Tabby nodded. "As expected. It is surprising she has not taken him straight to Silas, though. That, I assume, is making Silas quite irritated and probably the only reason he has not sent his vampires to the city. He is waiting for the child."

It made sense, but I had to be honest; I didn't care why. I just needed Zale back.

Kai came forward and kissed Tabby on the cheek, then led her over to the seat in the corner of the room. She brushed him off and leaned on her cane instead.

"I'm quite alright, sweetness." She beamed at him, and he nodded, standing close. I stopped at the war table. Brax stood beside me, shadowing Enzi as if he was still not sold on working with Tabby, while Derik headed the table. "We have searched everywhere, but Adrenna slips past every time," he said, shaking his head.

"And she will continue to do so while the magic is inside her. She is avoiding you and the vampires, it seems. Dancing along that border is her way of eluding you both, but I do worry she has not decided which side she wants to fall on. Silas has no use for her once he has the child, and I will not sugarcoat things-she has always longed for a child. I'm guessing thoughts of keeping Zale for herself are keeping her from going to Silas." Tabby sighed, sorrow and regret in her eyes.

So Adrenna really was nice once. Just a witch who fell in love outside of the box she had been put in. It was a horrible fate to have for such a crime, but I couldn't change it, and I only wanted the beast out so I could track it and get my son back.

"How do we get the beast out, Tabitha?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"It will take a lot. This shadow world-it did break when Adrenna got out, but the beast... The beast is stuck in it. She trapped it in some caves when Fractum was uttered, and the mountain came down on it," she said and sighed again. I felt the hesitation in her words.

"What does that mean for a rescue mission?"

"It means that the caves are unstable, and going in there could be dangerous."

"I'll use my magic. I have enough of it to clear the way."

"No child, there is no magic in this world."

Oh. That was inconvenient.

"Wait, no magic at all? No werewolf, no winter born?" Brax frowned, and Tabby shook her head.

"No werewolf magic, no witch magic at all, except in the beast. But the shadows, I can't say. They come from that realm, only breaking through from their realm when the veil is thin enough in the winter, with no moon to stop it. I think they will be stronger over there if I am to guess, but even then, it is a guess."

"Then Brax and I go. We'll use the shadows, clear the caves, and get the beast free.

Once we've done that, we'll go through the portal with it, and you all need to be ready to track it when it goes for Adrenna."

"You think that will work?" Kai asked Tabby.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes hooding as she thought, or talked to whatever part of her or the witches that helped her see what we couldn't.

"It is unclear. The shadow realm is unpredictable. It may get hostile for having power pushed back into it from your shadows, or it will help, recognizing its own."

She sighed, then shivered a little and lowered into the seat behind her.

I frowned at her and turned to Tatum, who was still at the opening of the tent.

"Can you please fetch Tabby some tea?" I asked. He nodded, leaving straight away.

"It has been a while since I have left my swamp; unfortunately, it makes my abilities a little uncomfortable."

"And the witches are okay with you helping us?"

"They do not want Adrenna with her powers helping Silas. It upsets the balance, so I am to 'advise, not assist.'" She mimicked the last words with a roll of her eyes. I smiled, and she lifted her arms.

"May I hold her?" she asked. I nodded and moved toward her, lowering Enzi into her arms. She snuggled her in, then sucked in a breath and frowned.

"She is..." Tabby trailed off, her eyes going a cloudy color as she held Enzi, her fingers pressing against her forehead. Brax snarled and surged forward, but I stopped him.

"No, I want to know," I said, but he glared at me, the first real glare he had ever given me.

"Get her magic off our daughter, Spitfire. I have control, but not that much," he snapped, and I knew he was right. I could feel it in the link, sizzling and burning as his shadows started to leak.

"Tabitha, we need to know what you're doing," I urged, kneeling next to her, scared to touch either of them in case it hurt them. Enzi didn't look scared or in pain, and I couldn't feel that, but Brax was right; we had to know-especially after being betrayed.

"I am looking through your history. There is a thread in her DNA that suggests magic is already a part of her. I don't think she is human, but I am trying to determine if it is due to the border magic in you during pregnancy or whether this is something you have passed down. If it is, then your lineage originates from somewhere other than human," Tabitha said before her eyes returned to normal and her breath released.

