Chapter: thirty

From afar, Ezekiel, the king, was locked in a fierce struggle with his beta. Once he managed to break free, he scrambled to his feet, desperate to return to his mate.

But before he could take a step, a large tree branch struck the back of his head.

His beta stood over him, chest heaving. “You can’t go back! She trusted me to keep you safe! I won’t let her last command to me be in vain!”

Ezekiel, now on his knees, glared at his beta. “I won’t abandon her! I won’t let her be a sacrifice!”

Angus, his tone softening, let the branch fall from his hands.

“Whether we like it or not, it wasn’t our decision. She did this for us, for the kingdom, to keep us safe. Aylin knew what she was giving up.”

Ezekiel, his eyes narrowed, rose to his feet. “What did she say to you?”

With a deep sigh, Angus couldn’t keep her last words from his king any longer.

“She asked me to take care of you. She apologized for making such a decision without you.

“She wanted you to know that she loved you, and she hopes you can forgive her for the life of your pup.”

As Angus spoke, Ezekiel’s eyes welled up with tears. “Aylin wanted you to know that the days she spent with you were the best of her life.”

Just as Angus finished speaking, a massive white light engulfed the area, including where the men stood.

It hit the ground with a thud, knocking the men off their feet. The intensity of the light made their bodies feel heavy.

After a few moments, the light vanished. They blinked, adjusting their eyes, and looked toward where the light had originated.

Without missing a beat, the king sprinted in that direction.

“Your Majesty!” Angus called after Ezekiel.

As he dashed through the trees, the king could only hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears. The worst possible scenario kept replaying in his mind.

He was consumed by the thought of losing the one person who gave his life meaning.

Every word Aylin had spoken to Angus echoed in his mind. Ezekiel’s heart pounded furiously. From the moment the light cleared, he hadn’t been able to sense his mate.

When he reached the clearing, he saw that the only thing left of Zagan was black dust scattered on the ground. There was no sign that he had ever been there.

In making her sacrifice, Aylin had obliterated the higher demon.

He tore his gaze away, and the sight of his mate’s lifeless body nearly stopped his heart. He knelt down next to Aylin. She looked peaceful. There was no sign that she had suffered.

He put his ear over her heart. There was no sound. “Aylin! Aylin! Please wake up!” he pleaded, shaking her shoulders, but it was futile.

Tears streamed down his face as he clutched the woman close to his chest. “This wasn’t supposed to happen! We were supposed to live together, forever! Come back to me, Aylin!”

The king’s voice echoed through the air as if he was waiting for someone to answer. There was nothing around him except the charred remains of the forest and the higher demon himself.

Gently brushing the hair away from her pale face, the king wept for his profound loss. In his mind, he was reliving the same fate as his father when his mother had passed away.

Despite all his promises to keep her safe, he was utterly powerless.

“All is not lost, Rogue King.” A melodic voice came from nowhere, but he could barely focus on who it was.

A gentle hand tipped his chin up. “Aylin sacrificed her life to save you and others. I would be remiss if I didn’t help her in return.”

“W-who are you?” His eyes widened at the ethereal-looking woman before him. Her flowing hair, golden eyes, and beautiful dress took him by surprise.

“I am the Moon Goddess, Rogue King. And, in return for Aylin’s sacrifice, I will give her back to you, but I cannot return the life of your unborn child.”

Ezekiel prostrated himself before the Goddess, begging. “Please, do what you can. I-I need her!”

With a small smile, she placed her delicate hand on his broad shoulder. He raised his head, and a glimmer of hope bloomed in his heart, seeing the kindness in her eyes.

The Goddess moved toward Aylin’s body, raised her hands, and closed her eyes. A bright light enveloped all three of them.

It was as if all the worry and concerns melted away with this all-consuming, beautiful, and uplifting light.

***

From a distance, Angus watched another light, larger than before, illuminate the area. This time, he felt a sense of peace.

Before his eyes, the injured delta suddenly regained color in his face and opened his eyes.

“Quill?”

Rubbing his forehead, the delta flexed his fists a few times. “What the hell happened?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Only bits and pieces,” he said.

Turning his attention to the severely injured alpha, Angus noticed the color returning to his cheeks, but his breathing was still slow, and his eyes remained closed.

Leaning down, Angus found his heartbeat was stronger than before.

Quill jumped to his feet and looked around anxiously for his brother and Aylin. “Where are the king and queen?”

Lowering his gaze, Angus was unsure of how to respond. “The queen is…”

***

Ezekiel made his way back to the castle.

The aftermath of the battle was still unfolding: warriors being stitched back together, women mourning their lost loves, and children crying over the bodies of their deceased parents.

The damage was extensive and repairs were underway.

The Dark Moon Pack sent reinforcements to help repair the Royal Outland Silver Blood Pack. From what the king was told, it was Daemon’s final order before he set off.

When the king arrived with his queen and those who had fought the demons, everyone stepped aside. A stark silence fell as they walked through.

