Chapter 26

(Chapter song ‘Once In A Lifetime’ by Talking Heads)

GRAHAM Can I say this is so weird? I’m finding it really hard to wrap my now integrated brain around the fact that it’s up to the people standing in front of me to save the world.

It’s been a few days since Adam got us all together. We've been going over our roles and strategies. Deacon has been getting Intel and the rest have been collecting resources.

Now, we wait for the game plan from the council.

My eyes float from Quinn to Wes to Jesse to Cass, Deacon then Oliver. Their mates all stand at their sides.

I cross my arms. “We're really doing this?”

Adam nods. “We have to. As much as it irritates me, because you idiots can’t leave well enough alone…” He eyes Jesse.

“What? How’s was I supposed to know the cross would raise a vamp demon? I needed the cash!” He narrows his eyes under his hat.

“Besides, it was Ash who found it again and technically, Destiny gave it to Gia.” I inform.

“Whatever!” Adam snarls. “The point is I have a job to do and I need you all to back me up. Lefu will not go down easy. He will throw everything at us, but once I get close, I can send him to hell where he belongs.”

“How you gonna do that?” Oliver grumbles.

“I have my ways that don’t concern you.” Adam narrows his eyes.

“What are you going to do about the Shaman?”

We turn and Astrid is standing behind Adam with a leg kicked out and her arms folded.

Adam looks at us all and back at her. “Kill him.”

She strides to him and looks up. “He is the most powerful sorcerer on the planet. The Sorcerers can’t even kill him. What makes you think you can?”

Adam cinches his brow. “Because…I’m me.”

She looks him over. “Who are you besides an overgrown beast of a man?”

Adam leans to her and scowls. She does the same, but a little growl escapes her throat.

“No woman will talk to me like that.” He snarls.

“I’m not an ordinary woman.” Her eyes glows blue and red.

Wes interjects. “I think we can help with that. With the exception of Iris. We have a magical arsenal that’s pretty good.”

“The nymphs can handle the Shamans power?” Adam asks.

“I think so.” Wed answers.

“I can make potions that can be used as weapons.” Jenny says meekly. Deacon preens and kisses her hair. “Plus, my magic.” She holds up a purple ball of magic in her palm.

“I got the Dires on board. All the muscles you’ll ever need.” Oliver smirks. Ezra steps forward. “As we gain more power in the fight, their Dires will switch sides.”

“We have arrows right?” Cass asks Ember.

She shrugs. “We should. I put the order in last week.”

Cass crosses his arms. “Did you submit them in triplicate?”

She turns to him. “You never told me to.”

He leans to her. “They always are. Policy 6b. All orders must be submitted in triplicate and approved by Eros.”

She rubs her forehead. “Shit. I knew I forgot something.”

“Ember!” Cass flops his arm to his side.

“I’m sorry! You know me and manuals!”

He points to her. “You are no longer in charge of the paperwork!”

“Fine!” Ember growls with attitude.

“Fine!” Cass growls back and storms off as Ember follows.

“I really can’t believe they’re love bugs.” I snicker as I watch them leave.

“Ok. I’m sure they’ll be ready. Jesse?” Adam asks.

“Any animal you want, boss. I’m there.” He smirks with his arms out.

He turns to me. “You sure you’re ready for this?”

I turn to Kita who smiles at me and I smile back. “Yeah. I think I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”

“We will continue training until it is time.” Kita adds.

Adam nods. “Fine. I believe the Alphas are developing their plan right now. We should go in.”

The rest all leave and I hang back. “Hey, Adam.”

He turns to me. His vamp stare is creepy, but I still see the little boy I held not too long ago.

“I…I know it’s not my place to say, but your dad’s a friend. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but…go easy on him, huh? Coming from someone who lost that last precious moment, there’s no room for arguing. He loves you, so much. He went through hell for you and your mother. I can tell it’s killing him that you hate him. A man’s best friend is his father. That’s all he wants to be. He’s not trying to hurt you and I’m afraid if you don’t fix this, one day, it’ll be too late.” I cross my arms and stare into the young man’s eyes.

He sighs. “It was too late the day I was born, Graham. I don’t hate my father. Far from it. I just need him to think I do.”

I stitch my brows together. “Why?”

He runs his hands through his long, white hair. His pale green eyes connect with mine. “It’ll make this whole thing easier if I'm spared attachments.”

He turns away and I focus on the back of his black leather jacket. What did that mean?

I walk into the council room and pass Cass and Ember who are still arguing.

“I have to go to lower level 2 now to fix this! Do you have any idea what it’s like down there?!” Cass grits.

“I know. It’s hell, but once you get past the demon secretary, it’s all good.” Ember smiles.

Cass crosses his arms. “Sure. It’s not your ass she tries to burn when she grabs it.” He grumbles.

“I keep telling you not to wear those tight leather pants.” She smirks.

“It’s part of the uniform, ok!!” He throws his hands out.

I shake my head with a chuckle and find my seat beside Kita. I take her hand and kiss it as Jake takes the head of the table.

“Ok, everyone. I assume everyone’s here?” He looks around the room as the table grumbles.

“Alright. Now, we confirmed that Axelridge will be landing outside Vespra tomorrow night. We plan to be already there. Our assignment is the Vamps and the Falcon Mirror Army. Axelridge will be taking care of the lycans.” He informs.

He pulls up a map. “We will station here. Falcon here and Axelridge here. This gives us a three point advantage. Falcon will be marking themselves to separate themselves from the mirror versions and we will do the same. We will mark are wolfpacks if we have to shift.”

