Chapter 72


    Zara was sharpening her favourite daggers for two hours straight, listening to L giving orders to


    his people. She knew she had no right to distract him, and she had to live with it. In just a few hours, she


    will be in the sky, and they might never see each other again.


    She knew her role in all of this. She knew his role. They would be on different sides of the battlefield, and


    it would be impossible for her to watch him even from above. She wouldn’t be able to reach him, yet here


    she was–preparing her knives in case she did notice that he was in trouble. However, Zara knew she


    would fly down and shift back to her human form if she had to without blinking. This was so new. She


    wouldn’t have done it for Castiel.


    Two hands slowly wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer. L’s scent filled the


    world around her, and Zara let herself close her eyes just for a moment and embrace their warm


    moment. As if there were no cold weapons in her hands, as if they were not going to a battle soon… As if


    they were two regr people who had no crucial tasks to perform.


    “Mine,” L growled softly into her ear, and her toes curled from his voice alone.


    His palms traced her curves, one cupping her breast and another grasping her neck gently.


    “We shouldn’t-” she whispered but did not push him away. She couldn’t push him away.


    “On the contrary,” he covered her neck with kisses, leaving a hot wet trail. “We should because it’s now


    or never.”


    “L-”


    “I am going to mark you now, Zara,” he said in a tone that brooked no objections, and she gasped,


    turning to see his face and check if he was serious. His eyes said it all, and her lips trembled. No one


    ever wanted to mark her before.


    “Lam not your mate,” she reminded him and held her breath, not knowing if that fact would cool him


    down.


    “I already had a mate, and what I feel for you is no less. I don’t know if Fenrir and the Moon Goddess


    nned for me to have a second–chance mate, but if she is not you, then I do not want her.” L


    gently bit on the soft spot on her neck, making her arch her back in delight. “Because I only want you.


    Will you let me mark you?”


    “Yes,” she was happy that she had her back to him now and that he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.


    She liked to y it cool, but that lycan was making her emotionaltely. “One thousand times yes,” she


    added and heard a snarl of approval.


    L’s lingers removed her clothes, garment after garment, until she stood naked before him. He


    scooped her up and ced her on his desk, not letting her know that he had already carefully removed


    all the important papers from it because this was nned since his mind kepting back to her while


    he worked. She did not waste time either, unbuckling his jeans and freeing his hardness, stroking it while


    he crashed his lips into hers. They knew they were short on time, but they were going to make the most


    out of it. He drove into her roughly, fingers digging into her flesh greedily as Zara locked her legs around


    his waist. She pressed herself tightly against him, and they broke their kisses only when they needed to


    gasp for air. The room suddenly got so hot that it was hard to breathe inside.


    “Mine, mine, mine,” L repeated over and over with every thrust, and Zara moaned into his lips


    when her release rippled through her body.


    Breathing ragged, she whispered, “Now- Do it now!”


    “As you wish,” the Beta obeyed her wishes as he kept taking her and bringing her over the edge again.


    Zara tilted her head to give him better ess, and his strong hands held her in ce. He knew it would


    hurt her, and he had to be careful, so he made sure she was as close as possible to her next climax, and


    when he saw it in her eyes, he probed the ce gently first, piercing the skin lightly. “I ept you as my


    mate, Zara O’Neer!”


    He sunk his canines into her soft flesh, feeling her warm blood in his mouth, sharing his DNA with her


    and marking her for life. He could hear her heart racing in her chest, and a soft whimper left her chest as


    he kept thrusting into her. This tipped them both over the edge at the same time. The ecstasy of their


    newly forming bond was intoxicating and overpowering. He stilled, and his tiny bird froze, their bodies


    united in all of the ways, finally as one.


    “I love you,” Zara whispered, and L slowly got his teeth out of her, licking the wound gently to help


    it heal. It was so big on her delicate neck. For the first time, it urred to him that maybe it wasn’t such a


    good idea. It would take the mark a week or so to healpletely. What if it distracted her during her


    fight?


    “I love you too,” he responded and met her gaze. “I am sorry I didn’t think of the wound you’d have to


    bear. How much does it hurt?”


    “Enough to remember why I need to stay alive today,” she smiled and leaned forward to im his lips. “I


    wish I could mark you too so that you would have the same predicament.”


    “This now, was what I needed to want to stay alive,” L chuckled, but the smile turned out sadder


    than he had hoped. He ced his forehead on his chosen mate’s and closed his eyes. “When this is


    over-”


    “Shh,” the werebird stopped him, wrapping her arms tight around his neck, “When this is over, we will


    have our whole life before us. This is what I believe in.”


    “Good,” he hummed, and the piercing noise of the rm on his phone rang, notifying them that it was


    time to go.


