Brielle’s sob hitched—and then her trembling stopped.Her head lifted slowly, and Hunter saw it—that flicker of gold in her eyes, bright and burning.
She smiled, sharp and dangerous.“You talk too much.”
Before Caleb could react, her body shimmered, bones cracking, muscles shifting.The lioness erupted, massive and radiant, her roar ripping through the night.Caleb’s spell shattered as he stumbled back, horror dawning too late.She struck, claws flashing gold as they tore through his chest.The black energy around them imploded, the Druid Stone shattering midair with a deafening crack.
When it was over, she stood over Caleb’s body, blood and gold light dripping from her claws.The rooftop was silent but for the sound of her breathing.
Hunter and Lennox shifted and approached slowly, reverently.
Brielle turned her head toward them, shifting back into her human form, her body still glowing faintly.She wiped blood from her cheek, then gave a half-smile.“Guess the Goddess wanted me to find my strength.”
Lennox snorted.“You think she’s satisfied now?”
Brielle’s grin widened, feral and beautiful.“She’d better be.I’m exhausted.”
Hunter laughed, wrapping his arms around her as the first light of dawn crept over the horizon.“You and me both, sweetheart.”
Together, surrounded by their friends and the fading echoes of battle, the three of them stood beneath the rising sun—victorious, bonded, and finally whole.
Chapter Thirteen
The scent of healingtea and burnt sage filled Ursula’s living room, thick enough to make Lennox’s nose twitch even in human form.He leaned back against the arm of the couch, a mug clutched in his massive hands, watching the chaos settle into something that almost resembled peace.
Saffie sat with Nolan and Isaac on the loveseat, her legs draped over Nolan’s lap while Isaac absently traced a rune over the back of her hand.Willow lounged on the couch opposite them, tucked between Jacob and Liam, the three of them looking far too relaxed for people who’d fought off a horde of demons only hours ago.Their easy laughter filled the room, softening the edges of exhaustion.
Saffie, perched forward slightly, crossed her arms and leveled them with a smirk.“You three owe us for the outdoor furniture.Bears were not meant to fight on rooftop terraces.”
Lennox groaned.“Hey, in our defense, the demons started it.”
Hunter raised his mug.“And we finished it.Dramatically.”
Jacob snorted.“Dramatically?You flattened a six-hundred-dollar daybed.I’d call that a full-contact redecorating project.”
Liam chuckled and added, “And broke the railing.Twice.”
Brielle, sitting cross-legged on the rug between them, rolled her eyes.“You crushed a chaise lounge and a glass-top table, boys.That’s not dramatic.That’s expensive.”