Devastation

Sky

I had my hands over my face. Not just because I was expecting a brutal attack on me and my friends.

But also because I had just seen my dear friend Quinn try to end her own life.

It was too awful to put into words.

Huddled away from the pack of incoming wolves, I was sure we were about to die.

We were outnumbered and outmatched.

But to my surprise, the attack I was bracing for didn’t happen.

I heard Alex gasp next to me and I opened my eyes.

~WHAT?!~

I closed my eyes and opened them again, thinking they were playing tricks on me.

There was no way I was seeing what I thought I was seeing.

~Harper.~

~My friend who had given her life for me.~

~Kicking some serious werewolf ass.~

It seemed totally impossible, but I was sure it was real.

As Harper fended off each wolf that approached, the attackers became hesitant and looked to Anthony for guidance.

But Anthony looked confused, both by Quinn’s outburst and by the sudden appearance of a ~ghost~ on the battlefield.

“Stand down!” he shouted to his pack, and they backed off from us, trying to regroup.

“Harper!” I called out to my friend and ran toward her, arms wide open.

I half expected to run right through her but instead I found myself in a hug I thought I’d never have again.

“What the—how the— I have so many questions,” I said, not knowing where to begin.

“Me too,” she replied. “All I know is that I heard Quinn’s prayer for protection from the other side and I answered.”

With that, she punched a wolf who was charging toward us. Alex caught him on the rebound and knocked him to the ground.

There was clearly no more time to catch up with my friend.

The battle was far from over, but now we had one more fighter on our side.

Zara

I shifted back to my human form and rushed to get to Quinn.

There was no time to mourn over Jax’s lifeless body, lying next to her.

I couldn’t even feel the full pain of it until we were safe. But I knew that Quinn must be in unbearable pain at the loss of her mate.

It’s no surprise she tried to drive that dagger through her heart.

When I finally reached her, she looked at me with bloodshot eyes.

“Kill me,” was all she said.

~Oh no.~

We needed to get Quinn out of here fast. She needed serious help if she was going to survive this trauma.

“Alex!” I shouted. “We need to go!”

“COWARDS!” the crazed, armor-clad Anthony yelled. “Running away, just like your Alpha would have. May he rot in hell.”

Alex was still in his human form, but I could have sworn I heard him growl like his wolf when Anthony said that.

“RUN!” Alex shouted to me, and I grabbed Quinn by the hand, pulling her toward the entrance of Fort Vulpes.

Blinded by blood and sweat, I could barely see what was in front of me, and I didn’t have time to look back.

All I knew was that moments later, I was running through the meadow in front of Fort Vulpes, with footsteps pounding behind me.

I prayed they belonged to my friends and not my enemies.

When I couldn’t run any more, I turned to find Alex, Sky, and Harper sliding to a stop next to me.

I didn’t know who to talk to first, or what to say. But it didn’t matter because the silence was broken by the sound of Quinn screaming at the top of her lungs.

“You guys have to kill me!” she cried out. “You ~have~ to!”

I tried to hold her gently and carefully. But every time I tried to touch her, she would thrash about to free herself.

“Listen to me!” she said.

“We’re listening,” I said softly, wanting her to know that we understood her pain.

Her frantic eyes darted between me, Alex, Sky, and Harper. She spoke again, breathlessly. “The moonstone has been stolen. Time is looping. I need to die so the cycle can repeat.”

~What?~

“The moonstone. He’s taken it. I’ve lived this day three times now. I need to die so I can live it again.”

~Oh my Goddess.~

~It’s happened.~

The pain of losing Jax had clearly driven Quinn to the edge of madness. She would say anything to get us to agree with her plan, but there was no way I would let her hurt herself.

We had lost too many friends already. I couldn’t lose Quinn too.

All I said was: “I understand. I understand how much pain you’re in. There is no greater wound than losing your mate.”

“You don’t understand! You ~don’t~ understand,” she said through tears. She tried to make a break for it, running full speed toward a nearby cliff edge.

Alex, always quick on his feet, dashed after her and tackled her to the ground.

Quinn howled in pain, but I wasn’t sure if it was from the fall or from her broken heart.

I hated that I had to do this to my friend, but at this point, she left me no choice.

I approached them and picked Quinn up off the ground, holding her wrists back so she couldn’t get away from us again.

I tore off the hem of my shirt and made some weak restraints to tie her hands back.

“We need to take her back to the Shadow Moon Pack House. She needs rest. And comfort. She needs to let out some of this pain so that she can start making sense again.”

The journey back to the Pack House was nothing short of pure agony.

Quinn kicked and screamed and cried the whole time. And I didn’t blame her.

This was the worst day.

Ever.

For all of us.

***

My stomach twisted tighter with every piercing scream.

Quinn was screaming in agony, yanking at the makeshift restraints we’d tied to her bed in the Pack House.

She was like someone hooked on drugs, going through the brutal stages of withdrawal. That was the only comparison I could make to losing a mate.

She was drenched in sweat as the claws of despair ripped at her heart.

Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I’d seen someone go through this.

I’d been there for Jaxon when he was dealing with the loss of Katherine. It was a tough journey.

He wanted to end it all.

Wished for his own death.

Begged me to do it for him.

But I wouldn’t let him give up. I had faith in his future when he didn’t. And I was right.

The pain never completely disappeared, but it faded into the background, allowing him to focus on other things.

To get out of bed. To dress himself. To face his pack. To lead, to rule, and then… miraculously…to fall in love again.

The Moon Goddess is a compassionate creator. She rewards those who keep their faith in love and life.

But now Jax was gone. I hadn’t fully come to terms with that reality.

Jodie had stolen his future. From all of us.

~Why, Moon Goddess?~

~Why did Jax have to die?~

~How does this fit into your grand plan?~