Coming Clean

Coming Clean
Elowen POV

The scent of roasted meat, honeycakes, and too strong coffee nearly made me weep with joy. I'd been trapped in a fucking nightmare for so long that warm breakfast with my people felt like some kind of fever dream.

I was still stuck in this damn bed, strict healer's orders, thanks to the corrupted leech rot still working itself out of my system. Every inch of me ached like I’d been dragged through a battlefield by my hair. But I was alive. I was home. I sighed deeply.

“You better eat every last fucking bite,” Lyssira growled in my mind. “If you pass out again I’m hijacking your body and feeding you myself.”

Charming. Lyssi was back to her usual self. My room was packed with my absolute favorite people in the world. Cozy, chaotic, perfect.

Rylen and Taya were curled up together on the loveseat, Taya already lecturing Bram on the nutritional benefits of the root mush he was actively refusing to eat. Jace and Amaris were whispering and laughing in the corner like co conspirators. My heart melted. They were the cutest. They deserved happiness. Rivena had her legs slung over Druen’s lap, and the dryad prince, Lazurien, looked utterly fascinated by the eggs on his plate like they were a rare magical artifact. What a trio. I was SO glad I wasn't the only one with a fucked up mating situation. Rivena deserved the world. Looks like she was getting it.

And then there were my five glorious pains in the ass.

Daxon sat beside me on the bed, brushing his fingers down my arm absentmindedly. His dark hair fell into his handsome face and I sighed. So handsome.  Ashrian leaned against the window frame, arms folded across his broad chest like a goddamn romance novel cover, sipping blood tea like he hadn’t nearly burned the Blood Temple down rescuing me. Bram was devouring a plate of sausage links like a man starved, and Lachlan....

Gods, Lachlan was standing at the foot of my bed shirtless, delicious rippled muscles on display, his blue eyes positively glowing, ranting about elemental energy and pouring sun charged syrup on my pancakes like it was a magical elixir.

“It’s no’ just food, lass. It’s restorative as fuck. Let it sink into yer soul.”

“You’re pouring syrup, not casting a damn spell,” I muttered.

He winked. “Both can be orgasmic.”

I snorted and nearly choked on my juice.

“Dramatic,” Lyssira purred.

Gods, I’d missed this. The sarcasm. The cursing. The love. It filled me to the brim. It wasn't cold, or metal, or evil. It was beautiful. The laughter lingered like smoke after a fire....warm, but fading. I stared at my half eaten plate, throat suddenly tight.

“I should tell you,” I said quietly. “What they did to me.”

Everyone stilled. Jace sat forward, eyes locked on mine. Ashrian's fingers clenched around his cup, the porcelain cracking. Vaelrix’s wings twitched again, his golden eyes flaring with heat. Bram growled low in his chest, and even fucking Lachlan went deathly silent.

“I need to say it out loud. For me.”

Daxon reached for my hand under the covers and squeezed, hard. I took a breath, and let it fucking rip.

“They chained me to a stone altar. Naked. Bleeding. Surrounded by whispering shadows and symbols written in blood that didn’t smell human.”

Taya covered her mouth. Rylen’s jaw clenched.

“Raelith stood over me,” I went on, voice shaking, “her fucking bones glowing under her skin like she was hollowed out and filled with rot. She used my blood to strengthen the ritual. I was the key. A divine vessel. She couldn’t possess me fully… so she carved pieces of herself into my soul like graffiti on a fucking temple.”

Lazurien looked like he might be sick. Amaris was already crying silently.

“They poisoned me with shadow elixirs. Cut me open to let in the dark. Made me drink from the Blood Chalice, cursed shit. Made to crack divine vessels and force a tether between me and her. And Vaela…”

My voice broke.

“She watched. She laughed. She beat me. She fed me lies and venom until I couldn’t tell if the pain was mine or hers. There were moments where I didn’t know who I was. Moments I thought I wanted to serve her. They almost broke me.”

Ashrian stood up and punched the fucking wall. “I’ll kill them. I’ll kill every last one.”

“I already started,” I muttered. “When I finally got free, I torched three of their priests before I collapsed. The sun god… Lachlan… all of you… pulled me back. But the scar is still there.”

I touched my chest, right over my heart. “I feel it. That tether. Like a worm curled around my soul. She’s still in there, trying to rot me from the inside out.”

Lachlan came to the side of the bed and kneeled. “Then we fight, mo ghrá. Every godsdamn day, we fight back.”

“She wants to rule this realm,” I whispered. “She wants to use my body… or someone else’s… and infect everyone. Turn them into vampire slaves. A kingdom of the damned, ruled by her. Forever.”

Vaelrix snarled, flames dancing between his fingers. Taya shook her head, rage pouring from her like a storm. “We’re not letting that bitch get another inch. I don’t care how many gods we have to summon.”

