Chapter 159

[ 1,066 words ]

Envy

CO

Xavier’s voice shattered the air, raw and jagged. “Envy!” His grief cut through me, through everything, and I spun just in time to see what he saw. Aleisha and Tommy. Or rather…their souls. They stood there like misty figures, half–shaped, glowing faintly with the silver hue of death’s hand. Their eyes were wide, frantic, locked not on their bodies sprawled in the dirt but on the battlefield as though it was still raging. They were lost, trapped in the loop of the fight. My chest hollowed, my stomach turning inside out. And then Tobias‘ howl rose, broken and earth–splitting. My head whipped toward him, my father’s wolf, pacing mad, grief rolling off him like waves. His mate lay limp under the tree still, and now he thought he’d lost his daughter too.

“Shift. Now!” My voice cracked like a whip, full Alpha command, full Queen.

Tobias‘ body shuddered, the dominance in my tone cutting through his grief. He obeyed, his form shrinking, breaking, twisting until Charles was on his knees in the dirt. His hands shook as he scrambled forward to Milly, pulling her gently into his arms. His shoulders wracked with silent sobs, his tears running down her blood–matted hair.

“Hold your mate,” I ordered, softer now, but no less firm. He clutched her tighter, rocking her like he could keep her tethered by will alone.

And I…I ran.

The ground blurred beneath me, my heart pounding in my ears, until I skidded to my knees beside Aleisha and Tommy’s wolves. Their bodies lay side by side, beneath their souls. My throat closed at the sight. Their souls stood just a step away, staring at me, confusion all over their faces.

“Envy…” Aleisha’s spirit whispered, tilting her head. “What’s going on? Why are you down there p>

I swallowed hard, reaching for them, though my hands passed through nothing but air. “Look.” My voice cracked. “Look down p>

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Both turned. Their eyes widened. They saw their own bodies, the still fur, the unmoving chests, the blood that clung to their mouths and paws.

Tommy staggered back a step, horror twisting his face. “We’re… we p>

Aleisha’s voice broke completely. “We’re dead p>

“Not for long,” I growled.

Haiden’s voice reached me, sharp and desperate, “Envy, don’t! You can’t…think of the

baby p>

But rage and grief boiled in my veins, louder than his plea. My Lycan bristled beneath my skin, and Layah snarled in my mind.

“They will not die for me!” I roared. “Not because of me p>

I dropped to the earth between them, one hand pressing to Aleisha’s fur, the other to Tommy’s. Their bodies were cold beneath my palms, their hearts still as stone. My magic thrummed, heavy and dangerous, curling in my veins like molten fire. I closed my eyes and pulled.

“Come back,” I whispered, my voice trembling, then louder, commanding. “Blood, retreat. Hearts, beat. Souls, find your way back home p>

Power surged from me, tearing through my chest like claws raking bone. The air cracked, light sparking across my skin as my magic poured out, threads of blue hues weaving from my hands into their bodies. I tugged at their souls, tethering them, dragging them back into flesh. Aleisha and Tommy screamed, their spirits and bodies both, as their essence was forced into form again. My lungs burned, my vision blurred, and the ground tilted beneath me. I felt my baby roll inside me, a sharp twist of protest, and terror clawed at the edges of my resolve. My energy was bleeding away, life itself draining with every second I held on.

“Live!” I shouted, my voice raw, breaking. “Come back to us! Come back to me p>

Their chests hitched. Once. Twice. My magic surged harder, darker, until I felt my body slipping, until I wasn’t sure where I ended and they began. And still, I didn’t let go.

I

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didn’t let go until I felt the last piece of their souls stitch back together to their bodies, and then, I let my eyes close, and the pure exhaustion pull me under.

Elliot

The tunnels stretched all through the cabin, twisting and curling like a secret playground only I could make. The walls glowed faintly where I’d pressed my palms, magic humming through my fingertips, shaping the wood and stone into slides and curves. Macey squealed as she shot down one, hair flying, while Elias crawled up another tunnel like it was the best adventure of his life.

“It’s way past bedtime,” Macey giggled, popping her head out of one hole before sliding

back down another.

“That’s the point,” I grinned, sending another wave of energy through the wall so the tunnel widened into a chute that dropped them into the rug pile below. “Magic makes sneaking out of bed easy. ”

Their laughter echoed through the halls, and for a moment, it was nothing but fun. Then

it hit me.

That twist in my stomach. Heavy. Cold. The exact same one I’d felt before, when Mum, Envy, was trying to hold the veil together with only Layah. My chest squeezed tight, my throat closing.

“Mum,” I whispered. My hand pressed to my stomach like I could hold it still, but the pull only got stronger. The new veil tugged at me, tethered me to her, to everything. And it felt wrong. Too heavy. Too sharp.

“Mum’s dying.” The words slipped out, quiet, almost to myself.

Macey froze halfway out of a tunnel, her big eyes round. Elias looked at me like I’d just broken the world.

I swallowed hard, panic crawling up my spine. “Mace… I have to go.” My voice shook, but the decision was already made. “Go wake Mumma and Dad. Tell them something’s not right with Mum. Hurry p>

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Her lip trembled. “But p>

“Please,” I begged, the tug in my stomach pulling harder, like she was slipping away, like the thread holding her was about to snap. “Please, Mace. Just do it p>

She nodded, tears shining, and scrambled up the slide, Elias hot on her heels.

I closed my eyes and braced myself against the pull. If Mum was slipping, if she was fading, then I had to get to her. I had to help her, no matter what it took.

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