The Alpha Assassin novel Chapter 72

That night, we talked of everything and nothing.

I was finally free. I didn’t have to hide. We didn’t have to sneak around.

I wasn’t worried that someone would find us or checking to make sure I wasn’t late and where I should be.

I felt freedom for the first time in years, and it was airy bliss.

____

The next morning it was Tia who timidly knocked on my door. I had awoken in Ezra’s arms after not knowing when I fell asleep. After he checked me twice and helped me walk to the bathroom, even though I felt better than fine, he finally agreed with me and gave me some space to get ready.

I went to my closet and couldn’t find anything that I even remotely liked. It wasn’t just because of the memories these dated dresses held. I purposely chose the clothes that weren’t right for me, the ones that would swallow me or not fit me right. Just something a little off where I wouldn’t look good, but not wrong enough for people’s gazes to linger on me.

Tia was bouncing up and down beside me.

“What is it?” I asked. It wasn’t her usual self, even her excited one; I felt as if she were about to burst with something.

“We did something for you!” she exclaimed and put her hand over her mouth, frowning. “I’m sorry, I just…” She averted her eyes, and I walked up, taking her hands in mine, waiting for her to look at me again.

“Don’t apologize ever for being excited. I love to see you like that.”

A wide smile slowly spread back on her face until it lit her eyes.

“Now, what is it?” I asked.

She went into the hall and carefully brought back in a basket. “Sit down,” she instated. “Er, if you want to, Alpha.” She did a little curtsy.

“Tia,” I told her, “Nothing has changed.” Well, everything had, but not between us.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath.

She turned to pull fabric and held it up to me. They unraveled into a pair of pants. Next, she showed me a pale blue dress, a few shirts, and another dress in dark blue that seemed more casual.

“We made these for you yesterday,” she told me, looking at me expectantly. “And look,” she pointed to the first thing that was now carefully laid on the other chair next to me. “Pants!”

I smiled widely, leaning over to touch them. “Goddess, I missed pants,” I breathed. Clothes that I actually liked, clothes that were of my choosing, or chosen by those who knew me. It was a luxury I didn’t realize I missed so much.

My eyes watered. “Thank you, Tia. I cannot describe what this means.”

“We all did it, well, most of us. It was a group effort.”

I stood and pulled her into a tight hug; she froze for a moment before melting into me and wrapping her around my back.

“A small gesture for our new Alpha,” Tia whispered, and my tears openly spilled.

______

I chose to wear the black pants and a white shirt, reveling in the freedom of it. I left my hair loose, and when I checked my reflection in the mirror, I was surprised to find I had some color back in me, my eyes had life in them and I wasn’t as ghostlike as I was even a few weeks prior.

Ezra was waiting outside my door.

“The werecats first, I think,” he told me.

“I agree, what after?”

The air stilled, the sounds of the forest stopped. Nova and I looked at each other. I tried to find Ezra, but the wind picked up and swirled around the two of us in an impenetrable wall.

The morning sun was pulled from the sky and danced in bright waves. It mixed with silver specs that reminded me of stars. It was the single most breathtaking thing I had ever seen. Ever experienced.

An ancient power radiated from both of us, intertwining and joining the starry sunlight.

Nova’s eyes were wide, and she closed them, tilting her head back. Silent tears streamed down her face.

What shrouded us felt like my power, but different. I understood it, but it was a mystery.

The similarity of shifters and the difference of species.

But we were more similar than different.

And we were coming back together as maybe was intended in the beginning.

The power between us crawled higher into the sky, shooting from us like a beam. Hers felt like gold and mine silver, and they danced around each other until they combined and pierced the clouds in one combined burst.

The wind dropped from around us, I realized Nova and I had reached for each other, and we were standing back in reality, holding hands.

The pulse of our joint lingering power ran over the others and into the lands beyond in a wave, bending the grass and leaves in its wake.

Something inside me shifted. Something in the world shifted.

We had undone and remade something that was always meant to be.