The ancient power that had been pressing against my consciousness was gone now, leaving behind an emptiness that felt almost as oppressive as its
presence had been.
I tried to push myself up from the floor and was surprised to find that some of my strength had returned while Athena was fighting the shift.
Not much, but enough that I could get my arms under me and lever myself into a sitting position without collapsing immediately.
My body still felt like I had been hit by a truck but the hollow emptiness inside me was starting to fill in again as my life force slowly regenerated. Whatever Athena had drained from me was coming back, drop by drop, like water filling a dried–up well.
I managed to get to my feet though my legs shook with the effort and I had to brace myself against the cave wall to keep from falling over. Every step toward her felt like walking through quicksand but I forced myself to keep moving until I reached her unconscious form.
was.
She was so small in her wolf shape, maybe half the size she should have been, and her fur was dull and lifeless instead of the glossy black it normally
I could see her ribs showing through her coat and her breathing was so shallow that I had to watch carefully to make sure her chest was still moving.
I knelt down beside her and carefully gathered her into my arms, trying not to jostle her too much in case she had injuries I couldn’t see.
She felt lighter than she should have, like whatever had been inside her had burned away part of her essence along with her human form.
Her wolf was completely unconscious and showed no response when I lifted her. Usually Athena’s wolf was alert and aware even when she was sleeping, but now she was limp and unresponsive in my arms like all the fight had gone out of her.
“Is she alive? Orion asked and his voice was hoarse from all the commanding he had been doing.
“Barely,” I replied and my own voice sounded rough and broken. “Her breathing is weak and her heartbeat is irregular but she’s alive.”
Orion nodded and ran a hand through his hair, leaving it sticking up at odd angles. He looked exhausted and older than I had ever seen him, like the
last few hours had aged him years.
There were lines around his eyes that hadn’t been there before and his shoulders sagged with the weight of what he had been forced to do to his own
sister.
“We need to get her somewhere safe,” he said and looked around the cave like he was seeing it for the first time. And we need something strong enough to keep her unconscious until we can figure out how to help her.”
I heard footsteps on the rocky slope leading above to the cave entrance and tensed until I recognized Derek’s scent.
He appeared at the mouth of the cave and took in the scene with a single glance, his eyes moving from the withered corpses of Daxon and Seraphine to Athena’s unconscious wolf form in my arms.
‘Is it over?” he asked quietly.
“For now,” Orion replied. “But we need to move fast. Can you help us get her out of here?”
Derek nodded and came down into the cave, careful not to look too closely at what remained of our enemies. He had probably seen enough when he
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Chapter 193
arrived to understand what had happened, what Athena had become and what she had done to survive.
‘The others are waiting outside,” he said as he helped steady me when I stood up with Athena in my arms. “Everyone made it out alive.
I felt some of the tension in my shoulders ease at that news. At least we hadn’t lost anyone else in this nightmare, at least the people who had risked their lives to help us were going home to their families.
The climb out of the cave was harder than the descent had been, especially carrying Athena and with my body still recovering from what she had done
to me.
Derek stayed close in case I stumbled and Orion brought up the rear, making sure we didn’t leave any evidence behind of what had really happened
down there.
When we reached the surface the sun was setting and the sky was painted in shades of orange and red that reminded me too much of the glow that had
1 surrounded Athena when the power had taken control of her.
here.
The sight made me shiver and I pulled her closer against my chest, as if I could protect her from my own memories.
The rest of our people were scattered around the area, some tending to minor injuries and others keeping watch for any sign that we weren’t alone out
They all looked up when we emerged from the cave and I could see the relief on their faces when they realized we were alive.
“Hope we didn’t lose anyone, Orion asked Derek like he didn’t hear him before.
Derek shook his head. “Everyone’s fine. A few cuts and bruises from the climb but nothing serious.”
Orion let out a breath I didn’t know he’d been holding and some of the tension in his posture eased. He had been carrying the weight of responsibility for every person who had come with us and knowing they were all safe was clearly a relief.
“We need to bring the bodies,” he said quietly as we reached the edge of the clearing.
I nodded even though the thought of going back into that cave made my skin crawl. Derek volunteered to handle it with a couple of the other men while Orion and I got Athena to the jet that was waiting to take us home.
The flight back felt endless even though it probably only took 2 hours. Nobody spoke during the entire trip, all of us lost in our own thoughts about what had happened and what it meant for Athena’s future.
I sat holding her unconscious wolf form and staring out the window at the landscape passing below while Orion sat across from me with his head in his
hands.
I could see the way he was looking at Athena when he thought I wasn’t paying attention, like he had failed her somehow, like everything that had happened was his fault. The guilt was eating him alive and I knew exactly how he felt because I was carrying the same burden.
I reached over and patted his shoulder, trying to offer what little comfort I could. He looked up at me with eyes that were red–rimmed with exhaustion and grief and nodded once in acknowledgment.
When we landed there was a car waiting for us on the tarmac, black with tinted windows that would hide us from any curious observers. Derek helped us transfer Athena to the backseat where I could continue holding her while Orion climbed into the front.
“Thank you,” Orion said to Derek before we drove away. “For everything you did today. I know this wasn’t your fight but you came anyway.”
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Derek shook his head and looked down at Athena’s still form. ‘She’s important to me too,” he said simply. “And you re my friends. Of course I came.”
I couldn’t even say anything, I was speechless.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
