Page 22 of The Fate of Eternity

“Are you okay?” Raiden asks, a helpless look on his face as I nod.

“I’m good.”

“Are you sure?” he pushes, scrubbing the back of his neck with uncertainty as I bite back a pained sob.

“No.”

“Let’s get you back to the academy,” Cassian declares, making me frown as I stare up at him.

“What difference is that going to make? If anything, it’s going to leave me vulnerable.”

“I don’t know, but being here won’t help. Besides, you have the four of us to protect you. No vulnerability here,” he insists, a worried crinkle marking between his eyes.

“Why won’t being here help?” I ask, boycotting the rest of his statement.

“The blood moon doesn’t touch these lands, and these warning pains are a beacon, telling you to come home.”

“Why aren’tyougetting them then? And if you say you are and I’m just overreacting to this hot mess, then you can fuck all the way off,” I grumble, helplessly aware of the mess I’m in. Again.

Now I can’t even walk to the dinner table without an issue arising.

I’m a literal walking catastrophe.

“It always starts with the women, Alpha. I’ll likely feel it in a few days, but never like this. Maybe heading back will help ease the pains.”

“Maybe being a wolf isn’t for me,” I whisper, recoiling at the ache that clings to me, and he grips my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“You were always meant to be a wolf, Addi. It’s a lot, you’re going through more than most could even imagine, but you’re right where you’re supposed to be, and we’re going to be right here with you every step of the way,” he insists, waiting for me to nod in agreement before he turns his attention to Kryll.

“Reach out to Beau. It’s time to leave.”

11

CASSIAN

I’m fucking up.

Majorlyfucking up.

I can barely keep my leg from bouncing with agitation as I stare at the blonde curls that have slipped free from Addi’s braid as they dance in the gentle breeze. Waiting for Beau is worse than waiting for my father to realize the error of his ways. Only, the latter is never going to happen.

That’s not a thought for now, though. I need to be focused on Addi. She needs me now more than ever and I’m letting her down. She’s barely been connected to her wolf for twenty-four hours and I’m not aiding with the transition. Not enough to make a difference. That fact is clear as she braces her elbows on her knees, failing to bite back another wince of pain as she folds in on herself.

My jaw tics, irritation clawing its way through me as I shake my head. We really don’t have time to wait for Beau. Brody could use his mage abilities and transport us anywhere in the Floodborn Kingdom, but my damn Alpha insists on waiting him out.

I get why it makes sense, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Not when the corners of her eyes crinkle with discomfort. It’smyfault for not considering the blood moon. It’smyfault for not putting her wolf first. It’smyfault for being swept up in the moment and not considering the adjustment this actually means for her.

Nobody considered my needs when I shifted for the first time, and I’m letting history repeat itself with her. Thinking back to my first time shifting, my gut twists. It wasn’t in a damn public bathroom with some asshole’s cum inside me and the weight of the kingdom hanging in the balance.

Yet, it still felt tainted.

Pain weighs heavy on my chest. Panic rings in my ears. A whimper bursts from my lips as I fight like hell not to drop to my knees. My vision blurs with unshed tears as I stumble down the stairs, tripping over myself at the last step, but with some grace of a miracle, I manage to catch myself before I face plant on the floor.

My teeth chatter as if I’m cold to the bone, but there’s a burning inferno creeping up my spine, threatening to take hold of me.

I need air, and I need it now.

Determined, and fighting against the pain, I manage to make it to the front door, yanking it open with a groan that takes root deep in my gut. The second the cool night air surrounds me, I hope it will calm the rage inside of me, but it does little to appease the anguish tormenting me.

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