Rejected
Chapter 23

Nadia

I watch, frozen in place, as a dark mass of energy slams into Liam, sending him sliding across the hard stone floor. The combination of my rage and my wolfs rage takes on a life of its own. It swirls and churns in the air around us, surging through my veins with unrelenting force. I rise to my feet, claws extended and they’re bared to the dark witch who dared to harm my mate. I see the fear in her eyes, but it does not bring me joy, it only makes me angrier. I watch coldly as she attempts to cast several spells to defend herself, but the swirling energy created by my rage has created some kind of shield around me and they all fizzle out the second they hit it. My hand shoots out, wrapping tightly around her throat, and lifts her off her feet.

“I should tear you to pieces in front of every one of those wolves you have tormented, but death…is far too good for the likes of you. Instead, I will leave you to live a life of endless torture. Without your magic, you will be cursed to live a mortal life until you slowly wither away and die of the mortal disease called life. You will wish I had ended your life this day. You will begin your life as a helpless child, just like those you have sacrificed for the sake of this darkness you call power. You will suffer the mortal existence in all of its splendor. Illness, loss, heartache and, in the end, death.” Her eyes grow wide and I place my other hand on her chest, following some strange instinct, as a blinging light engulfs her, slowly fading into a glowing orb held in the palm of my hand. I set her on the floor and watch intently as her features begin to change, shrink and slowly mold into the form of an infant, wailing and fussing on the pile of clothes she had been wearing only moments ago. I rush to Liam’s side, taking in his still form with a feeling of longing and fear flooding me. I shift fully onto my human form and pull his head into my lap.

“Liam? Please wake up. Please, you have to come back. It’s over now.” The panic in my voice sends chills down my spine and I tighten my grip on him more, likely leaving bruises.

“He is fading, wolf queen. Soon he will pass over.” I look up to see Avalon looking over us with a look of sorrow in her eyes.

“Please, you have to help him. There has to be something you can do!” She gives me an apologetic look and it makes my heart break, the first of many tears falling freely.

“If only it were so simple. The darkness in him cannot be cleansed, only passed on to another. Energy cannot die, only transform. If it remains within him, he will die.” I stare at his face, peaceful and still, knowing that my next choice is simple.

“Then give it to me.” She tilts her head, looking intrigued by my request.

“You would take into you that which threatens to snuff out his life force?” I nod, smiling down at the man who has managed to win me over without even trying.

“Yes.” She kneels beside me, staring intently into my eyes.

“Even if it means you will be giving up your life to save his?” I nod again and look directly into her eyes with every bit of my emotion pushing through.

“Yes. If it means he will live, yes.” Her hand gently caresses my cheek.

“You truly are a magnificent creature, Nadia.” A thrumming of energy pulses around us and I watch her lips curl into a gentle smile. A bright white light pierces the darkness behind me and Avalon shifts her gaze to it.

“Magnificent indeed.” I turn to see the goddess Selene floating in the air behind me.

“Hello, sister.” Avalon hums out in a soft tone.

“It seems our difficult situation has become more difficult yet. Your fate is to die from your powers, or be an heirless mate, but you have frayed the threads of fate. What ever will we do with you?” I feel a strange warmth radiating from Liam and look down to see a dark, swirling orb rising from his chest. Avalon takes the amulet from my neck and holds it toward the orb, allowing it to absorb the darkness until none remains.

“I will ensure this is properly stored. What shall we do with the wee one?” Their eyes drift over to the screeching infant and a strange sound almost resembling laughter spills forth from Selene.

“Interesting choice of punishment, my child. I will ensure she is given to a family who will help her fate play out as it is meant to.” My eyes dart between them, ignoring the movement of Liam who is slowly coming to.

“What about my fate?” Selene and Avalon exchange a look that I don’t quite catch the meaning of.

“With the threads restored, you have two paths once again. We cannot undo the damage that was already done, but whichever path you choose, your future is yours to choose and you will do great things no matter your choice.” I look down at Liam, whose eyes are struggling to settle on one of the glowing beings, but failing as they dart back and forth.

“Live well, wolf queen.” Avalon speaks, but the voice is more a whisper on a breeze as she fades into a cloud of grey haze.

