A moment later, Ariana was throwing her arms around Melisande, hugging her tight, both women laughing, crying. Then one by one, the others stepped forward, Ferals with their mates, and the Ilinas, in a flurry of hugs and congratulations. Melisande’s musical laughter rang through the ritual room, her beauty incandescent, her golden hair falling to the small of her back, the ruby gown clinging lovingly to her curves.
He swallowed as he watched her, marveling that this wonderful, exciting, darling woman was his. Goddess, he loved her.
Olivia enfolded Melisande in a big hug. “Welcome to the family.”
Jag placed a kiss on Melisande’s cheek, then shook his head with a grin. “No offense, sister, but you are the last female I ever expected to do that to.”
Olivia rolled her eyes.
Melisande reached up and kissed Jag’s cheek in return. “No offense taken, Jag. I’m glad we’re friends.”
“Me, too . . .” His voice trailed off as he cocked his head. “I’m short on female angel names. But never fear, Blondie, I’ll come up with something to call you.”
Melisande laughed. “You could call me by my name.”
“And break tradition?” He grinned. “Hell no, I’ll come up with something.”
Kara gave them both a hug from the safety of Lyon’s arms. The chief of the Ferals had barely let go of her since they’d arrived back at Feral House, and Fox couldn’t blame him one bit. His heart utterly stolen by another, he didn’t know how the male had survived the abduction of his mate.
Kara was still weak and, according to the Shaman, would get no stronger until she was able to undo the damage the evil Ferals had done to her. The only thing he believed would help was bringing a good Feral into his or her animal. And while three new Ferals currently resided in the prison beneath the house, no one was willing to stake her life on any of the three being the best of his line, not even Castin. Because if they guessed wrong, if Kara brought one more evil Feral into his animal, she would die. The Shaman was quite certain of that.
Fox hated that Castin now languished in the prison along with Rikkert and a third newly marked Feral who’d arrived while they were stuck in the labyrinth. Though his gut had been silent on the issue, his instincts told him that Castin was an honorable male. But his certainty was far from one hundred percent. And while he detested that Castin’s life might be on the line, there was far too much at stake to set him free. The fate of the world might well depend on the decisions they made about the new Ferals. All they could do was hope they found a way to tell the good Ferals from the bad. And soon.
Kougar and Ariana joined them, and Kougar bent to give Melisande a kiss on the cheek. Her eyes widened with surprise. As he pulled back, she watched him, bemused.
“Does this mean you’ve forgiven me?” she asked quietly.
Fox suspected she was asking about what she’d done to his and Ariana’s mating bond a thousand years ago. The poison had forced Ariana to sever the mating bond for fear of killing Kougar. And while, thanks to Melisande’s machinations, the incomplete bond was severable, Kougar had thought Ariana dead, and had mourned her for a thousand years.
Kougar’s eyes turned thoughtful. “If you were then as you are now, would you have tried to sabotage our mating bond?”
Melisande didn’t answer immediately, but when she did, it was with a sigh. “I was so filled with bitterness, Kougar. My hatred for the shifters knew no bounds, and I genuinely believed Ariana would rue the day she wed you. I honestly believed I was saving her that pain by keeping the mating bond from fully forming. That way she’d be able to walk away from you, unharmed.” She shook her head. “I will always do what I think must be done to protect her and the rest of my sisters.” Her eyes cut to Fox, softening, filling with love as she met his gaze. “And to protect my mate, his brothers, and their wives.”
Slowly, she turned back to Kougar. “But I no longer see the world through bitterness and hatred alone. My compassion has returned, and my wisdom, I would like to think. So, no, I would not do it all over again. I have seen, for a while now, the truth I was too blind to see then—that you’re perfect together. You’re stronger, we’re all stronger, for the love you two share.”
Kougar nodded once, slowly. “I forgive you, Melisande. I regret those years as I regret what you endured at the hands of the shifters. The past cannot be undone. But the future is ours.” He turned to Fox, extending his arm. “You did a hell of a job, Fox. A hell of a job. Both of you.”
Fox nodded his thanks. Ever since their return, the others had been treating him like a conquering hero. It felt good to contribute, especially something that mattered so much in so many ways. It was his animal spirit that was the real hero, sending him the flashbacks that told him what he needed to know to find Kara. And it was Melisande, of course, who’d saved them both.
An hour later, as they shared champagne and wedding cake in the dining room, Hawke came to stand behind Melisande, a hand on her shoulder.
“They’re back,” he said.
Melisande nodded, then turned to Fox, trepidation in those beautiful eyes of hers.
He took her hand. “Are you ready for this?”
Her mouth set with determination. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Hand in hand, they walked to the foyer where Zeeland and Julianne were just entering the house. Hawke had told them the pair had returned to the Alexandria enclave just that morning to replenish clothes and toiletries and would be back later that afternoon. Fox was just as glad that Zee and his bride had missed the teams’ homecoming and the quickly performed mating ceremony.
As Julianne strolled into the foyer ahead of Zeeland, she glanced at Melisande, then jerked with disbelief. Zeeland joined his mate a second later, his arm going around her waist, hauling her back against him as he stared with surprise and uncertainty.
“Melisande?” Zeeland asked, his tone half question, half snarl.
Melisande stepped forward, releasing Fox’s hand, and he let her go. Now that she could mist again, he knew she was in no real danger. But he would take no chances. “She’s my mate,” he told his old friend. “As of an hour ago.”
Zeeland’s eyes registered shock as his gaze returned to Melisande. “You’ve changed.”
His angel nodded with serene grace, so unlike the spitfire she’d been such a short while ago. “I have. In more ways than you can possibly know.” She stopped half a dozen feet in front of them and told the pair her story. “When I took your parents, Julianne, I did what I felt had to be done, but it was cold, callous, and cruel beyond measure. I don’t know what other choice I might have had, or might have chosen had my conscience still been intact, had I been able to feel, but I should have found something that wouldn’t take the lives of two good people and leave their daughter an orphan. I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.”
To Fox’s surprise and consternation, Melisande pulled a knife he hadn’t realized she’d strapped to her thigh, and handed it, hilt first, to Julianne. “I will accept any retribution you see fit to inflict, now or in the future, short of death. I’ll not have my mate suffer.”
Zeeland’s gaze met Fox’s, acknowledging the Feral’s silent warning . . . if either of them hurt Melisande, they’d be lucky to leave Feral House alive.
Julianne pulled Zeeland’s protective arm from around her waist and stepped forward. Fox tensed, but Julianne reached for Melisande’s free hand, not the knife. Gripping Melisande’s hand in hers, she said, “I’m sorry for all you endured. I’m sorry for all you lost.”
Melisande nodded. “I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me, Julianne. I have a lot of regrets, and it will be a long time before I’m ever able to fully forgive myself.” She put her knife away, took both of Julianne’s hands, and they stood there in that way women sometimes did when they had too much to say and no words were adequate, two women of grace, strength, and compassion.
Finally, Julianne pulled her hands from Melisande’s and returned to Zeeland’s side. Melisande faced the male. “My apologies, Zeeland.”
Zee nodded, still wary, and more than a little confused. Fox doubted the male would let his guard down entirely with her anytime soon. But unless she attacked Julianne, he’d never hurt her. Not after Fox had taken her as his mate.
That evening, alone in his bedroom, Fox took his beloved into his arms. “I adore you, do you know that?”
She grinned at him. “Not as much as I adore you.”
He kissed her soundly. “Do you want me to show you how much I adore you?” He began to slide the ritual gown from her shoulder.
“Show me, my beautiful shifter.”
And he did.
