ocean seemed to stretch out forever, without an end. What would be left of this world if we didn’t win?
The crackling of the flames, the shouts of our packmates, the soft ocean waves crashing against the shore, all of that faded into the background. The only thing that mattered was my mates. Firelight glinted off Austin’s dark blonde hair, Cody’s wide grin flashed as he ruffled Jason’s hair, the laughter of the twins filled the air, Caleb’s steady presence and kind eyes gave me a sense of peace, and the dark night sky reflected in James’ eyes made me grateful to have these men in my life.
Austin cleared his throat. “Whether we celebrate tomorrow here or in Valhalla, I want you to know this isn’t a goodbye. We’re a family, and we won’t be separated by anything or anyone – not even death.”
Cody clasped his shoulder. “I’ve never been religious, but I have to believe there’s something beyond this. Personally, I’m hoping for Valhalla. I know I’m going to need a beer and burger after this.”
Cody paused to let the chuckles fade.
“I’m grateful to have all of you in my life,” he said seriously as he looked around our circle. “I don’t know what would have become of me if you two idiots,” he grinned over at the twins. “Hadn’t shown up on my doorstep so many years ago.”
Jason punched him in the shoulder, and Mason pounded him on the back with a one-armed man hug.
“I think we would have ended up dead if you hadn’t taken us in,” Mason told him as he stepped back.
“Oh, definitely,” Jason added. “We wouldn’t be standing here right now.”
Cody looked over at Austin. “You took a risk with the three of us, welcomed us when no one else would give us a chance.”
Austin clasped hands with Cody. “I couldn’t ask for a better group of wolves to call my brothers.”
It wasn’t just me who had to clear their throat or blink suspiciously glistening eyes.
“None of us would be standing here if it weren’t for Austin,” Caleb said quietly.
James nodded. “I would never have known what it was like to be part of a family, to fight for hope instead of surrendering to despair.”
“I wouldn’t have ever learned how to be strong,” I added. “How love can make a family even if that’s not what you were born into.”
“I think we all have Anna to thank for opening our hearts and showing us the beauty of the world around us,” Austin said with a smile at me.
I blushed and fought back the tears that were starting to shine in my eyes.
“You showed me that light can shine into even the deepest of darkness,” James said quietly with a profound look in his eyes.
I connected with him across the fire and stopped trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from my eyes. One slid slowly down my cheek and dropped down into the cold sand.
“I learned that being strong isn’t about how much you can bench press, or how well you hide your emotions,” Cody said. “It’s about pushing through to the other side, never giving up the fight.”
“Yes,” I whispered as I gazed into Cody’s beautiful eyes. Any other words had utterly escaped me as I was overwhelmed with my emotion.
“You spent most of your life surrounded by anger, hate, and harsh words,” Austin told me with kindness. “But you never let it twist you into something ugly. Instead, you rose above all of that to become the light that guides others out of their own darkness.”
“I’m not sure if I believe in fate,” I said as I swallowed back the lump in my throat. “But everything that happened to us - it brought us here together, in this moment. It made us who we are, and it made us strong enough to win the fight that’s coming for us.”
I held out one hand for Austin, and then turned to James with the other. Austin held his hand to Cody, who took it and offered his own to Mason. Mason to Jason, Jason to Caleb, and finally Caleb to James. We stood there linked together in a circle, and I opened up all of the bonds between us. I let my emotion and my magic flow through them. All seven of us became one.
“We’re going to fight for our world tomorrow,” Austin said to all of us. “We’re going to fight for our futures, and we’re going to fight for