Chapter 28

Sonja was still pouting underneath the watchful eye of the two large shifters when Declan returned. He was alone, and the first thing she asked was, “My sister?”

“As far as I know, she’s okay. Asher is looking after her.”

“Why are you back alone?”

“The rest will be back soon. I asked my father for a few minutes alone with you.”

“Why? I’m angry with you. You made a promise to me that I would get to be there… to tell Sable what I thought of her.” Sonja said. She was angry, but more hurt by not having the ability to tell Mamma Sable what was on her mind. The woman deserved everything that was coming to her, and now that was stripped away because everyone thought she was too weak to go and fight.

“I’m here to keep that promise,” he said. He whistled, and two men came onto the plane. Each of them held one of Mamma Sable's arms. Her eyes were covered with a black handkerchief. Sonja smiled at Declan when she saw what he’d done and then she asked, “Why is she blindfolded?”

“Because she is only powerful as long as she has her eyes. She can’t hurt you…or any of us, without them.”

“Can you hear me, Mamma?” Sonja asked.

“Sonja…Lennox forced me to do everything I did. I love—” Mamma Crone tried to reason with Sonja and anyone else that would listen. She was terrified of what seemed like the first time in her life and then her words were cutoff.

“Don’t! Did he force you to make two little girls fall in love with you?” Sonja spat the bitter words.

“Wasn’t it better that you were loved?” Mamma Crone tried as hard as she could to break the walls that Sonja had built. Hoping to gain access to a side where Sonja still cared for her.

“You didn’t love us. You were only pretending, and you made us fall in love with you, and then you broke our hearts. You turned us over to those animals. To breed us!”

“You were both supposed to be mated to the Alpha’s sons and have a happy life.”

“In a place, we didn’t belong. It wasn’t your decision to make for us!” Sonja turned her head away in disappointment, knowing that Mamma Sable couldn’t see it.

“I didn’t make it, Lennox did. I promise you; I had no choice.” None of this mattered to Sonja. She was upset, and that wouldn’t go away because of a few apologies. She deserved what she would get for her treachery.

“What a weak, pathetic witch you must be then if he could threaten you so easily.” Sonja taunted.

“Sonja…”

“No, it’s okay. Erza told me that she was much more powerful than you, but I didn’t believe it.” This was the salt on the wound, and Sonja knew it would sting deep.

“Erza!” she spat out like she had a bad taste in her mouth. “So good. So pure. If she was more powerful than me, Lennox would have chosen her and not me.”

“She wouldn’t have helped him. She’s adored by her people. The only time in your life you ever got to be adored was when you lied to two little girls. No one else ever loved you.”

“You stupid, ungrateful little bitch!” Sable shouted.

Sonja smiled and said, “And the true Sable emerges.”

“You better kill me now, because as soon as I can see, I’m going to kill you.”

Declan spoke up then. “Father said it would be up to you, Sonja. You are welcome to use any weapon at your disposal here to kill her. Or, when we get back to the village, Father will have the village doctor remove her eyes and she’ll be doomed to wander the earth like that for however much longer she lives.” Sonja smiled at his words.

“That is so fitting,” she said.

“No!” Sable yelled.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

“No, Sonja, I’m sorry…”

“I think it’s a little too late for apologies. Declan can she ride in the cargo area? I don’t want to see her. It’s only fair I don’t have to look at her. Soon she won’t be able to look anyone.”

“You stupid, stupid girl! You could have had everything with Lennox! He would have made you royalty to save his race.”

“I’m finished Declan,” Sonja said. She smiled softly at him and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’ He grinned and winked at her and took the old witch away.

**

Six weeks later, Declan and Sonja stood facing each other in the clearing underneath the silver moon. Sonja was wearing a white, eyelet sundress that Jordan had bought for her. Now that Lennox and Jude were gone, she and Asher would go shopping in Anchorage and even out to dinner. Sonja could see how happy her sister was. She watched as Asher came up behind her and placed his hands protectively over her belly. Jordan had just found out that she was going to have a baby. One night when they had sat around the dinner table with Erza, Jordan noticed the woman wouldn’t stop smiling. Erza finally stood and motioned Jordan to stand. She placed her hand on Jordan’s stomach and then covered her mouth letting out a gasp. A moment later the witch’s face lit up with a smile. “She’s with child!” A new Kodiak, with pure Kodiak blood would be born for the first time in years. Cyprus stood not far from them, looking like he would burst with pride.

When the time came, Cyprus approached the young couple. He looked at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder. No words needed to be spoken aloud. Everyone in the crowd could see that Cyprus was clearly happier and more proud of his sons than he’d ever been. He turned and looked at Sonja then.

“You are so beautiful… inside and out. My sons are so lucky… we all are, to have you and your sister back in our fold.” He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and yelled out, “Let the mating begin.”

