Slay My Soul
Chapter 24 Unknown POV

Max kneels at the gravesite and pats the headstone like he would pat a shoulder in greeting. I watch, coming up behind him silently.

"Hey man, I know you can't actually hear me, not even in spirit, thanks to that asshole Belestine. I hope you're giving him a run for his money and giving him hell. The reason I'm here is it turns out Eve's my mate too. With you gone, fate has been rewoven, and they have bonded us. I never saw it coming, and I'd never move on someone else's girl. But this is a true bond. I don't want to turn my back on it. Hell, I can't turn my back on it. I've always admired Eve and respected her. With you, the three of us became good friends, but I started falling for her before we lost you." My hands tighten into fists. "But I swear I fought it tooth and nail. I was disgusted with myself. I didn't realize that the Fate's were warming me up to the idea of what was coming. She comes to visit your grave everyday man, I don't know if you are aware of that. She cries quietly in the middle of the night when she thinks we are all asleep. She will never let you go, never forget you, and I will never replace you or what you had with her. But with all due respect, I need to claim her. It's the only way she can fulfill the prophecy and then she needs to take the Demon prince as her final mate. Sirus said you guys saw him in the vamp dungeon. Big guy with horns in a glowing circle."

My eyes widen, a Demon is her final mate. Those things on the battlefield that crawled out of holes from where ever they came? Was hell real?

"Anyway, I need you to know I truly do care for Eve. That I will treasure every moment and cherish her as my mate and my love. This is a second chance for me. My mate died before I could claim her. I thought I would always be alone after she was taken from me in a car accident. Killed her instantly. Like Eve, I will always love my lost mate. I will remember her always and Eve will not replace her. But I have more than enough space in my heart for Eve too. I hope you can accept and give your blessing to us both. For what it's worth, I miss you man, and I'm trying to not step on your toes. So, yeah, that's all I came to say. If you're not okay with this you need to give me a sign if you're able to." He stands and looks around, even stares up at the sky like he's waiting for a lightning bolt or some shit.

Part of me would really like to knock his block off out of pure jealousy that he will touch Eve and I won't. But he's a good man, loyal, strong, and a good match. If not me, it may as well be him. I turn and leave before his spidey senses detect me. Wolves have senses that tingle when I'm present, even if they don't know what I am or why they are reacting. I have to go back anyhow. The master asshole will detect I have wandered off and summon me if I'm gone too long. I let the binding wrapped around my soul rubber band me back to my prison. The world rushes past me as I ping back to my hell. It's always faster on the return trip, a blink really. The trip to the pack lands takes a while and is exhausting to fight against the rubber band pull, but is worth every minute to be there. I land back in the room of a thousand prisoners.

"Did you see her?" One of the prisoners asks hopefully, the Alpha I am all too familiar with. I shake my head, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"Not this time. I have news though, she only has two more mates to claim to complete the circle. A new guy has been called by the Fate's to fill the gap. Sounds like he is about to take the plunge. The other one is the Demon prince in the dungeon, not sure how that's going to work, with him here and her there," I say.

"And how do you feel about that?" Another prisoner asks, she is the mate of the first prisoner. I shrug.

"It is what it is. The Demon seems decent enough. Although he's just as stuck here as us." The woman clucks her tongue at me.

"Not him, the new one."

"I love Eve, but the Fates have chosen the path to be taken, clearly I'm not in it," I say scowling. All that loyalty, all the fighting, and the Fates just cast me aside and gave her to another.

"Fuck the Fates!" An old man yells out. "Fuck them! You're still here ain't ya? So are we! Show's not over till the fat lady sings."

"We are barely here, we aren't even solid beings. Couldn't even blow a fly off course. Doesn't really count," I mutter.

"We still exist. We can still spy. There must be someone other than that soul-sucking prick that we can tell our info to," the woman muses. "Have you tried interacting with the Demon?" I shake my head tiredly. "I think you should try, once you've regained your energy."

"Fine, I'll try later once I've gathered up some more juice. Have any of you managed to get out of the room yet?" I ask. There is a chorus of "no's" from the vast hall we are supposed to be trapped in. They're all trapped anyway. It's just me that keeps managing to get out, though I have no idea what makes me so special. Admittedly, it damn near drains me dry each trip out. Hopefully staying in the castle next trip will be less draining than the trek I make daily to pack lands, struggling against the invisible bungee cord attached to me.

"You didn't say much about the visit before today, how's our girl doing?" The Alpha asks.

"She's tired. Trying to do it all. So much weight on her shoulders. But she keeps chugging. She will keep going till the end. She seems different, darker, a little crazier. I'm worried about her." I lay down on the floor. Letting the energy of the crystal floor rejuvenate my lost energy. Our keeper likes us to be at our full strength for when he has need of us. He has only used me a handful of times. At least I have come back. Some of the prisoners he takes away don't. He used them up to the very last drop of their energy.

I hear the footsteps striding along the hall towards our prison. Here comes the arse wipe to grab some more of us "batteries" to charge himself up with for some new nefarious deed. Probably another attack. We will be made to help him power up the portals he makes to march the non-Demon army to their latest destination for another massacre. The Fae batteries he uses for portals have swelled in number. The ones who he imprisoned recently, told us of the destruction and the near decimation of their race. I was glad to be able to report back to them days later, that there were survivors from the attack at the pack lands and that new Fae land had been created for them by their new King and Queen.

The door to our prison is thrown open and the warlock strides in. He scans the room and starts to gather the tethers of four Fae.

"Come along little energy pods, we have a portal to make," he says cheerfully.

"What poor fuckers are you destroying today?" The Alpha growls.

"Did watching your own pack be destroyed and your undead body walking around not teach you to heel and shut your damned mouth in my presence! You are no longer Alpha. You are nothing but an energizing snack! Kneel!" He commands, forcing his will and power on him. The Alpha roars with defiance but it swiftly becomes a scream, as our enemy crushes him with pain, bringing him to his knees. Belestine grins widely.

"I am still Alpha Grant of the-"

"You are no one! Just a weak little man. Well, not really a man either anymore, are you? You have no land, no pack, no nothing. Maybe I should take your 'has been' Luna as my next snack?" The warlock muses. Grant falls silent. "That's what I thought. Remember your place! Come along," he calls, tugging the four tethers of his chosen victims. I help Grant up off the floor as Luna Monique runs to hug him. Belestine pops his head back in the door. "I haven't forgotten about you either wolf boy. Make sure you snuggle up to those crystals. In a few days, you will be put to work. Won't it be nice to visit Eve again? I have big plans for you Reece."