CHAPTER SEVENTY-LYSANDER

Lysander's POV

She did it. That beautiful, courageous, stubborn woman finally did it.

A little gruesome, I'll admit, seeing the Sire's body lying in pieces, staining the snow, but it happened.

I decided to join her while my sister handled damage control. The Sire made quite the mess in his holding cells in his attempts to free dear old dad. The area of the ritual was covered in blood spatter and the wolves he had imprisoned were losing their minds at the shift in energy.

They could feel it.

My guess was that it was because their blood was used in the summoning. They were shifting and tearing at the walls, making Luna the best bet for getting them to calm the hell down. She was their 'god' after all. She could handle it.

Besides, I wanted to join my girl on the roof. She was alone, no doubt stressed by the sky suddenly morphing before her and the people losing their shit below.

I appeared beside her, grinning at the awful choice of attire for saving the world. Fuzzy pajama bottoms with little moons and stars along with an oversized t-shirt that no doubt belonged to Bastion. She wasn't even wearing a bra, which made her standing on a snow covered rooftop that much more amusing.

I suppose I didn't give her much of a choice, popping into her bed like that, but we were running out of time. The Sire managed to alter the visions that Luna and I had received; he managed to change destiny. King Lorec wasn't meant to be released for another month.

I should've had more time. She should've had more time.

But no.

The asshole used dark magic to expedite it without our knowledge. We tried our best to get through it, but Luna's and my power was faltering with the intense dark energy coming from the room. Not only that, but Luna ended up seriously injured by it.

Just remembering the way the leaking power melted her flesh made me queasy, and I wished I could burn that image from my memory forever.

I gripped Aria's hand to warm it. They looked and felt freezing, but I knew she couldn't tell because of the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Damn, she was stunning.

She asked me for rest, but I couldn't promise her that. I wished I could. She had been through hell, and I wanted nothing more than to give her a break, but we were finally here. The real battle had just begun.

I kissed her head, feeling the jolt of pleasure that made her gasp and me smile. My lips hadn't touched her since the power exchange, and I had wondered if this would happen. Our souls were tied.

This made it that much harder to resist her. Hell, I wished I could just put my lips on hers so I could feel what I felt back then all over again. She was like a drug, addicting, exhilarating, and dangerous to every part of my being.

Her heart didn't lie with me, I knew that.

She had two Kings, two lovers. She didn't desire me. She had made that very clear, but I didn't mind as much as I should. Just being around her made me happy. If I could spend every day, even if I were just in the shadows, by her side, I would be the happiest man in the world.

I glanced back over the city, which was quickly coming undone. People were screaming about end times and the apocalypse. Humans sure did have wild imaginations, though I was curious to see how they would respond to the truth.

This was far from the end. The world was just under new management.

"Lysander." My name coming from her lips immediately brought a smile to my face.

"Yes, darling?" I turned to her once again, my free hand coming up to warm her frozen cheek. Shit, she was cold.

I teleported my favorite blanket from my sofa back home, freeing both hands so I could wrap her trembling body in it. She sniffed at it, smiling in bashful satisfaction. I chuckled.

"Thank you. It, um, smells like you." Was that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Well, it is mine. I hope it's warm enough for you, dear." She nodded shyly, and I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, pulling her to my chest and masking the sound of my frantically beating heart.

"Can I ask you something?"

I hummed into her shoulder, resisting the urge to bury my nose into her neck. Her scent was so comforting, and I wasn't even a wolf with a heightened sense. She just smelled that phenomenal.

"Of course. Anything, Queen."

"Who was it?" I cocked my head.

"Who was what?"

"The mortal you fell in love with." Shit. I knew she wouldn't drop this. I cleared my throat.

"Who says there was only one?" I mumbled in return.

"Wait, no way. You've loved more than one mortal?" She said, incredulous. I chuckled into her hair.

"You could say that. Then again, what is love, really? Some would argue that love only exists for those who stay in love. If it's lost, then it was never truly love." She pondered my words, a small smile coming to her lips.

