Alpha Markus
Chapter 91

Celeste P.O.V.

Celeste, you have to wake up. – Kara said. I g*****d. What happened? -You passed out. We need to do the thing.

The thing? What thing? – I asked, trying to open my eyes. I could hear Markus fighting.

You know, the thing we practiced with Markus. The thing we can do. THE THING – she screamed.

Kara, calm down. What thing? – I said.

The thing with the fire. It’s a shield. We need to help Markus. Selene thinks we can stop Helios without killing him. – She said.

OK. I understand – I said, sitting up on the altar I was on. Markus and Helios were wrestling on the ground, the crystal dagger forgotten a bit away. I took some calming breathes and realized I wasn’t in pain anymore. I touched my stomach.

The pups are fine. I calmed your body and the contractions stopped. – Kara answered for me.

I started pulling deep within me, feeling and letting the fire burn like we’d practiced with Markus. I felt myself start to burn and I opened my eyes. I started floating as the fire intensified.

“Enough fighting,” I said and my voice sounded louder than I thought it would. I saw Markus come towards me after Helios tried and failed to push through my shield. He lifted his hand and covered his entire body with fire. I couldn’t help but admire his a*s from behind as it glowed with fire until Kara reminded me that this was not the time. Helios jumped away and I was stunned to see Markus jump down to follow.

Selene has gifted mate with a gift of his own’-Kara purred as we floated down to them. I wondered briefly if we would be able to share his as he shared ours when a blinding light made me shield my eyes. Selene appeared between Helios and Markus. She looked at me and said, “Show him the truth,” and without being told, I knew what to do. I put my hands on his head and I felt the familiar pull backwards.

We watched as Helios walked forward towards his mother. He knelt in front of her, love in his eyes. I could see his sorrow the longer he looked at her. It was the same sorrow that I had felt when I relived my parents’ deaths. I could also feel Markus’ confusion at my words, but enough was enough. Too many lives had been destroyed, including Helios’. He’d live with this sorrow, unable to move on for over a thousand years. In the two weeks I’d watched him, I could see he was not beyond saving. He just needed to see the truth.

He jumped backwards when he saw it. That shadow behind her and the smirk as she poisoned her son against her own daughter. He walked around her, trying to see what the shadow was. As the moon gave way to the sun, the shadow of Tezcatlipoca, the god of darkness, became more visible. Helios’ eyes widened and he leaned forward as he listened to the whisperings of the god of darkness to his mother. He saw the corruption of his words darken her eyes and she repeated the words to his son. She was working a spell, using his love for her to influence his actions and rage towards his sister.

Time sped up and he saw as the shadow grew over the years, his mother’s eyes becoming black as night as she worked her magic on him, causing him to attack faster and harder at his sister. He looked at his sister, tears glistening in his eyes.

“We fought for 100 years. Did she never attack?” He said as he noticed that she never went for an attack, even when he would leave himself open. All she did was defend herself as she tried to talk to him.

“She is your sister. She loves you still. She wants you to live,” I said as I saw her turn around and see the damage their fight had done to their people. She threw the lance at their mother and the god of darkness shrieked before it disappeared, before Helios’ past self rushed to her. There was nothing left but the lifeless figure of his mother for him to see. There was a blinding light after Selene plunged the dagger into her heart and I felt the pull forward as the vision ended. We were back in the field and the moment the vision ended, I ran towards Markus who put me behind his back. We were surrounded by wolves now, all bowing before our Moon goddess.

Helios dropped to his knees in front of his sister, looking at the ground. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“You have spent a thousand years trying to kill our siblings for trying to protect you from our mother and Tezcatlipoca. It is time to stop,” she looked over at us. “There will be more battles in the future, my children. Have faith in the bond, have faith in your friendships. Together you can beat the evil ahead,” She looked down at Helios and grabbed his hand. “Find your redemption brother,” she said before she looked up at the sky. There was another blinding light and when the light dissipated, they were both gone.

Markus looked around, making sure the threat was gone. All of Helios’ warriors were gone. The world began to sway as I felt the last of my energy leave me. The contractions, the fire, the visions. It was all too much. I grabbed onto his hand as he took me into his arms. The sparks I had missed for two weeks exploded down my body as he held me before I fainted. Sleep. Everything will be fine. This battle is over. You did so well -Kara said, before I gave into the darkness.

—

Markus P O V

I felt her exhaustion and her hand on my arm as she fainted. She is fine. Kara put her into a healing sleep. She expended too much energy. The pups are OK. They need to sleep – Atlas said, though he couldn’t keep the whimper out of his voice as we saw out mate unconscious.

“Dr West,” I called out, and I saw him push through the crowd. He checked Celeste over and agreed with what Atlas said. Danny came forward and handed me a pair of shorts, only then realizing I had been fighting naked since I had shifted when I jumped to the platform.

Speaking of, How did we jump like that? – I asked Atlas.

It is a gift from the moon goddess. She deemed us worthy – Atlas said proudly.

“So….” Diego interrupted our talk, fidgeting slightly from the adrenaline, “That was anti-climactic. I kind of expected a longer fight. All we did was run.”

Danny snorted as he held Maya in his arms, one hand on her stomach. She had refused to stay behind and he’d been so worried about their pup. He was more than OK with not having her in a fight.

A couple of people gave uncomfortable laughs as they agreed. “Speak for yourself. I fought him twice,” I said, unable to stop looking at my mate. Half expecting her to just disappear from my arms.

“What happened? I mean, that was barely a battle. No one died. Huitzilopochtli recalled his warriors. You just jumped to the platform, then back down covered in fire. The moon goddess shows up and you guys just stand still for like 20mins with all of your eyes gone white, then they just…..left?” He summarized the ridiculous series of events.

