Eugene showed up later that afternoon and I made him turn right back around and take me to Sawyer. That I was staying was something I had to tell him in person, and there was something I had to do in person too. I’d asked Astra to accompany us, as well as twenty guards. Surprisingly, Rab himself had volunteered to go. He and I had turned a corner, and I was grateful to no longer be butting heads with him.
“Why are we traipsing through war-torn woods with you all dressed up?” Eugene asked as he held a gun at his side, finger on the trigger.
I smoothed the red and gold silk handmade dress that Willow had given me. With the bright colors and the way it draped over one shoulder, it reminded me of an Indian Sari. I’d tied up my hair into a sleek bun and used beetroot powders Willow had given me to stain my lips and cheeks.
It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for my wedding day look, but it would have to do.
“Because I’m going away for a while and I won’t leave without being Sawyer’s wife first,” I said, determined. I wasn’t going to go into some crazy Dark Woods and let the curse kill my mate if I ended up gone for three years.
Eugene stopped dead and looked up at me, tears glistening in his eyes. “Does he know?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. I know he has a lot going on.”
Eugene cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders and nodded. “I’ll get you there and back safely. Don’t worry.”
He stepped in front of me with seemingly renewed strength as we continued our walk through the woods. I stumbled over ferns and small shrubs, holding up the edges of my dress to make my way over to Astra. We’d left the Paladin horses and donkeys in favor of going on foot. A troop of twenty warriors on horseback was loud; we could be stealthier this way.
“Astra?” I stepped next to her and she looked up at me with a smile. Always smiling at me this one, such an innocent and loving soul.
“Yes, Alpha?”
I’d long stopped asking her to call me that. “You’re like a priest or a pastor, right?”
She frowned, looking confused.
“Like … you are an important person of God. You … marry people?” I hedged.
Her eyes widened as a grin broke out on her lips and she looked at my dress in a whole new light.
“Yes, Alpha, it would be my honor to oversee your joining union.”
Joining union must be what they called a wedding. “Okay, great. Thanks.”
We crept through the trees, and the once far-off noises of war grew closer and louder. Nothing new to see here, folks, just creeping through the war-ridden woods to surprise my fiancé with a wedding he knew nothing about.
‘Hey, we’re like twenty minutes away. Are my parents and Raven still in the bunker?’ I asked.
I really wanted my dad to walk me down the aisle, but I wouldn’t pull him from safety if things were still in a lockdown kind of situation.
‘Yes. Everyone who isn’t fighting is down there. It’s a secret bunker under the school … which has been completely shelled out.’
I stumbled over my footing. Shelled out? My mind spun. ‘What do you mean shelled out?’
I felt the agitation run through him, but knew it wasn’t meant to be directed at me. ‘It’s gone, Demi. Sterling Hill is completely gone, but the bunker holds strong. It’s thirty feet underground, with twelve inches of steel and concrete, and they’ve got a two-year food supply down there.’
Dizziness washed over me. Why would they need a two-year food supply? ‘Sawyer, are they … trapped under there?’
‘Not trapped, but I’ve told them not to come out until we win the war.’
Until we win the war? My parents could be in an underground bunker for weeks? Or even months? My head swam with the thought of that. I was about to ask something else when a weird whistling sound cut through the air. A body tumbled over me and I was taken to the ground. Using my hands to break the fall, I hit the ground hard, landing the brunt of my weight on my palms. My gaze snapped to the man who’d thrown me to the ground, and a split second later a steel-tipped arrow sank into the soil beside me.
“Stay down,” Rab barked, and then popped up to his knees, pulling an arrow from the quiver at his back so quickly I could barely track his movements. Within seconds, he loosed the arrow into the top of a tree, and then a body fell from it, hitting the ground with a thud.
Holy rattlesnake.
My heart hammered in my chest as I stared at the dead figure on the ground. Shrill yelps rang out in the woods, and then footsteps could be heard as a group of people retreated.
