Skylar

The need to prevent Aron from raping me in the future is too strong, and I jump over him while in mywolf form. He falls down on his back, eyes. widened with fear as his eyes meet mine.

At this time, he isn’t the cold–blooded person I met as a child, but a teenage boy who has not yetcommitted the atrocities of his future self. Still, my heart hardens at the sight of him, for I know themonster he will become.

“Skylar… that’s your name, right?” he whispers, eyes filled with terror and confusion. “Don’t kill me…”

Jinx’s pleas echo in my mind, but I push them away. This is my choice and my future I’m changing. Iopen my mouth, ready to tear him apart, but freeze when I hear Lucas‘ voice coming from behind me.

“If you want him dead, go ahead. I won’t stop you. Just remember that you’re sinking down to his level,Skylar. I know what he did to you. It was terrible and something you will never truly recover from, butdon’t you think it all worked out in the end, anyway? You’re with me now.”

‘I know,’ I respond through the mind–link. ‘But if this man didn’t ruin me, I wouldn’t have rejected youthe first time we met, Lucas. We wouldn’t have to suffer!*

…but is killing him truly the answer? You could just threaten him, you

know.

I snarl, my mind consumed with the thirst for vengeance. How dare he suggest threatening a monsterwho will grow up to ruin countless lives! Yet… I can’t ignore the whisper of reason in his words.

‘He is also your mate, Skylar,‘ Jinx reminds me in a soft voice. ‘Lucas. doesn’t mean you any harm. Ifyou kill Aron, however, there is no telling. what will happen to the future you built…hell, we don’t evenknow how it

has changed with this little fix we’ve just made.‘

The weight of Jinx’s words freezes me in place. My beastly claws hover just inches from Aron’s throat,my pulse thrumming in my ears.

Aron swallows hard, his fear–saturated scent hitting my nose, triggering another wave of uncontrolledrage. His eyes beg for mercy. What shall I do with him? It’s a decision between the monster he is andthe innocent boy he is.

“Skylar…” Lucas whispers, reaching out to touch my fluffy shoulder lightly, careful not to startle me. Theburning light has died down now, leaving him as his normal human self again – albeit with wings. “Thinkabout this.”

He’s right. Killing Aron wouldn’t make me any better than him. But the thought of leaving him alive aftereverything he will do in the future…

‘Lucas… I whisper hoarsely through the mind–link, turning to look at him. for the first time sinceeverything ended. ‘I…can’t kill him. I want to, but I can’t. Does that mean I’m weak?‘

Lucas’s gaze is soft yet strong as he meets mine, understanding washing over his handsome features.For a moment, we just stand there–two souls interlocked in a silent conversation.

…but eventually, I can’t stand it. I want to hug him so badly that I shape- shift back into a human andrun into his arms. He is just as eager to hold

1. me.

“It’s okay,” he murmurs against my forehead, pulling me into a gentle. embrace. His angel wingsblanket us both, giving us a brief moment of privacy.

“I want to go back,” I tell him. “Can I open a portal now?”

“I don’t see why not,” he says. “We are done here, aren’t we?”

I smile at him then, and Jinx smiles inside my head when I use my powers. to take us back to our time.A portal opens underneath us, and suddenly, we are back inside my parents‘ kitchen, no longer atLucas‘ place. Nothing

much has changed, but I immediately notice that the light is back, and the eternal darkness is longgone.

“Welcome back,” my Dad says and I turn around to see him and my Mom sitting by the kitchen table.

I blink at them. “Did…something change?”

“Change?” my Dad blinks. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I see that you took care ofLucian. It’s no longer dark, and guess what?”

“What?”

“Your Mom will live a long, healthy life,” he grins. “We found the well, and I’m proud to say we arecurrently sharing my life force. Her cancer is but a memory.”

Joy blooms in my chest, and I look over at Mom. She’s glowing, her cheeks flushed with life, and hereyes sparkling with unshed tears.

“Oh, Skylar…” she breathes, standing to pull me into a tight hug. “I’m so proud of you for havingdefeated that terrible demon all on your own.”

Happiness swells within me at the words, pushing back the dark clouds. that had threatened toconsume my thoughts. We’ve won. There’s no longer darkness hanging over our heads, no prophecyof doom waiting to snatch away the happiness we’ve fought so hard for.

Lucas squeezes my hand. “I’m proud of you, too,” he says quietly.

“Yes,” I murmur, leaning into him. “We did it together.”

But even as joy swells in my chest, a thought nags at the back of my mind:

what had become of him? Had I made the right call sparing his

Aron

life?

“Your memories aren’t different,’ Jinx points out. ‘So maybe everything is exactly the same, and Luciandisappeared right at this moment? I have no idea how it works…”

‘So that bastard still raped me…‘

“Yup…”

‘I guess not everyone can be helped…well, whatever. He is dead in this timeline anyway.”

“True.’

I look around the kitchen some more, pausing, when I realize my sister and her fairy mate are nowhereto be seen. “Umm…where the hell is Irma?”

My parents exchange a smile before my Mom looks at me, her face sweet but serious. “Irma is waitingfor you guys in the magical realm so she can show you the way to the well. I mean, you probably wantto share your lifespan with my daughter, right?” She asks Lucas with a pointed look, and I have to stiflea laugh.

Does he even have a choice at this point?

Lucas, however, doesn’t look startled. “I do, and I also imagine my parents. would like the same thingfor them. Is it okay if I call them?”

“Of course, Lucas,” my mother’s voice is warm and inviting. “I’m sure they will want this too.”

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you replace any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report