LYKOS

The Previous Day:

There are no words to describe the terror I felt when I saw my mate unconscious being dragged away by those monsters. My nightmares playing out right before my eyes. It was the first time in a long time that I used the link I share with Eryx to call to him. Judging by the speed at which Eryx and the others arrived at Irida's home, they must have been close by for which I was grateful. Galen and I filled them in on the monsters and the Skot�di, the whole shebang.

We were in Galen's study when my vision blurred and a sharp pain shot through my skull. I knew what that meant, my mate was awake. I was about to send her a message through the link before a mysterious figure in a hooded cloak appeared in my line of sight. That's when I realized I was seeing through my mate's eyes and I've never been so thankful for our mate bond like I was in that moment.

That meant I could track her and find her. I could barely hold back the growls that rumbled from deep within my chest as the mystery man goaded my mate. Realizing he was the one responsible for the death of my mate's parents and my family was the final straw for me. White hot rage burned in my veins and by the time my vision was back in the study I was already halfway through a shift. Eryx was beside me trying to calm me down and I let him.

I used the link to sense where my mate was while I spoke to her, relieved that we weren't completely cut off from each other. Even after she fell asleep I still stayed alert, holding on to her presence through the link while the guys and I formulated a plan. Sofoklis and Orfeas cooked and made sure we ate, refusing to let us go into a hunt on an empty stomach.

When we finally got to the castle where Irida was being held, Eryx and I made ourselves known while the rest of the guys stayed out of sight. It was the castle where Irida's parents used to live in in a secluded area in This�vros, a little bit of a distance from Mitropolis. I couldn't help but chuckle at how stupid the guards were. They didn't think it was a little too easy a couple of shifters letting themselves be captured without much of a fight?

Present:

One moment I'm about to rage out and the next I'm calm as a cucumber. I can't help but stare at my mate in surprise. How did she do that?

"The link, genius," my wolf growls and I roll my eyes at his snarky attitude.

My wolf, my lion and my dragon had been on high alert this entire time, even more prickly as they watch the scene unfolding before us. Theros turns to his hooded companions.

"Brethren! Finally our time has come. With the power from the two remaining royal bloodlines our control will be established, our position will be secure and our authority unchallenged!" His voice booms in the air and his companions cheer in excitement.

Theros turns and holds the box in his arms up towards the sky, murmuring in an unfamiliar language. I feel my ankles and my wrists tingle at the points where the cuffs connected to the chain sit and I turn to look at Irida. I feel the current of her magic as she siphons all our chains of their magic, vaporizing them. Irida signals Eryx and I to wait just as we start to stir and we go still. I look over to the small crowd in front of us and turned to my mate with a puzzled expression.

"Illusion magic, they still think we're bound," she says through our bond, her lips pulling into a smirk.

Just as Theros holds out the box he's holding in front of him and points it towards Irida, she stands and holds out her hands, nodding towards Eryx and I. Galen, Orfeas, Sofoklis, Xanthos and Daedalus appear suddenly and rush forward to attack and the guards and the Rumarark leap into action. Eryx shifts partially and joins them but I stay close to Irida, guarding her in case she needs me. Theros's hooded companions focus their magic on helping Theros strengthen the his magic so he can take Irida's power, paying no mind to the chaos that's erupted around them.

Irida simply smiles calmly and draws in the magic in the box and the energy being exerted by Theros and his merry band. I watch in awe as Irida's palms and sternum glow brightly, absorbing every bit of magic that's now flowing to her in thick multicolored tendrils of glimmering mist. I don't need to see Theros's face to know he's in shock at the unexpected turn of events.

In a desperate move, Theros opens a portal to his right with a flick of his wrist before his magic is completely drained and Rumarark monsters barrel through the portal onto the rooftop. I feel panic tear through me when I realize we're going to be outnumbered but I push it away and take a deep breath, pulling on my magic.

I slice through the monsters with my magic, staying close to Irida. It doesn't take long for Theros and his companions to fall. One by one, they each disintegrate leaving their empty cloaks crumpled on the floor. Irida drains the box of its magic and turns her attention to the portal Theros had opened, holding out her hands towards it. I slice and burn through the monsters that try to attack her while she drains the portal of its magic, forcing it to close.

