Page 2

T he somber moment is broken when Leera falls to the ground all of a sudden. Not only does she fall to the ground, but there is something keeping us from reaching her. Khaos, Andrei, and I are in a panic, yelling her name and trying to reach her, but there’s an energy field around her that won’t allow us to grasp her.

A strange breeze passes, feeling as though it's moving towards the sky, and I collapse into Leera's space.

“Leera, baby, say something. Are you okay?” I nearly beg.

She sits up and looks around at us like she's hoping we know what the fuck just happened. “I…I think I'm okay…um…I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that doesn't usually happen?”

I shake my head, watching her every move, making sure she's really okay. There's no sign of distress; her anxiety doesn't even seem to be peaked. There's no negative energy coming from her wolf to indicate something bad happened, or my wolf would also be losing his shit.

Leera crawls into my lap, clenching my shirt in her hands. I believe she's just going to sit there holding me when she finally breaks the silence and says, “I think…shit, I must be crazy…I think the souls of the lost were…thanking me?” She lifts her chin, and her confused icy-blue eyes meet mine. “I don't know how else to explain it. It felt like they were wrapping themselves around me, almost hugging me. Why would they thank me? They died because of me. Roman, what's happening to me?” Her voice cracks at the end of her sentence, and the anxious uncertainty I was originally expecting has finally caught up with her. Her forehead crashes against my chest as the tears begin to fall.

“Princess, look at me,” I ask gently, lifting her head and wiping her tears away with my thumbs. “Like every other thing we've encountered together, I don't know what's happening right now, but we will find out. I promise. We have a lot of information to unpack together.” I pause, looking around our small group, taking in the moment before I say, “But for right now, let's get home.” I lift her into my arms and stand. “Khaos, where do you need to be? Do you want to come back with us, or do you need to get back to your team?”

I can't fucking fathom what he's going through right now. His entire pack is gone. I know he's not the most caring asshole out there, but he was their alpha nonetheless. The physical effects of the broken bonds would be excruciating before you even consider how he's feeling.

All the while, it's still active hockey season, and like our team, his is made up of mostly lone wolves who aren't into the “ancient" pack life traditions—their words, not mine. While I understand life in the human realm is vastly different than our heritage, I would never be able to give up the very things that make us who we are. With everything life's been throwing at us this year, it's hard to even think about hockey, if I'm being honest. For so long, it was the escape from my mind that I needed to free myself from reality. Now, I have Leera, and I want to devote every minute to her, but I can't just go awol in the middle of the season, at the height of my career. Fuck, how I want to, though.

Khaos answers, watching Leera intently, “I'd like to go where she goes at the moment. I want to be sure she's okay, and I feel as though I've missed something…something feels off.”

Which reminds me that we haven't been able to tell him what we learned at her first transition, or even about her transition and meeting her wolf for the first time. I offer him a nod.

“Also to accompany”—he throws his head in the direction of the only surviving member of his pack—“as I assume you have a lot to talk about,” Khaos continues, and I acknowledge him with another curt nod.

We all begin to move quietly out of the wooded area, and fuck, there's just so much baggage to unpack when we get home.

Jeanine, thank you for all your help. Would you like one of the men to escort you all home safely?

Alpha, you don't have to thank me for this, not this, but yes, this time I would feel more comfortable if one of your strapping young men could join us.

Slate, please accompany Jeanine and the others to make sure they're safe. Meet with Brutus and ensure the pack is prepared for the possibility of an attack. I want security on high alert. I don't think we need to relocate them; this seemed to be a targeted attack.

Yes, Boss.

Meredith, I know you just got home, but we could really use you back at the townhouse. Slate is going to make sure that Jeanine and the others get home safely. You can either return with him or head that way.

I'll wait for Slate; better safe than sorry.

I caught Leera up on everything that I had just organized through the mind-link, and she nodded, nestling further into my embrace.

One flight, where I dozed off holding Leera while she slept, and a short car ride later, we're finally home.

We all walk through the doors in collective quiet, and Matilda comes scurrying towards us. I think she's going for Benny or me but skips us entirely and makes a beeline for Leera, wrapping her in a motherly hug that only she can provide. “Oh, my sweet dear, are you all right? Meredith got me caught up on everything,” she coos and attends to Leera's needs before throwing a look at me over her shoulder, “She said Slate would be there any minute and that they would head this way.”

