.

Let the healing begin.

***

Three months later, we are able to return the nine other victims back to the human world. The tears help us turn them back to human, and with the help of Demitri and Lira, we create a potion to erase their memories of being turned into vampires.

Some have no families, so we find them jobs and homes to help them reintegrate.

Peter is the only one whose memory we don’t erase. He understands the threat we all face if the Guardians are allowed to continue.

He returns to the Isle of Man alone and retrieves the files and thumb drives for the Royal Pack.

Saoirse stays behind while he does that so that her tears can be collected, and we are able to cure the remaining nine.

The exciting news is… Somehow the Goddess allows Andrei to become fertile. Miracle of miracles, I’m pregnant! Another first!

When it comes to Boris, my brother, and Saoirse, their tale is one they’ll have to share themselves. But don’t fret. I’m not going anywhere.

You see, a shadow wolf like me, we’re pretty relentless when it comes to our responsibilities. There’s only one exception to that rule. My mate.

He’s the only one who can halt me in my tracks. And that’s simply because I’m head over heels in love with him.

End of Book 3