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Acacia - Age 21/Marcus - Age 13

I'm happy for dad, as, over the past couple of years, Sebastian has been able to help him heal in a way no one else could. The true hybrid mate of dad, mom...Marc, he freed my dad from the choice bond between Dante and him, as not only can an alpha break the claim over another, but that same alpha who is the true mate of another can also break that claim.

I think dad really has a thing for wolves as well because he and Sebastian are inseparable...that is unless I need time with him. It was questionable that Sebastian had his genes unlocked as only a true mate of a dormant hybrid can activate those genes...

...Sebastian isn't an ordinary hybrid. He matches dad...in the godlike department that is. He's quite a...let's just put it as he also goes by Eros.

The council diminished to no longer represent each species individually. Due to the way many had turned their backs on the rest of the world and forsaking it, they'd still be given the rights they once had, but their voices are no longer heard. For the wolves, vampires, and hybrids that did come to our aid, they are the ones still represented...though it isn't by a council.

In fact, there is a ceremony today...

...it's a celebration of many things and the day will be long.

I'm thankful I'm not showing that well through the nice dress I wear because it was just a couple of weeks ago that I discovered I am pregnant. It's a soft, warm glow...an aura of life itself that I feel radiating from within me. The moment I'd told my mates, it was one of the happiest days, because now they were more than anxious to find out exactly who the bloodline father is...though they'd all be there equally for the baby.

It'll be under the tree near Castle Valentine that the ceremony will take place, one that we've all discussed much. Taron and Rian will be getting ready for when Lailoken and I arrive, many of the different species gathering. Right now though, I'm walking with Lailoken down the dimly lit hallway in Elysium.

I'd talked to dad about this earlier...

...and I was met with no rebuttal.

It was the perfect punishment in itself for Niamh's treacherous act...her treason not only to the crown but to her own kind. When Aspen had said she'd never return to the ocean, she wasn't holding up a front, because we'd discovered later...Mercury had discarded his so-called 'love' for her, breaking her heart as she was gullible enough to believe him. She'd returned to the water's edge, only to take one step into the ocean before she dissolved into sea foam...a fitting end for her, for one who wouldn't return her love.

Lailoken asks me gently while we walk side by side, "You're sure you want to end their suffering so early? You were subjected to abuse for over ten years... it's hardly been three."

Nodding my head lightly, I tell him as I touch my abdomen, "I won't leave anything up to chance, not with the life I'll be bringing into this world," it's exactly what I told dad, because I'd not want to jeopardize their life with the possibility of those who hurt me still alive.

He pauses with me next to the closed solid cell door, wrapping his arms around me from behind while he skims the tip of his nose down the length of my neck. His voice is calming and reassuring when he replies, "I love that about you..."

Lailoken showed me that it's important to love and protect what matters the most to me...

A moment later, her releases his arms from around me, Lailoken opening the door before allowing me to step in first. He's right behind me, hearing the door closing behind while the many different screams and cries of pain and agony fill the air that was otherwise silent from the other side. My eyes land on the four...seeing the way members from the Vindicator Wardens Pack have been torturing them over the years, some methods causing an endless agony.

Em 'n Em takes great pleasure in using the mate bond between Ciarán, Mercury and her...she'd marked them, helping cause them mental and physical torture for years in the same manner Mercury had I. Vitna is assisting her, a giggle leaving her lips at a scream that comes from Mercury's lips. Em 'n Em grins wickedly at me when she sees the both of us, her voice holding a note as she asks, "Is there any specific requests today?"

Brilite halts her arm mid-swing and draws back the flail to the ground beside her thigh. Cypher's back is a completely undiscernable bloody mess, seeing how Samami stands next to him, asking, "Shall I heal and you can start over again?"

Cypher cries out, screaming when Brilite decides to quickly strike him again with the flail before she sarcastically says, "Okay, now you can."

Anysa and Kermie are the ones who take turns inserting different blades under Ryser's flesh, seeing how far they can go before he screams...then they shove them in quick and hard. They all stop though, all of them when Lailoken gives them a quick look over.

