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I nod her in his direction, and that's all the encouragement she needs. The next second, she's across the room and in Storm's arms. The force of her flying at him has him staggering back a step, but he doesn't hesitate to wrap her up in his arms the way he always has.

Storm's never liked physical touch, but Serena was always the exception. With her, he craves it just like the rest of us.

"I can't either, Storm. Please don't ask me to stay here alone wondering who won't come back this time. Don't ask me to do what you couldn't." Serena begs him, her voice quiet, but we all hear it. Hear the heartbreak and pain in each word. "Please, don't leave me alone again."

Storm's arms hold her tighter, damn near squeezing the oxygen from her lungs, and I know she's hit a soft spot.

Serena was always alone before us. We made a promise to protect her, that she wouldn't be alone anymore, and I know we all intend to honor that.

It's quiet for a long time; not even the forest around the cabin makes noise, no birds chirping or animals scurrying around. I guess that isn't that crazy, though, considering we're in the Forgotten Forest. I know the wildlife out here isn't the same. I'm not sure I'd want to see what runs around in these woods.

"Damn it, Hops." Storm presses a kiss to the top of her head before he reluctantly lets her go, taking a step back to look at her, his eyes hard but still full of love for this girl who changed our whole world, who is the center of our everything.

"Nobody gets hurt, you hear me?"

It's an impossible ask; he knows it the same as the rest of us. Even knowing it, Serena nods and makes the promise she can't possibly keep before pressing up on her tiptoes. He knows what she wants even without words and quickly bends to meet her. It's the first time I've seen them be anywhere close to the way they were before.

It's refreshing. We've all been at odds for too long; the only way I think we can get through this is together.

Serena needs us.

No… Serena wants us.

She doesn't need any of us, not really.

Pike shifts, his tail wagging, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he bounces around before he wedges his way between them, damn near knocking them to the ground in the process.

"I think he wants you to ride him," Storm says, shaking his head at Pike's antics, but he doesn't sound upset. There was a time when he used to try and hide away, always upset, but not so much anymore.

"I'm sure you know all about that, huh?" Serena says with a smirk before she climbs up on Pike’s back, leaving Storm wide-eyed, watching them trot out the door. Leaving the rest of us to follow suit.

“Did she just make a joke about me fucking Pike?” Storm asks nobody in particular, staring at the spot they just disappeared from. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen Storm so dumbfounded before. Usually he’s pretty quick with comebacks, but this time it would seem she stumped him.

Unfortunately for us, our beasts being alpha’s makes it so that even though she’s not right here in the same room with us anymore, we all still catch the unmistakable scent of her arousal as it travels through the air back to us.

Garrett sucks in a sharp breath, and I watch scales pop on his arms, my own beast stirring with the delicious scent of our mate. “I’d say she isn’t opposed to it, that’s for sure.”

None of us need to be told to move as we head out of the house, shifting as we go. All but Garrett, that is. He waits until we're far enough away from Ryker’s house that he won’t destroy it, and if that isn’t progress, I’m not sure what is.

We make good time getting to the village, a new one I’d yet to visit, and it makes me wonder how many there are. At the very least, there are three, but I highly doubt that’s it. Draven is counting on the fact that not everywhere can be protected at the same time. He needs shifters to build his army, and this is the easiest way for him.

He doesn’t even do it himself, instead making his son do his dirty work.

He’s the worst kind of villain.

I hear them well before the village comes into view, and it takes everything in me to keep moving. The memory of facing them last time hits me like a punch to the gut; the pain of the wound from the chimera was unlike anything else I’ve ever felt before. I’ve never experienced anything that didn’t heal itself in moments, nothing enough to knock me out and keep me down for days.

That won’t ever happen again.

Serena’s voice is calming, and when I look up, I find her eyes on me as Pike continues to run toward the village. Her face is set, hard and determined. I can’t explain it, but I believe her.

This isn’t the same as the last time. This time we’re going in together, and we know what we’re up against.

Once upon a time, Serena was terrified of the chimeras too. She has her own scars from them, but she’s here with us, ready to face them, all of us together, the way it should be.

A surge of confidence fills me, and I’m not sure if it’s hers or my own, but it doesn’t matter.

I know we can do this. We can save the people of this village. We can save Ryker and Lyle. We can save this whole damn realm.