When I look around I realize we're still outnumbered as more guards and other monsters rush up the stairs and onto the rooftop. Just then I see a group of female warriors leap onto the rooftop from below. One of them walks to Irida who's eyes are widened in surprise, touching her forehead to my mate's before nodding at me and turning to join the fight with Irida behind her. One by one the female warriors continue to pour onto the rooftop, slicing, stabbing and burning through both monsters and guards alike.

Even though I'm engaged in the fight I make sure to stay close to Irida, keeping my eye on her as she moves through the enemies effortlessly like a tornado. She fights like she's dancing, with ease and pure enjoyment on her face. This is the first time I'm seeing her in a fight where she's not holding back and a lump lodges in my throat at the beauty of it all. She makes war look like a exquisite art.

When it's over the rooftop is littered with dead bodies, monster and human alike. I let out a sigh of relief when I spot the guys scattered across the grounds, still standing. Irida and the female warriors use their magic to dispose of the bodies, clearing the rooftop in seconds. I rush to her, scooping her in my arms and burying my face in the crook of her neck. I'm in no rush as I breathe her in, making sure she's okay and relishing the feel of her in my arms.

"I thought I was going to lose you," I whisper into her skin and she shudders against me.

"I'm not going anywhere," she murmurs back as she kisses her mark on my neck. "Let's go make sure the others are okay," she adds after a moment and I tighten my hold on her.

"They can wait for a couple more minutes," I growl and she giggles.

Warmth blooms in my chest, spreading throughout my body at the sound and I pull my head back slightly to kiss her. When I finally look up I notice everyone's staring at us and clearly Irida notices too because her face flushed and she buries her face in my neck again, squeezing me before unhooking her legs from my waist and stepping back down. I trail behind her, my fingers interlaced with hers as we make sure the guys are okay before she walks towards the group of female warriors who are standing together near the edge of the rooftop.

"Ma!" She squeals excitedly and lurches forward towards the woman standing in front of the warriors, throwing her arms around her.

"My girl! You've grown up so much!" The woman gushes affectionately, tears welling in her eyes.

"How did you-" she starts but the woman cuts her off.

"I told you I'd see you soon. Plus, did you really think we wouldn't come if you ever got into trouble?" The woman smirks and Irida hugs her again, tears streaming down her face.

Irida moves through the crowd, hugging and clasping hands with the warriors. I feel my own eyes well up as the waves of emotions coming from her wash over me. They're her family, the warriors she trained with growing up. And the woman she first ran to must be her adopted mother, Areti. I feel my chest swell up with emotion as I watch my mate interact with the women. So these are the fabled Alala Warriors. Most people think they're a myth, I too once thought so as well until I learned that Irida grew up in the famous elusive Ayia. But nothing made it as real as standing in the presence of the Alala.

"Whoa! Dude!" Xanthos exclaims in awe as he comes up behind me, clearly transfixed on the scene before us and I sense the other guys gather behind me too.

"Ma, this is my mate Lykos," my mate says as she walks to my side and interlaces her fingers with mine, a wide grin on her face.

Areti's fierce eyes pierce into mine for a moment, her face a hard mask and I hold my breath. She finally grins and clasps my shoulders and the warriors behind her cheer in approval.

"Finally! It's nice to finally meet you," she says warmly, winking at Irida before she lets me go and my mate blushes.

Irida introduces me and the guys who appear to still be in shock to her family. The guys look like they're seeing dancing unicorns riding on rainbows. Even Orfeas's usual mask is nowhere to be seen.

"There's something I've got to do," Irida whispers to me and the chatter dies down, the air crackling in anticipation.

The warriors' faces are expectant while the guys seem lost and confused at the sudden silence. My mate kisses my cheek, lets go of my hand and turns towards the empty space behind us. The box Theros was holding floats into her hands and she holds it open in her left hand, holding her right palm out in front of her. Suddenly the space before us is covered in thick fog and shadows start appear from the fog. The box in Irida's hand snaps closed, disintegrating and she creates a portal for the emerging shadows to walk through.