Thank you, Matilda.

Leera sniffles and holds tighter to our little housekeeper. “I'll be okay, Miss Tilly, but you missed quite a bit. There's so much we learned, and there’s still so much more we don't even know.” She shakes her head like she still can't believe all the shit that keeps happening to her. Honestly, I can't either.

Matilda leads Leera, and therefore all of us, slowly towards the kitchen island, where I notice we suddenly have more barstool chairs than before. She catches me noticing and elaborates, Slate gave me a few heads up as well, she finishes, eyes darting briefly towards Khaos and the woman I'm supposed to believe is my sister.

Again, all I can offer is a nod. Words are just too much right now. The competing emotions are so strong that I fear if I open my mouth and begin voicing my concerns and frustrations, I won't be able to stop, and now is not the time for me to unravel. Leera needs me whole.

“Well, then, it sounds like we're in need of some extra sweet coffee and some snacks while you guys tell me all about everything.” She hadn't even finished her sentence when she began bustling around the room, gathering snacks.

I decide to help by making Leera one of those decadent iced coffees she loves. I found a new recipe on the Pinterest that everyone says is comparable to those café coffees. While I busy myself with preparing the espresso shot for her coffee, Leera also regains herself and moves into the kitchen. It's then that I realize that the act of enjoying the snacks and drinks themselves was not the only way to bring comfort. For Leera, she enjoys busying herself in the kitchen with Matilda regularly. It gives her mind something to do other than spiral and wander to places it doesn't need to be. She's working beside her now, swaying her hips unconsciously while she works, and you can see the muscles in her face relaxing and giving in to the unique form of therapy.

When the espresso machine finishes sputtering out my little mate's liquid gold, I combine it with the mixture of syrups and sauces I had delivered to recreate all her favorite coffees. With the coffee concoction thoroughly mixed, I pour it over ice in a tall, reusable Cool Beans Coffee tumbler that Leera had brought with her when she moved her stuff in.

While she's still working on making a massive snack spread with Matilda, I slowly step up behind her, grazing her lower back with my left hand as I lean around her right side to hand her the iced coffee. I watch intently as she tastes it, watching for any signs of disinterest; instead, her eyes light up, and she looks at me with her first real smile in far too long.

“Roman, that's so good! Where did you learn how to make this? I've never even been able to figure it out,” she huffs in mock irritation, her eyes brightening and sparkling up at me.

“A magician never reveals his secrets,” I whisper, kiss her on the temple, and return to my seat at the island with Benny, trying to avert my eyes from the woman who claims to be my sister.

I know I need to talk to her, but where do I even start? What do I even say? Everyone is so somber and quiet; it's weird. Even the twins are looking a little green. Benny looks a little duller than usual, but he'll be okay. Andrei is watching Leera with a worry line stretched across his forehead. Khaos and my sister …are sitting on the furthest end of the island, not saying much.

“I—" I'm cut off by Leera's sweet voice.

“Okay, boys—oh, uh, and lady…girl…chick…We'll figure that out later—time to eat. Everyone eat all you need; we'll make more if we need to.” She smiles warmly at us all with a worry line, matching Andrei's, also stretched across her forehead. It's the Luna in her, wanting to take care of her people. Her family. Our family.

I extend my hand to her, and when she takes it, I pull her around the island and onto my lap.

“Roman, I can sit on my own,” she gasps.

“I know you can, but I like you right where you are. Now start eating.” I've already started piling food onto her plate. Small sandwiches, a scoop of the mixed fruit they had cut, a small salad, some crackers, and summer sausage. When her plate is towered with more food than she’ll probably be able to eat, I begin filling mine.

While everyone eats, the life and light slowly return to each person in the room. Benny's smile slowly grows. The twins look a little less green. Even Khaos looks a lot like he's found his hope that everything could be okay moving forward. Leera's infectious, peaceful presence settles around me. Andrei sighs, releasing some of the tension and worry tethered around his body. I try not to notice even the woman's face at the end of the table looks a little brighter.

Matilda's eyes catch mine as I survey the only people in all the realms that I care about, nodding with a sweet smile that says everything will be okay, and I allow myself a moment to believe it.