“What do the flyers say?” Deacon asks from his seat beside Kita.

“From what they found so far, there’s 10 mirrors all connected to each other. They are using these mirrors to organize across the peaks.” Jake informs.

“There’s one mirror on the other side that I could see. If we can destroy it…” I start.

“It would be a one way trip.” Peter says.

I smile. “Not for us.”

Mateo leans forward. “That’s right. You two can cross over and destroy the mirror.”

“We would need an army.” Kita says. “We also need to save Lefu.”

“We can wait until they’re gone. We break the mirror and they can’t get back.” I say to her.

“They’ll be trapped here.” She says.

“I like it.” Brody smirks.

“I do too.” Jake says.

“Won’t they just find another mirror?” Owen says.

“We need to destroy the magic they used.” I suggest.

“The vault.” Jenny pipes up.

“Yeah. The dark shamans vault. We destroy it and they can’t recreate the magic.” Sawyer says.

I lean to him. “What do you say, brother? Want to blow something up?”

He leans back in his chair playing with his baton. “I’m always up for a little action.” He smirks.

“Ok. Sawyer, you’re with Graham and Kita. Alpha Unit 1 will head the attack on the Vamps. Take the super wolves with you. Adam, is your team ready?” Jake asks.

Adam glances at Astrid. “Yes. We’re ready.” I see his eyes meet his dad’s and he looks away.

Hunter clears his throat. “I’ll have cameras and Comms on everyone and links will remain open. If anything changes out there, we'll know about it.

“Do we have a secure spot for Lefu?” Owen asks.

Kita nods. “Hai. I have a place with Inari. She has promised to keep an eye on the demon. She doesn’t like getting involved, but he is a threat outside all gods. She has offered her assistance.”

“Tell her we appreciate it.” Jake smiles.

“I will.” Kita smiles back.

Jake stands straight. “Alright. You have your orders, we deploy in eight hours.”

I lean to Kita. “Enough time to show you something.”

“Really?” her brows go up.

I grab her hand and place her fingers on my temple. “Feel my thoughts, but no peeking.” I smile.

She closes her eyes and we teleport to a gorgeous Japanese garden that was created from the rubble of the pool.

“Open your eyes.” I say quietly.

She opens them and her face softens. “It’s beautiful.”

The bricked pathways wind through trees and plants in a large greenhouse in the city’s west side. All influenced by the culture of Japan. Small babbling brooks travel under small wooden bridges. They’re fed by carefully designed waterfalls.

I watch as Kita stops at every leaf and flower. My heart softens as she places her nose to a flower and takes in its scent.

We all over the bridge and she leans over the edge. She giggles and runs around to the bank.

I walk to the edge as she squats down. I watch her place her delicate fingers in the water. Soon a large koi fish swam up to her finger tips. Another joined its friend then another. Soon the whole school had stopped to greet Kita.

She beams the brightest smile a man would ever hope to see on his love. I smile back and she waves. I wave back and continue to watch her play with the fish.

She sneezes and the fish scatter. “Oh, come back.” She whines.

I practically double over with laugher.

She walks back up to me and rubs her nose. “Pollen.” She mumbles.

I wrap my arms around her. “We can play with them again. Next time, ease up on the flower sniffing.” I place a finger on her nose and wiggle it.

She bats my hand away and laughs.

After, we sit on the edge of a sandbox. She takes her palm and clears the sand. She puts four fingers in the sand and waves them through it. It looks like a river.

“This is the heart. It flows without hindrance. Curving and turning. It can be calm or very angry.”

She holds up a black smooth stone. “This is wisdom. This directs the heart and controls where it flows to.” She places a rock at a turn. Another one at another turn. All the way down the river.

“Without wisdom, the heart would have no direction. It could be lost. Confused and just melt into the sand. The strong force of wisdom keeps the heart together to feel and flow calmly.” She turns her head to me.

“That was beautiful.” I say to her.

She leans into me as I kick back. “You are my wisdom, Koibito. You keep me safe and free. I will always love that.”

I thread my hand behind her head and up into her hair. “You’re the wisdom. You gave me the strength to pull myself together. To fight. To find my courage again. If you flow like the river, it’s only because you built the banks, not me.”

A soft pink fills her cheeks and I softly ask for entrance. My tongue slides past her lips and I find hers. Her delicate mouth tastes so good. I get drunk off of every kiss.

I pull back slowly. “I love you, Kita. Before we go into this fight with Lefu, I need to ask you something.”

“What?” She blinks at me.

“The Blue moon. Stand under it with me.” I search her eyes.

“The moon? Why?” She folds her hand in her lap.

“I’m starting to think…I think we’re fated, Kita. I want to find out.” I cup her cheek and rub her soft skin with my thumb.

“Graham, I’m a spirit. I can’t be fated.”

I shake my head. “No. You may be one inside, but outside, you're Kita Tsume. The most beautiful girl I've ever laid eyes on and I am absolutely in love with all of you, inside and out.”

She nods. “I am in love with you, too, but if I stay here, I lose my powers and will just be a little fox.”

I smile. “How about…we find out if we’re mates first then figure out powers later.”

She blushes again. “I can do that.”

The wind blows through the open windows and I kiss her again. We’re showered with cherry blossom petals as I wrap my arms around her and kiss her with everything I have in my heart.

If I don’t make it out of this thing, I want this to be my last thought because if I die again, I don’t think I’ll be coming back.