"Just like Bastion and me. We stayed in love without the bond, so that must mean it's real, right?" My shoulders fell slightly, but I hid it by turning her around and looking into her lovely green eyes as if she never spoke at all.

"Right. Let's get you back, shall we?" I pretended to be cold, letting a shiver run down my spine, but I really just didn't want our conversation to continue. It was becoming challenging to hear about her irrevocable love.

"Can we stay here for a little longer?" She asked, much to my surprise.

"Sure. But why? I figured you'd be eager to get back to your Kings." Not that I was complaining. I loved our moments together without them. She sighed.

"Yeah. That's just it. You didn't hide yourself from them, and I'm sure they're losing it right now. I don't really feel like explaining why you were straddling me in bed." I pulled her front against my chest, basking in her warmth and letting out a laugh into the cold winter air.

"Sorry, sweetheart. It wasn't intentional. I just forgot to cloak myself. I was a little panicked at the moment, as you could imagine." She giggled in response, that soft little giggle that made me lose track of my thoughts.

"I didn't think you had to think about hiding yourself. I assumed it was only an effort for you to show yourself with how few you do it." Oh, if you only knew. "But I guess it's not fair for me to keep you tied up like this. I bet you have more important god things to do."

She pulled away, making me flinch. She really had no idea how much I enjoyed spending time with her, even after all this time. Not that I was going to tell her. I didn't even understand how I felt. It was foreign and unknown for me.

"Okay, but I have to hold you to take you back." I lied, pulling her back in and resting my chin on her head.

Where to take us? I suppose the best place would be somewhere private in the mansion, but why would I do that when I could deliver her directly to her Kings?

"Hold tight, dear," I instructed, focusing on the warmth of the chamber.

Within a second, we were there. I glanced up to see both men, frozen in place as they took us in, my arms tightly embracing their love. I smirked in cruel satisfaction. They were inwardly debating whether or not to kill me or hold and tend to Aria.

I answered for them by releasing her into their waiting arms, before masking my presence.

"Fuck, Aria, where the hell have you been!" Bastion boomed, scanning her body.

"Where the hell is he? What did he do to you?" Rory seemed much more focused on finding me than her welfare, which was rather surprising and concerning. What was with the change of priorities? Aria shook her head.

"I'm fine. Lysander didn't do anything wrong, Rory. He came to get me. I, uh, had to defeat the Sire King." Both men's eyes shot to her, Rory rushing to her side and grabbing hold of her hands once he processed her words.

"Holy shit, you killed him?" He asked, shifting his grip to her face.

"Yea, and that bitch of a wife of his too," She growled. I bit my cheek. She was so ruthless when it came to protecting her loves.

Suddenly, she winced. I stepped towards her in panic.

"What's wrong, love?" Rory rushed, removing my blanket to get a better look at her bloodied body. The wounds were sealed, but the silver from the bullets were still burning her muscle tissue. I should've healed her before bringing her back.

"I have bullets in my arm that need to be removed," She confessed, her eyes screwed shut in pain.

"Lysander." Luna's voice rang out in my head. Damn it. Aria's life wasn't at risk, so I knew I couldn't rightfully ignore her.

"What?" I snapped, probably a little too harshly.

"I need you, here. Now. Sicily is calling a meeting." I groaned. That was the last person I wanted to see. "Attendance is mandatory," She added, as if she knew my response.

"Fine," I replied curtly before appearing before my dear sister. She was waiting for me in the lobby of the apartment complex, coated in sweat and blood.

"How's the Queen?" She smirked, cleaning her hands on her dress.

"Ask her yourself," I snarled. She held her hands up in defense.

"Woah there, someone's moody." I sighed, crossing my arms in indignation. I was not in the mood to be teased.

"Where's the damn meeting, Luna?"

"Eager to see your girlfriend?" She snickered.

"Not. Funny." She tried to stifle her laughter, skipping towards me and wrapping her still messy hands around my neck.

"Atlantis. But I need a shower first."

I hated being her taxi, but that came along with my ability. I couldn't expect her to drive across the country just to get changed.

