Selene’s pov
Leaving Asphodel is harder than I imagined. I’ve been homesick for Elysium ever since I left, but I have so many fond memories here. This is where Lila took her first steps and said her first words, this is where her young life began.
Bastien seems to sense my sadness, he’s been hovering over me all morning in the agitated way men do when they’re faced with a problem they don’t know how to solve. I think he feels guilty for putting his foot down about the move, but not guilty enough to delay it. I suppose prolonging the ordeal would only make things worse anyway.
Lila is actually taking this better than anyone, though I don’t know how long that’s going to last. She’s been running around the docks while the men pack the boat, saying goodbye to all the fish and manatees, hugging her favorite buildings and even attempting to crawl into the mangroves to kiss them farewell. I almost fell into the canal pulling her back, which would have been the perfect end to a very stressful week.
Though it was probably foolish of me to live in a city like this without learning to swim, I’ve never been able to get over my fear of drowning. Not since I fell into the pool the night Drake and I met. With much cajoling and even a few tears, the Eros Alpha convinced me to let him teach Lila, but I was never able to get back in the water myself.
At least that will be one less thing to worry about in Elysium. I can trade my concerns about dying in a watery grave for ones about Blaise Denizen and faceless enemies lurking in the shadows. How lucky am I?
Bastien loops his big arm around my shoulders when all of my belongings are finally stowed in the hull of our chartered ferry, “It’s time, baby.”
Clamping my eyes shut to try and ward off the inevitable tears, I nod. “Come on Lila bean,” I say, bundling her into my arms, and taking comfort in her pure scent. “It’s time for a new adventure.”
I can only pray it’s less eventful than our last one.
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Bastien’s pov
I feel like an absolute ogre.
Selene’s obvious sorrow as we float away from Asphodel makes me want to rake myself over hot coals. I hate knowing I’m the one who put that pained expression on her face, and even worse is knowing there’s not a damned thing I can do to fix it.
The city is growing smaller and smaller across the lagoon, and even Lila’s exuberant mood seems to have become subdued. I imagine it feels very different to talk about leaving, than it does to actually watch the only home you’ve ever known fade into the distance, especially at such a young age. Axel whines as Lila’s lower lip begins to quiver, “Mommy, we come back?” She asks shakily.
“One day.” Selene promises, trying to sound composed. Tucking her more securely under my arm, I give shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
“Next week?” Lila asks hopefully.
“No angel,” I can hear the strain in my mate’s voice, “It’s going to be a while before we can visit, but you’re going to love Elysium.” She says, redirecting the pup’s train of thought. “There are forests as far as the eye can see, plus whole mountains to explore and a beautiful lake. I’m going to take you to all my favorite places.”
“And we live with Daddy?” Lila chirps, successfully distracted.
“Yes.” I answer for Selene, leaning down to kiss my daughter’s nose. “We’re all going to live together and be very happy.” Internally I’m keeping my fingers crossed, desperately hoping that this is a promise I’ll be able to keep.
I don’t know how the pack is going to respond to Selene’s return, in fact I have a bad feeling more than one person will have something to say about her hiding Lila’s existence from the pack. Nonetheless I’m determined to make things better for her this time. I won’t stand for anyone making her life difficult. I’m still haunted by her words in the hospital: those hopeless questions about why she’s experienced so much hardship, her fear that Lila’s path will be as difficult as hers.
Despite all this, despite my guilt over failing her so completely, I’m overjoyed to be bringing my mate home. The house hasn’t been the same since Selene left and I never thought I would see her again, let alone live with her. It’s as if the Goddess delved into all of my wildest dreams and manifested them into reality. Sometimes I still have to pinch myself just to be sure this is all real.
I’m eager to return home for other reasons too, not the least of which is getting away from this strange floating city. I don’t know how the Eros wolves can be so happy surrounded by water. I don’t feel right unless I’m in the mountains, and it makes me horribly restless to be so far from the woodlands.
Then there’s the pack. I always feel uneasy leaving for more than a few days, even though I know the council has been taking care of things in my stead. I would have heard if anything was going wrong at home, but I’ll still feel better once I’m back in Elysium where I belong.
More importantly, there are answers in Elysium: Answers about the forged DNA tests; answers about how my mate survived Arabella’s fire; how her death was faked without her knowledge. Neutralizing the threat Blaise Denizen poses is my number one priority, but none of the things that have gone wrong these last few years have been his doing. From the day my father was murdered, something has been very wrong in my city, and I’m only just discovering how deep the rifts plunge.
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Selene
Lila and I sleep through most of the car ride to Elysium, still recovering from everything that has happened in the last few weeks. There were a couple of tears when we finally began our journey on land, but Lila loves the car so much that her sadness was short lived.
For a while I entertained myself by simply watching her take in the world whirring past the windows, but her mid-afternoon nap put an end to that. Before I knew it I was falling asleep too, dozing to the soft music emanating from the radio and the feel of Bastien’s steady hand on my thigh.
It’s dark by the time I wake, confusing my bleary eyes as I return to consciousness. Looking around to try and figure out what disturbed my slumber, my attention quickly lands on Bastien, who is leaning over me with a tender smile.
No longer ensconced in the driver’s seat, my mate is standing in the open passenger door, looking impossibly handsome. “Poor baby,” He croons, “You were tired.”
“Hmph,” I moan reluctantly, “why did you wake me?”
His warm chuckle envelopes me as I stretch, glancing behind me to check on Lila – who isn’t there. The car seat is empty, and I turn back to Bastien in confusion, absorbing our surroundings for the first time. We’re not in Elysium, and we’re not at a restaurant or hotel. The vehicles bearing all my boxes appear to have gone ahead, while our car and the one transporting Aiden, Donovan and Odette remains here on the side of some remote mountain.
“Don’t worry, Lila is with my mother. Getting ready.” My mate shares before I can ask.
Relaxing slightly, it takes a moment for his words to sink in, “Getting ready for what?”
“Well,” He replies with a secretive grin, “there’s one more thing we have to do before we go home.”
“What? No, we did everything – I’m sure of it.” I argue, flipping through my mental checklist for the move. I crossed off every last task from our to-do list before we left, made sure everything was accounted for. I’m certain we didn’t forget a thing.
“Not everything.” Bastien corrects me with that same smile. Suddenly I realize why he looks so dashing at the moment – he’s wearing a suit, a suit he definitely wasn’t wearing earlier.
“Selene,” Bastien continues, taking my hand and kneeling down. “Three and a half years ago, on the absolute worst day of my entire life, you rejected me.” There’s a decidedly haunted look in his molten irises, and pain swells in my chest as I remember those horrible moments in the burning cabin, “I never accepted it, but I think we’re in need of a fresh start even so.”
My heart thumps a little bit more loudly as I develop an inkling of hope. Is he saying what I think he is? “You are the love of my life; the twin half of my soul; the mother of my pup.” Bastien professes deeply, “I never want to spend another day apart from you, and I never want you to doubt how desperately I adore you.”
Unable to take so many sweet words, I lean forward to kiss my mate, but he catches my face between his powerful hands, staring deep into my eyes. “I didn’t do right by you the first time around, but I’m determined to do right this time, little wolf.” Bastien’s voice is hoarse with emotion, “We’ve been through a lot, but I don’t want to live in the past anymore. I want to put all the pain and sadness behind us and start our new life together the way we should have started it in the beginning.”
“Selene,” He says my name like a prayer, “Will you marry me – again?”
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