"Queen Ekáti," they say with high praise, accepting this part of me now, understand it truly is where a lot of my strength comes from, though I'll never let my heart be taken by it.

I will take a king today...

I tell those of the Vindicator Wardens Pack, "I want them executed."

There is silence that falls on everyone, but those who look my way with complete and utter shock...those from my abusers. I can't find it within me to do it myself, so I know that one of them will have to do it for me.

Lailoken walks away from me for a moment, nearing one of the shelves before he and Sha begin to draw liquid from a container. We'd talked about this a year ago, how when it is time for their deaths, they'll pay for it as my mom did...they'll feel her pain.

Even Delaney had died due to the extended time of the poison lingering in her body...with the silver having weakened it, everything began to deteriorate. She couldn't save her beloved and she couldn't alter the way her son's actions took him. I pity her, but then again, there are few I see that have ever been parents to their children...

...I want to change that for the one I carry.

They have all been kept under the influence of undiluted liquid silver, keeping them weakened so they feel everything without the ability to heal...not even for a fraction of a second. Lailoken comes back to me and I nod at Ryser, seeing the way Lailoken's eyes shift to him before he walks in front of him.

Ryser is shaking his head and pleading, "D-D-Do-Don't...p-ple-please."

I'm standing alongside Lailoken now as I ask, "How many times...did I plead and beg for everything to stop? How many times did you just stand there and record my suffering?" Shaking my head, I hardly bat an eye when I order, "Kill him."

Lailoken is quick to pierce Ryser's flesh with the needle, injecting the arsenic into his bloodstream. It doesn't take long for it to begin searing his body, blood trickling from his nose, mouth, and ears before he chokes on blood. When the last beat of his heart sounds, I turn to Cypher, seeing the fear he has in his eyes is foreign.

"Are you going to beg also?" I ask him, Lailoken taking the next syringe into his hand.

Cypher glances from Lailoken to me, his voice angry when he retorts, "I'll see my mother again."

"Yes...knowing you've never been accepted by a father who regards you as a pitiful mistake," I stare hard at him, continuing with, "no one will mourn your death, but celebrate it. Kill him."

Anger contorts his features, but it turns to horrific pain as Lailoken hears my command and the poison is injected into his bloodstream. He's quick to meet his end, alongside Ryser...leaving the mated pair left behind as I turn to regard both Mercury and Ciarán.

"I don't know which one of you deserves to watch and feel the other die..." it's harsh the way I feel, how everything is coming to an end. As much as I want the puppet master to watch every last one of his puppets deteriorate before himself, my brother will be saved for last. I lift my chin and order, "Kill Mercury."

Before Lailoken can move forward, Em 'n Em's eyes gleam with wickedness. A snarl leaves her lips before she sinks her fangs into the front of Mercury's neck. A split second later, she tears out his neck, taking a chunk of flesh while blood pours from the open wound.

"NO!" Ciarán screams in pain as he fights against the restraints, trying to move to save his beloved. He's crying and begging, "Please!"

Mercury is choking on blood while Em 'n Em shrugs and asks, "What?" When Lailoken sighs and shakes his head.

It really is fitting for her to take one of her mates' lives because they'll feel the betrayal tenfold.

Ciarán continues to cry, feeling the way his soul is being ripped apart by their bond severing. Mercury's eyes remain wide open, watching and listening until I can no longer hear his heartbeat. It's then, that I see the tears continuing to trail down Ciarán's cheeks, hearing his sobs as his chest heaves up and down. He couldn't protect anyone...

"I hate you!" Ciarán screams at me, though Vitna savagely punches him in the side, her fingers digging in between his ribs. He shrieks, writhing in agony as his screams become a continuous echo on replay. When she removes them, he's breathing heavily, blood trailing down his side.

"After everything you ever did you me," my voice breaks through his harsh groans, trying to catch his breath, "I never hated you...I pitied you, for you'd been played for a fool since the first day you met Mercury. I was abused by him...but to have him for a true beloved...I didn't understand...why the Moon Goddess would ever pair you two together."

"I don't want your fucking pity!" Ciarán snarls right back.

I walk forward a step and tell him, "I didn't understand...until I came to the realization that neither of you should ever have existed...so fate tied two souls who were meant for the grave together."

