The whole mountain could’ve come down in that instant. I doubted Scarlett would wake up. She was exhausted. The Dhaxanian frost had put me to sleep a couple of times, slowing me down both physically and mentally, but with her it hadn’t worked the same. She’d experienced an entire, full day’s worth of anxiety and stiffening fear, struggling against Nevis’s never-melting ice.

We’d followed that up with a subterranean sprint, running from daemons, followed by a mountain trek through thick, snowy woods. No wonder she was drained.

I spent some time watching her sleep, lying in bed next to her. She looked so peaceful, so calm and serene—nothing like the bullet she usually was. I traced the contour of her soft face with my index finger, feeling every cell in my body light up like the sun whenever I touched her. Scarlett had that effect on me.

After what we’d endured together on Neraka, it was time for me to admit it. I’d fallen in love again. Kyana would always have a special place in my heart, but she was gone, and I could never bring her back. The only thing I could do was keep living. She would’ve wanted me to do that, anyway. She would’ve done the same if I’d been the one to die that day, instead of her. It was time to finally turn that page and put my grieving to an end.

I had Scarlett by my side—such a wonderful, enchanting surprise. It was one thing to steal glances at her back at the GASP base on Calliope, especially during training sessions, and something else entirely to be able to hold her, to touch her like this. I was one fortunate Druid, for the universe had decided to go ahead and heal my pain, putting Scarlett in my path to help me rediscover the joy in living.

And what was there not to feel joy about, when I got to feel her lips on mine, when I got to taste her sweetness and feel her soften in my arms whenever I held her tight? How could I let this wonderful creature slip through my fingers when she was right here in front of me, willing to give me her heart?

Life was always going to be a sequence of missed opportunities, defined by the ones we were brave enough to chase. I’d missed my chance with Kyana due to a number of external factors. I’ll be damned if I’m going to miss out on an eternity with Scarlett.

I dropped a long, soft kiss on her forehead, listening to her even breathing and wondering if she was dreaming about me. The way the corner of her mouth twitched made me think that maybe there was a version of me already with her, deep down in her subconscious, worshipping her like the vampire goddess that she was.

The bedroom door creaked open, and I heard a familiar huff. I stilled, then raised my head to find Hundurr by the bed, sitting and watching us quietly. For a second, I thought he’d growl or make some kind of move to warn me away from Scarlett, but he didn’t. He was simply here to keep her safe. His devotion made me feel small, somehow. His suffering, however, did not escape me.

That glimmer in his red eyes was far too familiar. I’d felt it in mine, months ago, while I was still a prisoner to my Destroyer form. The pain in his gaze was all too real, and it echoed deep inside me. A thought crossed my mind, and I decided to try something. I slowly and gently slipped out of bed, then walked over to Hundurr. He gave me a curious look as I nodded toward the open door.

“Do you want to grab a bite downstairs?” I whispered. “There’s still some meat left in the kitchen.”

Hundurr cocked his head to the side, looking as if he was contemplating my proposal. As big and as frightening as he was, there was still something about him that I found sweet, downright endearing. It certainly had something to do with my past as a Destroyer. I, too, had been enslaved and forced into a terrifying form designed to instill fear and dread into anyone who looked at me.

He grumbled softly, then stood, waiting for me to leave first.

I closed the bedroom door behind him, then went downstairs into the kitchen. There was nobody on the ground floor. Dion and Alles were outside by the campfire, and Arrah and her Imen were still circling the cabin area before they’d resume their two-hour shifts.

I fished several large pieces of meat from a bowl, handing each over to Hundurr. He gobbled them up, one by one, licking his snout in between. I could swear he was even smiling at me.

