Galaxy Of Hope

Ash

I knocked a little harder than intended on his wooden front door. He really had to fix his doorbell.

He opened his door immediately. He always did, like he had a sixth sense for any passer-by on his doorstep.

‘You really should fix that.’ I crouched down to give the old stinker Octave a few scratches behind his ear.

Oak ignored me. His shirt a little crinkled. His eyes a little red from reading. He was not telling Lux this, but he was even more on a search for her background than she was. He and Jax had been in all libraries they could find. I was not searching for her background, I was searching for something else.

I stepped behind him into the cabin he lived at. The fire was crackling away. It was always a winter holiday in this man’s world.

I spotted a white shirt with a band logo on it on the couch. It was hers. I picked it up without thinking. My heart ached and I had to resist the urge to smell it. Damn it.

‘She’s coming over later tonight you know.’ He poured himself a large glass of red wine and offered me another one without thinking. ‘Or perhaps you did know and wanted to see her.’

He always had been a mind reader, Paramirage Master or not.

I dropped the shirt as if it had been on fire.

‘Is she… is she alright?’ with the entire bodyguard thing, and Vincent breathing over her shoulder I was sure she wasn’t.

‘Why don’t you ask her yourself Asher. Stop doing this to yourself. And to her.’ He took a sip and sat down on the couch. I chose the green recliner next to the fireplace. I glanced at my clenched fists. ‘She is…’ I took another deep breath in. ‘We need to talk about this, the five of us.’ I meant the Paramore’s and Dominic. ‘We need to… protect her from herself. From us Oak. You know I’m right!’

Oak sighed deeply. Octave snorted and fled from beneath his boss like his tail was on fire.

‘She is not human, Asher. She is not in the danger we thought she should have been when being mated to us.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

‘Than what do you mean?’

‘We have powerful enemies, we worry about Dominic but what about the Fae? They have been wanting to end us for centuries. Now we share a mate?’ I rose up and started pacing around the fireplace. ‘She is in grave danger with us. We need to… we need to find a solution! Witness protection. I don’t know. Anything!’ The thought of changing her name, sending her away to live another anonymous life was too much. But there were some Rainers here that could make that happen. Dominic being one of them. He would agree with me. I know he would. She needed to be protected and it was not just my mating bond speaking. I loved her more than anything in this world and if I had to sacrifice that to keep her safe I would. I would do anything and everything really, if I’m being honest.

‘When the claiming happens-’ Oak started but I interrupted him quickly.

’The claiming didn’t happen yet, because of the sixth mystery mate. You know as well as I know, that now is the time to send her away. Our final chance before the claiming happens.’

After the claiming she would be bond to us forever but she would also get six powers. Six was practically unheard of around here, especially from six Alpha males who would receive some very powerful gifts after the claiming. Separation would lead to incomprehensible pain for a long time, but she would at least survive. It is not a certainty she survives the claiming at all. We would survive being separated, eventually. It could happen, but you would lead a shadow life forever. Her life was worth all of it and I can’t believe I’m the only one in this circle who actually sees this.