“So, the Fae realm is really dying?” Sofia asked quietly, her gaze unexpectedly turning to Noemi.
Noemi rubbed at her eyes, her exhaustion evident as she glanced at the werewolves gathered around her. Without needing to ask, I knew how she felt-disoriented, overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of this world. Her presence, however, didn’t go unnoticed. It was impossible to miss the way she affected the others, particularly Francesca. Fae were always strikingly beautiful, but fae children carried an ethereal quality that seemed almost otherworldly. Their glowing skin, luminous eyes, and delicately pointed ears marked them as High Fae, yet their youthful innocence gave them a perspective untouched by the weight of centuries.
“The source of our magic lies deep within the earth,” Noemi explained, her voice heavy with frustration. “But it’s weakening. No matter how many futures I look into, I can’t see how this started-or why the magic began to fade.”
“There’s a connection between this realm and the Fae realm,” I added, feeling a familiar unease settle in my chest. “Some of the Fae want to exploit that connection to open a portal and migrate here-permanently.”
“Permanently?” Chiara repeated, her brows furrowing. “They can’t actually do that, can they?”
“If they gather enough Fae capable of manipulating Spirit, they could do much worse,” Emiliano said gravely, his eyes flickering toward the fire, its crackling flames reflecting the weight of his words.
“But magic like that doesn’t exist here,” Carlo interjected, leaning back against the couch. His mate, Laura, sat beside him, her hand resting on his arm as she frowned. “Wouldn’t they lose their magic once they crossed over?”
“You’re not entirely wrong,” Emiliano admitted with a small nod. “The only reason I still have access to my element here is because the Fae realm continues to exist, along with the bridge that connects our worlds. Once the Fae realm collapses, our magic-and the connection-will vanish.”
Something about Carlo’s comment resonated deeply with me. It wasn’t a solution, not yet, but the thought stood out, shimmering like a star in a dark sky. Without fully realizing it, I voiced what was on my mind. “Unless they’ve figured out how to move the source.”
“No,” Emiliano said quickly, shaking his head. “That’s impossible-at least, not without destroying the host. The source of Fae magic is alive. Transporting it would require something far stronger than a mere container.”
“That has to be their plan,” I insisted, my conviction unwavering. “It makes too much sense. Why would the High Lords, with all their power, leave their realm if it meant losing everything? They wouldn’t trade centuries of godlike existence for mortality.”
“All those Fae, condemned to die…” Sofia whispered, shaking her head. Her words were met with a scoff from Francesca, who she silenced with a pointed look. “It doesn’t matter if some of them are bad. There are bad people here, too. Losing so many innocent lives is still tragic-a senseless waste.”
“Don’t look at me like I’m the villain,” Francesca retorted, her voice sharp. “Isabella has two choices. She either helps us hold off the Fae until their world collapses, or she sides with them to save their kind-at the cost of our lives. At least then, she’d have her mate by her side.”
Her accusatory gaze landed on me, full of unspoken challenge. “So, what’s it going to be? Are you really going to destroy your own world for a bunch of foreign creatures? We’ve all heard the stories about their realm. It’s even more savage than ours.”
I felt my skin prickle as the cold fury radiating from Leonardo washed over me. I knew he wanted to step in, to silence Francesca and banish her from his pack. But I didn’t need him to fight this battle for me, not when I could handle it myself. Still, his unwavering support-that was something I’d never take for granted.
“Of course not,” I snarled, holding back the fire simmering beneath my skin. The magic burned hot, coiling in my chest, but I forced myself to stay calm. Enough magic had been used tonight. There was no need to flaunt it every time someone crossed the line-no matter how tempting. “But I’m not going to let thousands of Fae die, either. Their world is brutal, yes, and there are parts of it that terrify me. There are monsters there, just as there are here. The difference is, the monsters in the Fae realm don’t hide what they are.
“It’s a realm of breathtaking beauty, full of endless possibilities. Castles carved from mountains, forests so vast they make you feel small. Yes, it’s dangerous, but good and bad coexist everywhere. The stakes are just higher when magic is involved.”
“The Fae realm,” Chiara said softly, her perceptive eyes locking on mine. “It’s your home now, isn’t it?”
Francesca bit her tongue, sinking further into the couch under Dante’s glare. Chiara’s words stirred guilt within me, though her tone was curious, not accusatory. “It sounds incredible-the adventure of it all. I’d probably freeze up if I came face-to-face with some of the monsters you’re talking about.”
“It is our home,” I admitted, “but this place is, too. Part of this realm still lingers within us. Our wolves never left. They’ll always call this place home.”
Chiara nodded, her intuition sharp as ever. “When this is over, I want to hear everything. Every detail.”
Sofia chimed in eagerly, her eyes flitting to Leonardo. “Me too! I have so many questions.”
‘Subtlety isn’t her strength, is it?’ Leonardo’s voice teased in my head, laced with amusement.
‘Neither is it Chiara’s,’ I shot back, stifling a grin.
“I’d like to wrap this up before sunrise,” Dante said, his voice rough but not unkind. His gaze flickered to Leonardo, relief momentarily softening his expression. “Tomorrow, we’ll review the precautions I’ve set for the pack. I’m not sure if you noticed, but the town looks abandoned. The day after tomorrow, Alpha Attilio and Luna Lavinia will join us to discuss exploring the cave systems around our territories. And now that you’re back, we’ll need to announce your transformation to the pack.”
“You could always use glamours,” Noemi suggested with a soft yawn. “It’s simple magic. It’ll make you look like your old selves. Graziana could show you, but I could teach you just as well.”
“We’re not hiding what we are,” Leonardo said firmly, his voice steady with conviction. His words made my heart swell.
We were united in this-as I’d known we would be.
“This pack is part of the Fae realm now, just as it belongs to this world,” he continued. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped being their Alpha. We’ll make the announcement before the meeting with Alpha Attilio and his Luna.”