Chapter 78


    Chapter 78 Under The North Star The Finale


    Savannah breathed heavily with her eyes closed. Trapped inside of the ancient passage within the


    mountain, she tried not to think about Kai. Not only was he thrown from the sky onto the deadly spikes,


    but now he was probably also covered with a merciless sea of snow. Her heart stung, making her dizzy,


    and her fingers went to the mark on her neck.


    Gideon was saying something to the unfortunate bears who were locked in with them now, although his


    speech sounded more like growling, but Savvy couldn’t bring herself to listen.


    She rubbed the mark near her corbone, its glow and the crescent on Gideon’s neck were the only


    two things illuminating the dark. space around them.


    The glow suddenly gave her hope. It wasmon knowledge that the marks were fading slightly if one


    of the mates was dead. Not to mention that Savvy was supposed to feel Kai’s pain if he died. She didn’t


    feel anything of the sort. She was fine, just scared to death. and worried sick. The nausea was getting


    stronger, and she rubbed her belly hoping to suppress it.


    “Little one,” she whispered so that no one could hear her, “I need your help now. I need to find your


    Daddy so I can’t be sick. Please, baby, help me stay strong. I need to bring him back for the both of


    us.”


    She tried to think straight and tried to trust her instincts..


    When Zack was alive, she could feel a lot of what was going on in his life. She had to believe that it


    was the same now. Her bond with Kai was much stronger. She was slowly calming down, knowing that


    there was no chance of him being dead. Her soul had not been ripped apart. Her mate was still alive,


    and she was going to find him.


    They waited for the vibrations to stop. Unfortunately, it took some time. One of the warriors brought her


    clothes, and she put them on, still leaving the scarf wrapped around her neck. She would have to go


    and search for Kai the moment she was free from this ce.


    “I think it’s over,” Gideon said, and she exhaled heavily, ready to find out what the wave of deadly snow


    did to their people.


    “Could you feel anyone via your mind link?” she asked her brother and saw his face, illuminated by the


    light of his mark, tense. “Just a few,” he admitted. “Reid is fine, I think, but others may be just busy or


    unconscious. It doesn’t mean that they are-” None of them wanted to say the word. It was probably


    na?ve, but they wanted to cling to the belief that their people were alive, even if just for a second longer.


    “Move the rock,” Savannah ordered the bears, who stood quietly without making a sound.


    Outnumbered, they did not dare be arrogant. “Put this strength of yours to good use for once,” she told


    them, and they nodded silently, getting to work.


    “The rest should step back,” Gideon chimed in. “When the rock is gone, this ce could be flooded


    with snow. We don’t know how bad it is outside.”


    Soon, they had to admit that the situation was probably terrible because the white bear shifters


    struggled to remove the rock, meaning that the snow buried them alive here. Gideon had to shift into


    his Royal Lycan form, and together they managed to move it after a brief struggle. The snow did press


    inside as predicted, but it wasn’t too bad as there was plenty of space in the passage cave.


    Slowly, they started to work as a team, moving the rock farther away and digging the snow around it to


    give it more space. They were lucky to have been blessed by two gods. The extra strength and high


    endurance were handy now.


    Finally, after a few hours of work, they managed to free themselves, and Sawy could finally see what


    had happened to their armies. Everything was white below them, and snow mist was obstructing the


    view. But their shifter hearing allowed them to hear the growls and snarls of people struggling beneath,


    meaning that there were many survivors.


    “Well,” Savannah sighed, “that’s one way to end this battle.”


    “And hopefully war,” Gideon agreed, next to her. “Let’s go, sister. We are needed down there.”


    “This is where I have to temporarily entrust my people to you, brother,” Savannah looked him in the


    eye, and he knew she was full of determination. “I have to find my mate first. I know that he’s


    somewhere out there.”


    “Savvy,” Gideon didn’t know how to say this. “Look-”


    “He’s there!” She insisted, not wishing to hear otherwise. “I know this and I am not going to rest until I


    find him.”


    “Still, the people below need to see at least one of you now,” her sibling insisted. “Or you risk returning


    to a few self proimed kings.”


    Savvy hated that he was right and knew what Kai would want her to do.


    So, she went down and spent hours making ns for the rescue teams. The bears and foxes did not


    know what to do, but when they realised their King was nowhere to be seen, they started following her


    orders too.


    After all, if they wanted to save their friends from this cold death trap, they had to work as a team.


    Hourster, Savvy made herst orders and prepared to leave. “You don’t think you are going alone,


    do you?” L caught up with her fast and whistled for a few more warriors to join them. “We aren’t


    leaving our King and Queen.”


