Chapter 64

I stared at the picture that I held in my hand as I tried to sort my emotions. Grief, sadness, jealousy all coursed through me. I was so lost in my mind that only the tension on my mate bond alerted me to Sten’s presence.

Without acknowledging him, my thoughts wandered. His presence made me recall the last few days. I’d been so exhausted after my use of my magic that I’d slept for two days. I don’t even remember getting back to the cabin.

Frode and Rune had set us up in our room and cared for us as we recuperated. Sten and Erik didn’t have any serious wounds. A few days of rest, contact with me and good food had improved their overall health a lot in a short time.

Now, they were still healing, but were moving and in a lot better shape than they had been when we found them three days ago. Yesterday I’d spent the day with Erik and Sten, showing them how much I’d missed them. Then Frode and Rune had joined us for bed.

It was a relief that we were all back together again. It was hard to process how much I needed them in my life. How much energy it took to do the basics when we were forced to be apart like we had been. I smiled knowing that we weren’t going to be separated by Heris again.

This morning I finally wandered from the bedroom. After inhaling food and coffee I found Alek sitting on the porch. We had agreed to talk after Heris was dealt with, but we hadn’t had a chance to yet. I sighed and sat on the porch swing before letting him know I was ready.

We had spent about an hour talking about my parents. He was young when they passed, but he’d briefly met them. His parents had talked to him about them a lot, sharing stories and how great of leaders they were. Apparently, our parents had been close.

Growing up I’d often dreamed of what it would have been like if my parents hadn’t died. Hearing Alek speak about them I realized I would have been loved and had friends. I would of had everything I’d dreamed of.

When he left, he’d given me a stack of photos from his parents things. I’d settled on the second stair of the cabin and hadn’t moved as I looked through them. All of the photos captured happy moments. They showed their love for each other and for their territory. My heart swelled at seeing the pictures. As great as all the pictures were, it was the last two that stole my breath. They made all of the emotions I’d held back while we’d talked to overflow.

In the first one, my mother was holding me. I couldn’t have been more than six months old, and my father was sitting with her. They both looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world. It was a simple photo, but it showed their love and pride in being parents. In being my parents.

The second photo had been taken only moments after the first. Instead of looking at me, my parents were looking at each other. The love that the look shared would have brought me to my knees. The emotion from they looking at me was overwhelming, but this one hit home. This one I could relate to.

The way they looked at each other is the same way I look at my mates, and they look at me. It was an emotion that I was familiar with and I could feel myself. One day I’d look at a pup the way they looked at me, but right now where I was with my life-I could feel this emotion.

“I could feel you a mile away, princess. Alek left an hour ago and you haven’t moved. Want to talk about it?” Sten asked as he sat behind me.

A shook my head as warmth grew in my chest and I leaned back into Sten’s torso. I leaned my head against his thigh, closing my eyes as I let the feeling spread. For so long I’d been lonely. I’d longed for a family, for someone to look at me like my mates did. I’m not sure when it happened, but over a few short months, I ‘d found everything I’d been looking for.

And saved the world. Frode’s voice echoed through our link.

I grinned.

And saved the world. Well, the world as we knew it.

“You know there’s probably going to be more disasters to end.” Erik asked as he sat on the stairs beside Sten.

“I know, but we’ll face them together, like we’re supposed to.” I hummed.

Seers don’t have mates-none that are mentioned in the texts.

Sten’s words from before we mated entered my mind in the form of an intrusive thought. We’d made it through the prophecy together. Was something worse headed our way, or was it because of the prophecy that we were given each other? The moon goddess knew I’d need support and the strength of mates.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. A worry for another day. I knew Erik was right. There would always be more. More rogues, more trouble, more fights. But I meant when I said we’d face them together.

Rune and Frode joined us on the porch and for a long while we just sat together enjoying the spring breeze and quiet. After all the craziness the last few months had brought, today was the first glimpse of what normal may look like for us. It was everything I’d ever wanted.

I let myself dream of what the yard would look like with pups playing. A boat on the lake fishing as a family. A swing set in the beautiful meadow that would never see the blood from my first vision come true. I finally had everything I’d dreamed of, a family.