The Shadow Wolf - G. Bailey Page 0,37

can move on from this in time. She is so young to have all this happen. All I can do is promise her I won’t leave anytime soon. “I should find Phoebe and—”

“The hideouts are staying closed until tomorrow morning because the beach needs to be cleared and the city must be thoroughly checked in case anyone is hiding,” Alex interrupts. “So all you need to do is rest at home with us. Estelle said that cut on your head made you lose some blood, not to mention the bruising on your neck. You need to rest.”

“But they are all worried, and we should—”

Mason interrupts me this time. “We have gotten messages to them.”

I sigh, giving up because the fight in me is just gone at this point. Liam offers me his hand, and I take it, resting my head against his shoulder as we walk out. I nearly fall asleep a few times in the car journey to the cabin, but the need to have a shower first keeps me awake.

“I’m going to shower,” I say when we step into the living room that seems so quiet and empty right now.

“Want me to make you a cup of tea and warm some brownies in the microwave for you?” Liam asks me, and I can only nod.

I feel all their worried eyes on me as I head into the bedroom, softly closing the door behind me. I walk straight into the bathroom and strip off my clothes smothered in the blood of my mother and sister. As soon as the hot water falls on me, I start crying, not able to hold the pain in anymore. I cry for my sister I lost, for my mother who saved me, and I never got to thank her for the brave act she did. I cry and cry until my throat feels sore and the water goes from hot to warm. Eventually I clean myself up and wash my hair before turning the shower off. I climb out of the shower and wrap myself in a towel, halting when I see a letter resting in front of the mirror on the sink. I pick it up, not recognising the handwriting which simply says my name on it.

Taking the letter, I walk back into the bedroom where all my guys are sitting on the bed waiting for me. “I found this in the bathroom on the sink.”

“Who wrote it?” Liam asks, patting the space next to him. I sink onto the bed, crossing my legs as I pull the letter open.

Dear Anastasia,

I promised never to leave you once more, and I meant that. I did. Then your mother left this world, and my connection to her demanded I go too. I was hurt in the battle, an injury I could not have healed from. I will use the last of my magic to hold up the barrier around this island for eternity, creating a safe place for familiars to always come.

I know you will understand this, understand how you can love someone more than life, and for me, that love is your mother, and I am happy to follow her.

I have written a second letter in the envelope for Phoebe. Please give it to her when she is older.

For you, Anastasia, I do not worry about your life. I have learnt that your men are strong and more than capable of running the city and securing peace for our race. You and your men were born to protect the familiars, and I’m sure you will find a way to make that happen.

Our powers were never in our blood, in our immortality, but in our hearts. Our ability to love makes us just like the humans we are separated from.

Teach our people what is in your heart, and you will be a greater leader than they could wish for.

I will love you from the stars above,

Your father,

Greyson Noble

With shaky hands I drop the letter onto the bed after reading it three more times. Liam picks it up and reads it with Mason and Alex looking over his shoulders. When they finish the letter, their eyes rest on me. I finally know my dad’s name.

“I’m sorry, Ana,” Mason says.

“I’m not. I understand what he has done, and I think he was the bravest dad I ever could have had,” I say, my voice catching on a sob. “We won’t forget him.”

As my guys hold me close, all of us in our home that we will