I look up at the academy and how it has changed. Above the door is a new crest, one of a six-pointed star with a snake wrapped around it. Other things have changed; more windows and pillars have been installed, and all the damage done has been fixed. Warm light shines from every window. It looks cosy, inviting, and grand, and everything I’ve always loved about this place. It feels like home and my mates knew it. This place was the only home I’ve known, and I love them more for bringing me here.
I turn around, and tears burn my eyes as I look out over Starlight City. One of the towers has scaffolding all the way around it, and it’s clearly being repaired. Rather than just the grey, dusty city, there are a bunch of small lights in some of the towers that weren’t destroyed. “People are living in Starlight again?”
“We’re rebuilding Starlight,” Severi agrees. “You love this city, and we want you to be where you feel at home.”
“It has alphas now, too.” Alek steps forward. “I remember what you said about that vision of yours. You told us many timesthat you felt like this was home—not just that we were your home, but Starlight, the academy, all of it. This is our place to live, to help fix things and move on.”
“There’s a lot of pain here for all of us,” Onyx says, taking over gently. “And it’s different now. But we can be better at it than my father was. Better than anyone before us, don’t you think? We can make it safe. People are moving back willingly. They’re happy to be here and they trust us. They trust you and know what you did to stop the Vian king. They don’t think you’re a monster—or maybe they do and know we need a bit of monster in our new city to protect it. Maybe someone who is going to hunt down anybody that breaks our laws, make sure people know they’re safe here. That any murderers, anybody that hurts people, they don’t get to live in our city. Not while they have you watching over it. Your Nexus watching over us.”
“We can move somewhere else if you don’t want this. It is and has always been your choice. You had so many of your choices taken from you, and we never want to take another,” Rhodes gently adds. I know he means that; they all do. If I turned around and said I couldn’t stay here, they would move me without question. But they got it right. I watch Nibbles and Franklin play on the steps of the academy, chasing each other around, and I smile. This is our home; it always has been.
“Home. We are finally home,” I answer, and I see the relief in all their faces.
“We’re all moving in,” Annie adds, waving to her new mate beside her. “Us too. We are home when we are with our family.” Issan and Severi nod at each other. They have a lot to work on when it comes to a real sibling relationship, but Severi is trying and so is Issan.
“Just like old times…but I don’t think our mates are cool with us room sharing again,” I joke.
Finnegan coughs. “Fuck no.”
We all laugh. Issan nods at me. “I know quite a few Vian who are displaced in the world. Many of them do not want to live in the Vian city anymore because of the past and will forever distrust whoever wears the crown even if she is doing a good job. I’ve sent word out that they’d be welcome here if they want to come and they could bring their families. It shouldn’t just be a Nexus city anymore. It should be a supernatural city for everyone. There should be no dividing of our races. The division is what sent us to war and let my father rule for so long. We should start over with better intentions.”
We all look at each other and nod. I smile at Issan. “You would do well in politics. I’m surprised my aunt wanted you to leave.”
“She didn’t, but she knew I’d walk to the end of the earth for Annie. Where she is, is where I am too.” He looks at her as she stares up at him, and I smile at the love between them. After Kosma…I didn’t think she would get this. I’m so happy she does. Annie deserves the world.
“We’re alphas now.” Severi brushes dust off his jacket. “I prefer that title to prince. Seems like less responsibility.” He winks at me. “Now can we go in? We’ve been working our backsides off on this place. Do you want to come and see your home?”
“How long have you been working on it?” I question. How long have they been planning this? I thought it was just the offer to move back in here and the car…but it’s more.
“About three months, give or take. We took turns sleeping next to you so the rest of us could come out here and fix it at night.” Onyx pauses. “These are what the runes are for—the new runes you noticed on my stomach. I’ve been practising them, getting them right, to put up barriers. The entire city is now protected. I know who comes in and who goes out.”
“So there’s no escaping you now.” I wink at him, tapping my wrist where a ghost of a rune still lies. I don’t need to tap it to annoy him now, not when he is usually at my side.
He laughs and offers me his hand. “You wouldn’t run…so no need.”
I tut. “I’ve made myself too predictable. I should run and make you hunt me down.”
His eyes heat. “I’d like that.”
Severi groans. “Guys, not right now.” Finnegan and Rhodes laugh as they walk forward. Alek takes my hand, tugging me along. Annie and Issan watch us go, leaving us to have this moment.
Hollis has already hoisted his son up onto his shoulders when we get to the steps. Franklin claps and looks at me. “This is going to be our new home together! I’ve been wanting to tell you about this place forever. They showed it to me a month ago, and I have been trying my hardest to not tell you. They wanted to make sure I liked my room and what I wanted in it.”
“I’m proud of you for keeping the secret, and I hope you made a big list of outlandish demands,” I enquire. His smile is bright, and he nods.
Hollis smiles at me, his eyes warm with love. “You’re a bad influence.”
“The worst,” I agree just as softly as he said it. When we were here last, I thought Hollis hated me; I thought we would never get this. Franklin was a surprise but a good one, and he fits right in with our bond group.
Alek runs over with Boba in the carrier from Annie’s car, and Boba’s screaming is echoing so loudly that even the waves of the sea cannot outdo her. I stare at the sea for a second, knowing at some point I am going to let Hollis take me for a swim in it. We have been working on swimming three times a week for months now, and I can do it. The fear takes over sometimes, but Hollis isalways there, and he is very good at positive reinforcement with his head between my legs. I soon forget I’m scared at all.
I crouch down as Rhodes brings the carrier closer, and Boba instantly quiets at the sound of my voice. “There’s my beautiful princess. Sorry about the travelling, but this is your new home, and it’s much bigger than the apartment.” I look inside to see her. She’s got pitch-black eyes and equally dark fur. There isn’t a part of her that isn’t as dark as the night. It’s exactly why I fell in love with her at the shelter in the city. “You’ll love it.”
“I have put runes in her collar and matching ones around the academy so she can’t get out and accidentally fall off a cliff or something,” Onyx tells me, touching the cage, but Boba hisses so loudly and violently that he shoots his hand away.
Severi mutters, “Should have put runes on her collar to lead her to the cliff edge, not away from it.”
“Hey!” I frown at him. He puts his hands in the air, mouthing that he is joking. Several of my mates laugh. I stare at her for a long moment. “You know we need a shelter here. Not just for animals, but something like what Howard is doing—people can come to us, explain their problems, and we can help them find places in the city to live.”