Page 93 of Cupcake

There was a snap before Logan was standing beside him.

“Dean?” Logan said his name quietly.

He looked up at his sweet mate. “I wanted to protect them.”

“I know you did.” Logan knelt at his side. “I’m sorry.”

“She didn’t deserve to die,” Dean said. “We had everything under control. Once we stripped the leaders of their magic, I thought that the rest of the coven would understand what they’d been doing.”

“They did understand,” Noah said, joining them. He blocked Dean from his sister’s body. “They just didn’t care. Even though the leaders weren’t sharing the bulk of the magic they stole. They wanted what little of the shifter blood magic they were receiving.”

Dean knew his familiar was right.

“At least she was the only life lost today,” Lucifer stated. “I’m sorry I couldn’t heal her. She was already gone and even I can’t bring someone back from death.”

“I understand.” Dean pulled Logan closer. “Thanks for coming. I don’t want to leave until the coven is gone.”

“Gone?” Logan asked.

Dean looked around the canyon. “They don’t deserve to live in a place this beautiful that was made off the suffering of others. Lucifer is contacting his demons, and this territory will go to one of the alphas that is taking in the shifters.”

“I like that idea,” Logan told him. He climbed into Dean’s lap. There was no one around other than Lucifer and Noah. Neither of them would care about Logan cuddling his mate. “That the shifters can claim the land and make something special out of such a terrible thing.”

“It’s the least the coven can do,” Dean said.

“Where will the coven go?” Logan asked.

“They aren’t a coven any longer. Any memory of using or having magic is gone. They are fully human.”

“It doesn’t seem enough,” Logan said quietly.

“What doesn’t?” Dean asked.

Logan ducked his head, but Dean wasn’t having any of that. Dean grasped Logan’s chin, forcing his boy’s eyes up.

“Tell me,” Dean requested.

“They killed people,” Logan said. “I get that you don’t want to take their lives, but should they really get to walk away from all of this?”

“Oh no, baby. The coven members and everyone involved in the murders have already been taken to the hell realm to face punishment. They just went as humans. I couldn’t take their lives with the magic they possessed but Lucifer can send all souls, dead or alive, to hell.”

“They’ll pay?” Logan asked. “For killing my father? Josiah’s best friend, Luna? For hurting my family?”

“They will pay for every misdeed they did, young lion.” Lucifer patted his shoulder. “The coven members that are alive here in this realm have a lot to make up for. They will need to make amends with the time they have left in this realm.”

Logan smiled. He cupped Dean’s face. “Come home with me?”

Dean looked around the canyon. The land was gorgeous. He hoped to come back one day to see what the shifters could make of this territory. He couldn’t help but look back at his sister’s body.

“Let us take care of her,” Noah said, placing his palm on Dean’s shoulder. “We’ll give her a proper burial.”

“Come home with me,” Logan said again. “Let our friends clean this up. You’ve done enough.”

He found himself nodding. Dean wanted to be with his mate. He was bone-deep tired. Relieved that the coven had been stopped but not really knowing what to do next. Maybe it was time to let someone else figure it out for once.

Logan rose before pulling Dean to his feet. His boy kept an arm around Dean’s waist, allowing Dean to lean against him. It felt nice to have Logan by his side. Only Noah had ever been with Dean, but he had a family now. A mate. Brotherhood.

“Thank you all.” Dean met Gavin’s gaze. As soon as the magical protections had been broken around the canyon, the thunderbird had swooped in, providing cover for them. It had taken all of them working together to defeat the coven.

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