Page 101 of Mated By the Pack
“That evil is still inside us,” Jace says. “He made us what we are.”
“Not exactly.” I shake my head. “During my time in The Aether, I saw a lot I couldn’t see while I was alive. Our father experimented on himself, sure. He blended wolf DNA with his own and did the same thing to our mother, but that was never the true source of our strength. Not after we learned to call our wolves.”
“I don’t understand,” Gideon says.
“Long before our time, druids and druidesses had a strong connection to The Aether. They achieved harmony with it, much like the harmony meant to be shared between The Aether and our world,” I explain, knowledge lost for centuries pouring out of me. “They walked on two feet in the daylight and ran on four paws in the darkness, when the moon shined brightest. Our mother was a direct descendant of those druids. One of the last ones left.”
“This would have happened to us regardless?” Caleb asks. “Was our mother able to shift? Could she call her wolf?”
“No, brother. As generations passed, the call of the wild was quelled. Forgotten,” I continue. “What was left inside our mother was a trace. Something no scientist could ever see. When The Aether could no longer contain the lost souls, nature itself was upended. That’s what caused the solar flare, the heat storms, and brought The Tangle to life. It awakened what was inside us—because it needed us again.”
“What it really needed was Calla,” Gideon sighs. “We were broken, just like everything else, until she healed us.”
“Indeed,” I confirm, patting Gideon on the back.
We needed her.
And she needed us.
CHAPTER 30
Calla
Iwake up confused. Disoriented. Like I’m stuck somewhere between The Aether and the world I grew up in. I blink my eyes into focus and realize I’m back at the bunker. In the den. My mates are surrounding me, but there’s no longer just five of them. A man with midnight hair looms in the back, standing taller than them all.
“Silas,” I murmur, extending my hand. “Did it work? Were you able…”
“You saved us, Calla,” Vance says, taking my hand and squeezing it. “Not only did you save us, but you brought Silas back.”
“From The Aether,” I whisper. “His soul wasn’t at peace. There was just enough left to grab onto. Enough to…”
“She’s weak,” Silas growls. “She needs rest, even if she’s finally awake.”
“No,” I groan, trying to push myself up. “We need to go back to Haven North. Your father said he’s going to sell… my friends.”
“Our father is dead,” Gideon says. “Clyde, too. You’ve been unconscious for almost a week. Silas and Caleb have been watching Haven North. The rest of us have been patrolling the roads while Vance stayed by your side. No sign of slavers at all.”
“It’s a lot easier to travel when we’re not trying to drag a bunch of puppies through The Tangle,” Knox says.
“And Haven North is undergoing something of a revolution, based on what we’ve seen,” Caleb says. “The tunnels have been filled in. The front gates stay open during the day. Our father isn’t around to administer supplements anymore, so I guess people are waking up—opening their eyes for the first time in a while, just like you.”
I take a deep breath and nod. That’s progress, even if it doesn’t confirm my friends are okay. At least I know they’re not being sold.
“You’ll keep checking?” I ask, searching their eyes for confirmation.
“Yes, Calla,” Gideon confirms. “We’re not going to hide in our bunker except when we need to hunt any longer. We talked about it and made that decision as a pack. If our bloodline is meant to heal the world, then we can’t ignore it.”
“Besides, if we tried, you’d just run off and try to save it again,” Jace chuckles. “We can’t continue our bloodline if you’re floating in the air, glowing with golden fire, and blowing everything in your path apart.”
“It was pretty fucking awesome though,” Vance adds. “But Silas is right. You’re still weak. You need rest.”
I sigh and lean my head against my pillow. I don’t feel the same energy I could feel when the bracelet was on my wrist. What’s inside of me is different, but I’m too weak to wield it. Maybe in time, I’ll figure it out.
But for now, I’m happy.
My friends aren’t in danger, and I’m surrounded by my mates.
It takes several days for me to get the strength to get out of bed. The power I called took a toll. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Despite it all, no matter how long I sleep, I never step into The Aether. I don’t feel it calling. I don’t feel anything but a steady hum—the sound of healing.