Rab and his men pulled their weapons and formed a semi-circle in front of me as Astra and Eugene fell to the ground at my left and right side. I sat up, brushing the dirt off of the dress Willow had loaned me. Rab inched forward, inspecting the body at the base of the tree.
That was close, I thought, as I stared at the arrow that had been inches from my neck.
Eugene pulled his gun and aimed it at the thick outcrop of trees to the left, while Astra bowed her head in prayer and clasped her hands, mumbling under her breath.
“Ithaki! They’ve retreated!” Rab called from the base of the tree.
“That was too close for my liking,” Eugene said, and hauled me up by the armpit, tucking me into his body.
“You and me both,” I told him as I steadied myself.
Astra ceased praying. Her eyes popped open and she just stared at her clasped hands like they held some horror. “They shot an arrow into our territory…” Her voice held fear.
Rab and his men sauntered over, all of them frowning.
“Maybe it was a mistake,” one of the men said.
Rab reached down and gently pulled Astra to her feet, looking at her like a beloved sister.
Her voice was small: “It wasn’t a mistake.”
Rab met my eyes and I saw fear in his for the first time. “It was an act of war,” he declared.
My heart sank into my stomach like a stone. How many wars could we handle at one time? Was this my fault? The Ithaki and Paladin peoples had a long peace between them, and I’d gone and brought war. Guilt gnawed at me as I pondered this, but it quickly turned to anger.
How dare they? How dare the Ithaki try to pick us off when they probably knew we were weak?
I stood angrily, brushing off my dress, glaring at the woods before turning to the line of twenty men. They held bows as if anticipating another hit. “The next time a twig so much as snaps, you shoot in that direction!” I ordered them.
“Yes, Alpha,” a few of the men said in unison.
Rab’s eyes went wide as he looked from the men to me. “That title is earned.”
The men who’d said it lowered their heads in shame. “Yes, sir.”
Why was he always against me? This situation was hard enough without him pushing my face into the mud. So much for our friendly ways. He was Rabid once more.
“And I intend to earn it!” I snapped at Rab, turning on my heel and stalking off to marry the love of my life before I went on a suicide mission for these people.
Twenty minutes later, the ear-splitting sounds of gunfire and magic crackling boomed through the air. A distinctive smell lingered. Gunpowder and hot wires, copper and blood.
‘I’m here, at the bord—’
“Demi!” Sawyer-whisper screamed nearby. Elation bubbled up in my chest and then spilled over into my limbs at the sound of his voice. I burst into a run and broke out of the woods, cleared the small stone fence and orange flags, and ran to him. He was surrounded by over fifty armed men. Most of them were city wolves with guns and knives, but about a dozen were Paladins. They held vicious looking spears and stared out into the woods with sharp gazes. I noticed Sage among them, her bright red hair tied up into a tight topknot as she held two guns at her sides and whispered to Walsh beside her.
I ran in my dress, somehow not tripping over anything, and Sawyer stood atop the hill and opened his arms. I jumped into them and they tightened around me. The second his earthy scent hit my nostrils, my throat tightened with emotion and I breathed him in.
Mate. Pack. Home.
‘I missed you so much,’ I whimpered through our imprint. His feelings mixed with mine and I sifted through each one. Love, protection, anxiety, trepidation, loyalty.
“We can’t stay out here, sir. We’re too exposed.” I recognized that voice as the dreadlocked army captain dude who I had met briefly before.
Sawyer kept his arms tightly around me, and turned to walk away as I watched over his shoulder while he carried me, refusing to let me go. Rab and his men lined up with the Paladins who had volunteered to protect Wolf City, and I noticed Arrow and his brother give each other curt nods before they whispered under their breath.
Rab was probably telling his little brother about the Ithaki all but declaring war with their attack on us.
“You shouldn’t have come,” Sawyer whispered in my ear as he held me tightly to his chest and walked us both up the hill to a building I didn’t recognize. “It’s too dangerous for you, my love.” When we reached the top, he finally slid me down his body so that I could stand.
