Page 4 of Oracle
I sounded so pessimistic, and I hated it. I needed to clear my mind so this negative energy didn't follow me back when I returned. My family would sniff out that there was a problem immediately if I acted downtrodden.
Pull it together, Kira. For them. You are doing this for them.
"Okay, then unless you have anything else to inform me of, I'm ready to return," I stated, a bit blunt and short with her, but it’s all I could manage in my current volatile state.
I lifted my chin and took a deep breath. As I exhaled, I let go of all of my resentment and anger. I focused on the faces of my mates and Morgan. Immediately, a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.
At least I would be able to make final memories with them. I'd take all the borrowed time I could get in order to soak up their love for just a bit longer. To my knowledge, no one got a second opportunity like this, and they definitely didn’t get to know how long they had left to live.
I suppose for that reason alone, I was lucky. It would force me to take advantage of every moment in the time I had left. I had the chance to see those I loved one more time.
Leading me to the vat of blue fire in the back of the room, she gestured towards it and explained, "It is the same as last time. Stick your hand into the flame and invite the universe to take you in its hold. You will be reborn into your new role."
Not wasting any time, I began to move my hand until Selene halted me, her voice calling out, "Wait. Kira?"
My head swiveled to look back at her just a few steps behind me. I cocked a brow quizzically and asked, "Yes?"
I was preparing myself for some other half-truth she had yet to tell me, anticipating one more obstacle that would make my journey harder.
As I stood there waiting for her to answer, I noticed her fingers were clasped in front of her, and she wrung them anxiously, clearly uncomfortable. But why? What could possibly make our goddess uneasy?
Her mouth parted and then closed quickly before she nibbled on her lip thoughtfully. With a seemingly satisfied nod to herself, she locked eyes with me and said in a rush, "For what it's worth, I'm sorry that this is your fate. I sense the love in your mate bonds, and I wish I could give you all an infinite lifespan together to truly deepen those ties and make millions of beautiful memories together. You are an incredible shifter, Kira. One of the most beautifully pure souls the world has ever seen. I wish things could be different. You deserve that."
Andthatwas what I'd needed to hear from her.
I sighed heavily, closing my eyes and feeling the weight of my anguish lessen. Selene’s words were a soothing balm to my aching heart, imbued as they were with all the things I needed in that moment: kindness, affirmation of my worth, and permission to feel a little bitter over being dealt a hand I didn’t deserve. Feeling a renewed sense of determination, I opened my eyes. "Me too, Selene. Me too."
Not giving her time to respond, I spun quickly, shoving my hand into the blue fire. The beautiful flames licked up my hand, wrapping around my arm and traveling up until they consumed me entirely in their warm embrace. Closing my eyes, I sent my intent out into the universe.
I'm ready to end this war, once and for all—for the wolves of the world to have a chance at the life I couldn’t have.
Maybe I wasn’t meant to have a happily ever after. Maybe my purpose was to help others achieve theirs.
CHAPTERTWO
KIRA
My eyes finally opened, taking in my world once again, but instead of familiar faces or sights filling my vision and bringing me the happiness I so desperately needed right now, it felt like the sun was two feet away from my eyeballs.
I hissed in pain at the intensity of the bright light that seared my retinas before I managed to squeeze them firmly closed again.
Where the hell was I?
A pulsing headache began to thrum behind my eyes, the telltale sign of a migraine oncoming.
"Wha…what is going on?” I groaned, my voice croaking as if I hadn’t used it in months. I desperately needed a cup or three of water. “Am I supposed to be blind on top of everything else for my last few weeks?" I muttered out loud, pessimistically, feeling like that would be just my luck.
"Kira!" Morgan squealed, and my heart dropped straight into my stomach in the span of seconds at the sound of her voice, hoping she hadn't heard that last part about “for the next few weeks”—or if she had, that she wouldn’t read into my words.
Fuck, it would not be a good start to being back if she did catch on to the meaning behind my words.Smooth, Kira. Back for a few seconds, and already you have foot in mouth syndrome.
I felt her smaller hand grip the top of mine, holding it tightly as if she couldn’t believe I was back, and my heart constricted at being here with her. It was a painful reminder that this was the last few weeks of my life with this kind and loving girl I had taken under my wing like a little sister.
She deserved the world at her feet after everything she’d endured, and would endure after I left. So much loss in her short life, like my own. Perhaps that’s why we felt like kindred spirits and had swiftly latched onto each other. We both understood the darkness that came along with loss, and the fact that sometimes you couldn’t always leave it behind. Sometimes you just had to find a way to be at peace within it.
I attempted to turn my hand over to hold hers back, but I quickly realized I couldn't move it. “What the hell? Morgan, what is going on?” I grumbled in discontentment at being restricted. It felt like it was confined somehow. No matter how much I wiggled around, no part of me could move.
Where the hell am I, and why can't I move, and why the fuck is it so bright?