    Petra found Ash right before he was supposed to leave. She ran into the courtyard when he was already


    walking towards his car, and he stopped in his tracks before he saw her. He felt her presence, and she


    knew it. It was still hard for her to decipher the meaning of their rtionship. It wasn’t exactly a rejection


    on his part, but at the same time, he did not ept her either. Not like she expected from a true mate.


    Petra has been dreaming of a mate since discovering they existed. What could be better than a person


    supposed to love you unconditionally? Sadly, this was precisely what she did not have. She remembered


    their fingerscing together just hours ago at Kai and Savannah’s ceremony, and that simple act made


    her believe that Ash wouldn’t reject her.


    “Wait!” she screamed and rushed his way, her pink hair whipped by the wind.


    Ash looked at his second–chance mate, and his wolf Nox screamed to embrace her here and now.


    However, the Alpha knew that it was a bad idea.


    Petra was already near and took his hand into hers without asking permission. “I know I am not what you


    wanted as a mate, and you don’t know what to do with me,” she said bluntly, and his lips parted in shock.


    “But let me prove that I can be just what you need as a Luna. Ash- Alpha Ash, I-”


    He hated that he made her feel this way, but maybe it was for the best. Ash had already lost a mate


    once, and today he was going to war, where he would be facing creatures far stronger than him. It would


    have been selfish to im her in any way now.


    Right now, if he ended up dead, she would cry a day or two for what they could have had. But if he


    deepened the bond, if he made her any kind of promises now, it would hurt her so much more if he did


    note back.


    “Petra,” he caressed her cheek gently, “you’re a wonderful girl, and don’t let anyone make you believe


    you are not enough. I saw you fight the white bears chasing us when we were getting Aspen out. You


    need more training, but you’re already a fighter. Even if you don’t realise it yet. And, Petra… you are


    smart. You managed to get to the end of the Luna Trials. And don’t get me started on how beautiful you


    are.”


    Her breathing hitched hearing his words. What was the problem then?


    He read her question in her eyes and felt terrible. Was he making a mistake by distancing himself now?


    “Then why are you-” she couldn’t bring herself to ask bluntly and cast her gaze down.


    Ash cupped her chin in one hand and made her look at him. “Because I want you to be free if I don’t


    return tomorrow.”


    She did not like this idea at all.


    “I am going to be fighting too,” she dered, taking him by surprise. “My pack is going, and so am I. And


    I don’t want to die thinking my mate did not want me. I don’t want to die not knowing how his lips tasted-”


    She did not get to finish because Ash mmed his lips into hers in a greedy, possessive kiss that made


    her forget the rest of her speech. She ced her fingers hesitantly on his chest, and it made him snarl


    into her mouth, making her lose her mind.


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    “Petra,” he growled, deepening the kiss, and she got brave, digging her fingers into him. She wanted to


    feel, to experience as much as he could give her.


    But Ash was the reasonable one, so after a while, he stopped the madness.


    “Petra, let’s agree on something,” he breathed, “When it’s all over… meet me at dawn. Here.”


    She liked that. It was a promise that wasn’t a promise, but it was something that gave her hope for their


    future together, something to look forward to.


    “We meet at dawn then,” she beamed at him, unable to hold back her excitement.


    “Any chance you would not go to fight?” Ash wondered. He remembered how she jumped at the huge


    bear who managed to catch up with them, but she wouldn’t havested long against him if she had been


    alone. “No,” she shook her pink curly head. “I already stayed back too many times. I’m not missing this


    one.”


    She turned on her blush pink heels and walked back into the castle, and Ash’s lips curled involuntarily.


    She was a surprise, that Petra. And so much was yet to be discovered.


    Aspen was pushing the wheels of his chair and swearing under his breath. The castle’s square bricks


    were not made for this. The castle wasn’t made for this. The life of a lycan wasn’t made for this. He


    wasn’t made for this. time.


    However, he couldn’t think of that now. He was still a Gamma. Even though Kai would probably have to


    find a new one over


    Luckily, his wolf was all right. So, at least he was able to fight in his second form. In his newfound


    situation, he regarded this as a blessing. He could still be a warrior.


    One of his men mind linked him, saying that he was needed at the main gate and this was where Aspen


    was headed. The wheels got stuck when he was already close to his goal, and there was nothing he


    could do about it, no matter what he tried.


    His stomach churned, thinking that he would probably have to crawl now to get anywhere. Luckily, a


    warrior rushed to his side, willing to help. That only made Aspen angrier because he had never needed


    help before. He was always the strongest, the fastest, the most skilful. Only Kai and L were able to


    compete with him as equals. And now some boy was going to push him in a wheelchair. This was a


    humiliation he couldn’t take.


    “Don’t!” he growled so loud that the walls shook, and the warrior stopped instantly.


