Page 37 of Banishing Regrets

Nuka was right. He would never survive killing his twin.

Kas pulled away, and turning around, he took his eye off his brother just for a second. It was the worst mistake ever. As Kas turned back, Nuka wrapped his claws around his neck.

“Idiot. You’ve always been weak and susceptible. ‘Too much heart,’ Grandfather used to say. You were always too weak to rule, and this proves it. You had your chance to kill me, brother, but you didn’t take it. I won’t make that mistake.”

Kas felt the tip of Nuka’s claws break the skin at his throat. This was the moment he would die. He’d promised Jane it wouldn’t happen. He’d lied. He thought of her sorrow when she learned of his death.

“I’m sorry, Jane,” he whispered into the air.

Kas waited for death to come. He shut his eyes, but it didn’t happen. Instead, he felt Nuka’s grip around his neck disappear. As audible gasps sounded out, his eyes snapped open and instantly landed on the miraculous vision before him. Jane was descending from the sky, a magical glow around her.

“The lengths I have to go to get you to keep a promise, Mr. Lincoln,” Jane said with a smile.

His mouth fell open. He tried to form words, but nothing came out.

“What the fuck?” Brayden exclaimed next to him.

Kas nodded, yes—that’s what he was trying to say.

Well, that, and how the hell was Jane a witch?

Twenty-Three

Jane floateddown from the sky, landing gracefully, one pointed toe after the other, onto the ground in front of Kas. Nuka was behind her, but she didn’t need to fear her lover’s brother. The devilish polar bear was trapped inside a magical cage.

Around them, the other shifters kept fighting, but with the Amazonian’s on their side, the Glacial Blood pack had the upper hand. Jane went to Kas, who was now in human form, and checked his wounds. With one touch of her hand, they healed instantly. She didn’t need spells, she just needed to think the words of healing for her magic to work—such was the intensity of the power that now lived inside her. She finally realized how easy it had been for Miss Hope to push the memories of Jane’s true calling to the back of her mind until the time was right. All the teacher needed to do was think, and it happened.

With Kas healed, Jane turned her attention to Nuka, who was now back in his human form.

“I pity you, Nuka. The desire for power has consumed you so much you can no longer see that your plan will fail. Look around you, the Glacial Blood is a small pack, but the members are well trained and talented. Yours spend most of their time getting drunk and taking advantage of a power they believe only others like themselves possess. But you and your followers are mistaken. You have no comprehension of what else is out there that’s much bigger than you.”

Jane floated around Nuka. She stretched an arm out toward where a tiger shifter was exchanging blows with Zain. The bear shifter’s fur was covered in blood, a mixture of his own and of those he’d been fighting. She pointed her finger at the tiger shifter, and it fell to the ground, unmoving. Zain reached down and checked for a pulse. She knew he wouldn’t find one. The bear shifter looked up at her.

“Go be with Isobel.” Jane pointed her hand at Zain. The blood on his fur disappeared just before he did as well. She knew he’d be reunited with his mate in a matter of seconds.

She looked around for Hunter next and again she pointed.

“Lily and Kingsley need you. Today will be special—a new life is coming.”

Hunter disappeared.

“Mom, what are you doing?” Brayden was in front of her now. She pressed a finger to his lips.

“I’m fulfilling my destiny.” She walked around her son until she stood directly in front of Nuka.

“History never tells you everything just as fate doesn’t. You killed my husband, Nuka Lincoln, but you killed the wrong person. Brayden was never destined to be the one who helped Glacial Blood end this war. Neither was Selene—they were just the decoys. The means to allow me to accept my fate. You killed the wrong parent, Nuka. If you’d killed me, Kas would be dead now, and you’d be on your path to victory. The charmed ones are never revealed until the last minute. Hitler never saw his nemesis coming until it killed him, and General Cornwallis never knew the power George Washington had supporting him at the siege of Yorktown. Those two men were destined to fail because of a charmed one. Your fate is the same. The supernatural world knew Kas would never be able to strike the final death blow to end your life, so it sent me to help him. It bestowed on me powers that were released by my husband’s death. His loss gave me strength and motive. But, you know what, I’m not going to kill you, because you killed Heath.” Jane saw Nuka let out a visible gasp of relief—it was to be short lived, though. “No, I’m going to kill you because you don’t understand the truth. The humans aren’t ready for us yet. You’ve thrust onto them something they can’t cope with. If you’re allowed to live, wars will continue to rage for years. Too many innocents will die. I will not allow that, so today you will die at my hands.”

Nuka, who’d momentarily been looking scared, finally let out his true nature. He threw his head back and laughed.

“I can see why you and my brother get on so well. You both believe in the power of good. The humans are weak. It will take no time to get them under control. And if they die in the process. I really don’t care. Kill me if you must, but every shifter here will rise up and fight in my place. Prophecies are all well and good, but I’ve been manipulating them all my life, and the one that says you end me here today is no different from the rest.” Nuka paused, and then turning to his supporters, he commanded, “ Kill, Kas.”

All the shifters of Nuka’s pack stopped what they were doing and started to descend upon Kas. The members of the Glacial Blood pack realized what was happening and took up defensive positions to stop them. It was going to be a bloodbath, with Kas at the center. Except Jane wasn’t about to let that happen. She pointed her finger at the nearest shifter who was making his way toward Kas, snarling and baring his sharp teeth.

Jane spoke to her magic, “Any shifter who doesn’t fight for the good of the humans and the Glacial Blood pack shall die, except for Nuka and his grandfather.” The magic left her body, and one by one, the shifters fell.

“No,” Nuka shouted. “Stop.”

Jane turned slowly. The scene in front of her played out like a movie, moving in slow-motion. She held out her hand.

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