Serenity
“So…” Alex cleared his throat. “…are we still going to have dinner or—”
Hope smacked him in the chest and then pulled him in for a kiss. “Never boring with you, is it?”
“I’m hungry.” His eyes lit up. “Hey, here’s a thought. Feel free to say yes immediately, I’ll just devour you until—”
“Stop.” Ethan shook his head in disgust. “It was bad enough listening to you last night.”
“Then stop listening.” Alex shrugged. “I’ll remember noise-canceling headphones for Christmas.”
“Or you could buy your own place?” Ethan suggested.
“And part from my brother? Never.” Alex winked.
Ethan looked ready to strangle anyone who dared talk to him next.
I just laughed and linked arms with Mason. “Should we eat?”
He shrugged as people gathered around the broken table and then ordered the servants to present dinner.
The Watchers stayed, and although none of them ate, they did stand around by the warriors and do what they did best. What they were born to do.
They watched.
And it felt like something had been restored in their souls as they looked on, each of them smiling. Doing exactly what they were born to do.
Observe.
Serenity
Hours later, people were still running around, talking excitedly, telling stories, drinking wine and laughing. The Watchers hadn’t moved from their spots even though Alex begged one of them to blink and tried to go all “I’m so attractive you’ll start weeping” on him.
He did flinch.
But that was it.
Until Cassius threatened to strike him with lightning.
“Serenity…” Mason gripped my hands. “…there’s something you should know. Your parents… they left you in order to help release you from the curse. They chose to die so that you could live. I didn’t want you to go through the rest of your existence thinking they didn’t care about you, or that they cared more about each other. My father said some things before he died. He became a very bitter man. A man full of terror is a scary thing to behold. They do things out of character, out of fear. And anything done out of fear is uncontrollable in the way it impacts those we love the most.” His eyes went to Tarik briefly before coming back to me.
Tears welled, and one escaped as I stood on tiptoe and kissed Mason’s parted lips, tasting wine, tasting him. “Thank you. I have you now, and even if that wasn’t the truth, I’m whole. Because I have you.”
He sighed like he was relieved. “And I you.”
“What happens to him?” I nodded to Tarik, who was standing in the corner. His face was smiling, but his eyes weren’t. He looked sad.
“I’m asking a favor” was all Mason said.
“Oh?” I looked to Cassius, who nodded slowly in our direction and then stepped out of the room. “Can he do that?”
“Cassius can do much that he won’t tell us,” Mason said in a distant voice. “Much that he does not want to burden us with.”
I spread my hands across Mason’s chest. “Just like the secrets you hold from Gadreel.”
“Yes.” He grabbed my hand and kissed my fingertips.
Suddenly, Cassius was back with Timber next to him, Timber looking less-than-pleased, if the state of his hair was any indication.
Timber nodded his head, gave Cassius an odd look, then nodded his head again and made his way to Tarik.
Mason smiled. “Timber is just as lonely as Tarik, though he won’t admit as much to us. He was desperate enough to seek a roommate, a human roommate.”
I tried not to laugh.
Mason chuckled. “Idiot.”
“He would probably end up accidentally killing the roommate and feeling so guilty he’d mope for days.” I shook my head.
“Ah, but a wolf-mate…” Mason chuckled at his own joke while I hit him. “…that he can’t kill.”
“Unless they kill each other.”
“Tarik isn’t the violent type, and Timber is too…” Mason frowned and looked at Cassius. “It seems Timber is feeling useless now that everything seems solved.” Mason stilled. “Oh hell.”
“What?”
“I know that look.”
“What look?” I glanced between Cassius and Timber.
Cassius looked angrier than I’d ever seen him.
And then one of the goddesses walked right over to Timber and offered him a glass of wine.
Cassius turned and winked at us.
“That look,” Mason confirmed. “You know, for being an archangel, he does seem quite happy matchmaking, like The Bachelor.”
It was my turn to give Mason a look. “You watch The Bachelor?”
