The Light

Bambi

His wolf’s dark eyes looked at me as if I was a stranger…

Ekon was so far-gone that he couldn’t even recognize his own mate.

~Ekon, I know you’re in there somewhere.~

~Please come back to me.~

Max had shifted back to human form and was lying on the ground, bleeding out.

That was when it dawned on me. If I didn’t do something fast, he’d die.

“Jimmy, stay behind me,” I commanded as Ekon eyed us with a ravenous hunger.

I slowly tried to step toward Max, but Ekon snapped his jaws at me and snarled.

“Ekon, please, it’s me. I can feel your pain in my heart. I know you can feel mine too.”

His wolf started to get agitated, panting wildly, biting his own limbs, and ripping out his fur.

He was fighting himself from within.

I needed to help him. I needed to give him strength.

I ran toward the wild wolf, and Jimmy screamed, “Bambi, don’t!”

Ekon tackled me to the ground, his heavy paws crushing my chest as he stood on top of me.

His drool flecked onto my face, and as his jaws opened wide, I threw my arm up to shield myself.

His teeth sank into my arm, and I cried out in pain, but I was finally close enough to touch him.

I gently grabbed hold of his fur with my other hand and stroked it softly, despite the searing pain in my arm.

“Ekon, I love you, and I need you to come back to me,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. “Our story isn’t done yet—it’s just beginning. We need to finish what we started.”

He gradually removed his teeth from my arm, and a look of recognition seeped into his dark pupils.

Ekon slowly shifted back into a human, his naked body lying on top of me and embracing me as he wept.

It was the first time I’d ever seen him shed a tear.

“Bambi, I’m…”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” I said, holding him as we sat up. “You’re back now. That’s all that matters.”

I found one of Matthias’ cloaks hanging from a hook, and I pulled it down and draped it around Ekon’s shoulders.

Jimmy followed suit and covered Max with a blanket. “Bambi, he’s…he’s in bad shape. I did a bit of nursing work in the Northern Pack, but there’s not much I can do.”

I rushed to Max’s side as he groaned in agony.

“What can we do?” I asked, my body shaking.

“We need to put pressure on the wound so we can slow the bleeding,” she said, ripping off a piece of the blanket and tying it tightly around his waist.

“Agh, fucking hell.” He winced.

“Goddess, you all look terrible,” a familiar voice teased from behind me.

I swung around to see Holly stumbling into the room, looking worse for wear herself.

“Holly! You’re here! How—”

“We’ll compare notes later, but right now, we have more urgent matters,” she said, struggling to stand up.

Ekon helped her over to me, even as he wobbled himself.

“Where are Matthias and Devina?” she asked, looking around warily.

“They escaped,” I replied, crestfallen.

“Well, at least I managed to grab this before that bitch got away.” Holly grimaced as she pulled out Devina’s grimoire from her bag.

“The grimoire!” Jimmy gasped. “Maybe there’s a spell in there that can help Bambi’s brother?”

“I’m afraid this is only dark magic,” Holly said as she held her hands above Max’s wounds. “But I may be able to stabilize him.”

Holly winced as she emitted a soft glow from her hands. She was in a weakened state. I doubted she’d be able to keep this up for more than a minute before passing out herself.

Suddenly, a low rumble shook the ground. I thought for a moment that the mines might be collapsing, but it was something else…

Footsteps…hundreds of them.

Kalindi and Hunter rushed into the room, a wave of soldiers pouring in behind them.

“Kalindi, you’re alive!” Holly shouted in relief.

“Yes, thanks to the cunt sniffer.” She nodded at Hunter, who opened his mouth in protest but let it slide. “We managed to dispatch all the rogues.”

“Thank the Godde—”

Holly’s eyelids suddenly fluttered shut, and she passed out. Ekon caught her before she hit the ground.

Her energy was completely spent.

I ran and hugged Kalindi, relieved to see these welcome reinforcements.

“Hey, don’t I get one, too?” Hunter asked, offended.

I gave him a reproachful look. “You’re a mated man now.”

“Yes, ~you are~,” Kalindi said, giving him the same look. “To my sister.”

“Kalindi, Max and Holly are in need of emergency medical attention,” I said anxiously. “Did you bring any healers?”

