Chapter Fifty-Two

F L O R E N C E

When Niccolo tackled Alpha Isaac all the way down, I felt so helpless that I immediately considered jumping down to his aid. But as I look down from above, I see Dad crawling on the ground, trying to get upright. That strengthens my decision.

I jump down, landing on the ground perfectly. “Dad!” I call out, running toward him. “Dad, hold onto me@”

He turns around and I see that there’s a big bleeding gash on the back of his head. To my horror, his body looks ruined. Mangled. The fall that he took crushed him.

My eyes well with tears. “Dad, come with me. Let’s get you to safety.”

“No.” He tries to shake his head and blood comes out of his parted lips Miraculously, he manages to get to his feet. “No. You help your mate. Help him win. You can lend him your power. I will be right behind you.”

I swallow hard and blink back my tears when I see that his breathing is getting erratic. “Dad, you don’t—”

“Go and fulfill your destiny. End the dark times once and for all. We don’t have much time.”

I want to stay there and help him, but he’s right. The battle is fully blown now, and it looks like we’re starting to be on the losing side. It looks like Alpha Isaac himself is sustaining his people with extreme power, and that means I have to stop them.

Dad nods to me, and even though my heart feels like it’s being ripped open, I run away to follow Niccolo, who is trying to corner Alpha Isaac.

As I get close, I see that Alpha Isaac is now hurting him, and he’s beaten so badly that he looks almost unrecognizable, to the point where he could die.

I extend my hand, thinking about Dad’s words and pushing all my power to Niccolo.

That’s when he manages to put his hand on Alpha Isaac.

When the light explodes outward, the first thing I feel is my body getting thrown back. I’ve been too weak as I wanted to support Niccolo, so this feels more like the end.

But it’s not.

I stare directly into the light, willing my own power to aid Niccolo. Images begin to flash in my head, and this time it’s a mix of both of our memories— his parents, their deaths, the moment we met. Then my father, and the face of my mother that just gets messed up into a blur...

The scene shifts. Suddenly I can see Niccolo keeping his hand pinned on Alpha Isaac’s neck. Slowly, I watch as lightning flashes all over Niccolo’s skin, sparking and crackling as it spread right toward Alpha Isaac, who begins to burn right on the spot.

The energy generated between them is intense, so intense that pain spreads in my head and I have to look away.

Then the light ceases.

Niccolo is still there, kneeling on the ground with gashes all over his face and body. He’s breathing hard, his hands propped on the grass, which has been burned into nothing but ash.

Alpha Isaac—or Alpha Magnus—is nowhere to be found.

In the distance, the battle begins to wind down. His warriors, realizing that he’s gone, all throw down their weapons and bow to their opponents. Hardy suddenly appears, whistling as a signal. All their warriors stand at attention, approaching the spot where the explosion happened.

Then they all bow.

Niccolo struggles to get on his feet, but he gets up anyway. Our gazes meet, and that’s when I see that he has tears in his eyes.

My emotions give way like a dam, and before I know it I find myself running toward him, caging him in my arms. “It’s over now, Niccolo. It’s all over.”

“You’re right.” He swallows hard, holding my face in his hands. “It’s gone. He’s gone—"

“NO!”

Hardy’s sudden scream shakes everyone. Niccolo and I both follow him as he runs toward something, and I see that he’s heading toward Dad, who's collapsed on the ground.

My heart plummets. “Dad!”

I follow Hardy with my hands shaking. I kneel down beside Dad, and I see that there’s a pool of blood growing behind his head. Tears leak out of my eyes but I try to regain my composure, putting my hand on his chest to lend him my power because it seems that his Alpha healing is no longer working.

He stops me. “No,” he whispers. “It’s time.”

“Don’t say that,” I cry out, then I try to push his hand away. But he just grabs mine and clasps it tightly. “Dad, you need to let me help you. Please, I am begging you.”

“My dear Florence.” He tries to smile but his lips are shaking too much. “Everything will be okay.”

Niccolo kneels next to me and yells into the night, at his warriors. “We need a healer! Now!”

A couple of men try to jump forward but Dad shakes his head. “I am beyond healing. I am beyond help.” He looks at me again. “I just want to be with you right now. I just need to see you.”

“Dad.” My chest heaves up and down as I weep. “Dad, I am begging you, let me help you.”

He tries to shake his head but he can barely move. “This is my time, my love. This is it.”

“Not now,” I insist, trying to shift my energy to him; I can feel him trying to block me. “Dad, please. I need to—”

“You have always been special.” He reaches up to touch my face but his arm falls limply to his side. “Your mother and I... we couldn’t have kids. We tried for years. Finally, we asked the Moon Goddess to help us, and after that your mother had you. She was taken from me too, but you... you were perfect. Even the Goddess said so. She told me you were destined to do great things, and she was right. You were perfect. You are perfect.”

The pain in my heart is so strong that I can hardly breathe. “Dad, please fight with me. For the last time.”

“My fight is over.” More blood comes out of his mouth as he stares into the dark sky. “My journey now is to find your mother. I will see her again, right?”

“Please, Alpha Amos.” Niccolo tries to direct the healers. “Hold on and we will—”

“Take care of my daughter,” Dad tells him. “Take care of this pack and all the people in it. They deserve a great leader like you.”

As I look at Dad, I realize then that he means it. He really can’t be saved. He doesn’t want to be saved. I know I should try, but it seems that he’s spending the last of his energy to make sure that I won’t.

And perhaps I shouldn’t anymore. Perhaps he will be happier in the afterlife. With my mom.

I let go of him, moving my hands to touch his face and look into his eyes. I sob openly as I see nothing but happiness and peace in his gaze, and I just know that no matter what happened between us, no matter what we’ve been through, he will always be with me. He will always be my father.

I kiss his forehead gently. “I love you, Dad.”

“I love you more,” he whispers. “And I’m proud of the woman you’ve become. I will tell your mom about you.”

With that, his body goes slack. He heaves one last breath, then freezes. He lies there, completely still, his eyes fixed on the sky, reflecting the moon. Glassy. Lifeless.

Gone.