Page 126 of Enchanting Her Monsters
But when his hands land on my waist and he holds me close, pouring his love into me, I know. My power magnifies, and Osen is coughing and opening his eyes within moments.
“What?” Osen sputters and sees the carnage that surrounds us.
Flint crashes into me next, like a freight train, knocking Calder and me over in his need to be near me.
I wrap my arms around him and kiss his beautifully monstrous face with horns and heavy brow. His tusks scrape against my cheeks roughly as he claims my mouth.
Serky-Arran leaps on top of us and officially makes it a dog pile. The berserker werewolf licks his huge, sloppy tongue over my face, and I shriek.
“That’swhat makes you yell out?” Maxum says with a smirk and a shake of his head. But I see the love and relief in his eyes, knowing his pack is okay.
I wave him over.
He drops to his knees beside me and crushes me to his broad chest. “I’m so happy you’re alright, my mate.”
“Mate?” Calder then glances at Maxum’s chest and sees the new marking over his heart. “Thank goddess. It’s about time, brother.”
“Perfect timing,” I say with a wink at my demon.
“Uh, Jade?” Amira calls out, breaking the moment of our reunion. “We should all leave, just in case Galiana’s people send reinforcements.”
We untangle ourselves from the ground, and it’s clear that my mates arenotokay.
Before I can race to check on my battered mates, I freeze as a presence presses up against my mind. At first, I panic, thinking it might be Galiana’s soul trying to possess me.
But then I recognize the energy. My real mother.
“May I speak to him before I move on?”she asks me, sounding far away and so destroyed.
“You’re leaving?”I ask, blinking back the tears because I thought she’d be a ghost forever, and I could get to know her once my anger at her betrayal dissipated.
“Yes. I was only tied to the world because I needed to see you safe from Galiana. And now I know you will be happy with your mates.”
“I didn’t know you’d leave so soon. I wouldn’t have pushed you away.”
“I understand. And you were right. I should have been there for both you and your sister, but I didn’t know how to be a good mother.”
I don’t have a response to that. From what Amira told me before about lust witches is that they didn’t have a strong maternal instinct. It wasn’t in her nature to be there for me.
“I know you did what you thought was best. I hope you find peace.”Then I suck in a breath.
“Erwald, my love. Thank you for avenging my death and protecting our precious daughter,” she says through me.
My father’s eyes widen. He races forward and grasps my shoulders, studying my eyes. “Goddess. With your spirit behind Jade’s eyes, it’s like seeing you again. She looks so much like you, my love.”
“And she has your loving, compassionate heart. She would attempt to heal the realms by sacrificing her life, just as you tried to do,” my mother says.
Is that what my father tried to do? There’s so much I don’t know.
“But I see a passion for experiencing life that you had,” my father says.
“I have to go now. My soul is being called.”
“No, please stay,” he begs, pressing his forehead to mine.
“If I stay any longer, I will become a wisp, an echo.”
My father kisses my forehead.Thankfully. I don’t need that memory of kissing my dad.