    “I just wanted to-” the youngster tried to exin, but Aspen raised his hand to stop him. The Gamma


    quickly looked around, and his angry gaze fell on a bunch of spears in the corner.


    “Bring me one of those,” he pointed there, and his subordinate obeyed, doing as he was told.


    Aspen broke the sharp part in the spear and used the wooden stick left for support, standing up. He


    could feel his legs, but they were not listening to him. The way the bones grew together was awkward,


    and now he experienced excruciating pain when he moved. But anything was better than this chair. Even


    a staff he ended up with. At least that one could be used as a weapon if needed.


    He limped to the guard post at the gate, already sweaty from the effort he had to make, and noticed that


    his soldiers had perplexed expressions on their faces when they saw him, but at the same time, there


    was respect in their eyes because he wasn’t giving up.


    “What is it?” he snarled at them to keep them in check. Thest thing he needed was pity.


    “There is a girl, and she wants to see you,” one of his men reported.


    “For l’ck’s sake! Is that why you called me?” He would have ughtered them for this now if they didn’t


    need everyone in the morning.


    “Gamma,” another warrior addressed him respectfully, “she is a white bear.”


    Aspen’s whole world turned. He thought he started hearing things, but then he saw his men and knew


    that they were serious. He thought he might see her again, but for the past twenty–four hours, he was


    sure that it would be on a battlefield. He did not know what he felt about her anymore. At first, he hated


    her when he thought that all his friends were killed by her, but then most of them turned out to be alive.


    Most.


    Not all.


    The priestess killed that day, was the one he always went to see in Fenrir’s temple. He personally


    escorted her to the castle for Kai and Savannah’s ceremony and was distraught when heter found out


    she was one of the few who did not make it. Same as the soldiers who were killed trying to defend the


    castle. The ones whom he personally trained together with L.


    Such things were hard to forgive.


    Mate or no mate, that woman was his poison, and he was ready to snap her neck when he went to see


    her.


    Only that the girl who stared at his broad frame with wide doe eyes, wasn’t Brigit…


    Kai and Savannah led their army hand in hand to their position and found the bears already waiting for


    them on the other side of the field. Everyone knew this would end here one day, in the historical ce


    where the white bears and the lycans always fought each other. Kai intended for this battle to be thest.


    Mountains surrounded the field on one side, and Forbidden Forest was starting on the other. This was


    where the bears waited for them.


    They could see Bjorn in his human form at the head of his formation, ring at them. His gaze did not


    miss Kai holding Savannah’s hand, her wearing the same outfit she did at the Forgotten City during the


    Luna Trials and the big glowing mark on her neck. That one especially hurt him.


    Joran appeared at his side, cing his hand on Bjorn’s shoulder. “Just kill the King, and she will be


    yours. She was stolen from you, but the moment he is gone, your mate bond with her will be restored.”


    Bjorn knew this. This was all that kept him sely. That tiny flicker of hope kept him going.


    He met Savannah’s defiant gaze, and she turned away, standing on her tiptoes and kissing Kai. Her hair


    was gathered into a high ponytail with a northern braid in it. She knew how to y the game as he


    noticed the drones filming everything from the sky.


    So be it. Let them film this. Let them film how he would kill Fiongh and then drag his mate back where


    she belonged in his bed.


    Savannah broke the kiss, and they held their hands just a moment longer, squeezing them as hard as


    they could. They couldn’t show more emotions now because they had to radiate confidence.


    “It’s time,” she said with the saddest smile on her lips.


    “I know,” Kai replied, not wanting to let her go.


    But he had to. She was now leading her own squad – The Luna Squad. And her warriors yed an


    important part today. So, she, Elene and other she–wolves stepped back, leaving the scene, which


    looked as if they were retreating.


    Kai was left with L and Aspen in his wolf form by his side.


    His loyal brothers–in–arms. No words were needed between them. Everyone knew very well what they


    had to do.


    “What the “L narrowed his eyes, watching what was going on on the enemy’s half of the field. All


    of them darted their gazes there too, observing Joran stepping forward with an ominous sneer on his


    face. The skies became darker with malice as he faced the white bear army, joined by foxes and brown


    bears, multiplying their number at least by three.


    This, however, wasn’t the end of it. The deity raised his hands to the ck as ink clouds and thunder


    rumbled, followed by a few bright lightning bolts slicing the sky. They struck the bears‘ formation, and it


    glowed momentarily.


    “F*ck!” Kai swore loudly, realising what had just happened. He could feel that with his bones, the power


    erupting right in front of him as roars filled the world. One by one, the bears, the foxes, and some of the


    traitor wolves were turning into bigger and more dangerous versions of themselves with sharper canines


    and longer ws.


    “What is that?” L asked, still trying toprehend what was going on.


    “They just got blessed by Joran,” the Northern Lycan King said, voice grim. “All of them.”