Ciarán's eyes widen as I nod at him, Lailoken walking forward with the syringe.

"So who am I to keep two mates apart?" I arch a brow as Lailoken breaks Ciarán's skin with the needle, injecting the arsenic into his bloodstream. I watch as he begins to choke on blood, his body shaking violently as I say, "Even in death...you belong together."

The air catches in my lungs...

...the second the last beat of Ciarán's heart sounds.

There's a wave of serenity that washes over me, seeing the way the Vindicator Wardens Pack members also relax.

It's over.

All of the pain, the torture, and abuse...

...I won't ever leave anything up to chance.

Lailoken kisses my temple and says, "We have a ceremony to attend to..." his voice trails off as he chuckles, "...you don't want to keep your future king waiting."

My cheeks tinge with redness as we'd all talked about the positions we'd all hold. There was no disagreement, an understanding of how the world needs to be righted and put into balance. I smile up at him, hearing Brilite saying, "Let's get this party started!"

While the bodies will be left to destroy later, our pack goes on ahead of us, Lailoken and I not that far behind. It's not long before we arrive back at Castle Valentine, though the name will soon be altered for generations to come.

My eyes widen as I see so many...

...all the packs, vampires, hybrids, mermaids, fairies, sirens, half-breeds...I can hardly count the numbers as they stand off from a distance from the main pathway that I'll take soon enough.

"Acacia!" My heart melts when I see Ridge...standing alongside Etain.

After the fighting, everyone had been quick to disperse back to their lands, hardly sticking around for very long. During the time we'd been rebuilding, guests and visitors hadn't come around due to the unstableness. This is the first time they're truly meeting...

"Ridge," I smile back, giving him a quick hug before he pulls away and grins at me. I lift my gaze to Etain and say, "Thank you for everything."

Etain smirks and replies, "Looks like we truly are family...though you won't hear me going by the name of Matz any longer."

"You mean..." my voice trails off.

Ridge grins and introduces, "The Alpha Etain Andreas."

She took his surname...

"And I couldn't be more proud," she laughs as she pulls him into a warm embrace. Etain then turns to Lailoken and smiles, "It's nice to officially meet...my brother."

Lailoken nods and replies, "You're everything I wished I had as a sister growing up."

"Ha. You say that now," she winks at him, seeing his features drop with a shown vulnerability for a brief moment. She shakes her head and they excuse themselves, heading to go take their position with the Mercy Matrons.

When Grandpa Keir approaches, Lailoken nods at him before turning to me and saying, "I'll be off to the side and I'll see you soon."

I smile back and nod, watching as he walks away to join the others. I see he's nearing dad and Sebastian, a brightness shining from them both as they await the ceremony. Before Grandpa Keir can say a single word, I hear him, "Cacia!"

Tears fill my eyes before I feel Marcus wrap his arms around my upper arms from the side. He holds me tight as I breathe out, "I missed you so much..."

"I love you, Cacia," he squeezes me briefly before he pulls away, seeing how much he's grown over the years. He'd shifted a few months prior to the ceremony, seeing the way his irises are golden when they stare into mine.

A five-year-old Lauralyn comes giggling, chasing after Marcus before he leads her toward the rest of those waiting. After a few moments, Grandpa Keir opens his arms and I rush forward. I bury my face into his chest as I wrap my arms around his waist.

"I love you so much grandpa," I can't stop the tears from trickling down my cheeks this time.

"I love you more, Acacia," his voice wraps around me as he pulls away slightly. His eyes capture mine and he kisses my forehead.

I ask with hesitation, "You're okay with this?"

Grandpa Keir chuckles and says, "Laura gave your mother my surname...I don't see why I can't do the same for you."

A wide smile is on my face as I hug him once again, seeing the gray hairs already sprouting from how Lauralyn worries him. She's quite the little ball of energy from what I've heard and I see the way it's taking its toll on him, but I know he loves her very much.

As I hold his gaze...

...I recall the vision of a future I saw, where fate wasn't tampered with. It pains me though because Grandpa Keir still stood alone...

Even if I choose...

...will it not matter if fate were changed?

