Thane
Lyric clutches my hand as she stares at her aunt, lying on the couch, eyes closed and breathing shallow. The woman is so pale she already looks dead. I’d think she was gone if it wasn’t for seeing her chest moving, even as she lies on her side. Starr cleaned the girl up and dressed her in whatever she could find: shorts and an oversized t-shirt. Tristan grabs a blanket and covers Emroi’s cold body, Starr’s blanket, from her room.
We came straight here after Theo took Blaze to his room. I mind-linked his parents to keep an eye on him. Theo and Tyler are with us. Thorin and Tane followed the moment they spotted us. It’s none of their business, but they’re nosy. They didn’t say a word, but I know Theo filled them in through the mind link. I know I didn’t, and Tyler doesn’t seem to want to talk to anyone, so he wouldn’t have told them anything.
As soon as I walked in, I could smell the fear coming off Tristan and Starr. They knew I’d be angry about what they’d done, but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything, not after the things Blaze showed us.
Right now, Tristan and Starr are standing arm in arm, Tristan holding Starr tightly as if protecting her from me. They haven’t moved from beside the couch, though, both of them keeping watch over Emori.
“Thane,” Tristan swallows hard.
“It was my idea,” Starr says at the same time. “I’m sorry, Thane; I never meant to go against you. But I’m also not sorry because Emori did everything to protect Lyric and Harmony. I sensed her sad aura when the guards dragged her to the dungeon.
“I couldn’t get it out of my head, and it took me two days to convince Tristan to help me. We had to practice for a while, combining our powers, which I will tell you about.” Damn right, she will! “But only then could we break Emori out of the dungeon. We were trying to do the right thing...”
“Why didn’t you just come to me?”
“Would you have listened?”
I sigh because Starr has a point; I wouldn’t have listened to reason because I was too angry after what happened.
“She doesn’t have long.” Tristan sighs sadly. “Perhaps you should have brought Harmony so she could say Goodbye, Theo.”
“Maybe.” Theo scrubs his hands over his face. “If Harmony doesn’t get to say Goodbye, she’ll never forgive me. But I’m scared of what seeing her aunt like this will do to her. I don’t want the shock to send her into early labor.”
I open my mouth to say something, but a devastated sob stops me and draws my eyes to my mate. All eyes are on Lyric as she walks over to the couch and drops to her knees. Slowly, she reaches out and moves a strand of hair away from Emori’s battered face. She then gently takes Emori’s hand and kisses her knuckles.
My heart breaks to see tears falling from Lyric’s eyes. My strong girl is so vulnerable right now. But I won’t have her blaming herself for this, which I know she’s doing.
“I’m so sorry; I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me who you were? I’ve heard so much about you from Mom; she always said you were amazing. All those terrible things that have happened to you...”
‘What’s wrong with Tyler?’ I hear Thorin in my head.
I look over at Tyler, standing at the back of the room with his eyes closed. His face has a pained look, and he’s swaying slightly, side to side, as if trying not to pass out.
‘Tyler? What’s wrong?’
He shakes his head, a tear falling from his eye.
‘What’s wrong with him?’ Theo asks through the mind link.
‘I don’t know.’ I mumble back.
“Lyric,” Comes a broken gasp of joy, causing us all to turn to Lyric and Emori. “Are... you... really there?”
“Yes,” Lyric nods and kisses Emori’s knuckles again. “I’m really here. Oh, Auntie, why didn’t you tell me who you were and why you were here?”
Emori smiles through the apparent pain she’s in, too weak to move but keeping her eyes on Lyric.
“I had... to protect... you... and Harmony. I... am sorry for... everything.” She closes her eyes for a second before opening them again and smiling.
“Don’t say sorry. I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t know who you were. Please forgive me, Emori.”
“Shh... There is... nothing to... forgive. Just... promise me... you’ll de... destroy Astro.”
“I promise.”
“I didn’t... want to do... those things... he made... me. I had to... pro... protect you all... My mate...” Emori whispers before closing her eyes, seemingly falling asleep.
Lyric gasps, more tears falling from her eyes. “Wake up. Please don’t leave me.”
I make my way over to Lyric and place two fingers on the side of Emori’s neck, checking for a pulse. It’s faint, but it’s there.
I crouch down beside Lyric and lay my hand on her face. She looks at me with such sad eyes, and all I want is to make this better for her, but I don’t know how.
“Baby girl,” I don’t know what to say. She’s hurting, and I’m hurting for her.
“I don’t want to lose her, Thane. I just found her, and she’s all Harmony I have in the way of blood family.”