    “Good,” she nodded as Zara stood by her side too. “We have a lot of work to do, and Gideon, Riannon,


    and Kyle can take it from here,”


    But the longer they searched, the harder it got.


    Savannah walked through the snow, ignoring how the cold bit at her skin through the clothes. This was


    too cold even for shifters, but thanks to being mated to Amarok, she was doing fine. Zara flew over her


    head andnded next to her, shifting into her human. L wrapped her into his arms at once, both


    looking tired now after hours and hours of wandering through the snowy mountains in vain.


    news.


    “Did you see any trace from above?” Savvy asked, slightly sorry to interrupt the love birds..


    Unfortunately, Zara only shook her head, lowering her eyes. She could not face Savvy, knowing she did


    not bring her good


    It had been so long, and everyone was exhausted. The battle, the avnche, the rescuing of survivors,


    everything was taking its toll on them, but Savannah stubbornly kept walking.


    “You need rest,” L told her. “If Kai was here, he would never forgive me for taking such terrible


    care of you. Especially considering-”


    He got quiet, but she knew what he meant. Especially considering she was expecting.


    “Savvy,” Gideon caught up with them in his wolf form and shifted back into a human. He didn’t even


    open his mouth yet, but his sister had already shaken her head.


    “I am not going back until I find him!” she informed them all firmly. A part of her wanted to sob, but she


    was too tired even for that. All she could do now was keep walking, keep making her feet move in the


    snow against their will. All for one purpose only – she had to get him back. but-”


    “Savvy!” Gideon made her stop and look at him. “Sawy… I only want what’s best for you, I swear, I


    know how much you love him,


    But he believed that Kai could be dead. They all did even despite her telling them so many times that


    she felt he was alive. “Listen to me!” she snapped. “All of you! He is Amarok! Literally a huge, powerful,


    and Fenrir-blessed ice wolf! He can handle this snow better than all of us!”


    “If it was just the snow, Savvy,” Gideon said, eyes downcast. He knew so well what his little sister was


    feeling now. If it was Riannon missing, he would go insane and never give up. But then Savannah


    would be the one trying to bring him back to his senses. Right now, it was his duty to tell his sibling that


    the man she loved more than anything in this world had probably already died, and as unfair that all the


    sh*t that had already happened to her in her life was – It was just the tip of the iceberg. There was


    nothing worse than losing one’s mate.


    “Savannah,” the King of the West made his sister look at him, “the snow is not a problem for him. It’s


    true. But he fell a few good miles from the sky against ice and hard rock. The werebirds were searching


    for him all over the area and found nothing. Which means he was buried somewhere during the


    avnche. If he could move, he would have already gotten to the surface, Or connect with you or


    anyone else via the mind link. Savvy, I love you so much, and I am so sorry, but-”


    “No!” she stopped him coldly. “don’t you dare finish that sentence! I don’t care what you think! I know


    what I know. I know what I feel. And I know that my mate is alive, and I’m not leaving him out here


    alone! Not when he needs me the most! He came to save me when I was captured, and now it is my


    turn to save him. This is how we work! And you, of all people, should know that!”


    “Sawy,” Gideon ran his hand over his face, “think about the child.”


    “I am thinking about the child!” She lost thest bit of her patience and snarled at her brother. “I’m not


    leaving my pup without a father! Now, if you’re not going to help me, move out of my way!”


    “I am afraid I am going to insist!” Gideon stepped in front of her with a grim expression on his face.


    “Again, I am so sorry, but if Kai was here, he would be grateful for this. You have toe back to your


    castle and get some rest. Others can continue the search party, but I am taking you home.”


    She stared at him in disbelief. She knew very well that he always kept his promises. Gideon was


    prepared to take her home against her will. And although she could understand his intentions, it still


    made her angry to the core.


    “We are not in your Kingdom for you to tell me what to do anymore,” she informed him bluntly, raising


    her head regally so that he could know that she was serious and did not n to budge. “If anything,


    you are now in my Kingdom, brother. The warriors that surround us now belong to mel They take my


    orders, and trust me when I say this: I will order them to fight you if I have to, because nothing is


    stopping me from searching for Kai! Nothing and no one! Not even you! So, don’t test me!”


    Gideon stood there, shocked by his little sister’s words. It was his mistake, though. She wasn’t little


    anymore. He had seen this before, but now he had no doubts. Savannah Fiongh was a Queen to be


    reckoned with. He was losing for the first time in his life.


    “My apologies,” he bowed his head respectfully, feeling a strange mix of emotions where he had to let


    go of something pure and innocent, but at the same time, pride and respect were quickly filling this gap,


    “I overstepped, but, if you will allow me, I wish to stay by your side until we find him.”