“Why are you wearing that dress?” He looked confused as he fully took me in. I’m sure he didn’t know it was a Paladin wedding dress, but it was a fancy dress and not ideal for traipsing through the woods. My knees were stained with dirt too. Not my Pinterest wedding look.
“Sawyer, I—”
“We need to get you inside.” Captain Dreadlocks used his body to shepherd Sawyer and I toward the building. Sage slipped next to me and gave me a quick side hug before moving back into the line of warriors around us.
I looked up at the building, perplexed. It was a single-level brick building that looked like it was used for industrial purposes, like a water treatment plant or something. It was not where I imagined Sawyer hiding out. As we neared a tall chain-link fence that glowed with a magical green hue, I saw two figures standing at either side of the opening.
Witches.
They came. My idea worked!
Sawyer seemed to know what I was thinking. ‘We are now officially taking witch and warlock refugees in exchange for service to the war. It was a brilliant idea, Demi.’
The witches saw Sawyer approaching and snapped their fingers, causing an opening to form in the protective green bubble. We stepped through and I frowned as I noticed the dilapidated state the building was in. “What about your parents’ house? Is this where you’re stationed now?”
The concrete walls were stained with red rust that ran in thin rivulets down the dusty gray slabs. The roof was patched with a blue tarp and looked like it would cave in at any moment. This surely wasn’t where the alpha of Werewolf City commanded a war.
Sawyer met Dreadlocks’ gaze and something passed between them before he sighed to me. “My parents’ house is gone, Demi. The opposition is going after well-known places. This one is safer. We move every twelve hours.”
My legs gave out then and Sawyer caught me. His house was gone, the school was gone … I’d only been away for a day and it seemed the entire city was falling to enemy hands. “Your mother?” I gasped.
“She’s fine. We got her out and into the bunker with everyone else.” Sawyer’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
Shock ripped through me. My parents were in a bunker, the school was gone, Sawyer’s parents’ house was gone.
“Why did you come, Demi? What did you need to tell me? I’m almost scared to ask.” Sawyer’s voice was low as we stood just under the entryway of the broken building.
My throat seized up, unable to say the words, unable to find my strength. Everyone else was inside of the fenced area but giving us privacy. Still … a few would hear.
‘Demi, you’re scaring me, love, and I’m not sure how much more I can take.’
A tear slid down my cheek. “Sawyer, the Paladins are … they’re in rough shape. Their crops have a black fungus and the land is dying. On top of that, their children being born are human. All because they don’t have an acting alpha.”
Sawyer’s eyes widened. “Human? What do you mean?”
“They aren’t like city wolves. Their wolf is more tied to alpha magic and the land than it is to genetics I guess. I don’t understand it all. I just know that I can’t turn my back on them. They are a beautiful people.”
Sawyer rubbed his temples and nodded. “Okay. Alright, we will figure it out. You can be their alpha and I’ll be the Werewolf City alpha, and I’ll build a fucking mansion right on the center line of our two lands if I have to, Demi. Whatever you need. Whatever it takes to keep us together.”
The sob I had been keeping inside ripped from my throat then and Sawyer frowned, reaching for me.
“I thought that was a good thing to say? Why are you crying?” The poor guy looked so confused, I knew I just needed to come out with it. He was so fucking perfect and he didn’t even know.
“Sawyer, I can’t just declare myself their alpha like you can. I have to earn it,” I told him.
He went very still then, eyes thinning to slits. “How?” His voice was thick with his wolf and I knew what he was thinking: a barbaric dominance fight, but it was so much worse than that.
I swallowed hard. “I need to go away for a few days … maybe longer. I need to go into the Dark Woods and—”
“The Dark Woods!” he shouted, and half the warriors nearest us turned to stare, open-mouthed.
