Calm after war

Leia's POV

The sigil Xavier had used worked, as Kai no longer needed my help to stabilize. His hazel gaze, now back to normal, fixed on me, even as restraints continued to secure him. "Kai," I said cautiously. His eyes flickered in recognition.

"Leia," he murmured my name affectionately. I moved closer, but Xavier halted me.

"Remember, he's fooled us before, acting normal before attacking us with his dark power," Xavier reminded me. Upon hearing this, Kai's eyes widened in shock. It seemed he didn't remember.

"What?" Kai blinked, dumbfounded. "I didn't do that, did I?" he questioned, his tone filled with disbelief.

"You did, Kai," I whispered.

"I don't remember, but I can assure you I'm in control of the power now," Kai declared.

"It's hard for us to take your word and remove the magical handcuffs," Xavier responded sternly. "I can't risk Leia getting hurt."

"Xavier, please, let's take off the cuffs. We should trust Kai," I implored. Xavier looked at me, sighed, and then made his decision.

"I'll keep him restrained until tomorrow. I'll release Kai when you're not around. That's the deal, Leia, if you want Kai to be free from these magical restraints," Xavier proposed.

"That's not fair. I want to stay and be by your side," I argued.

"I agree with Xavier. Leia, I know you're strong, but I'd feel remorse if I hurt you. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself," Kai interjected, his voice heavy with guilt. "Knowing I attacked you while under the influence of the dark power already makes me miserable."

"It's okay. Don't feel remorse," I said, gently caressing his knuckles. He nodded in acknowledgment. "I will comply and stay away when you release Kai from the restraints," I declared.

Stepping out of Kai's room, Xavier followed me. He shut the door, but not before casting a light magic defense around Kai's room. I noticed Kai flinch as the magic enveloped him, but he quickly hid his reaction when he saw me looking at him.

"I killed Lilith," I stated as we walked towards the kitchen. I couldn't remember the last time I ate amidst all this chaos.

"Good to know she's dead. We have no more threats to worry about," Xavier said.

"I know," I responded weakly. As I sat at the dinner table, my eyes lingered on the empty chairs where Daisy and Vincent used to sit during our meals. My gaze then drifted to Sia's chair, then to Veronica's. So many people had died this month, and I hadn't even had the time to properly grieve their deaths.

I felt a comforting warmth on my hand and turned to see Xavier. "Leia, eat up, and then we'll talk," he urged. I nodded. While Kai didn't join us, claiming he wasn't hungry, I realized I was. Still, I found myself unable to eat much.

Later, Xavier and I returned to Kai's room. I wanted to talk to both of them, to be around my mates. "Are you sure you don't want to eat?" I asked Kai.

"I'm not hungry. Don't worry about me, Leia. I'm fine," Kai assured us.

"If Kai's doing well, then we'll hold funeral services for Vincent, Daisy, and Vincent's mother, Rina, the day after tomorrow," Xavier said, a note of sadness in his voice.

"That's appropriate. Everyone should know what happened to their Beta's family," I agreed.

"The pack members have returned home, and those whose homes were destroyed have started reconstruction. Eric is running errands for me," Xavier informed me. I just nodded.

"Could you talk to Hollie and ask her to look after my pack and begin the reconstruction?" Kai suggested.

"I already did, Kai," Xavier reassured him.

"I'm so glad to have both of you back, Kai and Xavier. I didn't know what I would do without you guys," I confessed, feeling an upsurge of emotion. Both Kai and Xavier embraced me, their warmth bringing me overwhelming happiness. Tears welled in my eyes, not from sorrow but joy at being reunited with my mates.

***

The following day, I sequestered myself in my room to catch up on work, while Kai and Xavier ventured into the woods to see if Kai still maintained control over his dark magic. As I sifted through files and took Zoom calls with colleagues to discuss work-related updates, my mind drifted towards Kai's wellbeing. Despite the gnawing worry, I pushed myself to finish my tasks quickly. After wrapping up work, I paced back and forth in my room before deciding to wait in the hallway downstairs.

The door creaked open, and Kai staggered in, panting heavily. I saw bruises on Xavier's body. "What happened?" I asked, alarmed.

"We were just sparring, relax," Kai reassured me. "Xavier wanted to test if my wolf was still intact since he couldn't sense it. We sparred until I could feel my wolf power resurging and my control over the power within me."

"So, what about the curse? Is it gone? I don't know if my residual curse is gone. So, you're in control of the dark magic, right?" I bombarded Kai with questions in one breath. He hugged me tightly, attempting to calm me down. With the horrors I'd seen, it was understandable that I was panicking and struggling to sleep.

"Calm down, Leia," Kai soothed, his voice steady. I slowed my breathing, striving to regain control over my emotions.

"Leia," Xavier called, breaking me out of the comforting hug. I turned to look at him. "Susan will come to check if either of you still bears the curse."

"Are they still in our pack?" I asked.

"No, Jennifer was summoned back to the Witch Land, but Susan stayed here to help us," Xavier explained. A few minutes later, Susan arrived. She examined Kai and me, finally announcing we were free from the curse. A wave of relief swept over me.

"Kai, does this mean you'll become the king of the Dark?" I asked, slightly apprehensive.

"I will have to, Leia. I am the strongest contender in line. If I don't assume the position, someone else might seize control and disrupt the peace of the realms out of power hunger," Kai explained. He had a point. He had to accept this responsibility to ensure our safety, even though it meant balancing his roles as the King and the Alpha of the Bluewood pack. His schedule would undoubtedly be packed.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go and check on Jennifer. I'm a bit worried about her," Susan interjected, drawing our attention.

"Why are you worried?" I asked, perplexed.

"I don't know. I miss Jennifer. We've always been around each other, so this feeling of worry is making me anxious without her," Susan confessed, managing a small smile.

"I understand your emotions. Try to relax; she'll be fine," I reassured her. With that, Susan left to call Jennifer to check on her.

The following day, we held the funeral services and grieved our losses. The day went by in a blur, punctuated by periodic check-ins on the pack. Xavier and Kai left for a pack meeting to discuss updates with the council. Left to my own devices, I wandered around the mansion. Stumbling upon a hidden room, I pressed a remote button, revealing...

NOTE

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I've noticed that the comments have been a bit sparse recently, so I'd love to hear from you. Please leave a comment. I appreciate even just a single word! It lets me know that you're engaged and enjoying the story.

On another note, I want to give a heads-up about the upcoming chapters. They will explore a bit of BDSM and contain some kinky elements. If that's not something you're comfortable with, please skip the next chapter. I appreciate all your support and understanding!