“My Luna, you are also in need of medical attention,” she said, looking at my arm, where Ekon had bit me, and my side, where Matthias had slashed me to draw blood.

I’d lost a lot of blood, but I wasn’t worried about myself. I just needed to make sure everyone else was okay.

It wasn’t until that moment that I realized the room was spinning.

“No, Kalindi, I’m fine! Just focus on…focus on…”

My vision started to blur, and I couldn’t see anything clearly.

“I’m fine,” I said as I let myself fall into Kalindi’s arms, my eyes closing.

***

When I awoke, I found myself in a familiar place—Ekon’s bedroom.

He was lying next to me, in a peaceful sleep.

My arm was bandaged in a thin cast, which Ela, Holly, Victoria, and Jimmy had all signed, making me smile widely.

As Ekon stirred, I stroked his back softly. He turned over to face me and gave me a weak smile.

“You’re awake,” he said quietly. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, but what about everyone else? Are they safe?”

“Maximus and Holly are both recovering,” Ekon said, placing his hand on my face. “I…I’m so sorry, my love. I let the darkness take control of me…and I hurt you. I hurt Maximus. I failed you again.”

I pressed my forehead against his. “Ekon, you didn’t fail. You fought back. I’m the one who failed you. I made a vow to get your sight back, and I let Devina get away.”

Ekon pressed his lips against mine, kissing me with passion, and I felt a heat surge through my body that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

“I don’t need that kind of sight, Bambi. Even when I was in my darkest place, you stood by me and brought me out of the darkness. You were my light. You showed me that beauty still exists in this world.”

I kissed him back as tears wet my cheeks.

~Goddess, why do I cry so damn much? But these are tears of love and happiness…~

“Ekon, do you remember what you said to me? Before all of this?”

“I…I said that we would pick things up where we left off,” he said, turning red.

“And do you remember where it was that we left off?” I smiled, running my fingers through his hair.

“Of course, my little Luna.” He grinned. “How could I forget?”

“I’m…I’m ready,” I said, blushing. “I want to give myself to you…all of me.”

“And I to you,” he said, wrapping his muscular arms around me.

His tongue writhed against my own as the heat between our bodies became almost unbearable.

I lifted my arms, and he pulled my dress over my head, leaving my breasts exposed.

As I pulled off his shirt and ran my fingers down the ridges of his abs, I felt his bulge pressing against me.

Ekon’s hand slid into my panties, and his mouth kissed my neck, down to my breasts, until his lips reached my nipple, and I moaned in ecstasy as he playfully bit it.

I was getting wet as he played with me, but I wanted more.

~I need more.~

I unbuttoned his pants and grabbed ahold of my mate, feeling his manhood in my hands.

He was an alpha in more ways than one.

Ekon slid my underwear down my legs and over my ankles, tossing them aside. He stepped out of his own pants and stood over me, his scarred and muscular body on full display and his manhood at full attention.

I let out a soft moan in anticipation as my mate crawled on top of me.

“Are you really ready?” he asked, giving me a tender kiss.

“Yes, I’m yours.” I smiled. “Take me.”

Ekon carefully slid inside me, and I winced at both the pain and the pleasure.

He started out gently and eased me into the rhythm of his movement.

The thrusting was light at first and then gradually harder, and I couldn’t stop myself from calling out his name.

“Ekon, yes…yes, that’s it. Please, don’t stop,” I moaned.

He grunted as he slid in and out, over and over, lifting my legs higher so that he could thrust harder.

I came again and again, and finally, the pleasure was too much for him, and he did the same.

Even an alpha has his limits.

He rolled over and lay down beside me, panting heavily, and looked at me hesitantly.

“Was it…”

“It was perfect,” I said, placing my head on his chest.

We lay in silence for a while, just holding each other, but finally Ekon spoke.

“I’m scared, Bambi…”

I looked at Ekon with complete astonishment. I couldn’t believe he had just shared something that made him seem so vulnerable.

“What do you mean?” I asked, stroking his chest.

“That darkness that was within me…the darkness within my family—it scares me,” he said, kissing my forehead.

“Ekon, you’re not like them. You may share the same blood, but you’re the light in the darkness. And whatever happens, we’ll face it together.”