I pulled him deeper into the overhang of the roof, leaning against the wall of the building as the low, flickering, light cast macabre shadows over Sawyer’s face. The scent of mildew surrounded us and I almost wanted to cry. This was so not the glamourous wedding day I wanted. “Once I’m in the Dark Woods, I have to find some magic cave. Alone. Only then can I return as alpha.”
Sawyer tipped his head back and laughed, a deep throaty laugh that was full of sarcasm. “Send my future wife into the Dark Woods alone? Over my dead fucking body, Demi.”
I sighed. I knew it would be another fight, and I was prepared for that, but he hadn’t even heard the worst of it.
“Sawyer, it’s normally a three-day trip…” I chewed my lip and his chiseled jaw clenched.
“Normally?” His piercing blue eyes thinned to slits.
“It took my biological father three years. The woods trick you and only reveal the cave when you are ready or something. That’s why I came in person to see you. I don’t want to leave anything up to chance.” I grasped his hand, pleased to see he was still wearing his father’s wedding ring that I’d placed on his finger before I left. “Marry me? Tonight. Right now? It will ensure that if I get lost, the curse won’t take you or your mom or Sage or anyone you love.”
He stared at me … frozen, eyes wide. “You’re serious? That’s why you wore the dress? Demi…” He pulled his hand from mine and massaged his chest as if he were feeling physical pain. “I can’t let you go into the Dark Woods alone if that’s what you’re asking.”
Here we go.
“I’m not asking,” I said, my throat tightening to the point of pain as I swallowed my sobs. “I’m going with or without your permission, Sawyer. I’m asking you to make me your wife tonight so I don’t have to worry about you while I’m out there.”
His head reeled back in shock. “Demi, three years. You said three years.”
I grabbed the sides of his face. “No. That was Run. It won’t be me. I’ll be back in three days, a week tops. I will NOT get lost.”
His chest heaved as he stared into my eyes. “What if, after we win the war, we invited all of the Paladin to live here. We can feed them and—”
“The babies, Sawyer, they’re being born human, without magic. And soon the people will follow.”
He frowned. “I mean, being human isn’t the worst thing—”
I scoffed. “Okay, let’s rip your wolf away from you and see how you feel.”
He winced. “You’re right, it’s awful, but Demi … the Dark Woods … alone.”
“Sawyer, I know you think I’m fragile, but I’m not. I can do this.” I squared my shoulders in grim determination and Sawyer’s lips quirked.
“My love, you’re about as fragile as a bomb.”
I chuckled. “I need that on a t-shirt.”
Sawyer laced his fingers through mine and then looked down to his foot, hiking up his pantleg to show me the ankle monitor. It was glowing a sickly green. “I can’t follow you, babe. As much as I would want to go with you, I couldn’t. The witches have been able to keep them from tracking me with this, but they can’t get it off.”
And even if he could, he wasn’t allowed. Plus we were at war, he had to be there for his people.
I nodded.
“You sure you want to do this? Go into the Dark Woods, alone and prove yourself as a Paladin alpha? All of it?”
I thought of all the people I had met today, and of the sweet man, Red Moon, my grandfather who’d stepped over the line into Ithaki land to help me. I thought of Willow rubbing her belly, and imagined her having a child born without a wolf, without magic. I thought of the dying crops and the beautiful village they’d built only to see it eaten away by the black fungus. But most of all, I thought of the small thrill of pride that rushed through me when Astra looked into my eyes with absolute conviction and called me Alpha.
“Yes. I have to.”
A sadness crossed his face, before it was quickly replaced with a halfcocked smile. “Then let’s get married.”
Ten minutes later, Sage walked down our makeshift aisle holding a bunch of wildflowers under the darkening sky as the moonlight shone down on us. Walsh stood next to Sawyer in the open grass field of the industrial building, and armed warriors and witches made a circle of protection around us. It wasn’t pretty, but it still felt special.
“Ready, dear?” Eugene asked, extending his arm to me.