“Nadia, my child. You have faced many challenges in your life, with more to come. Your future, no matter the path you choose, will hold more challenges still, but will hold great happiness as well. Walk forward with your head held high for you are the queen of the forsaken, the savior of the forgotten and the hope of the faithless. You will unite those who have lost their way and your life will be blessed.” She gently runs her fingers through my hair, a warmth spreading from her fingers and trailing through every inch of me before she fades into a mist that vanishes as quickly as she had arrived, taking the infant enchantress with her.

“That was…what the hell was that?!” Liam hammers out in a heated breath, rising from the floor and quickly stumbling to his feet.

“That was the end of a dark chapter.” He steps closer, studying my eyes as if he were seeing me, truly seeing me, for the first time.

“Then it is time to begin a new, much brighter chapter.” We walk out of the rundown stone building, sending out a link to all who have been waiting.

‘It is over. The enchantress has been defeated!’

A loud roar erupts from the hilltop as more than a hundred wolves run toward us, feeling the renewed vigor of freedom coursing through their veins, spurring them on and driving them to get closer so that they can meet their saviors. Kyle hurries to our side with a beaming smile that seems unusual on his face that usually remains stoic.

“We found even more of them in an underground room, a dungeon I think. What now? They have nowhere to go. Sure, you saved them, but where will they go now that they are free?” My eyes meet Liam’s and he gives me a nod, immediately understanding my plan and allowing me to make it known to the others.

“Today, you have been granted your freedom. Some may have families to return to, some may not. For those who are without a home, we welcome you to join us. For those without a pack, you are alone no longer.” My eyes catch the grey eyes of Barsali and in his arms is a small girl with the same grey eyes of her father.

“We should get set up camp here for the night and get these people fed.” Liam whispers to me as he takes in the fragile state of the majority of them.

“I need ten wolves to come forward, we need a hunt party to help to bring some food in for us all. I will join another party to gather wood and fresh water. For those who will be going back with us, we will leave at dawn.” I stand in awe as more than twenty men and women step forward to volunteer their help with the hunt and another thirty offer to help with gathering firewood and water. We all set out to our tasks, leaving the majority of our patrol to stand watch over the wolves who remained behind. When we return to the village, we prepare several small fires and celebrate as the hunting party returns with a feast of deer, rabbit, boar and fish. Everyone eats and many share tales of their time before captivity, feeling the warring of their grief and relief as they share their tales. Once the group has begun to settle, I slip away, needing a moment to let the chaos in my head and heart settle. I feel eyes on me as I am about to sneak past the trees and turn to see Manfri watching me with a questioning gaze. Beside him is a boy with enough similarities to know they are related and in his lap is a boy who could be no more than three and is a spitting image of Manfri in every way. He offers me a half smile and stiff nod before redirecting his attention to his family while I continue forward, desperate to escape the weight of those whose lives were recently hanging in the balance, waiting for a savior, waiting for me. I stop in a clearing more than a few hundred yards from the village and sit on the forest floor, looking up at the stars as though seeking answers to some unspoken riddle.

“Is everything okay?” Had it been anyone else, anyone but him, I would have been bothered by the intrusion. Liam closes the distance between us and lowers himself to the ground beside me.

“I’m fine. I just needed to step away and give my mind time to process everything. This whole thing has me a little overloaded.” He reaches over and brushes a few stray strands of my white hair from my face, his touch sending heated electricity through my skin on contact.

“I was thinking about things too. What if you are enough for me? What if I don’t want more?” My heart skips a beat and my breath catches in my throat.

“I can’t ask you to sacrifice a future with children and a family.” He leans over me, lips hovering close enough to mine that I can feel the electricity surging through me and the heat of his breath fanning over my face.

“You are my family.” His lips crash into mine, taking from me my worry and fear, replacing it with love and understanding. His tongue slips past my parted lips and carefully explores my mouth, caressing my tongue in gentle and calculated strokes. One hand holds him steady while the other gently slides across my stomach, sending rippling waves of desire through me. I breaks our kiss, leaving me panting and longing for more as his forehead rests against mine.

“Just so you are aware, I had already chosen my path. I had already chosen you. I just didn’t know how to ask you to give up everything your future should hold just to be with me.” His fingers run gently down my cheek and his eyes never leave mine.

“I would give up everything to be with you.” He places a sweet, tender kiss on my forehead then lays himself on the ground beside me, lacing his fingers with mine as we drift to sleep beneath the slivered moon.