    “Stay then,” she agreed with ease. “But no more talk about going back. I will only return with my


    husband by my side!”


    It was dark when they had to take a break. Zara brought them food and more warm clothes to wear.


    None of it interested Sawy, as she couldn’t sit still even for a moment. She drank a cup of hot tea and


    ate something quickly simply to get everyone off her back.


    Then she kept staring at the night sky while waiting for the others. Even if they decided to stay for the


    night, she would continue her journey. She had already lost too much time while helping people after


    the avnche.


    The stars were shimmering like scattered moondust in the night sky, but Savannah looked only at one


    of them while holding her precious ne in her hands. The pendant he gave her.


    “How do I find you now?” she whispered the question and felt her eyes stinging. She blinked away the


    tears not to show her weakness to the shifters apanying her. She was aware that the moment she


    did, they would drag her home for protection, and this was something that she couldn’t afford.


    Her heart was calling for Kai, and she found herself praying to Fenrir and the Moon Goddess together


    while looking at the North Star above her head.


    “Help me find him, help me find him, help me-” she chanted desperately, panting.


    Savannah threw her head back to gulp the frosty air and closed her eyes for a moment. She knew she


    was missing something this whole time. He was alive, and he was so close, but she was doing


    something wrong.


    She clenched her North Star ne so hard, and the mark on her neck prickled her too… Her North


    Star mark… Savvy opened her eyes in sudden realisation.


    The North Star! It was there all the time, showing her the way. All the magic in Kai’s life was connected


    to it. He was the Star!


    Why didn’t she think about it before?


    “I know where to go!” she shouted at herpanions, and they stood up immediately. The Queen


    couldn’t wait for them. The sudden surge of strength was pushing her to keep going.


    She had to find him! He had to be there.


    North


    She ran through the crispy snow, not caring about the cold or anything else. She ran for so long, getting


    between huge rocks, passing a frozen river… She ran, and she ran, watching the direction the North


    Star was giving her. The night was stepping aside, giving its ce to the dawn of the new day, but the


    star still stayed shining in the sky right next to the bright moon. Savannah sped up, too afraid that she


    didn’t have much time.


    Atst, she reached the bottom of a tall gorge and stopped, seeing that this was a dead end. The snow


    nket covered everything here, and in the very centre of the passage, stood a small icy hill.


    She wasn’t sure what to do. It did not seem right. All her instincts were screaming at her that she was


    in the right ce, but her eyes were telling her otherwise.


    “Sawy, Zara ced her hand on her Queen’s shoulder. “I-”


    “Fly around this area; look for him!” Savannah shrugged. “The rest, start digging. Kai is somewhere


    close! I know this!”


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    No one replied to her, and only L went forward and started digging the snow as ordered. He was


    the one whoined the least, because he wasn’t ready to lose his King and best friend either.


    Thankfully, the rest followed his example.


    Savvy was removing the snow and the pieces of ice, feeling angry and frustrated. But still not ready to


    give up.


    After about an hour, the star was gone, and she started to feel desperate. And furious. So furious that


    she began to scream at the top of her lungs.


    “Kai!” Her voice was so loud that her friends feared she’d cause a new avnche. “Kai! I know you are


    here! Kai!”


    She started hitting the ice block before her, remembering how she had already fisted a wall once when


    she was desperate. Now she was not only hopeless but also enraged.


    She would crush those northern mountains if she had to! She wouldn’t stop at anything!


    But this was when the ice before her started glowing…


    When Kai was falling from the sky, the only thing that worried him was that Savannah stayed alone with


    Bjorn and the goddamn dragon. He knew it was too high for him to survive the fall, but giving up was


    never an option. Not when his mate was in danger.


    “It’s going to hurt!” Asgard warned him, but Kai did not have a problem with that. As long as they got to


    return for her again, he was fine. “Give me the control!” his wolf growled, and he obeyed. He did not


    have any good ideas now, but it seemed like his wolf had a n.


    Kai could feel how ice started growing from his spine, every bone of his, every cell of his body… It was


    covering him whole, and then more and more formed around him. He couldn’t breathe anymore, and at


    first, it was scary, but then he quickly realised that in this state, it wasn’t required.


    “Only hibernation can save us now,” Asgard exined through gritted teeth. “It may take a while to


    wake up, but-”


    “Whatever works,” Kai grunted. A day, a year, ten years… He’d take it for a chance to be with


    Savannah again. Anything was better than dying and leaving her behind.


    By the time he reached the ground, he was an unbreakable globe of ice. His blood flow froze, and he


    had to close his eyes because he couldn’t stay awake anymore.


