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Death wouldn’t thank us for interfering in his realm, but this had to be done. It was too dangerous for Charity and the crones to remain in limbo with that cottage and the power it held.

Unlike Charity and the crones, Penny wasn’t as smart or powerful. We wouldn’t be hearing from her in the future.

Mom nodded, and Else, Mags, and Willow joined me. As we stripped off our clothes, Draven and his warriors turned around, giving us their backs and some privacy. We surrounded the bones of Charity and all three crones. They jumped and wriggled on the ground, trying to reorder themselves, to reanimate again. Their souls were there, we could feel them, but they were trapped between realms.

Else began the chant, and one by one, Mom, Willow, Magnolia, and I joined in, creating a wall of sound and magic.

The ground glowed.

No one was surprised they were being called to Hell.

Something moved up beside me, dark and menacing, cold. Death. I knew it. He was here. I felt that familiar coldness slither down my spine. He wasn’t happy we were taking souls from him.

I did my best to ignore his cold fingers lingering on my neck and chanted harder.

“You will pay for this. I’m coming for her. She will be mine,” Death whispered in my ear.

He was talking about Rose; I knew it without doubt. Well, he wasn’t getting her. Whatever it took, he would never have her.

The ground swirled and pulsed, and the forest floor disappeared beneath. The bones, along with their souls, were sucked down. Their screams echoed from the depths before being abruptly cut off when the ground closed behind them.

CHAPTER 40

Draven

Iris lay over me, naked and warm. We were both sated, but she still held on tight. We’d almost lost each other a few days ago, and there would be no getting over that, not for a long fucking time—probably not ever.

And the danger wasn’t over yet. Iris still had her combat trial coming up. Willow had been training with her all week, working on her magic, and I’d been helping with her fighting, in case it came down to that.

Nia growled in her sleep by the fire, and my beautiful mate lifted up and smiled at her familiar, then looked down at me. “There’s something I haven’t had a chance to tell you.”

I ran my hand over her silky hair, and my wolf chuffed with pleasure. I looked into her eyes and saw concern there. “What is it?”

“Charity told me something when I was trapped in that cottage, something you should know.”

I hugged her tighter. “What is it?”

“Selene did plan to release you. Charity knew her sister couldn’t leave you there to suffer like that, and that she’d want to go back for the dagger. Charity suspected Selene knew about her use of dark magic and that she planned to use the dagger on her, to change her heart. So Charity gave Selene a potion and cast a spell so she forgot you and the dagger existed.”

I drew in a sharp breath. “How do you know she wasn’t lying?”

“Why would she? She had no reason to. She could have let us carry on believing Selene was this evil person, but Charity’s ego was too big for that. She was jealous of her sister, that she was Keeper. She wanted me to know how strong she was now and what she was capable of even then. I believed her. Using a love elixir was seriously fucked up. There’s no excuse for that, but she was always going to come back to release you. At the heart of her, I believe she was good, Draven.”

I stared up at the ceiling. All this time, all the hatred I’d carried around for her. I’d made Selene the biggest villain in my story when it was Charity who had caused my pack all that pain. Yes, Selene had fooled me, but she’d believed she was doing what she had to for her family. And if I was honest, I knew that there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect the people I loved either.

She’d planned to set me free.

“I’m glad I know the truth.” I pressed a kiss to my mate’s lips. “And that Charity finally got what she deserved.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ve got you.”

Iris leaned in, pressing her lips to mine again. “I love you, Draven.”

My hands flexed against her waist. It wasn’t the first time she’d said it, but it hit me just as hard. “I’ll never get enough of hearing you say that,” I rasped. “I love you, too, my beautiful mate.”

Iris