“We’ll kill her,” Bram said simply. “Even if it means dragging her into the fucking sun ourselves.”

Everyone looked at me. Not like I was broken. Not like I was fragile. Like I was theirs. A queen, yes. But also family.

“We’re gonna end this,” I said. “For good. I just need two more weeks. And maybe an army of dryads, witches, werebears, and moon charged badasses.”

Rylen grinned. “Done.”

“Did anyone burn the blood temple to the ground yet?” I asked sweetly.

Vaelrix grinned. “Not yet. But I’ve added it to my list.”

“How are the kids?” I asked, voice softening. “The ones we rescued.”

His whole face warmed. “They’re thriving. Only ten still without families. They've run the dragon nannies ragged.”

“Good,” I whispered, smiling .“That’s good.”

Rivena leaned over and bumped her shoulder into mine. “The dryads want to meet you. They’re… obsessed, honestly.”

I brightened. “I haven’t met any of them yet other than your prince. I can’t fucking wait.”

“They’re intense,” Lazurien added with a serene smile. “And they’ve already woven three garden sanctuaries into the main courtyard. With singing vines.”

I blinked. “Singing. Vines.”

“They harmonize at dusk,” he said proudly.

I turned to Daxon. “Please tell me we’re adding this to the next war strategy meeting.”

He smirked. “Only if they eat people too.”

“They might,” Lazurien mused. “Depending on the soil.”

“You’re all insane,” Lyssira grumbled fondly. “I love it.”

I looked around at my people. My lovers. My pack. My family.

I’d been through hell. Again. But the laughter was real. The food was hot. The love was fierce. And the fight wasn’t over.

But I wasn't alone. Not anymore.

Bram Thundermaw POV

The second Elowen’s voice cracked, something inside me snapped. I couldn’t sit there, pretending food still mattered. Not after hearing what those sick fucks did to her, to my mate. My heart. My moon kissed miracle.

Karkon was already growling before I hit the hallway. The bear clawed at my ribs, snarling in my head, “Rip. Tear. Crush. Where are they? I want BLOOD.”

“Yeah, me too,” I growled, shoving open the gym doors at the keep.

The space was massive, all reinforced stone and enchanted equipment. Didn’t stop me from punching the closest heavy bag hard enough to split the leather and send it swinging like a pendulum. I didn’t wait. Just kept going. One punch. Then two. Then ten.

Blood smeared across my knuckles. Good. Not hers. Mine. I needed to feel the pain. The door slammed again behind me and I grunted. Smelled who it was before he spoke.

“Figured you’d be here,” Daxon said, his voice tight. Controlled. Too controlled.

Vaelrix followed silently, wings half unfurled, smoke curling from his nostrils like he was seconds from dragon shifting just to set the world on fire.

None of us said anything at first. Just hit shit. I punched until the next bag broke. Daxon tackled a spar dummy to the ground and ripped its head off.

Vaelrix let loose a roar that shook the walls and threw an uppercut into a bag that lit with flames from the friction.

We were monsters in that moment. And honestly? It felt right. We had all felt so helpless, this was our way of dealing with that.

“She didn’t tell us all of it,” I muttered finally, resting my forehead against the wall, breath heaving. I knew she had held the worst of it back. Karon growled low.

“No,” Daxon agreed, sweat slicking his bare chest. “But she told us enough.”

“I want to kill them all,” Vaelrix hissed. “Lucien. Raelith. Anyone who watched her scream.”

Silence pulsed between us like a drumbeat. Then Daxon turned, wiping blood from his knuckles. “I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Me, Ashrian, Lachlan... we soul bonded with her in Scotland. The real deal. Not just the mate connection. It’s divine. Anchors her. Protects her. Hell protects us."

I lifted my head. Karkon stilled. “You saying I’m the weak fucking link?”

“I’m saying you and Vaelrix are the last two who haven’t,” Daxon replied, eyes sharp but not unkind. “And now... after what she’s endured... she needs all of us. I think it would help center us all honestly.”

Vaelrix growled low. “Then let’s do it.”

Daxon nodded once. “I’ll talk to Isolde and Alaric. We’ll prep the ritual. No pressure. Just... she needs to feel us, truly feel us... inside her soul. So we can help keep Raelith at bay."

Karkon rumbled in approval. His claws withdrew slightly. The rage cooled... not gone, but banked.

“I’ll do it,” I said, cracking my neck. “Whatever it takes.”

Vaelrix smirked. “About time we caught up, bear.”

“Fuck off, fire lizard.”

We all laughed. Karkon settled inside me as some of helplessness faded away. I had my brother's to thank for that.

And then we hit more shit.

Together.