Page 39 of Banishing Regrets

In the future, they might.

But for now.

Turn back minds.

Turn back history.

Hide the supernaturals from existence again.

Our time will come one day.”

The mountains around them, the soldiers, the Amazonians, and the president disappeared. They found themselves, once again, standing outside the Glacial Blood mansion. All of them together, including Molly, Hayden, Isobel, Zain, Hunter, Kingsley, Lily, and now four babies. All the shifters were clothed. There were no signs of the battle that had taken place.

Just peace.

It was overwhelming and brought Jane great happiness but also sadness at the same time.

She watched as Jessica fell to the ground next to her.

“Ethern,” Jessica called.

The witch was breathing rapidly, the power within her dwindling. The spell had been too much for her. Ethern ran to his lover and knelt beside her.

“What’s happening?” the reaper questioned.

“The magic is leaving me,” Jessica spluttered. “I’m changing.”

“What?” Ethern searched his lover’s eyes for signs of what was happening to her, but Jane already knew. Her own magic told her.

All the other shifters crowded around them in concern.

“I want to do one last spell, Ethern. I’ve agreed it with Death,” Jessica revealed. “You are needed more in this world as a multi-shifter than a reaper. The council needs you to lead it. You’re the only one who can take us forward from this point and open discussions with the humans, nurturing the seeds that have been sown.”

Ethern shook his head. “You’ve negotiated with Death? No, Jessica what have you done?”

“Ethern, let her do this.” Jane placed her hand on the reaper’s shoulder. “She’ll be all right. Death has agreed to this.”

The reaper turned to face her. “I can’t lose Jessica.”

“You won’t,” Jane reassured him.

Jessica reached out and grabbed Ethern’s hand tightly. They all stepped back as the magic left the witch’s body and transferred into Ethern’s. His dark features disappeared as his body changed rapidly between all the animals and supernaturals he’d learned to become as a multi-shifter. A flash of light had Jane hiding her eyes momentarily before looking back. Ethern stood in the formal suit he’d worn previously as a multi-shifter. He looked down at his hand and shifted it to a paw.

Jessica lay on the floor, unmoving. Her white hair had turned back to raven black.

“No.” Ethern fell to the ground again, next to the woman he loved. Jane knew he had no reason to worry. Jessica was alive, and everyone gasped when she moved. Ethern pulled her into his embrace. “Thank God.”

“I’m all right,” Jessica cried in his arms. “I had to expel my magic. I had to use it to change you back, Ethern. If I’d kept it, it would have corrupted me. It was unnatural and too powerful. I’ll live as a human from now on, but I don’t mind, because I have you. I have the pack, and we have each other.” Jessica looked over to where Jane stood. Kas had wrapped his arm around her waist. “And it looks as though we have a new, very powerful witch in the pack. Our futures are secure. We just have to live them.”

Jane looked up at Kas. “Live them. It sounds so strange.”

“It does,” Kas responded. “For once, we’ve no prophecies to guide us. We have to make our own decisions.”

“We do.”

Kas pulled her into his arms. “We make them together, though. Just as it was always meant to be.”

“I love you, Kas Lincoln.”

---