Chapter 24

[ 875 words ]

Sypher

24: 24.

Sypher Liam

A sypher.

Aria is a Sypher.

Our mother was a Sypher.

Aria’s unconscious form is tucked away on her bed.

A bed I have been standing in front of for the past four hours.

My wolf paces uneasily, furious that he has no way to help his sister.

“Liam…” Kade tries.

“No,” I state.

The word is final.

There is no way in hell I’ll be standing by for any of them.

My gaze lands on Ronan, and I let him see how serious I am.

He may be my Alpha, but Aria is my sister.

Over my dead body will any of these males take advantage of her.

“Liam, I’m trying to be understanding, but my wolf isn’t as patient. I know she’s your sister. I get that she’s just turned, but that doesn’t change the fact that she is mine. Stand aside.” Ronan warns.

A warning growl sounds from Kade and Theo.

It’s suicide to stand between a male and his true mate.

I know that.

I happen to be standing in the way of four.

Four males I consider friends.

Four males I trust with my life.

“Yours? All of yours.” I say, wanting to reject the idea.

“I thought a fated pair was just that, a pair.”

It might sound sarcastic, but Ronan knows I’m trying to work this out.

Shifter couples differ from human couples in the fact that we were born with something called a fated mate, a person that is created for us, that would create a physical and spiritual bond which would connect us for life.

They are half of our soul, our balance.

However, the possibility of finding your fated mate is rare.

You are considered lucky if you find them in your lifetime.

However, that isn’t the only way to bond with another.

A couple, if they are close enough, could begin a process called imprinting.

It is a chosen bond rather than a fated one, and it could be just as deep and as strong, but it is not permanent.

It could fade over time, like human relationships, if it isn’t nurtured.

Of course, fate gave shifters an extra curveball by making it possible for only fated or imprinted pairs to have young.

A positive and a negative thing.

“In most cases, it is,” Ronan says.

His body is stiff, but I can see he is holding himself back.

He could have just made me submit to him with his dominance, but her doesn’t.

“However, there are some instances where there are multiple people in the bond.”

“I look at Aria.” My sister.

A sister whom I’ve already failed to protect.

She is the last of her kind, my wolf says—higher chance of reproducing.

Shit.

The logical part of me knows I can’t keep them from her.

Hell, once she wakes, I probably won’t be able to keep her from them.

Her wolf will demand to be close to her mate.

So, as I do with everything else in my life, I put my feelings aside and do what is best.

“Don’t push her,” I warn.

“I mean it.

She’s going through enough already without a bunch of males on a mating urge high hounding her.”

“She’s our mate,” Theo says, offense thickening his voice, “we would never hurt her, and if you think that, then you don’t know us.”

Barric’s scent smooths out in relief as I step to the side.

I don’t go far.

I watch as Theo checks her pulse, Kade strokes her hair, Barric sits on the edge of her bed, and Ronan watches like he’s debating getting in the bed with her.

I need to go.

Just as I step out of the house, my phone rings.

Cam.

“The spies are back. They’re circling Barric’s cabin.”

It seems they figured out that this is where Aria was.

I don’t falter in my stride, nor do I pause to look around.

Nothing that would make them aware that they weren’t as invisible as they thought they were.

“Keep tabs on them. I’ll let Ronan know to stay away from the windows.”

I shoot a quick message to Ronan, and after receiving confirmation, I head straight to our enforcer building.

I need to protect Aria, and the assembly is too invested in her for me to believe that any of this is a coincidence.

I try to remember what I learned about Syphers and why the Hunters targeted them.

Another question entered my mind as I opened the door to the building: What would the return of one mean for shifters?

What would the Assembly think it meant?

“Hey,” Felix waved a hand before taking another gulp of his massive coffee cup and continuing to tap away on his keyboard.

I pull out a chair, turning it and straddling it.

“I need you.”

Felix smirks.

“A bit of an unorthodox approach, but I’m open to it.”

Felix got a kick out of flirting with anything that moved.

“In your dreams.”

“Only the dirtiest ones,” Felix turns to face me.

“So what’s got you looking so pensive?”

I ignore the question.

“I need a history lesson.

A private one.”

“I got time.”

I tip my chin to the side, indicating that we go to one of the private interrogation rooms.

He followed me there, and we each took a seat at the table.

“I need to know about Syphers,” I state with no preamble.

“Can I ask why?” he arches a ash blonde brow.

“No.”

“Come on.” He urges.

“You can’t just pile my curiosity then leave me high and dry.”

“I’ll speak with Ronan first, but after, you’ll be the first to know.”

He rolls his eyes at my tone.

“Whatever.

What do you want to know?”

“Everything.”

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