Second Chance

EKON

I gasped for breath and inhaled the harsh scent of burned flesh and dried blood.

~Darkness~.

I tried to move but was stuck in place.

~Cold.~

~Silence.~

I was alone.

~Bambi.~

~My mate.~

I wanted to speak her name, but my voice felt so far away. It was lost somewhere inside my body.

Somewhere inside my ~wolf~.

But how could that be?

The last thing I remembered was being caught in the middle of an epic battle. Werewolves fighting tooth and claws against witches and Rogues.

And now…

Nothing.

I was still in my wolf form and couldn’t move my neck, but my eyes sensed the faintest sign of light. My paw forced itself up, claws sinking into cold flesh.

My other paw shot up as if I were swimming toward the surface.

With all my might, I inched closer to the top of this putrid void.

It was difficult at first, like pulling my sleeping mind from a suffocating nightmare.

But I knew I was almost there. A slight breeze blew across my face, filling me with determination.

One leg.

Then the other.

I inhaled another rancid breath and opened my mouth, letting out a tormented growl.

Every muscle in my body burned in protest as I grabbed the top of the pile and pulled myself free.

Clouds blanketed the moon, casting a shadow over the entire land.

I tried to shift into my human form, but nothing happened. My fur remained intact while my claws and fangs failed to retract.

Trees loomed on the periphery—dark sentinels waiting for their next order.

I scanned the area, noticing what looked to be ambling hills and grassy mounds. But then I realized what they were…

They were bodies.

And they were ~everywhere~.

Most of the corpses were crumpled into small heaps scattered across the field. It was as if a tornado had touched down and thrown the soldiers across the jungle.

My wolf eyes could see the agonized expressions, the pain in their now-cold faces.

My stomach tightened, and I forced myself to look at the ground beneath my feet.

I stood atop a hill of corpses.

~Goddess.~

My eyes searched the open expanse, but there was no movement. Only the slight rustling of leaves as the wind blew across the field of the dead.

I recognized a massive hill in the distance with an eerie glow emanating from a small cave.

~Have I been there before?~

~Will I find my mate waiting inside?~

I made my way toward the hill, unable to avoid stepping on corpses.

I’d survived the carnage of battle once again.

For now, I was all alone. But I needed to find my way back home.

I needed to find my way back to ~Bambi~.

BAMBI

“We made it!” Ela screamed.

I took in a breath and opened my eyes.

Ela was right, we’d made it back home. In fact, we were safe and sound in the library.

Tyler had followed through with her promise to get us to safety from the battle.

I could see Max, Ela, and Hunter across from me. They mostly looked haggard and confused, as if they were still trying to remember a dream after waking…

Max jumped to his feet and rushed to my side, pulling me into an enormous hug.

“I can’t believe it!” he shouted. “For a second, I thought we were doomed.”

“I told you I had it under control,” Tyler said coolly.

I pulled away from Max’s embrace and made my way toward Ela, who was cradling a very weary-looking Hunter in her lap.

“Welcome home,” Ela said.

Hunter nodded, but he was unable to speak. His eyes fluttered as if he were struggling to remain conscious.

I could see the spark in Ela’s eyes. The newfound hope that she and Hunter were safe now that we were home in Alaska.

They’d been through hell and made it out on the other side together.

But there was one person from our group who was missing.

~Ekon…~

I looked at Tyler and caught her staring at me with a dejected expression. It was as if she’d read my mind.

“I’m sorry,” she said sadly.

“We have to go back!” I shouted without hesitation.

The group looked at me as if I’d just foretold their deaths.

“There was no other option,” Tyler replied. “Staying behind would have sealed our fate.”

Max reached out to try and comfort me, but I pulled away from his grasp.

“We left him to die,” I said. “My mate. My heart.”

I crumpled to the carpet, feeling the weight of loss bearing down on my shoulders.

But as I thought of Ekon, I felt a thrum of energy. As if the faint beating of his heart was slowly falling into rhythm with my own.

Ekon was still alive!

But there was no guarantee he would remain that way…

“I can’t take you back,” Tyler said. “Not now. My body has to recover after teleporting such a long distance.”

I looked into her eyes, distraught and exhausted.

Tyler was right. Even if we could go back to the battlefield, we were too tired to fight.

Besides, the truth was almost too much for me to accept. Ekon was lost inside his wolf, and there was no telling if he would ever make it out again.

Max and Tyler helped me to my feet as the door to the library burst open. Beta Ryland stood in the doorway, staring at us in disbelief.

“Holy shit,” he said. “You guys made it just in time.”

“What happened?” Max questioned.

Ryland smiled and moved to the window. He pulled back the curtains to the colossal library windows, and we all gathered around.

Numerous government agents were hurrying around the compound, packing away everything inside their vehicles.

“They’re leaving,” I said, shocked. “But…why?”