She shook her head and sighed. "It is hidden from me, buried too deep to pull on.

Very interesting though," she said. She looked at me with a new interest, and my heart raced a little faster.

"Okay, one crazy theory at a time. The caves, Tabby, we can talk about my past later, but right now, I have to make sure Zale has a future."

She nodded. "Of course."

Tatum came in with tea then, and Tabby took a grateful sip before sighing and leaning back in the chair.

"You need to be aware of the consequences."

"What consequences?" Derik asked, a frown permanent on his face when we were in the hut. I wish I could make it go away, but I couldn't even heal myself at the moment.

"If Lorelai goes through the portal, her magic will go with it. She will get it back once she comes through, but it will be holding the portal open."

"So the wolves will be left without turning magic," Derik said in realization. Tabby nodded.

"And if she gets hurt or passes out, will the portal close them in there? With no magic?" Kai demanded. Tabby nodded again.

Everyone fell silent at the truth, but I shook my head, standing up.

"I didn't go through that pregnancy and the pain of birth to give up at the first sacrifice I have to make as a parent. I promised I would do whatever it took to get Zale back, and I'm keeping that promise," I vowed before turning to Tabby.

"Where are the caves we need to portal to?" I asked.

She smirked. "On the water side of those cliffs. It is why I told you to camp here and wait for me," she said, and I nodded, already turning to go out of the tent.

Derik grabbed Enzi as Kai helped Tabby out.

We stood in front of the water's edge, the dark night making it seem more sinister than it was. Brax liked it more than I did, but I could swim-ish. I'd never really needed to, but I was pretty sure I could stay above water. Brax grabbed my hand.

"I'll keep us afloat, Spitfire," he said, and I nodded.

"To the east of the cliffs, just below the waterline is a cave. Go in there. It's only a few seconds, but you will come to a maze of tunnels. The beast is trapped somewhere in there. Get him out, then get back to the portal; once he goes through

-and he is fast, so he will reach it before you-your magic will take a significant hit without you there to wield it. It is more than likely that it will start to close," Tabby warned, her voice shaky as she shivered.

Kai pulled his furred coat off and layered it on her. She tugged it closer and smiled up at him. Kai gave her one back and then walked over to me. Fear was trickling in at all the things that could go wrong, but I had to trust that I could do this; I had to believe in the balance.

"I wish I could come with you. I wish it was me making sure you made it back to us," Kai breathed, and I kissed him. He held me close, kissing me harder.

"I'll come back," I promised, and he nodded. He couldn't come with us-we all knew that. My magic couldn't get us all over there, and I needed him and Derik here, protecting Enzi, the pack, the humans.

"You better, beautiful," Derik said, coming over to steal me from Kai. I kissed him too, his lips soft and tender as his arms enveloped me. Kai said goodbye to Brax, and then Derik did.

Even though we were all nervous, I had an excitement in me. We were finally going to have what we needed, not just chasing our tails.

This was a real step in getting Zale back, and I needed it so fucking much. I clung to that, letting all my desperation fill me as Tabby nodded at me, telling me to make the portal. I wasn't sure how, but she said my magic would, and I trusted that.

I lifted my hand, the purple mist stretching from my body and forming a circle in the air that shimmered and glowed with magic.

"Remember this is a shadow world, there is no telling what the shadows there hold.

I don't know what hell the witches put in there for Adrenna, but I know it wasn't fun. It was meant to make it easier for the beast to have her, so if you think a shadow is coming for you, it probably is, and get out of its way," Tabby said.

I looked over my shoulder at her with a droll stare. "Any good news before we go?"

"Yes. The mating link will survive even in the portal, so you will be able to communicate with this side," she said, and that was reassuring.

I blew out a breath and looked at Brax, who had a stern look in his eyes too, "Kiss Enzi for us. I can't say goodbye to her too after Zale, I'll come back to her. Keep her safe," I said through the mind-link to my mates. Kai nodded as Derik kissed Enzi on the forehead.

"We've got her. Be safe," Derik linked back a second before Brax and I stepped through the portal.

2. The Shadows

LORELAI

Brax and I crossed through the portal, the magic stripping from us both. I gasped at the lightness it left me with-and the darkness. The weight of it was gone, but the shadows grew inside me as if they recognized where we were. I didn't.