The choice you make now will alter the course of events leading to that moment...though it cannot change the inevitable separation.

Oh, Selene...what riddles you bring me each time I question.

A soft smile plays on my lips when Grandpa Keir asks, "Are you ready for your introduction to the entire world?"

"I think so," I nod and he walks with me toward where those have gathered for the ceremony, the last of the humans gathering.The delicate field around Castle Valentine has grown after the destruction, a ticklish light breeze surrounds me. My heart beats fast, watching the way I draw everyone's attention as Grandpa Keir walks me down lines that have formed on either side of a pathway.

I glimpse Bryant, my heart nearly stopping in my chest as he smiles with pride toward me, noticing the way he remains near the Crusaders Pack. The changes it had undergone...

The large oak tree stands tall before me, catching sight of Taron and Rian smiling on one side while Lailoken remains with dad, Uncle Keveon and Sebastian.

As we come to a halt, turning around to face everyone, Grandpa Keir's voice carries across the grounds, "I'd like to introduce to the world, The Goddess, Queen Ekáti Arin-Wood, Luna of the Vindicator Wardens Pack."

Immediately, there are screams and cheers, my gaze flickering as I see so many clapping with excitement. Grandpa Keir turns to me before he gives me one last hug, walking away down the line to join Marcus and Lauralyn. Lifting my gaze, I can see the rays of the midday sun being shaded by the leaves of the tree, breathing out calmly as I face the crowd once again.

I motion to Lailoken and state, "The God, Lailoken Mercer, Alpha of the Vindicator Wardens Pack, Representative of the Hybrids."

He receives the same recognition that I had just been given, understanding how easily everything falls into place when nothing is disrupting the path set.

I then motion to Taron and state, "Taron Regan, Alpha of the Crusaders Pack, Representative of the Werewolves."

Again, cheers carry out and the genuine kindness that is received makes my heart flutter with happiness. I don't want to rule the way mom did...

...every queen needs a king.

I release a short breath of air before I turn toward Rian and he walks toward me. We stand about a foot apart, reaching out and taking each other's hands. Calmly, I ask, "Will you stand by my side, enacting in difficult decisions that will govern this world and all the species within it; remaining unbiased with an open mind and heart?"

Rian nods and replies, "I will," before he releases my hands and takes a few steps back. It comes with ease to him as he bows before me, remaining that way for a few moments before he stands to his full height.

The reasons I made Rian king...

...a pure vampire has always been on the seat of the throne, aside from my mom.

Most importantly...

...a king must bow to its queen, and only he has shown me that I can have that control.

I announce as Rian comes closer to me, "King Rian Starr, Representative of the Vampires."

He comes close to me, wrapping his arms around me as cheers carry out again. There is a smile on everyone's faces, smiles of happiness playing off Rian and I's lips. Our noses touch with one another as I feel the love and support of our system surround us all.

It's a proud moment for Aohdan and Rochelle, their expressions one of happiness for our future.

It's only after the sound dies away that Rian and I pull away, opening up to everyone as I announce, "Castle Starr will be a place of welcoming acceptance, ready to hear and understand the needs and concerns of its people."

We're only met with reassurance, those lingering around spending time with one another. It's later in the evening when many leave the grounds, feeling a tug at my heart as I stand to talk with dad and Sebastian. My eyes follow and trail onto Grandpa Keir, watching as Marcus gathers Lauralyn in his arms and puts her on his shoulders. They're heading inside as members who'd come from the Silent Stars Pack head inside to retire for the evening.

Grandpa Keir stands there...watching them leave.

He's given everything for everyone...

The warmth breathes new life in the center of my chest, hearing dad's voice trail off as I take even strides toward my grandpa. Fenrir and Marcel are quick to halt their game of chase with Rian, all of them watching as I approach Grandpa Keir.

"Acacia?" He asks me when I stop a few feet in front of him. Grandpa Keir's eyes trail over me, watching the way the wisps are slowly forming, encircling my hands and soon my body. They're a purplish hue, though flecks of white encompass the edges, staring into his eyes.

"I don't know how I'll change fate in the past...but I want to ensure its future," I speak to him,