Declan smiled at his mate, and she smiled back. He was the most gorgeous man and the most beautiful beast that she’d ever seen. She was nervous about tonight, but she also couldn’t wait for it to happen.

“Are you ready, my love?” he asked her. He was so sweet.

“I’m ready,” she said, breathlessly. He reached over and slid the straps of the dress down her arms, and she let it fall to the ground. She had been especially nervous, but now that it was happening, it was like she and Declan were the last two people on earth. The wolves, cougars, panthers, jaguars, and bears that milled around them may as well been a million miles away. Declan reached for her bra, and with one hand he snapped it off. He did the same with her panties, tossing the ripped material aside. She saw him sniff the air. He could smell her arousal.

He undid the button on his pants, and she watched as he pushed them off. He ripped off his shirt and stood before her in all his magnificent glory. She reached out and traced the muscles on his chest with her fingers, and he leaned down next to her ear and said, “This first mating will be quick and powerful to unleash your animal but after tonight, there will be no rush.” She smiled and nodded at him.

She could see his desire for her in the throbbing erection between his legs and in the way his eyes changed from blue to a deep purple as he growled and pulled her into him. He brought his mouth down to hers and kissed her hungrily, biting and sucking on her lips. Then he flipped her over, and she instinctively got on all fours. She expected him to just delve into her as she had seen done before but he was too sweet. She felt his tongue go into her and find her clit from underneath. She cried out, practically howling at the moon already as he licked and sucked until her juices were running down the insides of her thighs. Once she was soaking wet, he mounted her and let the head of his erection prod her entrance as he sucked and licked on her shoulders and down her back, ending with a bite on each cheek of her ass.

“Oh Declan, I’m so ready,” she panted out. She felt him grin against her back and then he sat up and took his cock in his hand. He began to feed it into her pussy, stretching the walls to its capacity as he did. “Oh God! Oh Declan!”

He leaned in and whispered, “Are you okay?”

“Yes! Take me! Now!”

Declan let out a long, deep growl and pushed himself all the way into her, feeling her virginity give way. She cried out as he reached around and took her breasts in his hands, groping and massaging the hard nipples as he began to drive himself into her and out of her over and over. He pinched her nipples hard as he leaned down and found her neck in his mouth. He found a spot he liked and began sucking on it. He sucked it as hard and fast as he was fucking her. She was pushing back into him, needing him as much as he needed her. He bit into her neck, and she screamed, and then he raised up and took her hips into his big hands and began to plunge in deeper than she ever imagined he could go. She was out of her mind with lust, and just as the orgasm slammed into her, she heard herself actually howl like a wild animal. That was enough to send Declan over the edge as well. He held her in place and drove himself into her over, harder and faster as he rode them both through the orgasm and he filled her with his seed.

She collapsed forward, panting and gasping for breath. Declan collapsed onto her back. She tried to focus her eyes on the people around them. She could see all sorts of shapes, but she was still too filled with ecstasy to focus. She lay there, happier than she’d ever been until she suddenly felt Declan begin to slide out of her. She shivered as soon as they were no longer connected, suddenly cold. She rolled over and looked up at him. He held his hand out to her, and she rose to her feet. He brought his mouth down and kissed her, softly and whispered,

“I love you, Sonja.”

She hadn’t expected that, but she knew she loved him too. She always had. She threw her arms around his neck and said, “I love you too! So much!”

He held her for a few seconds before disengaging her and taking only one of her hands. He winked and she knew it was time. She closed her eyes, and she felt it. The tingle that began at her toes. She remembered it from when she was a little girl. She used to love to change when it was cold because that tingle would turn into molten lava as it began to course through her body and then suddenly all of her senses were heightened. She opened her eyes and looked at Declan. He was waiting for her. She nodded and together they changed. The beautiful white wolf and the sleek Black Panther stood side by side in the clearing.

The crowd was going crazy, and they had all begun to enter the clearing. Jordan and Asher reached them first and rubbed up against their brother and sister, congratulating them. Erza came over— human of course— and she rubbed both of their heads with her wrinkled old hand. Then the most majestic animal of all, a panther as well, but a huge one, came over to congratulate them. It was Cyprus. His circle of life was almost complete. Her grandmother was there as well…the entire village had come out to share in their joy.

Her people— her family.

Sonja suddenly needed to run. It had been too long. She took off running for the trees, and Declan raced after her. When they reached the thickest of them, she changed back into her human form and so did he. She stood on her toes and slipped her arms around him. They shared a deep kiss and then she said, “I always knew somehow, even when I didn’t know who I was, that there was a man waiting for me. And, I always knew he would be the most special one.”

“I always knew that you would come back to me. I have loved you my entire life.” He replied, stroking her face.

“And I’ve loved you all of my life,” she said. They both heard a pathetic sounding howl and looked in the direction it had come from. Sonja said it first, “Lennox.” Declan nodded. They both shifted again and continued their run under the moon, free and in love.