It was so dark, darker than our white winter that consisted of constant night. It was as if every space had a shadow. I shivered as the cold bit into my skin through my clothes. Brax brushed up against me, his lips landing on my cheek.

"We've got to get in the water," he said, his own lips blue.

The cliffs were dark; the water was ominous and black. I hesitated, fear trickling through me as my shadows filled every part of me.

Whispers in the air had me spinning, but it was only the forest behind me, dark and terrifying. The forest seemed alive with things my human eyes couldn't see.

The purple magic of the portal was like a film in the air, and I chewed my lip.

"Will anything be able to get through?" I asked.

Brax shook his head. "No, not unless you let it. It's your magic; it is still loyally bound to you. At least that's how it usually works," he said, his eyes darting over to the forest too.

"That water looks terrifying," I whispered, my voice raspy against the cold. The silence was even more intimidating than the whispers. Brax smirked and nodded.

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to this, so let's get it over with, yeah?" He inched forward, his toes brushing the water. He hissed and pulled his feet back. "It's fucking cold," he said.

I shook my head. "I thought something was actually wrong."

He blew out a breath. "There is. The water's going to give me frostbite on my fucking balls," he said, shivering.

I laughed. "I guess you're not used to feeling the cold, huh?"

He shook his head.

"Well, now you know how it felt going up that stupid mountain. Enjoy human," I teased, and he smirked at me, shaking his head before wading in, trying to prove a point. I waited, still not feeling good about my ability to stay above water.

"Can you see the cave?" I asked, and he frowned over at the cliffs, peering through the dark. But he shook his head.

"No. But my shadows are pulling me toward it; they know where to go." He shivered, and I nodded.

Good, my shadows would too then. I waded in, gasping at the ice water hitting me.

My nipples pebbled painfully, and I winced. Brax moved over to me, and he was right, my shadows were calm, soothing my anxieties, and pulling me toward where we needed to go.

"C'mon. We have to hurry up before the wolves get too wild without my magic," I said, shivering. Brax nodded and started to swim in the direction of the cliffs. I eyed his movements: arm, kick, arm, kick. I could do that.

Except it wasn't as easy as it looked, and I flailed in the water. The splashes made me cough, my neck stretched to keep my face out of it, but I was a useless swimmer.

Brax swam back over, lifting me onto his back, hiding a smirk.

"I am definitely going to remember what that looked like," he said laughingly and started moving his hands through the water, his legs pushing us toward the cliffside.

"Why? So you can traumatize me with it?"

"What? No way. I'm going to recreate it. In bed." He grinned, peering over his shoulder, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, it's the flailing woman position."

"Exactly what we want. Kai can get you making that 'holding your breath' face-

he's got a thing for his fingerprints on your throat, and then between me and Derik, I bet we can get your arms and legs going like that." He laughed, and I clutched him tighter, smiling despite the hurt in my heart.

It seemed wrong to enjoy anything when I didn't have Zale back, but my alphas had a way of distracting me, helping me take a break from the guilt and mind-numbing helplessness. It was working.

Brax smirked at me, and I kissed his cheek as we came to the cliff. I sometimes forgot that Brax was so connected with the water.

Maybe his wolf magic was gone, but that didn't take away from the fact that his entire ancestry was the water area pack, and that gave them something extra when it came to it.

They had the lake in their area, which meant swimming was probably as easy as walking to him.

"It is," he said, his biceps flexing against me as he pulled me around, helping me float with him.

"Small kicks of your feet. We've got to find this cave entrance, and I think it's under the water," he said, and my heart rate picked up.

"I've never really been underwater," I admitted.

He shrugged. "It's quiet. Peaceful. Just pretend you're in a really big bath, sinking below the surface to collect your thoughts. I've seen you do that, so I know you can."

He was right; I did do that. I could do this. I nodded at him, ready to do whatever it took.

"Your shadows should lead you to the entrance, but if you need to come up for air before going through, then do that; I'll follow your cues," he said, and I nodded, taking a few practice breaths.

"I'm guessing you're really good at holding your breath too?"

He grinned, pulling my lips to his.

"How do you think I stay between your legs for so long, Spitfire?"

I laughed and shook my head.