I nodded, trying to keep from crying. My dad was deep in a bunker with my mom underground, and Eugene had graciously offered to give me away. As I walked slowly toward Sawyer, he held my gaze with a loving intensity I wasn’t sure I deserved. I was reminded in this moment of the first time I met him, standing there at Delphi, while Astra stood patiently in the center and waited for us to reach her. In her hands was a small leather-bound book, the cover was decorated with a cluster of deep red stones, it was something spiritual I was sure. It was small enough to fit in her pocket, and I wondered if she always carried it. When I reached Sawyer, he shook Eugene’s hand and then took my right hand in his, walking me over to where Astra stood.
I didn’t know how the curse worked, but Sawyer had informed Astra about what words needed to be said to test the curse. If I didn’t truly love Sawyer, he would die on the spot. I wasn’t worried. I’d never loved anyone more than I loved this man.
Even now, after I’d just told him I didn’t need his permission to go off into the woods for an undetermined amount of time and we’d argued, he still looked at me like I was the love of his life. I wished I had my camera to capture all of Sawyer’s looks, because this one, it was so tender, so endearing, I wanted to memorize it forever. I brushed my finger over his knuckles and he grinned.
Astra took our clasped hands in hers and then bowed her head. “Dear Father, thank you for bringing these two souls together in the name of true love. May they be blessed in all that they do together. May they be quick to love and slow to anger. May their children be healthy and carefree and may their love only deepen over time.”
She looked up from her prayer at me and I had to blink back tears. Sawyer looked misty-eyed as well. It was perfect. The perfect thing to say.
“Is there anything you would like to say before I read the curse testing spell?” Astra asked us.
I nodded, turning to Sawyer. “Sawyer, I think the thing I love most about you is how you love me.” He grinned and I went on. “You support everything I want to do, even if it drives you crazy, and that speaks volumes about your character and the kind of man and leader you are. And you’re not awful to look at either.”
His grin grew wider as Sage, Walsh, and those listening chuckled.
“I just hope that I can be worthy of that kind of pure love. My wish is to be your equal and continue to push our love to the edges of the universe over the years as we grow old together.”
I looked at Astra to indicate that I was done.
Astra smiled. “Sawyer?”
Sawyer nodded, his dark locks falling into his eyes as he did. “Demi, I am helpless to do anything but support you even when your ideas are crazy.” Everyone chuckled. “There is no world where I would deny you anything, even my own beating heart. You fulfil this need in me that I didn’t even know I had. You were the glue that mended a tear that I wasn’t aware was there until the moment I laid eyes on you.”
Tears softly rolled down my cheeks as he let my hands go and cupped my chin, his gaze burning into the very depths of my soul.
“I promise to continue to love you with an intensity that matches this fierce protectiveness I feel over you. I will protect you, your dreams, and our future family with every fiber of my being, both as man and wolf.” His eyes flashed yellow at that, and I leaned my forehead against his, letting the tears fall down my face.
Astra cleared her throat. “Demi Calloway and Sawyer Hudson, do you both wish to take the other as your lawful spouse and true mate?” Her voice was thick with emotion.
“I do,” Sawyer and I said in unison.
Astra nodded, pulling a folded piece of parchment from the top of her book. I had seen Sawyer handing it to her earlier and knew the curse was about to be tested.
Bring it on.
“Then I test this curse on the Hudson family,” Astra said loudly for all surrounding us to hear, “and declare you both as man and wife. Sawyer, you may kiss your bride.” Astra folded the paper and looked at us expectantly.
My heart hammered in my ears as the smell of hot wires filtered through the air.
Magic.
Sawyer’s face lit up with an orangish glow as his skin seemed to radiate like the sun. I could feel the heat from here as he leaned into me. Did he fear kissing me? Testing this curse? Or did he know as assuredly that I did that my love for him was true?
As if in answer to my internal question, he reached up with confidence and grasped the sides of my face, pulling my mouth to meet his. Our lips touched and the searing heat of Sawyer’s skin pierced right through me, sending an electric jolt down my spine and into my toes. There was a popping noise, and then everything went black.
