Chapter 141: Breaking the Bond

ARIEL

We finally won the war…but now isn’t the time for celebration.

The battle was long and brutal—both sides have lost so many strong warriors.

~We lost General Dave.~

~All because of Esmeralda’s fury.~

Those who’ve managed to survive might not make it through the night. Their wounds are too deep for even me to heal.

I hear groans of pain all around me.

~“Go forward, my child,”~ I hear the Moon Goddess say. ~“Go and heal them. They need you.”~

“How, Selene?” I say out loud. “There are so many, I don’t know if I’m strong enough.”

Since battling Fate and regaining my powers, I’ve been apprehensive about using them as liberally as I did in the past.

“You’re the only one who can.”

~Huh?~

Selene didn’t respond. I look to my left and see Alex staring back at me.

“You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, Ariel,” Alex says. “You can do this.”

We embrace one more time, then I turn around and take a deep breath.

~Here goes.~

I concentrate hard and feel a pulsating, radiating warmth fill my chest, as if I’ve just sunk into a warm bath.

I hold out my arms, lightly brushing everyone I pass—Royal Pack warriors, Esmeralda’s guards, Mateo’s wolves.

The war is over, the fighting done. We are all allies now.

I slowly move through a group of Spanish royal soldiers, being sure to touch everyone. I see skin knit itself back together and bones reform, rendering the soldiers anew.

Some of them stand up and paw at where their wounds used to be, amazed at their recovery.

I circle the entire palace, healing all those in my path, before coming back to Alex.

He winces in pain, but he’s trying to not let it show. Esmeralda and her guards really did a number on him.

I place my hands upon his chest as we lean against each other.

I feel the last wisps of my healing power flow into Alex, causing me to collapse. Alex catches me before I hit the floor.

I look into Alex’s forest-green eyes and plant a soft kiss on his lips.

We’re together again, and stronger next to each other than we ever could be apart.

ALEX

I look down at the peaceful, resting face of General Dave.

After the battle, Isabella and Mateo set about burying their dead. But I have my own plans for honoring General Dave.

When my dad died, Dave pulled me aside and said if we ever needed to talk, he would be there for me.

He always filled me with hope and courage, but I didn’t know it at the time. I just wish I could repay the debt.

I know that he would want to go out like a true warrior, so I’ve made the proper arrangements.

Ariel and Jo help me build a wooden raft from logs and kindling. We lay General Dave down upon it.

The rest of the Royal Pack warriors join us, the squad leaders carrying the raft down to the shore.

Once the raft is in the water, Ariel hands me a box of matches.

I strike three and slot them in between the kindling we collected, before Ariel and the warriors lean down and push the raft out to sea.

They stand back and we watch as the funeral pyre floats away. I decide to say a few words as his body leaves us.

“Dave, you were more than just our general,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “You were a mentor, and a friend. You helped us up when we fell, and you pushed us further when you knew we could do more.”

Ariel slips her hand into mine. I take a deep breath before continuing.

“Your service, not just to me, but to my father before me, and to your pack, was inspiring. Your unwavering loyalty, tenacity, and most of all, leadership, guided us through many dark moments, both packwide, and personal.”

I blink many times to stop tears from forming in my eyes. I squeeze them shut before opening them again, and finish my speech.

“Your strength and bravery will never be forgotten, and you will live on through the ages, as a shining example of who we can be and strive toward, for both young and old generations to admire.”

Ariel rubs her thumb in small circles on top of my hand, before stepping forward and saying a few words.

“When I arrived at the Royal Pack, General Dave was one of the first people I met. My initial reaction was…this guy is kind of a hard-ass.”

The warriors smirk and chuckle. Ariel smiles and continues.

“During training, even when we were dismissed, he never stopped being an ass. I was like, ‘Come on, we’re off duty.’

“Still, he never stopped. Because just as Alex said, he knew we could do more. Let’s keep his memory alive…and continue to prove to him that we can do better!”

Ariel nods to Jo, who turns to the warriors and gives the order: “Warriors, salute!”

I turn and see the warriors all raise their right hands to their eyebrows, stoic in the face of the death of one of our greatest wolves.

The wolves slowly start to file back toward the Spanish palace.

I watch Dave’s raft float away and pull Ariel close. I hold her for a long time, feeling her heartbeat against my chest, breathing in her scent.

“I feel so…guilty,” I mumble against her neck. “I ordered him to come here, and now he’s gone.”

“Alex, General Dave was a warrior. He died doing his duty, and he died for the greater good.”

“But I didn’t have to call him,” I say. “He would still be alive.”

“But then we might be dead,” Ariel replies. “You stopped Esmeralda. Dave would have said the same. It’s hard, but it was the right choice.”

Ariel pulls me in tighter and I shut my eyes.

~Moon Goddess, watch over him.~

~He deserves a warrior’s welcome into your kingdom.~

ARIEL

We join Mateo and Isabella in the royal gardens, catching the last rays of the setting sun.

“We are so sorry about General Dave,” Mateo says.

“We could see the raft from the palace, I guess as a warrior it is rather fitting,” Isabella says. “Where will you go now? Back home?”

Alex and I look at each other, but before we can answer, Mateo cuts us off.

“You should stay for a while. We have enough rooms,” he says, gesturing to the palace. “You deserve a little break.”

I turn to Alex.

“That does sound lovely,” I say to him. Alex breaks into a smile.

“I could use some R & R,” he says, taking Mateo’s hand and shaking it. “We also have something else to talk about.”

“Mateo, now that you and Isabella are together…can we—” I say, but Mateo holds up his hand.

“You do not even need to ask, ~mi amiga~,” he says with a smile. “Isabella and I are ready. We are ready to share the pain.”

I entwine my fingers with Alex’s, and Mateo does the same with Isabella. I grip Alex a little tighter than usual. I know the pain of a broken mating bond, but I know with him beside me, it will be all right.

I take a deep breath and look into Mateo’s eyes, feeling a final twinge of the mating bond.

For a moment, I let myself fall under the spell and imagine what it would be like to wake up every day to that sensation…that we were destined to be together.

Maybe in another life, in another time, Mateo and I could have been mates.

We could have met and fallen in love…but it’s not the life I want.

I have my own ~chosen~ mate, and so does Mateo.

“On three?” Mateo says. I nod.

“One…”

“Two…”

“THREE!”