Everest I stared at Rowena; my eyes wide. My mind raced trying to absorb everything she had just told me. I was descended from Helios and Selene; I had a curse placed on my family from Helios; I could unseal that curse tonight, and Rowena was going to help me do it. “Okay…That’s a little hard to take in…” I shook my head. I could feel Finn’s eyes on mine, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. Rowena smiled gently and patted my shoulder. “Destiny is difficult to accept, dear. Those that are blessed with it normally feel that they shouldn’t have one at all. The truth is, once I remove the curse, the past won’t matter. Who your ancestors are what they fought about…it won’t affect you. All that matters is who you choose to be, and what you choose to do going forward. Speaking of…” she turned to Finn with a sour look on her face. “Why haven’t you claimed your mate yet?” His eyes flicked over to her and darkened. “I don’t think that’s any of your business. While you might be helpf

  Everest We laid in the grass, tangled up in one another revelling in the renewed intensity of our mate bond. We’d nearly destroyed it, but fortunately not beyond repair. I was exhausted and sore after hours of sex, but I felt a sense of completeness. All I had needed to hear was that the future of our mate bond was up to us, and that Finn wanted to fight for it. We were bonded now that I bore his mark. It would just be starting to show up now and I was excited to see it…but not enough to move from the position we were in. I snuggled into his chest, and he placed a kiss on my forehead. The dress I’d been wearing was littered around us like shrapnel and my panties were nowhere to be seen. His clothes always seemed to come out unharmed. I smirked and made a mental note to shred his pants next time I got to take them off. I thought about what awaited me when we went back inside and a pang of nerv

  Everest Rowena stood up and looked me up and down, noting my appearance changes. My hair was straight and much more ashy than before. I had one silver-grey eye and my body shape had even changed. My chest had become heavier and my hips rounder. It was a weird feeling…like I’d woken up in someone else’s body. But more than the physical appearance I felt stronger…physically, but also in my own inner strength and my gifts. I felt more in control. I knew I could tap into them at a moments notice and sustain them for as long as I needed. I could see why Helios had tried to hide these powers away. I felt invincible. I watched Rowena inspect me. “Interesting…you look more like her now, too” she mused. “Who?” “Selene, darling” she smiled. “Oh…you’ve seen her?” I wond

Everest We made our way upstairs nearly naked by the time we got to Finn’s room. It was woodsy and dark and full of his sandalwood and cedar scent. He tore off the remainder of my clothes once the door was shut behind us and picked me up, carrying me off towards the bathroom. Aside from a brief moment when I put a sticky note on his head, I hadn't spent any time in Finn's room. The bathroom was black marble with silver accents. A massive tub sat in the corner and a large vanity covered the other wall. Large bay windows overlooked the lake and a huge glass shower was in the middle of the room. His shower was a massive glass room with a dark stone floor and a rainfall ceiling. We stepped in and the water poured over us. I hadn’t rinsed since the lake, so the hot water felt unreal. I washed my hair first and then let the water soothe my tired muscles. Finn finished washing his hair and grabbed the bar of soap. “Come here, gorgeous” his husky, deep voice made my stomach clench in anticip

EverestKali and I changed into our bathing suits and brought a big blanket down to the edge of the lake. We laid it out flat in the sand under the shade of a tall fir tree and set out a variety of unhealthy snacks and sodas that we’d nabbed from the pack house kitchen. The day was clear skies and hot; perfect for sitting by the lake. After the emotional and physical stress over the last several weeks it felt nice to sit with my best friend and let the world fade away for a few hours. I knew the topic of what had happened down in the tunnels was eating away at her, but she didn’t press, which I was thankful for. What had happened to Fiona weighed heavy in my heart. She had been just a child. Barely old enough to have a wolf and then she’d been turned into a monster against her will and lost forever. The thought of her mangled, hairless body lying in the dark of those tunnels haunted me. I shivered and tried to clear my head.“So, you slapped my mate in the face, eh?” I grinned at her.