Her Pack by Tamara White

Chapter Fifty-Two

My eyesopen and I'm in the same spot that I died in. Only there's no one around. It's empty of anything. As if no one lives here.

Is this like some ghostly plane? A mirror image of the world so you get accustomed to the changes before crossing over into whatever afterlife there is? Or is this all there is of the afterlife?

I sit up, trying to see through the trees and see if there are any other people here when Malina and James suddenly appear among the trees. They rush to make their way towards me, each of them grinning excitedly.

With a bit of effort, I'm on my feet before they reach me. I raise my hand to remove the crown from my head, only to find it's no longer there. Just a phantom feeling of the weight it had on my head.

When Malina is but a few feet from me, she launches herself at me, wrapping me in a bone crushing hug. She squeals in my ear, her voice high pitched like a child’s. "You did it! You actually did it! Thank you, thank you, thank you," she ends on a sob, her body sagging as she starts crying against me.

I hold her up, unsure how to handle her strange reaction. James reaches us a second later and takes his mate from me with a small smile. He lets Malina snuggle into his side while staring at me with pride. "I am so damn proud of you and the strength you have, Dani. I knew when I met you that you would be the one to change things, to right the past wrongs. I have never been gladder to be right in all my lifetimes."

I flush under his praise, glancing away. "I just did what I had to."

"No, you didn't," Malina argues, her eyes filled with fire. "Every heir before you has been given the choice, Dani. Every heir before you has been given the power to choose what matters more. If they choose themselves, then they're simply crowned and lead until the next heir comes along. I had to lie to so many people, to get them to do the right thing for the right reasons but no one, until you, did what had to be done. You have changed more than you realize. When you go back, you'll see for yourself."

I blink, surprised by her admission. Everyone before me knew the truth. My grandmother did know what I was doing. Wait, did she say go back?

"What do you mean go back? I thought this was my sacrifice. My life for the curse to end."

James is grinning secretively, his eyes twinkling with whatever it is that he knows. "Yes, that's true. But there's a catch."

My eyes flick between the two of them, waiting for one of them to explain. Malina finally relents. "This was your final trial, Dani. You've changed the balance; you've accepted what you are. When you go back, things will change for the better. You'll still all be wolves, but the balance will have been restored. You will be normal, no abnormal powers that give you an advantage over others. People will no longer need to wait for a heat cycle to procreate. When numbers grow low, you won’t have to rely on procreation either. We have been gifted the power to change humans into one of us with only a bite. In return for these gifts, on the night of the full moon, everyone must shift and offer thanks to Mother Earth by sharing their wolf and the kills they feed on.”

I don't understand. None of this makes sense. So many bloody lies. What am I supposed to do when we go back? People will be pissed about all these changes. And changing on the night of the full moon? Not too many will be pleased to hear about that either.

People like Lia might be happy about the whole biting human’s thing, but then there are going to be wolf hunters out there who will not be happy about that at all.

I guess the biggest advantage here is there will be no more heat cycles triggered for wolves. But does that mean we have children the same way humans do then? Wait for a monthly cycle rather than a heat cycle?

There are so many questions and I’m sure my pack will have them too. I need answers so they too can understand what will happen in the future.

"This is all a little too much. I thought I would die, and the rest of our kind would revert back to being witches like we once were. Not all this. What changed?"

"It's complicated, but it's basically the aftermath of the curse. Maybe if someone had sacrificed themselves before now then things would be different, but with each heir that refused to offer their life for sacrifice, Mother Earth changed the terms of acceptance. Until we now have this agreement, which is better than nothing. She could have simply reverted our kind back to human and forced you all to adapt to the world without your wolves, but she looked into your heart and made the choice based on what you had experienced and believed."

Is she saying this is my fault? Because of what I wanted or what I believed? Maybe I'll leave that part out when I relay my experience here to my mates and anyone else who asks.

"So, it's definitely over then? There won't be any more trials? Any more curses? We're really free to just exist out in the world without worrying about what we do will affect our future status?"

She offers me a wide smile, her eyes sparkling. "Yes, Dani, you're really free. This is the end. No more trials. No more curse related things to think about. You get to go back and live your life without ever having to think about all this again. Of course, with these new changes, new hurdles may arise but I trust that with your mates by your side, you will be able to handle anything that comes your way."

She holds out her arms for one last hug. I step into her arms, this time feeling a sense of comfort when I hug her. It's finally over. This will be the last time I ever see her. At least I hope so.

When we break apart, I hug James just as tight as Malina first hugged me. "Thank you for guiding me," I whisper, a tear sliding down my cheek at the thought of saying goodbye. He helped me so much when he was alive. It still sucks that he's dead. But I'm glad he has been reunited with his mate.

James breaks the hug, pressing a quick fatherly kiss to my forehead. "I was honored to be by your side and help you grow into such a strong woman. Go, live your life with your mates and be who you want to be, Dani. Don't settle. Fight for your dreams."

"I will." If I get to live in the world, to be with my mates, I'm going to fight every second to live the best of my life and make sure they too get to follow their dreams too.

My body sways, the appearance of Malina and James flickering. When I look down at my hands, I realize it's me flickering not them. I raise my eyes again, and watch as Malina wipes away tears, her eyes shining with nothing but pride. "Good luck, Alpha Queen."