The Queen's Conquer

Chapter 36 : Our Eternal Flame

Unitive • [you-ni-tiv]
Having the power of uniting; causing, or tending to produce, union.

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Though there's not much I'm able to do about Max's accommodations with his human blood occupying wolf territory—and him being regarded as a traitor of Phantomridge after working alongside Markus—, I try my hardest to bring normalcy into his situation until our trip to Mylithia. Samuel seems to ease his worries about Max the more time I spend with him, taking advantage of my after-hours of training to visit him in hopes that he'll see we're not the enemy.

It took a long and draining meeting with the pack leaders to convince them that the benefits outweigh the costs if we can convince him that we're not the reckless beasts he believes we are—that he'll realize and understand our kind more than ever if they allow me to explain the things he's been struggling to understand. After several hours and the approval of nearly ten different members, I'm allowed privileges to visit Max whenever I please with the help of Xander driving me to and from his safehouse.

And with those privileges, I take advantage of every chance I have, normally taking three evenings out of the week to see him. My visits are at first short and simple—tense with the time we've spent apart, but always valuable. And the more time I'm able to explain the logistics of this strange world to him, I witness a shift in not only Max but our damaged relationship, too.

With every passing week, the only noticeable changes seem to appear in my growing strength after every session with Lilith and Samuel's edging uneasiness the closer my visit approaches.

The small piece of uplifting news that's heard over the span of the next two weeks comes after the return of Killian and Sterling from their visits to our allying packs. A pack up North by the name of Silvermoon has agreed to take half of our captive rogues—a gracious relief for my mate.

I know he's been worried about the possibility of my power's creating another chaotic uproar even though he's barely spoken a word about it. But it's not difficult to read the way he struggles to hold himself together whenever he's forced to part ways with me when dropping me off at the Packhouse. It's like he's afraid one wrong maneuver trying to harness my powers with Lilith will send another flash wave of energy spiraling out of my body and wolf.

And, eventually, that fear soon becomes my own. Every waking second I've spent attempting to erase the sound of Sterling's scream and Samuel's warm blood under my palms leaves me having restless fits in the middle of the night. And some have even compelled me into an ice-cold bath at three in the morning, hoping the freezing water will numb my senses back to their former state.

Samuel has found me on several occasions shivering in the tub once he's realized I'm not sleeping soundly beside him anymore. And every time, I'm hauled out of that infamous, ice-cold water and into the hot shower with him, holding me under the warm downpour until my body settles into his.

Just like he's terrified to admit his worries for me, I'm equally frightened to speak openly about my own—about what will come after Mylithia, about what I'll find in that catacomb-like library.

The week following the news regarding Silvermoon's approval to house a handful of our rogues, my mate spends night after night preparing the captives for transfer, working with Liam, Killian, Xander, and dozens of other warriors to sedate and haul them off safely and unknowingly. Because the last thing any of us would want to do is worry the population of Phantomridge about their Luna's practically uncontrollable powers.

My confidence in leashing my abilities seems to develop the more time Lilith spends reassuring and training me, most of which I blame on the fact that we've finally been able to practice sparring in my wolf form. And the considerable change in my body and attitude towards myself reveals that her work has not gone unnoticed.