158. We love you

158. We love you
ALLISON.

“Allison, stop!”

Somewhere, I could hear distant voices, calling me. But the rage I was feeling inside was louder than anything I have ever heard before. So, I didn’t stop. My flames grew hotter as my anger.

“Allison!”

Then, suddenly, I felt an arm around me, wrapping me, pulling me. At first, it wasn’t enough to stop me. But another pair of arms latched around me, forcing to stop. There were too many of them, strong big arms that wrapped in a tight embrace. I shrieked. I struggled, clawed, lashed out. But they didn’t let go. They held on, even as my fire burned them.

Then I heard their voices growing louder and louder…

“It’s okay, Allison. We’re here.” Daniel.

“Come back to us.” Liam.

“You did it, baby. It’s over.” River.

“You’re safe now.” Mason.

“We love you, Allison. Please.” Wesley.

Their names rang in my mind as they continued to whisper soft words in my ear.

“Allison…”

The word sliced through my rage like a silver bullet. I gasped as reality crashed back into me. The fire on my body sputtered and died. The scales on my body sunk back to my skin, leaving no marks as if they were never there.

When I opened my eyes, I saw them. All five of them.

Liam, Daniel, Wesley, Mason, and River.

To my horror, their skin were scorched and blackened. Their bodies were battered with some gaping wounds. Blood soaked their burned flesh.

No, no…!

They collapsed around me, one by one.

“No,” I choked out, scrambling to hold them up. “No, no, no—don’t die on me—please!”
They struggled to breathe, but one by one, they looked at me. “Shit, what have I done? NO!”

“You’re a hell of a woman, Allison.” Mason gave a weak smirk.

Liam exhaled shakily. “And you’re ours.”

“You came back to us, Allison,” River chuckled, though it ended in a cough as blood spurted from his mouth.

“I’m glad…” Wesley uttered, barely a whisper. His beautiful face was covered with burn marks.

“Alli…” Daniel barely uttered as his lips cracked from the scorched skin.

“N-No… please,” I choked, tears streaming down my face. My hands trembled as I tried to hold all of them at once.

What have I done?!

I did this.

I couldn’t believe what I did to them. They wheezed as their bodies slowly reached their limits. They embraced me earlier even if it meant that they would get burnt, even if it meant that I would hurt them. They embraced and pulled me back from ruin.

I couldn’t believe I did this to them!

“Please, don’t die on me… please…”

My lips quivered as I stared at them. I looked around, trying to find anything that I could use to treat them—heal them. Please, anything. I needed a miracle. I refused to lose them too!

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I a necklace with a familiar pendant.

A Dragon’s Heart Fragment.

It was lying on the burnt ground, glowing faintly. Celestine must have dropped it before she died! With shaking fingers, I scrambled to grab it.

I had no idea how to use it, so I just rub it in my hands, whispering frantic prayers.

“Please, heal them. Don’t let them die. Heal them!”

Nothing happened. So, I shook the fragment, desperate to squeeze the magic out of it. Please work! Panic clawed at me as I watched Wesley slowly closed his eyes, his breathing getting slower.

I tightened my grip, pressed it to my lips.

“Mom! Please… help me. I can’t lose them, please…” I choked out, tears dripping onto the fragment.

Then after a few seconds, the fragment suddenly beat into life. The pendant glowed into a beautiful golden hue.

The light exploded outward, spreading over the five of them, sinking into their wounds. I watched in awe as their battered bodies were woven back together—closing their wounds, healing them, and

One by one, they gasped awake, their bodies whole again.

A sob broke out of me.
“Oh my god! You came back,” I whispered. “Thank you.”

I kissed each of them—soft, desperate kisses full of relief and love.

“That was a good save, baby,” River said.

“I was scared I—” My words hanged in the air when I realized something. “Wait, did you just speak in my mind?”

“I think something click in my head.” This time, it was Wesley’s voice.

“Hey, I could hear you too!” Liam’s voice rang in my head.

“This is weird,” then it was Mason’s.

“This is a strange feeling,” Wesley muttered through my mind.

“Holy—are we actually talking with our minds?” I asked in disbelief, still speaking through the strange mind connection we now have.

Wesley held my hand, stroking it. “Mindlink,” his voice rang.

“What? Isn’t that only applicable for mated pairs?” I asked.

Then, I felt a strange sensation creeping within me, it was like a string attached to my heart. My eyes flicked to each one of them. My lips parted as I felt the string-like feeling tugging me towards them.

“No way…” I smacked my palms on my lips in shocked. “D-Does this mean we’re…”

“I think you just found your mates, honey,” Liam murmured softly through the mindlink.

Oh goddess… I couldn’t believe this is happening! After twenty-five years, I finally found my mates… and there were five of them! The very five men that captured my heart.

My eyes stung from tears, but this time because of happiness.

“Damn it, I love you all!” I mumbled as I embraced them all, letting myself sink into their arms.
They all hugged me, their lips finding my cheeks, neck, shoulder.

My mates.

I was just enjoying the feeling of finding my mates when I suddenly remembered something. Shit, Amaris!

I turned around and saw Quinn who was still kneeling, holding Amaris protectively while cradling Sullivan’s lifeless body. My chest tightened.

“Quinn…” I walked toward her and my mates followed behind.

“He’s… he’s gone,” Quinn mumbled, her eyes swollen from crying.

My heart ached again.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered.

Quinn shook his head. “You did the right thing. He’d rather die than have his sister’s blood on his hand.”

I gazed at my brother and clutched the Dragon’s Heart Fragment. It was smaller now, similar to the way River’s fragment shrunk when he used it to cure Quinn. This could only mean one thing… I could only use this fragment once.

In that case…

“Let me try something,” I said as I kneeled beside Sullivan.

“What… what are you doing?” Quinn asked, confused as I laid the Dragon’s Heart Fragment on my brother’s chest where his stabbed wound was.

I hope this works.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Please, one more time. I pressed the fragment to Sullivan’s wound.

“Mom… for the last time… help me. Save Sullivan. Please…” I whispered, hoping that our mom could hear us and lent us her power one last time.

“Please, Mom…” I whispered again.

The pendant flared to life again. This time, the golden light emanating from it was brighter than before. The fragment seeped into Sullivan’s chest as if it was being absorbed by his body. Then, the wound on his chest closed up and healed.

“Sullivan….” Quinn mumbled in shock as my brother’s body radiated in golden light.

Then, after a while, Sullivan gasped, his body arching as life returned to him. His eyes snapped open.
“Sullivan!” Quinn let out a broken squeal.

As Quinn flung herself at him, sobbing in relief, I let out a shaky breath. It worked.

I took Amaris from her arms and kissed her forehead, feeling the five men press around me.
I looked up at the sky.

“Thank you, Mom.”