Chapter 550

Nina

The portal shimmered and swirled in front of us, waiting for us to enter. We had found our way to a nearby forest clearing, where the veil was thin enough for Luke and I to open the portal. Kai stood beside us, leaning on his walking stick, and cast me a somewhat somber look as I approached.

“Thank you,” he said, “for all you’ve done for us. You’ll be missed.”

I felt my cheeks tinge a slight shade of red at his kind words. “There’s no need to thank me. This was all my fault, anyway—”

Before I could finish, Kai held up a hand and narrowed his eyes. “It’s not your fault. You did your best.”

“But—”

“Enough,” Kai cut me off again. “I won’t hear any more of it.”

There was a brief silence, during which Kai and I simply stared at each other. Then, suddenly, he broke out into a gravelly laugh and pulled me in for an unceremonious—and rather out of character—hug.

“We hope to see you soon, wolf girl,” he said softly. “You’re always welcome here.”

I couldn’t help but smile a bit as I pulled away. “I’ll try to visit. And Kai—my father—”

He nodded. “I’ve sent four of my bird shifters, one in each direction, to search for him. If we find anything, we’ll be sure to let you know.”

“Thank you.”

After saying our goodbyes, it was finally time. One by one, we all stepped through the shimmering portal, emerging on the other side in the familiar surroundings of the Enzo’s and my living room. The transition was jarring, the stark contrast between the two realms rendering me momentarily disoriented.

But as my senses adjusted, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. Home, at last. Untouched, safe, and still smelling faintly of my vanilla candles.

Once we were all through the portal, everyone dropped their bags and made their way over to the sofa and armchairs to relax—after all, we had just spent what felt like an eternity living in the forest. The comforts of home were a necessity.

Tyler, however, stayed planted where he stood. I turned to him, and felt my heart sink a little.

“It’s time for you to go home,” I said softly.

He nodded, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. “Thanks for letting me come along, Nina. I’m sorry I wasn’t more help.”

“Don’t say that.” I crossed over to him and pulled him in for a hug. “You were a huge help. If it weren’t for your quick thinking and charm in the palace, we might not have succeeded in the uprising. And besides, the villagers loved you.”

Tyler’s cheeks flushed red, and he took a step back once we parted. Behind him, Luke began opening another portal—this time destined for my father’s mansion.

“Take care of Mom,” I said, giving Tyler’s arm a squeeze. “Don’t let her spiral.”

Tyler’s expression softened, and he nodded. “We’ll do our best to find Aldric as well,” he said. “Just like Kai did. Don’t worry, Nina; we’ll bring him home. Alive, and, hopefully, in one piece.”

A lump formed in my throat as his words sank in. I hated the thought of my father being injured, or even dead; especially after all of the fighting we had done in recent history. Now, more than ever, I just wanted to hug him and laugh at his stupid jokes.

“You’re the man of the house with him gone, you know,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “So… don’t do anything stupid.”

Tyler let out a soft chuckle. “I’ll do my best,” he retorted, his lips quirking into a lopsided grin. “Although, you know, maybe I can use my new story about fighting a dragon to impress some werewolf girls while I’m at it.”

I couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter, shaking my head in exasperation. Leave it to Tyler to find a way to turn even the most dire of situations into an opportunity for flirtation.

“You’re an idiot,” I chuckled, giving him a playful punch on the arm. “But I’ll miss you, you big dork.”

Tyler’s grin widened, and he pulled me in for one last hug. “I’ll miss you, too,” he murmured into my hair.

With a final squeeze, he released me and turned towards the portal that would take him back to the werewolf realm. For a moment, he paused, turning one last time to look at me.

Then, with a final nod and a resolute set to his jaw, he stepped through the portal, disappearing from sight in a ripple of shimmering energy.

…

No matter how much we all wanted to rest, the days that followed our return to Mountainview were a whirlwind of activity. With so much to catch up on, the days were packed with pack matters and personal matters.

But above all else, one thing was on my mind: Ronan.

He had stayed in our custody, under the close eye of those in our pack who had stayed behind. The mystery of this strange “Schreiber” family he had mentioned kept nagging at us, and we knew it would only be a matter of time before more of them showed up to try to kidnap me—and my baby—again.

Finally, after several days of avoiding the matter, Enzo and I made our way to his holding cell to question him.

“Well, well,” he drawled, a hint of his former bravado creeping into his voice. “If it isn’t the famous Enzo and Nina Rivers. Your bump is growing, Nina.”

Enzo bristled beside me, but I put out my hand to stop him. “Ronan,” I said, “how are you feeling?”

He scoffed. “Is that question really necessary? You’ve kept me locked up underground for days now. I don’t even know how long it’s been.”

Enzo and I exchanged glances. I did have pity for Ronan, as someone who had once been trapped in one of these cells against my will; but he was clearly well-taken care of, with plenty of books and other supplies to entertain himself, as well as whatever food or drink he requested.

“So,” Ronan said, checking his nails, “why did you two come? Did you return to beat me up again, Enzo?”

Enzo frowned, but didn’t react other than a simple, “We need more information.”

Ronan’s eyebrows shot up, his lips curving into a sardonic grin. “Is that so?” he mused, leaning back against the wall of his cell. “And what makes you think I’ll cooperate?”1

I felt Enzo tense beside me, but before he could respond, I placed a hand on his arm, silencing him with a single look. Turning back to Ronan, I took a step forward, splaying out my hands in a placating gesture.

“Because you’ve been here for weeks, Ronan,” I said, trying to sound as friendly as possible. “And if there’s one thing you crave more than anything, it’s freedom.”

Ronan’s bravado faltered for a moment, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he processed my words. I pressed on, sensing an opening in his defenses.

“You help us,” I continued, “and we’ll let you go. No strings attached, no tricks. You walk away a free man.”

For a long moment, silence hung between us, thick and palpable. Then, slowly, Ronan inclined his head, his expression unreadable.

“And what sort of help are you asking for?” he asked.

“Information,” Enzo said. “Whatever you can give us. And…”

“And we’d like you to lead us to the last location you met with the Schreibers or their envoys,” I finished.

Ronan quirked an eyebrow. “You’re asking me to take you to them?” he scoffed. “Why not just put the final nail in my coffin?”

“We’ll protect you if need be,” Enzo said. “We know you only got caught up with them because you’re stuck. Whatever you need to get out of this situation, we’ll help you. I’ve got connections in the werewolf realm, people who can keep you safe and hidden until all this blows over.”

Ronan was silent for several moments, considering our offer. He ground his jaw hard, his eyes cast down to the floor. It was clear that it was tempting, and how could it not be for someone in his situation?

“Alright,” he finally said, extending a hand. “You’ve got a deal.”

Enzo glanced at me one last time, and I nodded almost imperceptibly. Then, he took a step forward and clasped Ronan’s forearm, giving it a firm shake.

“We’ll return for you in two days, once we’ve prepared a bit,” Enzo said. “Can you wait until then?”

Ronan nodded wordlessly. Enzo and I then turned, knocking on the window to have the door opened from the other side. Just as we were stepping out, however, Ronan called out one last parting remark.

“Noble of you, Rivers,” he said. “Let’s hope it lasts.”