I tapped my paw against Animus's chest. "Stop choking Mistral so I can talk to him."
Animus made a disgruntled sound, but eased his talons off Mistral's chest. "Fine. But if he tries anything, I'm turning him into a baked harpy nugget."
I hopped on the ground next to Mistral, who rubbed his neck and frowned.
"It's quite simple," I said. "Since Animus and I are fated mates, the magic originates inside of him now."
Mistral's eyes widened. He looked both confused and horrified. "Fated… No, that's not possible."
My whiskers twitched as I tried to hold my patience. That was exactly how Animus reacted when I told him we were fated. I wondered if he'd internalized Mistral's disbelief that something like this could happen.
"It is possible. The proof is right in front of you," I said, glancing up at my mate's beautiful form.
Animus tucked in his fiery wings, holding his proud head up high. He quite literally glowed.
"But… Animus had to have tricked you. He's manipulated you," Mistral said weakly.
I sighed. His arguments lacked any logic or conviction beyond his own stubbornness. He wasn't even trying at this point. But since he was so determined to be wrong, I'd show him exactly how wrong he was.
I shifted to human form and walked over to the blazing phoenix. I didn't even have to voice my request out loud. Animus understood what I meant without words. The flames surrounding him flickered away until he stood in his previous form. With Mistral watching, I kissed my mate. Animus sighed happily against my lips.
When I pulled away, Mistral gawked in disbelief. Before he could conjure another disparaging remark, I decided to put an end to it.
"Animus is pregnant with my baby," I said. "If that doesn't convince you, nothing will, in which case, I don't have anything else to say to you."
Mistral's eyes went incredibly wide as he squeaked, "He's what?"
But his voice was overwhelmed by the much louder, familiar voice of my sister yelling,
"HE'SWHAT!?"
Nineteen
Animus
Apack of creatures surged over the edge of the mountain trail—deer, foxes, mountain lions, mice, beavers, a hare, and of course, a plethora of wolves of varying ages and fur colors. The shifters of the aquatic variety ran in their human forms, but they weren't any less fierce. Above them flew an osprey, a raven, a finch and a dark-skinned harpy with cream feathers. Among them were smaller versions of the same animals, including ones I recognized personally, like the fox kit with shadowy wings and the infant mouse in his omega father's arms.
It was Leveret's whole family.
As the pack gathered on the mountain peak, a wave of emotion hit me. This was the outcome I expected, to finally be confronted with the pack's fury once they caught up with me, but the circumstances were wholly different than I anticipated. Before, I'd been ready to play the villain, the big bad spirit hellbent on ransoming Leveret in exchange for their magic. In a way, my plan was no different than Mistral's. But as the pack stood with their fur, feathers and hearts blazing, I knew I'd never be like Mistral.
I simply cared about all of them far too much.
Mistral squawked, leaping to his feet and backing away. Their sudden appearance startled him, but he wasn't ready to accept that he'd already lost. He puffed up his feathers and pointed a talon at me.
"Good, you're finally here," Mistral exclaimed. "I cornered Animus for you."
Leveret's sister, Lupa, padded towards me. The she-wolf flicked her ears back in confusion.
She'd clearly been ready to rip my head off, but overhearing Leveret's comment made her pause.
Mistral mistook her slow motions as hesitation. Scowling, he yelled, "Take him down once and for all!"
Lupa growled at him. "Shut up for a second, would you? I'm trying to talk to my brother."
I barely withheld a snort of laughter. I loved that she didn't take shit from anyone, and hearing her take Mistral down a peg after our confrontation was incredibly satisfying.
"Lev, did I hear you properly?" she asked. Her curious eyes flicked to me. "Is Animus really…?"