"You smell like a campfire and home," I said.
I felt his chest rumble as he chuckled. "You're just saying that because of the fire."
I shook my head. "No. You smelled like that before your wings changed. It was the same scent on the night you kidnapped me."
His laugh turned into a wistful sigh. "That feels like ages ago now." He paused. When he spoke, his voice was more serious. "Your pack must still be looking for you."
"Yeah."
"I doubt they'll be happy with me," Animus remarked.
"Not at first," I admitted. "But I'll explain everything. Once they know you're my fated mate, everything will be okay."
Animus raised a brow playfully. "I hope you're right. Good thing you usually are."
I put my paw on his chest. "When we're done with Mistral, let's find my family. I'm excited to tell them all about you."
Animus's cheeks turned a similar color to his wings. "If they don't bite my head off first…"
"Trust me, I won't let them," I promised.
"I'll take your word for it."
With Animus's newfound energy, the flight to Mistral's house didn't take long at all. I noticed how fast my mate flew compared to the first night we met. The difference was like day and night. His skin was smooth and radiant, and his eyes no longer looked tired.
As Animus touched down at the top of the mountain, I was glad for my fur. Cold wind whipped across the rocky slope.
An old, decrepit cabin stood at the peak of the mountain. It looked abandoned. I hopped out of Animus's arms and moved closer, curious to examine it. Somebody had written "you're next" in an inky liquid on the front door. I tilted my head.
"Do you know what this means?" I asked.
Animus groaned behind me. "Gods, don't remind me of that."
Judging by his hunched posture, I thought he looked embarrassed.
"Did you write this?" I asked.
"Yes. I was feeling admittedly quite bitter that day. It wasn't my finest hour."
I examined the black words again.
"Your penmanship is good," I said.
Animus laughed out loud. "I write an edgy warning to my brother on his front door, and that's all you have to say?"
"I assume you had a reason. What is he next for?"
Animus frowned, looking less amused now. His fiery wings billowed behind him. He sighed, then retracted them before sitting on the ground. I hopped over to sit next to him. Animus stroked my fur absentmindedly.
"He was next in line for mytrail of vengeance," Animus murmured. He said that phrase like it was a joke.
My whiskers twitched in thought. Animus still hadn't told me the whole story, but I was slowly gleaning a clear picture of the events.
"Mistral stole your magic too, didn't he?" I asked.
A deep scowl etched into his face. "A bit of an understatement, but yes."
"What did he do?"