Filed to story: Luna Riannon and Alpha Brayden Novel
The nightmare looked at her through hooded eyes; his horn had no effect on her anymore, and he finally allowed himself to fully collapse to the ground.
“Oh, Midnight!” Tears sprayed down her cheeks as Astrea wrapped her arms around her oldest friend. “You knew your poison would not harm me, but help me remember. You always knew that!”
The sounds of the creature’s laboured breathing filled the air, but it still let out an approving noise as a reply.
A strong wind blew directly into her face, and she lifted her gaze to see a portal opening right before her and two tall masculine figures walking out of it.
Fenrir saw her first, and his fists clenched at the sight, but the moment their eyes locked, he knew.
He knew that gaze.
She recognised him. Not the one she got to meet in this lifetime.
Him. The real one. The one only she knew.
“Fenrir-” Her voice was barely a whisper, but for him, it moved mountains.
“Astr-” His eyes shifted to what was right behind her. A woman in black leather stood up, getting a charred metal rod from the ground and charging at Astrea.
No! He couldn’t let it happen! It was her last lifetime, and he had just found her. He couldn’t lose her again.
But before he managed to wield his prime gift of fire and stop the girl, her neck snapped awkwardly before she could reach Astrea.
“How dare you!” Joran gritted his teeth. “A firstborn disobeying my order is a breach that has to be paid with one’s life!”
Dominica’s body fell to the sand, and the dragons attention returned to his Dragonfly. Yet she did not look back at him.
She did not see him.
In fact, Astrea probably hadn’t noticed that she almost got killed by her ex-colleague. Her eyes were on Fenrir only, and Joran knew he officially lost her.
If chances were slim before, now they were completely gone.
“Astraea!” Fenrir rushed towards her, falling to his feet next to her, and she wrapped her arms around him, sobbing.
She didn’t say a single word, but her cries told them everything. She cried for what had happened to them, for the things she lost and for what was taken from her over and over. She cried for her love and for finally knowing that not one day passed when he didn’t think about her.
Fenrir pressed her against his chest, a rare tear rolling down his cheek. He almost thought this would never happen again. He loved her either way. With each new life, whatever she was like, whatever their story was, he, without a doubt, fell for her. When he promised to stay away, he still loved her, watching her from afar and trying to protect her by means available to him.
But nothing could compare to when she knew who he was.
When she remembered their first encounters and their tragic story. Only then were they able to share the pain and happiness of being together at last.
“Fenrir!” she whispered when her little body stopped shuddering from all the crying in his arms. She lifted her face to look at him, and he wiped away her tears with his thumbs.
“I know,” he kissed her forehead gently, lacing his fingers into her hair. “I know Gods, Astrea, I love you so much! I-“
She wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him closer, their breaths mingling in a kiss they both had been longing for years. Slow and torturous at first, it quickly turned into something else.
A whirlwind of emotions consumed them until she finally broke it, fear written all over her face.
“Fenrir, Midnight is hurt!” She distanced herself and returned her hands to her oldest friend. “We need to help him!”
“Damn it!” Fenrir swore under his breath and tried to assess the black unicorn’s condition, finding out instantly how bad it was.
“Astrea, he is a part of you. Do you have any of your powers back?” the wolf asked, and she shook her head, biting her lip.
“Only the memories-” she confessed.
“Sh*t,” he muttered. “He is dying.”
“He saved me,” Astrea stroked Midnight to try and reassure him, even though she was aware that the nightmare knew this was his end. “And he helped me to get my memories from my first life back.”
“We can’t save him, I am afraid,” Fenrir told her. “He is your divine weapon, but because he was a living being, it’s different for him. If you got your powers back, you could replenish him, but without them, whatever I have is irrelevant-“
“Make him shed his horn. It can still be used even after his death,” Joran interjected, and Astrea shot him a withering glare. ,
“Is this what you are worried about now?” Her words were filled with so much venom that it made him flinch.
“He is right!” Fenrir agreed, shocking his beloved.
“I refuse to do it!” she said, holding back another sob that threatened to escape her.
“No, Astrea, you don’t understand,” he placed his hand on top of hers, “we can try to preserve him until you get your powers back.”
She paused, hearing this hope blooming in her chest.
Fenrir took a bead off of his bracelet.
“This one is empty,” he said. “It can hold his spirit while-“
He didn’t finish because he could see she was barely holding it together. Too much had happened in one day.
“Do it!” Astrea agreed and cupped Midnight’s chest. “My dear friend,” she sucked in a deep breath, tears burning her eyes,
“trust me one more time, please. This is for the best.
Ill do everything to bring you back. I swear-“
Midnight let out a pained sound and closed his eyes, barely able to open them again a sign of approval.
She wrapped her fingers around his horn once again. At the same time, Fenir prepared his magical bead, placing his large hand where Midnight’s heart was barely beating now.
“I am here with you,” Astrea lowered herself to kiss her nightmares forehead, and as she did, the horn fell into her palm. At the same time, Fenir concentrated on collecting the last sparks of Midnight’s soul. Like little stars, they flew from the creature, dancing in the air before they reached the bead, causing it to glow the same colour Midnight’s eyes shone in the past.
Astrea was afraid to distance herself, afraid to move, feeling how heavy the unicorn’s head became.
“Until we meet again, my friend,” she whispered, unwilling to move. She cried until she couldn’t anymore, and Fenrir caressed her back, unwilling to leave her even for a second.
“We’ll get him back,” he swore. “I promise. We’ll get him back.”
***
“We need to go,” Joran spoke at last, pain rippling over him as he watched Astrea cradle in Fenrir’s arms. It was as if he didn’t exist.
“We?” she arched a brow at him, the corners of her lips tilted downwards. “I am not going anywhere with the likes of you!”
“Really?” The dragon furrowed his brows. “After everything
I have done for you?”
“Like enslaving me from childhood?” Astrea finally stood up, Fenrir helping her.
“I. Saved. You.” Joran said through clenched teeth.
“Bullsh*t!” she threw in his direction, unwilling to spare him another glance.
“You are standing here right now because I managed to hide you from Vidar for so long! You are trained to fight and, more importantly, trained to survive! All thanks to ME!”
“How generous!” she chuckled darkly.
“No, the two of you are the generous ones!” he bellowed. ” Not a single thank you for everything I have done! You are literally standing in my home, burned to the ground! By one of you!”
“Then I guess we are even!” Astrea announced and took
Fenrir’s hand