"Yeah, you reek. I'll need one now, too, thanks to you. Your house it is."

.

.

.

Luna's house was much more lavish than mine, which was strange considering her people lived humbly and mine lived in luxury.

It sat on a massive hill overlooking one of Michigan's great lakes, a 6,000-square-foot glass cube equipped with all the latest technology. I didn't even know how to use half of the things in it, not that I had to very often. We usually went to my family-style home in Pittsburgh for these things.

I padded down the hall to her spare bathroom, turning on the faucet with the press of a button on the control panel. It was set to 104 degrees Fahrenheit, but I bumped it up. I preferred my baths and showers just below scalding.

I released the band in my hair, letting it fall to my mid-back in layers. I wondered if Aria minded my long hair. Maybe I should cut it? I had always worn it this way, though. It was once common for men to let their hair grow out, and I thought I looked better that way, but perhaps it was time for a change. It was a little annoying to tie back all the time.

I didn't bother using haste to wash myself, hoping to put off the inevitable visit for as long as possible. The water felt heavenly, as if it were cleansing me of the day's stresses. My dad was back. I hadn't seen him in hundreds of years, and I hoped I wouldn't see him ever again. So much for that plan.

Once I was done, I walked to the floating shelf to grab a towel.

I could've teleported it, but lately my memories were already haunting me, and I didn't feel like having to use my power and relive them if I didn't need to. I groaned when I realized I would have to use them anyway. I had to get some clothes from my house.

I closed my eyes.

"Oh, Lysander. That's your problem. You're so ready to hand out love. Love isn't enough."

Fuck. I glanced down at my newly acquired outfit before pulling it onto my body.

Why couldn't happy memories come to me? Like the night with Aria on the balcony, where she watched me with the most awed look on her face as I held her. I would love to experience that again.

Knock, knock.

"Brother, can I come in?" I shook my head to clear my mind, rolling up my shirt sleeves and reaching for the hairbrush.

"Sure."

My sister opened the door but stayed leaning against the frame, watching me.

"You've been thinking about her a lot lately. Have you spoken to her about how you feel?"

"For heaven's sake, Luna," I muttered grumpily. She was so damn nosy.

"I'm just asking. You never know what she'll say."

I scoffed, tying my hair into a high ponytail without bothering to dry it.

"I do know what she'll say. She'll say that she's madly in love with her mate and royal and that I have no business feeling anything for her."

Which was true, and I hated it. What's more, I hated that it was my fault in the first place. I'm the one who selected Rory to be her royal. But that was before I really got to know her. If I hadn't selected a royal for her at all... no, she would still have Bastion. Besides, that would be changing destiny, which I wasn't supposed to do. My job was to keep balance, not disrupt it for my own selfish gain. That was what Dad did, and he had to suffer the consequences.

"Then what are you planning on doing? Following her around in secret for the rest of her life?"

"Pretty much, yeah." I turned to her, leaning back against the vanity with a cold expression.

"You're going to be miserable."

"I'm used to it." Her face turned solemn at my words. "Don't. Don't pity me, you know I hate that," I replied in exasperation.

"I'm not, brother. I just want you to be happy. We don't know who was standing beside her in-"

"Stop right there. You are not honestly suggesting that it could be me. That's bullshit, and you know it."

"No, I don't know that, Lysander. We don't know what will happen. That's the last vision we had, and anything is possible."

My heart tightened at the possibility, but there was no way I was going to entertain it. I had gotten so used to being able to see our visions of the future, but now that Dad was free it was impossible. Everything was going to be a surprise, even for us.

There was only one thing I was certain of: Aria and I would never be together.

I was doomed to chase love I could never have. History repeats itself, and that was true with me.

"Thanks for trying to help, sis, but I'm fine. Really. Let's just head to Atlantis, 'kay?" I gave her a reassuring smile, but she knew better. She could hear the sorrowful musings in my mind.

Thankfully, though, she didn't comment on them. She just nodded, standing up straight so I could teleport us there.