"Head out of the gutter," I said, then took another breath. "Okay, let's do this." I sucked in as much oxygen as I could, holding it in my chest as I sunk below the surface with Brax's hand in mine.

I used the little kicks he'd said to, to move forward, but I didn't need to. My shadows fueled my body, moving me toward the tall, black, jagged rocks that covered the lake bed.

"Don't touch them. We don't know what they're made of or what will happen if disturbed," I heard Brax's voice in my head.

"Yeah, because my first thought was to touch the sharp, black rocks that look like they want to skewer me like a spit roast," I said back, and he laughed down the link.

"Spit roast, now there's another idea for the bed later," he teased, and I almost let out my air in a scoff.

"I want her mouth," Kai interrupted the link, and I ignored both of their sexual comments, trying to see through the dark water, avoiding the spikes of rock that kept coming out of nowhere.

It was hard enough to see, but these things were making it harder. My shadows were helping though, avoiding them for me. Without them, I was pretty sure I would've messed this mission up at least four skewers ago.

My chest and lungs started to burn as I blinked hard, panic rising as my shadows moved me faster. I didn't know how long I had left before I needed to breathe, but it didn't feel like long. Brax grabbed my hand and pulled me along with him, but I tugged the connection.

He eyed me, and I pointed to the surface. Brax went to pull me up when his head snapped to the water behind him. He frowned and tugged me toward it. I wanted to protest, but my shadows were pulling me there too.

I held the last of my oxygen inside, the burning ache in my chest getting worse and worse.

"I think we're close, or the shadows would've let us surface. Hold on, Spitfire," Brax encouraged.

"I'm trying," I replied.

~"Don't panic; you'll use more air," he advised.

"I'm trying," I repeated, and he kicked harder. Until he yanked me against him, and we came face to face with a wall of cliff. He put his palm on it, pressing against it, his eyes wide. I shrugged and felt along it, but I needed air.

I strained out my chest, trying not to take a breath, but it was taking everything in me.

"Brax," I urged in the link.

"Get her out of there," Derik snapped down the link, but Brax was still searching.

"It's here; it has to be," he said back as I gripped the cliff. Black spots started appearing in my vision, and I grabbed Brax. He cursed down the link a second before something gripped my ankle.

My air whooshed out in a tornado of bubbles, a scream escaping when whatever had grabbed me tugged me down.

Panic filled my aching chest, and I reached for Brax. He grabbed my hands, trying to pull me back, fighting whatever had me, his biceps straining as his own face looked like air would be really good right about now.

"Get out of there!" Kai roared down the link.

"Don't let her go!" Derik screamed at Brax.

I tried to kick whatever had me off, but it held my ankle tighter. It didn't matter anymore; I had no more breath in me. Darkness edged my vision, Brax's desperate face and wide eyes the last thing I saw before it took me completely.

I was pretty sure I was dead, but there was pain. My chest ached and burned. I was sure if I was really dead, it shouldn't feel so awful. My shadows stirred inside me, and my throat closed, water rushing out of me.

My eyes flung open as I coughed and spluttered, emptying my lungs and chest of all the swallowed water. My nose burned as it came out of there too, and I took heaving breaths to compensate.

"Thank fuck," Brax growled, his voice raw as he enclosed me in his arms. I was used to being warm, but he was freezing too. I shivered against him and pulled back to see him.

"What happened?" I wheezed, and he nodded toward the cave entrance where the water was licking my feet. I was on stone and rubble, a bank on the inside of the caves.

"The shadows were trying to show you where to go to get to the entrance. They weren't your shadows, but I think ours were speaking to theirs. They weren't trying to drown you though," he said, and I coughed again, wincing at the pain that racked through my chest.

"Okay. That's not creepy at all, but thanks, shadows," I said to the air, and the water bubbled before stilling. I tensed and looked at Brax.

"They understand us; they know why we are here."

"And they'll help?"

"They're hard to understand since they don't actually talk, but from the feelings I got in my shadows, I want to say yes. But there's a warning."

"A warning?"

"Like not all of them are on the same side. Some will help, but I don't think all of them will."

"And I'm guessing there is no way to tell the difference?"

"Only in the feelings our shadows translate to us," he admitted, and I nodded; that was just great. I went to get up, and Brax helped me. I clutched him, my head spinning.

"Beautiful, you good?" Derik asked in the link.