Some were crying, and others were paying their respects to those who were lost.

Ezekiel kept his eyes forward, not engaging with anyone.

Although he was somewhat relieved that his brother had recovered and Daemon was improving, it did nothing to ease the pain he felt carrying his queen’s comatose body.

He gently laid her on their bed, tucking her in with the comforter. He wanted to make sure she’d be warm if she woke up.

He just sat there, watching her sleep. Her chest rose and fell in a rhythm that was almost hypnotic.

He thought back to what had happened in the forest and anger surged through him. He was mad at himself for not being able to do more. He’d never felt so helpless before, and it was a feeling he never wanted to experience again.

“The queen seems to be improving, Your Majesty. Now we just have to wait and see when she’ll wake up,” the pack doctor told the king. But the king was too focused on the sleeping woman to really hear him.

“Thank you,” he whispered to the doctor.

Quill had filled the doctor in on the situation when he arrived. The two men nodded at each other and went their separate ways.

“How is she?”

“The doctor says she’s getting better, but it doesn’t look like it. She’s still in a coma. She’s not here with me. She’s not smiling. She’s not laughing. What if—”

“Don’t, Zeke. Don’t do this to yourself. At least she’s alive—”

“At what cost?!”

Quill sighed deeply. He didn’t want to make his brother any angrier. “She knew what she was doing, Zeke. If there was another way, she would have found it.

“We didn’t have a choice. We had to fight. We just didn’t know that your queen was related to the Moon Goddess.

“At least the Goddess let her live.”

Ezekiel turned to his little brother, tears welling up in his eyes. “But she didn’t promise me that she would wake up. What do I do if… if—” He couldn’t finish his sentence.

The thought of losing his mate was too much for him to bear. “I can’t live without her!” he cried out.

Quill hugged his older brother, his heart breaking as he listened. He knew that if Aylin died, his brother would be devastated.

He’d have to watch another person in his family suffer the pain of losing a mate.

“Why don’t you get some rest?” he suggested. “You haven’t left this room since we got back. You’ve barely slept. It’s not good for you. You can sleep in my room. I’ll stay with her for a while.”

“I don’t want to leave her.”

Quill helped Ezekiel to his feet and pushed him out of the room. “Go on. Get some sleep. If anything changes, I’ll come get you. I promise.”

Finally, the king left the room.

Quill sat down in the same chair and gently took Aylin’s hand. He sighed as he ran his thumb over her knuckles.

“You need to wake up, Ay. I’m still mad at you and I need to give you a piece of my mind. How could you think that sacrificing yourself was the best thing to do?

“You have no idea what your decision has done to Zeke, to all of us. We need you to come back.

“But most of all, Zeke needs to see you smile again. He needs you to be happy. He needs things to go back to the way they were. You can’t just leave us. Please don’t go. You’re my best friend. Please, Ay.”

Quill wiped his eyes, hoping his words would make a difference. It was a long shot, but he had to say it.

He wanted his brother out of the room so he could have a moment alone with Aylin.

If things had been different, he would have chosen Aylin for himself. But he could never say that out loud. He was afraid of what might happen.

He was startled when he felt a movement on his hand. He looked at Aylin’s face. Her eyes were starting to flutter open.

“That’s it, girl. You can do it. Squeeze my hand if you can hear me.”

She squeezed his hand hard, and he flinched. “Look at me,” he urged her.

She blinked a few times and turned her head. Her vision was still blurry, and she couldn’t make out who was in front of her. “Zeke?”

Quill frowned. He knew then that he had lost. “I’ll go get him.”

He ran as fast as he could, and just as he was about to open the door, Ezekiel was already there. “She’s awake?”

“How’d you know?”

“She linked me. Get the doctor.”

Quill ran off, and Ezekiel opened the door to their room. He was stunned to see Aylin sitting up in bed, looking out the window.

“Sweetheart?” he choked out.

She turned toward the sound of his voice and smiled. “My king.”

Ezekiel rushed to her and wrapped his arms around her. He needed to make sure this was real.

He cupped her face in his hands. The sparkle in her eyes made his heart flutter. Those were the eyes he’d missed so much. “I can’t believe it.”

She pressed her forehead to his and gently stroked his cheeks. “I’m here, Zeke.”

He ran his fingers through her hair. The softness of her hair was real. It was so real that he started to cry.

Feeling his tears on her shoulder, Aylin held him tighter and rocked him back and forth, like she was comforting a child.

Their moment was interrupted when Quill and the pack doctor rushed into the room. They were still holding each other. The thought of letting go was too much for them.

The voice of reason brought them back to reality. “Zeke, the doctor needs to check her.”

Ezekiel quickly wiped the tears from his face and turned his back. “Don’t take too long. She needs to rest.”

After a thorough examination, the doctor had some surprising news. “Your Majesties, it seems you’re still expecting.”

“How is that possible?” Aylin asked.

“Looks like your little guy hung in there. So, congrats, you’re about to become a puppy parent.”