Prophesy 3: His Righteousness by A.E. Via

 

 

Adres’s cape was flying up behind him he was moving so fast. He didn’t know what kind of injuries Orion had sustained, but he groaned in his arms as if he were in pain.

“Hang on,” Adres urged as he heard the sound of snarls and howls following the scent that he was doing his best to hide.

“I have to shift,” Orion said, his heartbeat getting slower.

Shift to what? Adres didn’t have to wonder for long. The weight in his arms changed to something more solid and muscular as he now clutched a white wolf with fur so soft and luminous that some of the strands appeared iridescent in the moonlight. Orion was beyond stunning, and he smelled like the Mother herself. Like nature personified.

Adres cleared the woods without having to blow any shifters out of his way. He saw Justice, Wick, Belleron, Aleksei, and Farica standing with Ramon in front of the king’s legion, waiting outside the main cabin with concerned expressions. Adres checked behind him one last time, hoping he’d made a large enough gap between him and the older shifters who were looking for something good-smelling to have fun with tonight.

“Adres, what’s happening?” Justice asked. “Who was at the border?”

Adres slung his cloak off and revealed the beautiful white wolf that was damn near glowing in his arms.

“Heavens.” Wick gaped. “What kind of shifter is that?”

“Holy shit! He’s a fairy omega,” Justice whispered. “Give him to me. He is in great danger.”

Adres frowned, holding the almost unconscious wolf tighter in his arms. “But his scent. He said that wolves will try to force him if—”

“I know,” Justice reasoned. “But I’m bonded to my true mate. I won’t be affected by his scent like the others. He’s safe with me. I promise.”

Adres gently lowered Orion into Justice’s outstretched arms. He cradled the animal to him and rubbed his rough stubble along the wolf’s muzzle. Orion cracked his eyes open and sniffed at Justice’s cheek before licking him along his stern jaw.

“He recognizes who I am,” Justice told Wick.

Wick ran his hand over the wolf’s fur, his eyes lowering as if he was dozing off. “He feels like…”

“Peace,” Adres whispered, dismounting from his horse and sending him away.

“Oh my gosh… he smells too good… Justice.” Farica panted as she inched backwards. “I don’t think I can control my shift. My wolf wants him, badly.”

Justice and Aleksei both glowered at their sister.

Aleksei gripped her elbow. “Get yourself together, Farica. You are an alpha.”

“I know!” she snapped at her brother, yanking her arm free. “You think I don’t know that? I’m trying my best.”

“Try harder,” Ramon bit out, appearing offended.

“My dear. It is not my fault,” Farica huffed, staring at her lover in exasperation. She was spasming, and the muscles in her arms were straining as if she was just barely holding her animal back.

“Control yourself,” Justice growled at his sister.

Farica didn’t shift, but she ran towards her cabin, and the Lord Protector flashed after her.

Adres felt bad for Farica. Both her brothers were mated and unaffected by the omega’s lore, but it was hardly fair to demand that she ignore her nature. It was understandable. But if she tried to get too close, Adres would have no problem blowing her onto the other side of the mountain. He felt a strong urge to protect Orion, feeling in his soul that he was always meant to cross paths with him again.

Now they had saved each other. Adres’s karma had finally turned in his favor.

Justice stood enamored, as did they all. “Taleb going to the Monstrous Reef must’ve triggered his arrival now.”

“His name is Orion, and he said he is the prophesy.”

Justice’s blue eyes got wider, and he was about to say something when they heard a commotion in the distance. The sound of glass shattering and wolves snarling had Justice running into his home with the omega tucked against him. The rest of them followed behind Justice, Adres being the last to cross the threshold. A pack of wolves burst through the tree line, falling over each other and scenting the air. He closed the door and put a ward on it to keep it from being forced open.

Justice laid Orion on the couch, and he shifted immediately and stretched his long, naked body along the leather sectional. His iridescent-white hair resembled a waterfall as it hung over the side of the brown armrest. His body was toned, not dainty, with strong thighs and corded biceps, but it was the flawless, alabaster skin covered with fairy dust that made him look and smell like magic. The omega groaned, with his eyes half-open as he stared at the mesmerized vampire standing on the opposite side of the room.

“There you are, my sweet mate.” Orion held his hand out towards Henry while he clutched his bruised side with his other arm.

Henry swallowed repeatedly as his feet began to move as if of their own accord. The reverence and mist in his eyes made it evident that Henry was gazing at his beloved. Wolves howled in the distance, but they all ignored it as they watched the pair in silence. A violet light flared in Orion’s eyes, and Henry went to his knees beside the couch.

Orion reached up and touched Henry’s cheek, and he responded by covering Orion’s hand with his own. Adres could only imagine what that first touch must feel like. A lone tear fell down Henry’s cheek as he pulled the handmade quilt from where it was draped over the back of the couch and covered Orion’s nakedness.

“Beloved,” Henry sighed.

“Henry is your true mate?” Justice asked Orion. “How did you know to come here?”