He looked away and took a long sip of wine. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Mason.”
“Blame Hope! Between that and Disney, it was the only way she’d go out of my rooms some days.”
“I’m glad she did.” I grabbed his hand.
“Me too.”
“Now, I really am Lion King.” He seemed overjoyed at this. “Or Wolf King, but it’s practically the same thing.”
Alex just happened to walk by and start singing the African theme song but not before Cassius snapped his fingers and lit part of Alex’s leather pants on fire.
Hope dumped her wine on them and laughed.
“The world is in good hands.” I smiled into my wine glass.
Mason turned his eyes to me and held my gaze. “Yes. It is.”
Hours later, I heard the howling, the singing as Mason said. He gripped my hand in his and guided me outside to the trees, a few of the goddesses were gathered around a campfire smiling into the flames, as men and women shed their human skin.
And looked to the moon.
Wolves. So many of them. Eyes closed, singing to the stars as they shone down on all of our faces. I’d never seen so many stars in my life. Thousands, millions of them seemed to be shining just for the wolves.
In honor of creation.
Mason brushed a kiss on my cheek and whispered. “Listen.”
He was the most massive of them all, wolves parted, like the royalty he was as he walked through, transforming into the massive beast I’d come to love just as much as the man, and when he lifted his head to the Heavens to howl.
All I heard was music.
The songs of creation, coming from a deep, gorgoues voice that sent chills down my spine.
He spoke of the stars.
Of the earth.
Of secrets I was too afraid to think on too long for fear they would get set free into the universe.
He was glorious.
Beautiful.
Mine.
And when he finished the song, a beam of light singled him out as pieces of dust lifted into the air and twirled around each wolf like the earth was dancing.
I smiled as he gave his fur a shake and then glanced back at me with nothing but love in his eyes.
Our future was uncertain.
Our love, however.
Was not.
“Thank you,” I whispered towards the skies, hoping my parents were listening, “Thank you for him.
***
Timber
The ache intensified in my chest — yet I knew my soul was present. I knew it just like I knew I was breathing. The temptation to turn toward darkness was always present, and I knew the more I isolated myself the more it would pull at me. Two different races — one good, one born for evil.
I took a staggering breath as I looked around the room.
What had possessed me to take Tarik under my wing? A wolf?
A pup?
I had books older than him!
Damnation!
I grabbed another glass of wine as the woman who’d approached me earlier locked eyes with me.
I knew exactly who she was.
She knew me.
I didn’t say a word.
Or breathe it aloud.
It was forbidden.
It had been wrong.
It had also been so good.
Twice a year, I’d touch her.
Twice a year, we’d met.
And then, we’d both walked back to our separate prisons, never to breathe a word of it to anyone again.
And now, she was here.
It was wrong on so many levels I had trouble seeing straight. To mix such good with evil.
To mix at all.
And yet, when I looked around, that was all I saw, blood mixing, doing exactly what the creator had warned us against.
I had to wonder what the ramifications would be in the future for our people, for the humans. The Creator never said we wouldn’t suffer consequences of our actions. He simply said he’d made it for good.
I knew the Creator. I knew the way his words worked.
And I knew it wasn’t over. It was a battle for the ages. For the souls of every human that existed. For the souls of every race, even the immortals.
Evil never died down. It simply went into hibernation.
I glanced back at her.
She was gone.
And then I felt a hand on my back. Slowly I turned. The temptation was too great.
She licked her lips.
I looked down and gave my head a shake.
The temptation was too great. How many times had I thought of her in my dreams, clung to her scent, refusing to wash clothes because it left the air too soon?
She reached out to touch me, just as Danu called her back.
It wasn’t just forbidden. It was their only sin.
To give up their virginity, especially to the leader of the demon race.
Her eyes begged me.
And I was lost again.
And I knew it was only a matter of time before I chose wrong, and my soul was damned, never to be given a second chance, all because of the one woman I could never say no to, who made me feel like I was kissing the face of heaven.