Mountains Beyond Mountains Novels & Stories

Jasper’s POV After days of traveling, dust and exhaustion clinging to us like a second skin, Liam and I finally crossed the border of Silvermoon pack. The cold mountain air bit at my lungs, and the tall pines stretched like guardians around their territory. My wolf was restless, pushing inside my chest. He wanted to find her. He wanted to see Lydia. I rubbed my temples and exhaled. *Steady now. First things first.* “Go, Liam,” I told my son, my voice rough from the long road. “Ask the healer to help us. I’ll go find your mom.”

I see the team of idiots loading useless garbage onto the vehicles that will soon be bound for the docks. I shake my head, looking around. From the high perch, I can see the entire city and far off into the distance, where the billowing clouds meet the snow-covered mountains that border the inland pass. It’s not possible to see all of our Green Mountain realm, but I can admire all the progress we’ve made in modernization, mostly in spite of my father.

This continued until we graduated. Old Mrs. Langham found out about me and called me uncouth, which led to Ian refusing to return to the Langhams. He insisted on working part-time with me while we lived together in a rented basement, and we fell in love. Ian's migraine started when we were living together in that basement. I learned the art of massaging to help him soothe his migraine, and it worked miraculously on him. Ian used to say that this was the power of true love because the Langhams had hired the best doctors to treat him, but to no avail.

As though countless individual stories were beginning to weave together into something larger. She sensed grief. Hope. Determination. Love. Fear. Every emotion remained present. None dominated. The balance felt significant. The mountain was teaching them something. Not through words. Through experience. Connection did not eliminate difference. It allowed differences to coexist. When she opened her eyes again, sunlight had broken through the clouds entirely. Golden light spilled across distant snowfields, transforming the landscape. For a moment the mountains appeared endless. Ancient. Patient. Draven followed her gaze. "It's strange."

"Why haven't you gone yet?" I had already run three errands since the reunion began. The storm outside had soaked me over and over until every inch of my clothes clung to my skin. Adrian noticed the water running down my face and fell silent for a moment. Serena, my supposed best friend, hurried to smooth things over. "I only mentioned it casually. Don't go out again in weather like this." As she spoke, she expertly pulled a handkerchief from her purse. It matched Adrian's exactly.

A cool breeze drifted from the darkness beyond. It carried the scent of rain, flowers... And something older than time itself. As the opening widened, everyone stared in amazement. Beyond the doorway was not another underground tunnel. It was an entirely different world. An endless valley stretched before them beneath a sky unlike anything Liana had ever seen. Two moons hung overhead even though it was daylight. Crystal rivers flowed between emerald hills, and giant white trees reached toward the heavens. Floating islands drifted peacefully above the landscape. Birds with glowing wings circled the sky.