“Listen, Hundurr, I’ve been there,” I said slowly, and Hundurr listened, his ears popping up. “You know this already about me. My life as a Destroyer, stuck with a half-serpent body under Azazel’s bloody, evil rule. I was a slave. I was miserable, and there were times when all I wanted was to die. Kyana was the only reason I didn’t get myself killed. I could’ve joined one of the combat missions, I could’ve let my guard down and allowed one of the more capable succubus rebels to cut my head off. I could’ve. But Kyana made me want to live. The thought that, one day, I’d be with her again… It kept me going. It even made me break out of my Destroyer body. My love for her brought me back, Hundurr. It took a lot of hard work, but I did it.”

I paused, carefully analyzing his expression. For a pit wolf, Hundurr was displaying a fascinating variety of emotions, all crystal clear in his red eyes. There was sadness, there was grief, and, most importantly, there was a mixture of hope and longing that I’d also seen in myself.

“I can tell you see Scarlett the same way I did Kyana. You love her, don’t you?”

Hundurr didn’t move. He didn’t even breathe. I’d hit the nail on the head.

“If only you could talk again, huh?” I said, giving him a sad smile. “Thing is, the power I needed to break free of my Destroyer curse was always inside me. I just needed to channel it into an emotion that was strong enough to pull me through. For me, it was Kyana. For you, it could be Scarlett. It didn’t happen overnight, Hundurr, but it happened. I broke a seemingly unbreakable curse, and I’m thinking that maybe you could do the same.”

Hundurr was more than curious. He sat on his hind legs, breathing heavily. I was ready to guess that he was willing to give this a shot. Maybe I could be his Vita and help him return to his Adlet form.

“There’s no harm in trying, right?” I continued. “Just fight it. Think about what it felt like to shift into a wolf. Focus on that. Use your feelings for Scarlett to keep you afloat. You love her. That part should come easy.”

I could see him trying, and I was impressed. His muscles twitched as he grunted and growled, experiencing physical pain. He then whimpered, panting, his tongue sticking out. “Yes, it’s exhausting, I know,” I said, patting the top of his head. “It hurts like hell, too. But keep at it. Little by little, every day, until you can feel your bones crack, your body wanting to go back to its original form. You weren’t born a pit wolf, Hundurr. This isn’t you.”

Hundurr nodded slowly. I couldn’t help but smile at the rapport we’d reached.

We both loved Scarlett, and, though he could’ve been his most primal self, ripping my throat out to eliminate the competition, Hundurr seemed to open up to me in ways I didn’t think were possible. It only confirmed what we’d already sort of known, that there was still an Adlet beneath that leathery black skin, and behind those big red eyes.

“Tell you what,” I chuckled softly. “If you manage to turn back to your Adlet form, you’ll at least have a decent shot at Scarlett’s heart.”

His ears popped up again. I crossed my arms and put on a pretend frown, without bothering to hide my amusement.

“However, I will, of course, defend my position in her life,” I added, grinning. “But you’ll still have a shot. Maybe the thought of that will help you break through. Who knows? Worst-case scenario, she won’t be interested, but you’ll still have regained your natural freedom, after what those daemons put you through. Best-case scenario? You’ll get the vampire, too.”

I ignored the pang of jealousy tugging at my heart. I wasn’t leading him on, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let him intervene between Scarlett and me—not that he could. Scarlett loved me. I could feel it. I could see it in the way she looked at me, the way she held her breath whenever I got too close. But there was still a part of me that was afraid I’d lose her, somehow.

I brushed it off as post-traumatic stress and shifted my focus back to Hundurr. He needed my help, not my insecurities. He seemed willing to fight and, just like Vita had guided me back to the surface, I was going to do the same for Hundurr. The young fae had put her faith in me at a time when I could barely find the strength to open my eyes in the morning. Hundurr deserved the same.

“I was once lost, Hundurr. But I found myself, and, well, here I am. I know you can do it, too. It’s written in your eyes, you know. I can see the fire, the will to beat this,” I said, as Hundurr nuzzled my face with unexpected affection.

We were going to beat this, sooner or later.

One day at a time.