A Love Untamed (Feral Warriors #7)(85)

Kougar nodded once, slowly. “I forgive you, Melisande. I regret those years as I regret what you endured at the hands of the shifters. The past cannot be undone. But the future is ours.” He turned to Fox, extending his arm. “You did a hell of a job, Fox. A hell of a job. Both of you.”

Fox nodded his thanks. Ever since their return, the others had been treating him like a conquering hero. It felt good to contribute, especially something that mattered so much in so many ways. It was his animal spirit that was the real hero, sending him the flashbacks that told him what he needed to know to find Kara. And it was Melisande, of course, who’d saved them both.

An hour later, as they shared champagne and wedding cake in the dining room, Hawke came to stand behind Melisande, a hand on her shoulder.

“They’re back,” he said.

Melisande nodded, then turned to Fox, trepidation in those beautiful eyes of hers.

He took her hand. “Are you ready for this?”

Her mouth set with determination. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Hand in hand, they walked to the foyer where Zeeland and Julianne were just entering the house. Hawke had told them the pair had returned to the Alexandria enclave just that morning to replenish clothes and toiletries and would be back later that afternoon. Fox was just as glad that Zee and his bride had missed the teams’ homecoming and the quickly performed mating ceremony.

As Julianne strolled into the foyer ahead of Zeeland, she glanced at Melisande, then jerked with disbelief. Zeeland joined his mate a second later, his arm going around her waist, hauling her back against him as he stared with surprise and uncertainty.

“Melisande?” Zeeland asked, his tone half question, half snarl.

Melisande stepped forward, releasing Fox’s hand, and he let her go. Now that she could mist again, he knew she was in no real danger. But he would take no chances. “She’s my mate,” he told his old friend. “As of an hour ago.”

Zeeland’s eyes registered shock as his gaze returned to Melisande. “You’ve changed.”

His angel nodded with serene grace, so unlike the spitfire she’d been such a short while ago. “I have. In more ways than you can possibly know.” She stopped half a dozen feet in front of them and told the pair her story. “When I took your parents, Julianne, I did what I felt had to be done, but it was cold, callous, and cruel beyond measure. I don’t know what other choice I might have had, or might have chosen had my conscience still been intact, had I been able to feel, but I should have found something that wouldn’t take the lives of two good people and leave their daughter an orphan. I’m sorry. From the bottom of my heart, I apologize.”

To Fox’s surprise and consternation, Melisande pulled a knife he hadn’t realized she’d strapped to her thigh, and handed it, hilt first, to Julianne. “I will accept any retribution you see fit to inflict, now or in the future, short of death. I’ll not have my mate suffer.”

Zeeland’s gaze met Fox’s, acknowledging the Feral’s silent warning . . . if either of them hurt Melisande, they’d be lucky to leave Feral House alive.

Julianne pulled Zeeland’s protective arm from around her waist and stepped forward. Fox tensed, but Julianne reached for Melisande’s free hand, not the knife. Gripping Melisande’s hand in hers, she said, “I’m sorry for all you endured. I’m sorry for all you lost.”

Melisande nodded. “I hope someday you’ll be able to forgive me, Julianne. I have a lot of regrets, and it will be a long time before I’m ever able to fully forgive myself.” She put her knife away, took both of Julianne’s hands, and they stood there in that way women sometimes did when they had too much to say and no words were adequate, two women of grace, strength, and compassion.

Finally, Julianne pulled her hands from Melisande’s and returned to Zeeland’s side. Melisande faced the male. “My apologies, Zeeland.”

Zee nodded, still wary, and more than a little confused. Fox doubted the male would let his guard down entirely with her anytime soon. But unless she attacked Julianne, he’d never hurt her. Not after Fox had taken her as his mate.

That evening, alone in his bedroom, Fox took his beloved into his arms. “I adore you, do you know that?”

She grinned at him. “Not as much as I adore you.”

He kissed her soundly. “Do you want me to show you how much I adore you?” He began to slide the ritual gown from her shoulder.

“Show me, my beautiful shifter.”

And he did.