“My mother said it was time, that my alpha had come for me.” Orion caressed Henry’s face while he spoke. “The fairies brought me to your borders, Justice, but we didn’t anticipate the shield around it. It took a lot of magic for me to break one of the wards and some feral wolves, not shifters, caught my scent while I was waiting. I ended up having to run.”

“Shit,” Justice growled. “Where the fuck is Taleb?”

“Yes.” Orion cupped Henry’s smooth chin as he asked, “Where is he?”

“Who?” Henry shook his head slightly.

“Where is our other mate? Where’s the alpha?”

What in the gods? Adres was trying to pay close attention to what was happening before him, but he couldn’t ignore the banging outside, as if someone was trying to break into the cabin through the walls instead of the protected door.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Aleksei said from near the window. “But there is a mob forming out here, Justice. I’m not sure Adres’s barrier will hold much longer.”

Henry’s phone rang, and he yanked it out of his pocket, smiling as he put the call on speaker.

“I am glad you made it home safely, pretty wolf. I’m on my way.” Taleb’s deep, confident voice resounded around the room and seemed to make Orion’s anxiety simmer down.

Henry stroked one of Orion’s cheeks with a shaky hand. “Oh, Taleb. You should see him. He is beautiful.”

“Soon,” Taleb promised. “Henry, take care of him until I arrive.”

“Of course.” Henry gave Orion a watery smile that already looked full of adoration.

“And Henry.”

“Yes.”

“I miss you.”

Henry released a startled puff of air that sounded like pure joy. “I miss you too, my heart.”

“I love you,” Taleb declared.

The banging and frustrated growls outside were becoming difficult to ignore.

“I will handle this,” Justice gritted out as he began to unbutton his jeans to get ready to shift.

“Do not leave my mate’s side, Justice! He could not travel with me because three of my betas are unmated. It would’ve driven them crazy. But he’s still in danger until I get there,” Taleb explained. “We are not that far, but there’s an accident on the Kancamagus Highway that’s causing significant delays.”

Justice glanced back at Alek. “Can you handle this?”

Aleksei’s irises went from pale blue to black like coal, brimming with orange embers as Wrath leapt to the forefront and took the surface. The heat in the room escalated but not enough to harm them, only enough to make his presence known.

“Hadeon… shall we?” Adres faced Wrath, calling his old comrade by one of his many names. But Adres always thought that “blazing warrior” was his most fitting.

Wrath narrowed his eyes as if he was suspicious before he slowly came forward. Adres was just able to keep a straight face as he stared at his longtime ex-rival turned best friend. “Orestes?”

Adres gripped Wrath’s broad shoulders when he called him by his Titan name, which meant western warrior. Hadeon stood several inches taller than him in this body, but those eyes never changed no matter who his friend possessed. “Yes. It is me, old friend.”

Wrath yanked him into a spine-cracking hug, “It is about damn time.”

Neither of them smiled, but Adres’s light was bright within him, and he was certain Wrath could feel it. Adres had all of his shields down. There was nothing for him to hide anymore.

Belleron came up beside his mate. “What is this?”

Adres answered since Wrath was still staring at him as if he was making certain it was him. “Easiest way to put it. I am not three hundred years old.”

“You wish,” Wrath scoffed.

Adres ignored him, which he remembered was what he often did with Hadeon’s snide comments. Wow, how he had missed them. “I am more like closer to two thousand. But the curse put on my soul attacked my memories and blocked away my identity, all to prevent me from finding my cherished. To hinder the prophesy, I assume.”

“But you did anyway.” Wrath glared. “I told you that you were not lost in there.”

“And however did you end up in a Volkov?” Adres asked Wrath, looking him up and down as he stood proudly in Aleksei’s strong body.

“Well, after the curse took hold of you, and nothing we did could get it released, I begged the gods to heal you… and they refused. After all the good we had done. And then you went into hiding, and I went mad. I got… angry, Orestes.”

“Futu-i.”

“I may have gone a bit overboard when I burned down a few cities and lit part of the sky on fire.” Wrath shrugged as if that was no big deal. “I was captured and confined back to the Underworld.”

“By who?” Adres asked.

“By your goddamn brother! Who else?” Wrath pointed in Adres’s face, and he batted the accusatory finger away as if it were an irritating mosquito. Belleron and Justice were staring as though they couldn’t believe that Adres had just slapped Wrath… and nothing happened.

None of them knew of their long history.

“Which one?” Adres droned.

“Fucking Zepharali. He came with the full force of his east winds and rained over my waves. I was defenseless against him.”

“And then…” Adres prodded. “Stop stalling for theatrics. What happened after?”

Wrath spread his arms out. “Now, I am out on good behavior.”

“That must have been one hell of a deal you made.” Adres shook his head.

Whatever Wrath had been about to say was cut off when a window towards the front of the cabin shattered. Adres pulled his hood over his head, and Wrath faced the door.

“Just like old times, my friend,” Adres murmured as he stood beside Wrath, ready to do battle.

“Like the earthquake in Thebes after the giants’ war.”

Adres considered that but rebutted, “I was thinking more like the Olympian games in Athens.”

“In 1334.”

“No. 1514.”

Hadeon gave him a sneer as his eyes lit up with fire, “You really are back.”

“This time for good.”