“Celeste happened,” I said, “She didn’t want to kill him. She told me he was kind and his soul was in pain. She wanted to stop the bloodshed, not just today, but for our pups and every generation to come. She took him to watch his battle with our goddess that began this whole madness and he finally saw the truth of what happened. Our goddess was not to blame, but that the god of darkness was behind everything. The moon goddess told him he should replace his redemption and took him from here.”

I looked down at the crystal dagger I had dropped on the floor. “Let’s go home. If my mate and our goddess deemed him worthy of redemption, who are we to go against it. If he dares to try again, we have a way to stop him,” I said, picking up the dagger and giving it to Gillian, who wrapped it around his shirt.

I stood with Celeste in my arms and started heading towards the cars. I put my face in her hair and her scent calmed my soul. I settled her into our room and curled us both under the blanket. “You are going to hate me so much, but I’m tying you to my side for the rest of eternity,” I told her as I felt her snuggle closer together. I put my arm around her belly and rubbed circles around it. “I missed you my pups.” I said as I felt their hearts beat. One of the pups kicked my hand and I smiled. “I love you too.” I kissed Celeste’s cheek and let myself go to sleep.

“Markus. Markus wake up baby,” I heard Celeste’s urgent voice in my ear. I pulled her closer to me and she g*****d. My eyes fluttered open in alarm.

“What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” I asked.

“You’re putting more pressure on my bladder and I’m about to pee myself,” she g*****d and I laughed, just happy to have her back. I lifted her up and ran to the bathroom. “OMG that’s making it worse,” she screamed as I put her down in the bathroom. “Aren’t you going to let me pee?” she asked.

“Of course, go ahead,” I said, closing the door with me in it.

“Markus,” she said as she danced on her feet in front of the toilet. “Let me pee. You can wait outside,” she said.

“No Tuli, you were gone for two weeks. You can pee with us here. We will turn around,” I said and heard her grunt. A minute later, I heard as she relieved her bladder. She flushed and started washing her hands while I also relieved my own bladder. I looked over at her and she was blushing. I washed my hands and put my hands around her. My arms barely went completely around her belly.

“Why are you blushing?” I whispered in her ear and felt her shiver.

“You wouldn’t let me pee,” she said, “I’ve never had to pee in front of someone.”

I kissed under her ear, “I’m sorry. I thought I had lost you. I –” My voice broke as I replayed her being taken again in my head.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere,” she turned in my arms as best as she could and grabbed my face. “Helios won’t come after us again. I can feel it. His heart wasn’t in it anymore even before I showed him the truth.” I buried my head in the curve of her neck.

“How can you truly know that?” I asked her.

“I watched him for two weeks, my love. He was going through the motions but he couldn’t even hurt me. No matter how annoying I got, how sick, or sad. He fed me, he gave me books, he stopped at every gas station imaginable so I could pee. By the way, did Evergreen catch me? I looked at the camera as much as I could without making it obvious.” I simply nodded my head against her neck. “My point is, I don’t think he could have hurt me. He didn’t hurt the girls he bought.”

I lifted my head at that. “What?”

“He bought them off Alpha Geoff, fed them, got them healthy and then paid a brujo to erase their memories and then left them at the edge of packs to be taken in.”

“He told you that? And you believed him?” I asked her, wondering why she would believe the words of her captor. Wondering if she had Stockholm syndrome.

She looked at me offended, “No, Of course not. He took me to a pack near his mansion. I saw Janet from a distance. She had a pup and looked happy.”

“So then why would he keep hunting for so long?” I asked her and she sighed.

“I think he did it out of duty. For his mother. Now that he’s seen the truth….I hope he and Selene had a chance to talk,” she sighed, putting her head against my chest. I hugged her as tight as I could without hurting her. I needed to feel the sparks I had missed for two weeks. I felt wetness on my chest and I felt her shake.

“Hey,” I said and I picked her up and took her back to the bed where I just held her on my lap as she cried. I rubbed small circles on her back, letting her release her fears. Atlas kept howling until her shakes ceased.

“Kara said you almost died,” She whispered, holding me close.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ve got you back.” I said, kissing her head.

She looked up at me with her beautiful blue eyes rimmed with tears, “It matters. I’m so sorry Markus. I didn’t know Kara would do that, but I – I don’t know that I wouldn’t have done the same. The vision Selene showed her. So much loss. I couldn’t do that to the pack, but when I heard that I almost lost you. I felt like my heart was breaking.”

“I was so close Tuli. So close to you before he got to you. I felt my heart leave with you. There is nothing in the world for me if you’re not in it,” I said, and she grabbed me and kissed me. I growled as she climbed on top of me. I stood up to lay her on the bed when the door burst open. I sighed and sat back down, making sure that Celeste’s legs were covering my raging hard on. “You guys have really bad timing” I said and Celeste giggled.

“You’re not the only one that missed her. Don’t be greedy, Alpha,” Maya said as she came around behind Danny.

“You saw her yesterday,” I pointed out.

“That was in the heat of battle,” she insisted, “You would think he would have learned not to argue with a pregnant woman by now,” she told Danny as she grabbed Celeste and pulled her off me. How they were hugging, I don’t know. They looked like a wishbone, attached at the arms with their two bodies to their side. I couldn’t help but laugh at the scene as I put on a pair of jeans. I knew when I was vested. Danny, Camila and Gillian were all smiling at the girls.

“This room is getting cramped. How about we go down for breakfast?” I suggested.

“Oh, that’s why we came. Alpha Diego is expecting us for breakfast,” Camila said.

Celeste’s stomach growled as if on cue and she blushed.