Page 100 of Echoes From the Void

Bishop presses a soft kiss to my shoulder, his voice a low rumble. “Forever, Frankie. We’re yours, forever.”

Leo looks up at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Always, Frankie. No matter what happens, we’ll always be yours.”

Matteo nods, his dark eyes filled with love and devotion. “Till the end of time, Frankie. We belong to you, just as you belong to us.”

Dorian’s frost swirls gently around us, his voice soft, filled with emotion. “In this life and the next, Frankie. We’re yours, bound by love, bound by fate.”

I close my eyes, surrounded by their love, their warmth, their coolness, their strength. As we drift off to sleep, our bonds pulsing gently, I know that no matter what the future holds, no matter what trials we face, we’ll face them together.

And with that knowledge, I let sleep take me, content, loved, and completely at peace. Our pack, our bond, our love—it’s all that matters. It’s everything. It’s forever.

Chapter 34

Frankie

I wakein the deepest part of night, my pack asleep around me in a protective circle. Their essence mingles even in sleep—Matteo’s shadows curled possessively around my waist, Leo’s warmth reaching for me unconsciously, Bishop’s Guardian marks pulsing softly, Dorian’s frost painting delicate patterns across the ceiling as he dreams.

The void pulses beneath us, its hunger impossible to ignore now. My shadows reach for each mate one final time—memorizing how Matteo’s power feels like steel wrapped in silk, how Leo’s essence burns like captured sunlight, how Bishop’s energy hums with ancient purpose, how Dorian’s frost creates perfect balance with my darkness.

I slip from their embrace with shadow-stealth. None stir—a mercy that makes my heart crack. No goodbyes. No last kisses. No chances to stop what must be done.

Finn’s restless energy echoes through our twin bond as he leaves Tori’s sleeping form. His light reaches for my shadows across campus, our shared purpose pulling us together like magnets. We’re bound by more than blood now—bound by the weight of necessary sacrifice.

The void whispers beneath my feet as I move silently toward the door. My wolves materialize without being called, their ethereal forms casting strange patterns over my sleeping mates. One wolf lingers behind, watchful and protective.

Keep them safe,I tell it silently.Keep them warm.

The campus feels dreamlike as I cross it—every shadow holding memories I might never make again. The cafeteria looms ahead, its windows dark except for the approaching glow of Finn’s light.

We meet at the entrance, mirror images in shadow and light. No words needed. We both know why we’re here. Both know what must be done.

“Ready?” I ask softly, extending my hand.

His light twines with my shadows as our fingers lock together. “Together,” he whispers.

Behind us, Shadow Locke sleeps peacefully. Above us, stars wheel indifferently. And beneath us, the void pulses—patient, hungry, eternal.

We step forward, twins in power and purpose, to make our final choice. To save everything we love.

Even if it means sacrificing ourselves to do it.

The cafeteria door creaks open, our combined power making the wards shimmer and fade. Inside, moonlight streams through windows, turning empty tables into abstract shadows. I find myself drawn to my old corner spot, where I used to watch Leo pretending not to watch Matteo during team breakfasts.

“So,” I say as we settle, keeping my tone light despite the void’s pulse beneath us. “You and Tori.”

Even in darkness, I catch Finn’s blush, his light flickering like a stuttering flame. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Really? Because those shadows of hers seem pretty attached to your light.” My wolves circle lazily around us as I leanforward. “Not to mention how she keeps finding reasons to touch you.”

“Says the one with four mates,” he counters, but his smile mirrors mine. His light dances playfully with my shadows. “How exactly did that happen? I mean, I get Bishop—the whole forbidden professor thing is classic. But all four?”

Heat rises in my cheeks as my shadows swirl with remembered pleasure. “It just... happened. Like pieces falling into place.”

“Pieces that apparently involve making out in the library.” His eyes gleam with mischief. “Tori told me about walking in on you and Dorian.”

“Oh, we’re talking about walking in on people?” My shadows dance with amusement. “Because I distinctly remember finding you and Tori in quite the position behind the Guardian archives.”

Finn ducks his head, but not before I catch his pleased smile. Through our bond, I feel how his light brightens at just the mention of her. “She makes everything feel... clearer somehow. Warmer.”

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