    The darkness enveloped him, and he had to give in to it.


    Until bright light made him wake up again. It was so pure and luminous that he was sure it was the


    North Star itself. However, soon he realised that the golden glow was something else. It was getting


    closer and closer to him, and then he finally heard it. Not with his ears because the ice was blocking


    the soundspletely but with his heart. She was calling his name, and there was so much pain in her


    voice that he couldn’t ignore it.


    Savannah was near, and she was searching for him. Her soul was searching for him, and his soul was


    responding.


    “Kai!” her voice was so hoarse that it pained him.


    “Savvy!” he growled, and the strength started to return to him. He remembered that he was the one


    who controlled the ice, not the other way around.


    The molecules obeyed him, cracking his prison. Myriads of ice shards flew in different directions, yet


    not one of them hurt his mate or his friend. He was in full control, and now he finally stood up before


    Savannah, alive and well. And radiating power as if he was a deity himself.


    Savvy’s breathing hitched when she realised that the ice hill was actually where her mate was


    preserved. It wasn’t an obstacle. It was the final destination.


    “Kai,” she couldn’t stop repeating his name as tears streamed down her face. It was him. He was alive.


    The worst thing that could happen to her never did. She did not lose him. She’d never lose him again.


    “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily my Queen,” the Northern King shifted into his human form, and


    this time she did not hesitate.


    She threw herself into his arms, crying andughing at the same time.


    “Don’t cry!” he said, kissing away every tear on her face. “My brave, beautiful mate. Never cry because


    of me. I’lle back for you from the dead if I have to. Do you hear me, Savy? Lam-


    “You are not going anywhere anymore!” sheughed. “I promise you that, Fiongh! Our child and I


    need you!”


    “Agreed,” he said, covering her lips with his while his fingers faced into her tangled hair. “My Quech, my


    wife, my mate…”


    Their friends watched them with relief on their faces. Once again, these two were so close to disaster,


    but somehow they managed to bring everything back to order again.


    Gideon smiled, happy for them. He finally knew that he could leave the North with a calm heart when


    the time came. Savannah was in good hands, but also… also she did not need anyone to take care of


    her. Now she was the one taking care of everyone around her.


    “You are so cold!” Kai whispered, moulding Savvy into his rock hard body. “Let’s go, my love. We are


    going home.”


    She giggled again as he wrapped his hands around her and lifted her up to spin her around. This was


    surreal. Arguably, one of the best moments of her life.


    “Just so that you know,” she smirked at him, entwining her hands around his neck. “We won that war,


    and I think our kingdom just got bigger.”


    “Sounds good to me,” he chuckled. “Because are not stopping on just one pup, Savvy. Our kids will be


    invading the North in twenty something years”


    “I hope that’s a promise,” she murmured into his ear.


    “Take it as an unbreakable oath, my Queen,” he caught her lips again and ced her back onto her


    feet. “And now, take your right) ce on my back. I am not letting you make another step today.”


    In his wolf form, Amarok kneeled before her, and she climbed on top of him, leaning over the soft fur


    she loved so much. He still smelled of pine forest and frosty northern mountains. Her most favourite


    scent in the world. The one she’d be inhaling every day for the rest of her life…


    It took Brigit a while until she found the one she had been searching for. She knew she couldn’t leave it


    to destiny. Destiny was always too cruel to her, and it seemed like she always had to do everything with


    her own hands.


    Bjorn’s body was lying on top of a hill that towered over a frozen river. She shifted and kneeled next to


    him, ordering her warriors to leave them be. This was something she had to do alone.


    She pped him. Hard. And when he did not move, she did it again and again until the white bear


    monster opened his healthy eye and tried to focus it on her.


    “Savvy?” his voice sounded so hopeful that it made Brigit let out a darkugh.


    “Gods, no!” she sneered. “She’d never search for you. Ever. She hates you, Bjorn. Everyone hates you.


    And do you know why?” He did not say anything. He probably knew it pretty well, but she intended to


    tell him anyway.


    “Because you are a heartless, disgusting monster who never cared about anything but himself. Your


    mother died because you were useless. Your brother died because you poisoned him with your ugly


    ambitions and overinted ego. You killed your own mate without giving her a fair chance to exin


    herself. And then you tortured your second mate over and over again. She wouldn’t want to be with you


    even if you were thest man in the entire universe!”


    She spat the words at him, and it finally felt so good. “You destroy everything you touch, and you are


    the shittiest King a country can have. Everyone searched for Kai and took care of Sawy today,


    everyone tried to get her back when you abducted her, people would die


    for King Gideon and Riannon. But your search party consists of just me,” she dered. “And only


    because I came here to kill you and ensure you don’t hurt anyone anymore!”