Ryland shrugged as he looked into my eyes.

“We won,” he said. “The second Great War is already over.”

I looked at Max, equal parts excited and unsure. There were still too many broken pieces that needed to be fixed.

~Is it really possible we could begin to rebuild so quickly after everything fell apart?~

~But picking up the pieces will have to wait…~

~…Until my mate is safely back home and in my arms.~

ELA

“Don’t move too quickly,” I pleaded.

The servants carried Hunter down the hall on an actual stretcher. No more of that leaves and twigs bullshit.

Hunter looked like a corpse that had been warmed up in the microwave. His cheeks sagged, and the bags under his eyes made it clear he hadn’t had a decent sleep in weeks.

I thought back to our journey and shook my head. It might have been closer to ~months~ since he’d last been able to rest.

The servants turned a corner, and the stretcher smacked into the wall, causing Hunter to groan desperately.

I cringed and felt my blood boil.

“Careful!” I reprimanded.

We finally made it to the compound infirmary, where they laid him on a large gurney.

He looked so small and weak.

The ~cuntsniffer~, the scourge of the packs…a bad boy with an even worse reputation.

All of that was suddenly meaningless as he lay unconscious before me.

Our journey had taken us from the mountains of Austria to the jungles of South America. Along the way, we’d found safety in one another; it had created a spark in our relationship that had been missing.

Fighting through the highs and lows as a couple had brought us closer together. Even when we were cut off from all our friends and family…

I knew if we could handle that together, we could survive almost anything.

Hunter stirred once more on the table.

The compound doctor and his assistants worked furiously, removing his tattered clothes and hooking him up to an IV to help restore his fluids.

The war had nearly taken everything. And through it all, my hope remained…

Hunter could change. I believed it even if no one else did.

As they continued to prepare him for surgery, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of uncertainty.

We could finally make a new life together.

But would Hunter survive so that we could start over?

EKON

I could smell her.

My sister.

~Devina~.

And she was getting closer with each step.

I looked at the massive hill, shrouded in shadows. A small light flickered inside the cave, enticing me to come closer.

I entered the cave, and Devina’s scent was stronger than ever.

It was accompanied by another strong scent…burned flesh and a bitter odor that smelled of death.

~Matthias.~

My siblings had taken everything from me. This was my last chance to change the course of our lives and rewrite our fates…

Footsteps echoed off the stone walls as distant figures approached. I slunk into the shadows and lowered my body to the ground.

As the figures approached, I realized I knew one of the witches…

~Holly!~

For a brief moment, I almost howled at the young witch—but quickly stopped myself.

I remembered something from the battle…

~Holly blasting me from the air, a smile on her face.~

She walked past my location and, for a second, looked to hesitate as if she could sense my presence…

Then she continued with her witch companion until they both disappeared around the corner.

She didn’t deserve this. All of the horror she’d witnessed paled in comparison to being Devina’s acolyte.

If I could help Holly escape Devina’s control, her powers would be enough to help me exact revenge on my siblings.

I shook my head and gritted my teeth.

There was nothing that could be done now. But I would return to Holly soon. She was the only way I could succeed…

I stuck to the shadows as I journeyed farther into the cave.

Voices spoke faintly in the distance, becoming clearer as I approached.

“We didn’t lose anything,” Devina said. “In fact, I’m more powerful than ever before.”

I could see my siblings in a small alcove. Matthias lay on a cot, the skin of his body drooping more than ever before.

His body had continued to melt, and he couldn’t do anything to stop it.

“All thanks to Alpha Leonardo,” Matthias rasped. “Fucking mutt.”

Devina and Matthias shared an evil laugh.

“It’s a shame that he ran like a coward from the battle,” she smiled. “I do hate it when they have a ~change of heart~.”

“You’re more powerful,” he said with a harsh cough. “But what about me? The arrival of the Supernatural Congress ruined everything!”

He smashed his hand down on a side table, shattering it. Matthias groaned with pain as he recoiled from the strike.

He was weak…

Too weak to fight…

“That’s what we want them to think,” Devina sneered. “But don’t forget that I have the power of Joan Cabot.”

“So ~fucking~ what?” Matthias spat.

“Don’t you get it, dear brother?” she asked. “With my ancestor’s power, I’m only vulnerable to a witch of the same bloodline.”

Matthias looked at Devina and tried to smile, but the skin around his lips only dripped with his attempt.

“You’re the last living witch of our bloodline,” he said.

“And soon, we’ll have another family reunion,” Devina responded. “Then we will be the only two left.”

I felt the fur on my body stand on end and thought better of my close proximity. I began to retreat from the alcove when I realized Devina was no longer standing beside Matthias.

“Well, well, well…”

I spun around and gasped…

Devina stood behind me with arms crossed, a wicked smile on her face.

“Speaking of family reunions,” she hissed. “Welcome back, brother.”