That’s not true; she has her father’s family. But Lyric hasn’t mentioned them once since coming here. Though I know Harmony has been in touch with them, Theo told me. It’s Lyric’s choice whether or not she gets to know them, and I won’t push the subject either way.
“He could save her,” Starr gets to her knees on the other side of Lyric.
Lyric turns to look at Starr. “Who?”
“Her mate. You saw her memories? Blaze showed you?”
Lyric nods. “But we couldn’t see his face.”
“Emori told me she met her mate one hundred and twenty years ago. They kissed, but she knew they couldn’t be together. He tried to make her stay, but she attacked him and ran away to protect him.
“She smiled while telling me how she’d dreamed about him all these years—his handsome face and mesmerizing eyes, and how they’re seared into her brain. Emori spoke of her love for him, and though they only shared one kiss, her first and only kiss, she could never forget him and would have given anything to be with him.
“However, her biggest wish was that he’d find love and let it into his heart. The only thing that kept her going for over a century was thinking about her mate being happy and loved.
“She never knew her mate’s name nor what pack he belonged to, only that she had to leave him. Astro would never allow a wolf in Valnor nor let Emori leave. If Astro had found out about Emori’s mate, he would have killed the guy to teach Emori a lesson.
“Emori knew she’d die before she allowed Astro to hurt her mate. That’s why she locked away the memory of meeting him, so Astro couldn’t look inside her mind and find him. She did that to protect the man she has always loved.”
Alright, that’s just sad on a whole other level. I don’t know how it is for Fairies, but Wolves and Lycans don’t do well without their mates. Whoever that poor sap was may have lived, but having his mate run from him could have driven him crazy. He could also have taken a chosen mate and saved his sanity, had kids, and lived happily ever after.
Wolves don’t live as long as Lycans; they aren’t immortal, though they live very long lives. Depending on their rank, they can live up to five hundred years. I don’t know how old Emori’s mate was when she met him, but it could be that he’s already passed. I guess we’ll never know now.
“The only way to save her,” Starr continues. “Is to find her mate. He’s either a Wolf or a Lycan; that’s all she knows.”
“That’s nothing to go on,” Tane grumbles. “We don’t even know where she met this person. Do you know how many packs there are in America alone?”
“I know!” Starr snaps. “But from what we saw in her memories, they weren’t far from here when they met. That tells me he’s more likely to be a Lycan than a Werewolf. We have to find him and bring him here so he can change her!”
“Whoa!” I hold my hand up. “No one mentioned this to me.”
No mate can change the other without the King’s permission. One mate bites the other, pushing their venom into the bloodstream. However, they need a drop of my blood to complete the ritual, not to mention praying to the Moon Goddess, asking for her blessing. If Selene decides not to answer the prayer and my blood isn’t given, the changeling turns feral within forty-eight hours and must be put down.
In cases of emergency, if the person is too far away, our resident demon flashes to the person, taking my blood with him. But only if I approve the change, which I rarely do. The person has to be pure of heart. Though it has yet to happen in longer than I can remember.
“Change her?”
Starr nods at Lyric. “In some cases such as this, one mate may bite the other, sending venom from their Lycan fangs into the bloodstream. This will change the one receiving the venom into a new Lycan.
“However, the King has to approve the change. He also has to give one drop of his blood while praying to Selene and Fenrir, asking them to allow the change. The blood is fed to the changeling, binding them to the King and stopping them from turning feral.
“It can also be dangerous. There is no guarantee that Selene or Fenrir will give Emori a Lycan, only if they deem her worthy.”
“And if they don’t?” Lyric looks from Starr to me.
I sigh. “Then she dies as fate intended.”
“But we have to try! Please, Thane. If Emori is to die, then she’ll die, but at least try. Send someone to look for Emori’s mate.”
“Even if we did find him, and it’s a big IF,” I shake my head. “It’s been over a century, Lyric. We don’t know how old the guy was when they met. He could be dead already, he could have been killed in battle, or he could have taken a chosen mate to numb the pain of losing Emori.
“He could have kids, grandkids. Do you really think it would be fair to them? The man would be giving a part of himself to Emori, binding himself to her forever. He’d never be able to leave her. How would that be fair to his family? I know you’re hurting, but I won’t allow it, Lyric.”
Lyric grinds her teeth, tears falling from her eyes.
“You... came.” Emori gasps while looking across the room with unfocused eyes.
“Who is she talking to?” I don’t know who Theo is asking, but I soon get an answer.
“Me.” Comes a broken sob. “She’s looking at me.”