    “Savvy “Bjorn coughed blood, but she could tell the colour was returning to his cheek. The blessed


    bear was regenerating faster than she would like. She had so much to tell him. She wished she could


    torture him like he tortured Aspen. She wanted to break every bone in his body, but she knew it would


    be wiser to be done with him fast. So, she produced something she had prepared for today and had it


    strapped around herself even in her bear form.


    Bjorn didn’t understand it at first as he stared at the small wooden knife in her hand. It was barely a


    letter opener. Why was she demonstrating it to him as if it meant something?


    “You don’t know, do you?” the woman sneered as she traced the wooden de with her fingers. “The


    power that you got from Joran Someone else had it before you. There was a god killed by his father, a


    god that no one else could kill. An indestructible god. Just. Like. You.”


    Bjorn’s lips parted in shock. Now he started to understand.


    “Of course, even that God was better than you,” Brigit snorted. “Everyone liked him, you know. When


    he died, his friends and family wept and mourned.”


    Brigit straddled him, and he ced his hands on her hips, trying to throw her off. Only that she was still


    stronger at the moment. He didn’t restore after the fall yet.


    “Mistletoe,” the she bear ced the wooden knife to his cheek and pressed into his skin. “The thing


    that killed the indestructible god was a sacred mistletoe. And I went to great lengths to get a piece of a


    simr nt. I dried it and prepared it just for you.”


    “I’ll give you… anything.” Bjorn tried to negotiate, and the smile on her face dropped.


    “The only thing I want,” she said with quivering lips, “you can not give me. The second thing I want after


    that, I am taking myself now!”


    He wanted to say something else, but she stabbed his only eye with her little knife, making him scream


    in agony. Jormungand’s Champion fully lost his vision, bringing his worst memories to the surface. He


    coul! feel his power draining, his body weakening by the second. But when the woman on top of him


    twisted the knife, he knew he had seconds left to live.


    Thest thought that came to his mind was that Brigit mentioned Savvy which meant that she was


    alive. Joran did not kill his mate.


    When he would be gone, she would live…


    His lips curled into a soft smile when Brigit pressed the knife to the hilt, ending the life of the White Bear


    King once and for all. She was breathing heavily, tears rolling down her face. The she-bear stayed like


    that for a while to ensure she seeded this time. That scum had to die today for everything he had


    done.


    After a few minutes, she found the strength to stand up and looked at him once again. Contrary to her


    beliefs, she did not feel better. And now she knew that she never would.


    Angry, she pushed Bjorn’s body off the edge, watching it fall into the icy river after it broke the first


    layers of ice. The stream started destroying the rest, cracks everywhere… and soon she saw her dead


    enemy floating away into the unknown just as he deserved. Even his body would never be found.


    “What’s now?” One of her men found the courage to reach her in about an hour.


    “Now?” she sighed, remembering she was a ruler of a whole pack and an official traitor to her people. It


    was a mess, but surprisingly, she knew what to do next. “Now we have an allegiance to pledge. The


    new King and Queen of the North await.”.


    Kai and Savannah returned to the battlefield, where bears, wolves, foxes, cats, birds and some other


    rare species were still working together to find the remaining survivors. They hadn’t been able to unite


    their forces for many years, but today it wasn’t a problem.


    Amarok let out a mighty growl, and all the heads snapped to the top of the hill he was standing on with


    Savannah on his back. The Luna jumped off, and the giant wolf shifted back into his human form, Body


    carved out of stone, he wasn’t embarrassed for his nakedness and only took his wife’s hand,cing


    their fingers together.


    None of them had prepared a speech for this moment, although it felt like it was needed. The drones


    were back to circling in the air and filming everything, and if anything, it made Savvy smile now. After


    everything they had been through, it seemed normal.


    They looked at each other with love, adoration and determination to restore the North to its former


    glory. Together, they would build a new future.


    And as if their people heard them, one by one, they started kneeling to their new King and Queen.


    All of them.


    Every single one.


    One of the bears lifted his head, and a deep roar left his chest. Followed by another, and then another.


    Until all of them roared, howled, growled, and snarled, demonstrating their respect for the couple


    before them.


    “I think you were right about winning this war,” Kai tilted his head to his wife.


    “You’lle to learn that I am right most of the time,” her lips curled involuntarily, and she gave him


    that mischievous gaze he loved from the day they met.


    This level of respect was unseen before. It was a pledge from every northerner who fought in the White


    Battle.


    They weren’t naive to think that life would suddenly get easy in one day and that the species who


    always hated each other would


    However, no one couldn’t argue that this was one hell of a first step…