311- JAX

311- JAX
POV Jax:

The news only worsened. Maeve’s overuse of magic had depleted the natural resources of the land. The farmland was barren, and the barrier was weak. It would take time to heal. The natural water sources were also drying up. We would have to send water immediately until the land could be restored.

It would take several witches to heal what several witches had destroyed. We would need to consult Irene, Ava, Janelle, and Lunessa, but even at the peak of their powers, they would not be enough. I thought of the imprisoned witch and hoped there were more willing to help.

The structures outside Maeve’s mansion and the ritual site were crumbling. They would need immediate reinforcement for the winter months.

Finn was right. There was an immense amount of work to be done, and not much strength left in the pack to do it.

We separated, and I went to check on my soldiers. Kenzi and Jenson were healed and tending to those who needed more time to recover. I gathered the strongest and sent them to hunt.

Kenzi grimaced. “You’re really going to leave me in this shithole?”

“Yes, and you’re going to love the work. You’ve been challenged recently because of the obstacles we faced, but now that Maeve is dead, we should return to normal, and you and I both know you’ll get bored. You respect Finn, though you’ll have to adjust the way you treat him, since he’s your superior here, and he’s going to need your support.”

“Amelia staying behind?”

“Without a doubt. She hasn’t asked, but I’ll let her bond with Finn before we leave to ease the transition. She’ll be a great help to him.” As a warrior and computer nerd, I would miss her.

“How long?”

“At least six months, but probably a year. Your position will still be waiting for you when you return.”

“It better be,” she muttered. “I’m not staying here forever. This curse soaked into every corner. Makes my bones ache.”

I knew how she felt. Every time I turned a corner, I expected to see a shadow waiting to seize power, but with Maeve dead, most of her followers had lost the will to fight.

I had hoped Saris would reappear, but she never did. I didn’t know if I’d ever see her again, but if I did, I owed her gratitude. She had climbed the mountain to fight in the end. And the fae? Well, if they decided to step out of the shadows, they had an excellent ambassador in her.

The sun was setting again, and a sense of calm spread through the pack. Finn had soothed his bonds, and the land could begin to heal.

Now, I needed to focus on healing my own bond.

(...)
POV Anna:

I woke up alone. For a moment, I thought I was back in Maeve’s domain, chained to the wall, listening to Finn’s screams as they tortured him. Tears threatened to fall until I heard a voice in the room.

“Anna.”

The rough whisper calmed me, and I drew in a deep breath. I wasn’t alone. Maeve was dead. I was certain that Jax had been with me at some point, but he was already gone. I sat up and looked at the other bed. Lunessa looked a little better than before and smiled at me.

“You did it.”

When she began to cough, I got out of bed and went to her. I nestled at her side, grabbed the water, and lifted it to her lips.

“And so did you. Lunessa, the amount of magic you used was insane. How are you?”

“Exhausted,” she admitted while drinking water. “And afraid I won’t recover.”

“How did you do it?”

She drank more water and leaned against me. Less than a year ago, she had been the Maiden, a witch who had once saved my life, earned my fierce loyalty, and helped nurture the idea that I could have friends—that I could be loved.

Now, she was my cousin, and we leaned on each other as if we’d been doing it all our lives.

“A modified version of the spell they used on Irene. Maeve’s ritual opened the earth, and I asked to connect with the other witches. I didn’t even know if it would work, but it gave me the chance to amplify my magic.”

“I’d say it worked. You transported a hundred wolves. That must have been incredible.”

“I think that’s what a goddess would feel,” she admitted. “If I can recover my magic, I’ll never again do anything to put it at risk. But even if I can’t, it was worth it. Worth it to see those bitches drop like flies.”

I let out a soft laugh.

“Anna, what did you do?”

Part of me thought I should wait and tell Jax first. It was his child whose life I would change forever, but this was Lunessa. She had sacrificed for me. She was my family.

“I gave my witch’s magic to my child.”

Stunned, she quickly sat up and immediately winced.

“Okay, no quick movements for now. You did what?”

“I was haunted by ghosts, and honestly, I don’t know where they came from. I don’t know if they were triggered by my magic, by my subconscious, or if the spell Maeve was weaving had some kind of trigger, but all of them told me, in horrible ways, what I needed to know. Katherine made a terrible choice with me, but she said it was her gift to her son. My father told me I wasn’t meant to be a witch, and honestly, I believed him. And Emerson… well, Emerson apparently suspected that getting me pregnant would be the solution. He wasn’t wrong. In that moment, before Maeve began to drain me, I knew the magic wasn’t meant to be mine. It was always meant for my child, and I gave it to him.”

“Him?”

“My wolf thinks it’s a boy.” I caressed my belly and smiled. “And now I’ve made him a warlock. The three within me, but not all are part of me. The ternary is gone, and Maeve’s spell is finished. It can never be cast again.”

Something pulsed within me, and I realized I hadn’t been paying attention to my bond. Jax was nearby. He must have felt me wake. I lifted my head to see him at the door.