I finally realize what she was doing when the shadows turn into people as they walk through the portal. One by one they fill up the remaining space on the rooftop, some of them floating in the air. It's the people that were trapped by the box while Theros drew on the power of their magic and their souls. Everyone is watching Irida in awe as she finally takes a deep breath as if to center herself. She holds out her hand and suddenly two women step out of the crowd.

A cluttering sound rings out behind me and I turn to find Eryx with wide eyes and his mouth ajar like he's seeing a ghost. Galen has the same expression on his face as he takes shaky steps forward. It suddenly dawns on me that both Galen and Eryx had their mates taken from them...and Irida just brought them back. My head snaps to my mate who's wearing a soft tender smile on her face as she watches the two couples embrace, relishing in their reunion.

"Whoa!" The guys behind me exclaim when they realize what's happening.

Irida floats up above the crowd.

"Welcome home!" Her voice pierces sharply through the air, grabbing everyone's attention. "I know some of you are confused but you're home now, you're free and my friends will help take you to your homes. Those who find themselves displaced will have the necessary support to find new homes," she says as she gestures to her family of warriors.

When she finally comes back down it's Galen who rushes to her first and wraps her in a tight hug.

"You did it!" He cries while she soothes him.

His mate grabs her hands gently before hugging her warmly and Irida's eyes fill with tears. Eryx and his mate go next, leaving the guys gobsmacked. The usually grumpy cold Eryx hugs Irida, his shoulders trembling as he cries into her shoulder, mumbling something to her none of us can hear. One by one the people Irida just liberated greet and embrace her, giving her their gratitude as the warriors take the ones who don't know their way to deliver them home while the others go down the stairs. The rooftop is almost empty when Irida walks up to me and I wrap my arms around her.

"Well done ???????? (little one)," Areti says as she walks up to us and my mate turns to her. "I always knew you were meant to do great things but you've outdone yourself. And this is just the beginning," Areti says as she cups my mate's face, a proud smile on her face and her eyes gleaming with unshed tears. "I'm so proud of you," she whispers, hugging Irida tight before pulling back.

"Thank you, Ma," Irida whispers with a soft smile.

"Take care of my little girl, will you?" Areti says, turning to me and gently grabbing my hand before walking to the ledge.

"Will you come visit me sometime?" Irida calls out and Areti turns to her with a smile.

"Of course honey. Remember, we'll always be there whenever you need us," Areti says, bringing her fist to her chest.

The remaining warriors ululate in unison, bringing their fists up to their chests and Irida repeats the motion. One by one the warriors jump off the ledge and the guys rush to the edge of the rooftop to watch them leave in awe.

"So awesome!" Xanthos yells, pumping his fist into the air.

"I thought you were super cool before but now..." Daedalus says to my mate, letting out a heavy breath before he continues. "This is a whole different level." He then turns to me with the most serious expression. "Kid, I love you and I'm really glad you've found each other but if you screw this up you won't have to worry about her mother coming for you," he says then clasps my shoulder hard.

"You are full of surprises, ????? ??? (my lady)," Orfeas smiles at Irida and bows. "Welcome to the family," he says, clasping her shoulder gently and joining Daedalus.

"It is an honor," Sofoklis says to her with a bow before going to stand next to Orfeas.

"You are magic itself!" Xanthos exclaims as he bows dramatically and kisses the back of Irida's hand to which I growl playfully at him. "You better not screw this up, bro!" He says to me.

Eryx and Galen praise my mate and congratulate me again with a side of threats as they do and Irida giggles. I'm not even mad at them. My mate is a goddess, she deserves to be revered and appreciated.

"Ours!" My dragon growls and my wolf and lion growl in agreement.

"How about we go home? I'm in desperate need for a shower and by the smell of it so are you guys," Irida says with a teasing smile as she leans into me and the guys laugh and grunt their agreements.

"By home she means our home. You guys are family now and there's a whole two floors between Irida and I that you can use while you're at our place," Galen adds with a smile.

I lean in to kiss my mate and shift into my dragon, crouching down so she can climb onto me before I take off.