Reborn (Shadow Beast Shifter, #3)(108)

“You don’t want to wait for judgement?” Shadow asked her.

She shook her head, looking determined and far stronger than usual. “Torin has always been my chosen mate, and I won’t give up on us now. If he’s a human, then so am I.”

I managed not to snort out the derisive laughter, because she would have lost her wolf no matter what, but now she got to dramatically sacrifice herself for Torin. Ugh, whatever. They could have their second rate, sad-ass love story. Mine was a million times better.

Shadow’s power shot out and locked around her, lifting her up to his level. He touched her briefly, and there was the same burst of light as her wolf was removed, before she dropped to her “mate’s” side.

Torin managed to pull himself together enough to wrap an arm around her, as she was the one now rocking back and forth and crying.

“You will live a normal, full life as a human,” I said, crouching down to their level. “Be grateful for your second chance, and don’t waste it. Don’t waste your human life.”

Torin and Sisily lifted their faces toward me, tears painting their cheeks in lines of sorrow.

“My wolf… He’s gone,” Torin choked out.

My heart ached because I could empathize, but he had brought this on himself. He’d had so many chances to do better. Literal years since his father had died, where he could have grown up and taken Torma to the place and prestige it deserved.

Instead, he’d remained a spoiled, entitled asshole. Just like his father, he’d abused his power, and now he faced the consequences of that.

Jaxson hurried forward and he lifted the pair, dragging Torin and Sisily away from us. They disappeared, but I wasn’t too worried. I knew Jaxson, and he would be back for his judgement. One thing he never shirked was responsibility.

Shadow’s power dragged the other powerful members forward first, and we both placed our hands on them. This was the way I could see their actions over the years and pass judgement. Some of them were easy to decide, with corruption and depravity the truest part of who they were, while others I really had to weigh up if they were deserving of this level of punishment.

Dean Heathcliffe sneered when he got close, and I absolutely did not want to touch him. “You deserve death,” I said without inflection, even if my eyes were telling him to drop dead.

Jaxson returned at that moment, and I was struck with the urge to touch them both. To see the truth of what Jaxson had been trying to tell me.

Shadow dragged them forward and held them in place so I could put a fingertip on both of their temples, digging straight into the past, searching for the time when my life had changed for the worst.

A room swirled before coming into focus, a familiar face sending a pang of grief through my chest. It was my father in one of the pack meeting rooms, with Dean and Victor. They’d been arguing, it was clear by the looks on their faces.

“Taking her friends away only makes it worse,” my father snapped. “You killed her damn bunny and she almost burned the town down.”

Dean laughed. “You birthed her, you deal with it. I’m protecting my family by ensuring my son is no part of her life. I’ll break him if it’s the last thing I do.”

The scene changed, and then it was Dean and Jaxson. The father was slamming his fist into his son’s face and chest and stomach, over and over, until a young Jaxson was limp and unresponsive. Torin was the one to rush in between the beta and his friend, holding both hands up.

“He won’t see her again,” a young Torin shouted. “She’s a traitor. We both know she’s a traitor and we’ll ensure that everyone treats her as such.”

Now my chest hurt, and Shadow must have sensed that, because he broke through the memories, separating me from them. It was fine, though; I’d seen enough.

Jaxson and Torin hadn’t been lying or exaggerating when they’d said that Dean would have killed his son before he let him be my friend. Fuck, it had been going on before my father had lost his shit and gotten himself killed. And I could no longer blame those two when they’d been doing the best they could.

I had suffered so much, but they had too, and in some ways that allowed forgiveness in my heart. Torin still didn’t deserve to be alpha, but Jaxson could keep his wolf. He was worthy of a second chance. Dean, on the other hand…

Shadow rumbled loudly beside me, and as I turned toward him, he struck out, plunging his hand into Dean Heathcliff’s chest and ripping out his heart.

Ah, now that was a fitting punishment. “Your sins have finally caught up with you,” I said to the former beta, and when Dean’s body hit the ground, no one made a sound.

He would not be mourned in death, just as he wasn’t respected in life.

A legacy all of his own making.





60





By the time we were done with our judgment, half of the pack was spared. Those shifters would be able to remain in Torma and rebuild their life. I sincerely hoped they did more with it than the first Torma pack.

At the end, Jaxson made his way toward me again. “Hello, old friend,” he said.

Pain finally hit me, right as Jaxson reached out and grasped onto my furred and feathered hand. “You look amazing, Mera,” he said, and I could tell he meant it. “Strong and beautiful. Powerful in a way that I always knew you could be.” His words were the polar opposite of the disgust Torin had shown over my new form, and once again, I was content with my decision.