Chapter 475: Fated To The Alpha (Complete Fated Series collection)

Casen

The portal leads to the Casino and we step into the penthouse apartment, living room. Rose is the first to notice our arrival, her voice echoing softly, "Jonah, they're home!" Her eyes light up with relief and joy, but they quickly focus on Casey in my arms.

Rose rushes over, her movements a blur and her relief is obvious.

I open my arms and she steps forward, scooping her daughter into them. Casey's face lit up with delight and she squealed with joy as they embraced. A wave of relief sweeps through the bond and I wrap my arms around them both.

"Vince?!" Rose utters, her eyes lifting to mine, searching for answers. I kiss her forehead, whispering comfortingly, "He won't ever hurt you again!” I can feel her relief through our bond, a comforting sensation that envelops us both.

Jonah emerges then. His eyes widen and greets his son with a kiss on the cheek before embracing Kyan. I half expect Kyan to shove him off, but he doesn't instead they crush Lucas between them, and Kyan's forehead presses against Jonah's. "Ella?!" Kyan’s voice is tinged with worry.

"No change," Jonah responds, the heaviness in his voice echoing around us. Kyan sighs, the weight of the world seemingly resting on his shoulders. "Hey, she'll come back to us!" Jonah reassures him.

Lucas looks up at his fathers. "Mommy?!" he asks, his voice small.

"She's still sleeping," Jonah tells him gently, brushing the hair back from his eyes.

The scene is interrupted by little Corina, rubbing her eyes sleepily as she emerges from the room down the hall. The sight of her father and Lucas brings a bright smile to her face, and she rushes into their embrace. "Daddy!" she exclaims, wrapping her tiny arms around Kyan’s legs. He lifts her, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Were you sleeping?" he asks, and she nods against his shoulder. "I missed you. I thought you weren't coming back!" she confesses, her voice muffled against his neck.

"Nothing would stop me from getting back to you, your mother, or Dada," Kyan assures her, his words a balm to her worries. Jonah wraps his arms around them, Lucas caught snugly between them.

Kat and Ezra, along with Mateo, seem exhausted but relieved. Ezra's head rests in Kat's lap on the couch, his eyes closed in a moment of peace. Mateo watches them, his expression a mix of worry and relief as she leans against him.

Temperance stands awkwardly to the side, her eyes darting around the room as if unsure of her place. Eziah remedies that quickly, pulling her onto his lap in the armchair.

"So that's it?!" Sage asks, breaking the comfortable silence.

Dominic laughs, stretching his back. "I bloody hope so! I'm getting too old for this shit. My back is killing me!" he groans.

"Tell me about it! My fucking knees are killing me." Andrei grunts, and we all chuckle, and Kat shakes her head at them.

Andrei wraps an arm around Sage, pulling her close. "So, what now?" I ask, voicing the question on everyone's mind.

"Now, we clean up the mess they've left," Kat states firmly.

"And we rebuild the manor," Kyan adds, determination clear in his voice, and Jonah nods.

Eziah looks at Temperance, gripping her chin gently and turning her face toward his. "And we go home," he tells her, a promise in his eyes. She nods, leaning into him.

"And where will that be?" Dominic inquires, curiosity piqued.

"To my pack, as long as Temperance is happy to go there," Eziah replies, his gaze seeking her confirmation. Mateo's hopeful look doesn't go unnoticed, and Temperance's eyes flicker violet for a moment. "As long as we're going back whole," she states.

Rose gasps beside me as Temperance's eyes and hair shimmer momentarily, a hint at what she has become. I lean into Rose, whispering, "I'll explain later," as she watches Temperance with awe.

"Whole?!" Eziah questions, a mix of confusion and wonder in his voice.

"She changed, right?! For like a second?!" Jonah asks, trying to make sense of what he's witnessed. "I didn't imagine it?!" he looks to Kyan for confirmation.

"Nothing escapes you son," Andrei chuckles.

"It's Liora, Temperance's sister," Eziah explains, clarifying the mystery surrounding Temperance's transformation.

Jonah nods but then looks puzzled. "Isn't she dead?"

Kyan rolls his eyes. "We lived in a haunted manor and you're concerned about the dead?"

"Yeah, but they looked dead. She looks very much undead, and our ghosts didn't possess anyone!" Jonah points out logically.

"Aunty T is a zombie?!" Corina asks innocently, her question drawing laughter from Temperance.

Mateo approaches Eziah and Temperance. "You'll come back and take over the pack, take your place as Alpha?" he asks, hope evident in his voice. Eziah looks at Temperance, seeking her agreement.

She nods, and Mateo's relief is palpable. He approaches them, embracing them both. "Finally!" Mateo breathes, Eziah hugs his father back and Temperance kisses Mateo’s cheek.

Suddenly, the burns covering his skin begin to glow, the rough scars smoothing out as he looks at his hands in disbelief as he pulls back.

"Whole!" Temperance murmurs, a touch of embarrassment in her voice. "I'm sorry, Liora should have asked, but she knows I can't stand Eziah's guilt."

Kat observes them, her eyes thoughtful. "It doesn't weaken you!" she murmurs, her words meant for Temperance, who looks at her, puzzled.

"You healed him?!" Eziah realizes, awe coloring his tone.

"We figured we should return the favor," Temperance whispers, stepping closer to Eziah.

He leans down, kissing her tenderly. "You never needed healing. You've never been broken in my eyes," he whispers, his words echoing my own feelings for Rose.

As the morning rises and everyone winds down, everyone retires to different hotel rooms, for a few hours of sleep. The weariness of the past events catching up to us all. Casey settles into bed easily, and Rose wanders into the master room closing the blinds to block out the light. Fresh out of the shower, I approach her, noticing the sadness in her eyes.

"Casey down?" I ask softly, wrapping a towel around my waist.

She nods, and I can sense her mixed emotions – relief at having her daughter back but sorrow over the loss of Vince. She buries her face in my chest, her body trembling with suppressed sobs.

"I know, I know you loved him," I reassure her, stroking her hair.

Her guilt hits me like a wave, and I pull back slightly to look at her. "What's wrong?" I ask, concerned by her sudden guilt.

"I can finally breathe!" she whispers, her tears staining my skin. "My biggest fear wasn't that he'd kill me, but that if he did, I would have left Casey with him."

I wipe her tears. "I love him Casen, but I also hate him. How is it possible to love and hate in a single breath?" I nod, feeling the same way.

"It's okay to hate him. It's okay to love him still. I feel the same. He was my brother, but the man he became was a stranger," I tell her and she nods.

"Hating him doesn't mean we can't love him still, Rose," I tell her.

She lets out a breath, her arms tightening around me. "I just wished it was one or the other. It wouldn't hurt like this," she whispers.

"It would be easier, but you never loved that man Rose, neither did I. That wasn’t Vince. We loved the man we knew he could be but chose not to be. We loved who we wished he was, not who we got," I tell her.

She peers up at me, and I lean down, kissing her. This time, there's no hesitation, no fear – just us as she kisses me back.