I paced back and forth across my bedroom, too unsettled to sit or sleep. Zoey's story lit a rage inside me that burned with a cold fire. I'd seen some truly fucked up shit that people could do to each other in my time as an assassin. But in all my years I had never heard of the horrors that she went through at the hands of her pack. The one place a shifter should be safe and free, yet they treated a child with such hatred. Even the most cold-blooded killers won't intentionally harm a child. It was all so unnecessary. If they didn't want her around why not just send her to an orphanage in another pack?
I gritted my teeth as I seethed. How dare that sorry excuse for a mate treat her that way. How could he seem to delight in hurting his mate? I ran my hands through my hair for the umpteenth time. The darkness, pain, and despair in her eyes as she told us everything her pack did to her almost broke me. I would bide my time for now, but that pack had so much shit coming to them. All of them. The indifference they all held for her and the inaction to stop the abuse by the adults was almost as bad as the abuse itself. I knew my pack brothers were itching for revenge as much as I was.
'We will avenge our mate. She deserves no less.'
'I agree, my friend. But it'll have to wait. We need her to heal and become whole again. To believe in our love for her. Since she doesn't have a wolf, she can't feel our mate bond like we can. How right for us she is.'
'She has a wolf. She just needs to be released.'
I was startled. Wait. She has a wolf?
'How do you know?'
'I can feel her. She yearns for us. For all of us. She needs us just as we need her. She wants free to run and to love us. To connect with her human.'
I felt excited. 'Ok, my furry friend. How do we set her free?'
I felt him roll his eyes at me. 'Really, human? You already know the answer. The prophecy.'
'There was something about her that made me think of it. But I can't remember all the details.'
He huffed at me. 'How did I end up with such a foolish human.'
'Because our killer natures match.'
'True. Here is the prophecy then. "Only by the power of three will the moon goddess wolf be set free." Got it now?'
'Holy shit. I remember my grandmother telling me something about that. How one day a woman would come that needed more than a normal wolf to reach her full potential. Do you think that's Zoey?'
'Duh.'
'Alright smartass. But what does it mean by the power of three?'
'Think about it for a moment.'
I paced as I thought over what the prophecy could mean. The power of three… I stumbled and went wide-eyed as it hit me. Three… three MATES! Me, Jer, and Ash were the three needed to unlock her wolf.
'Bingo human. There is hope for you yet. Once she is marked and claimed by all three mates will her wolf be released, and her shifter powers be born. Powers that are more than any other wolf has because they are of the Goddess herself.'
'Holy shit…'
'Indeed.'
'I need to tell Jer and Ash.'
'You do that. I'm going to nap. Wake me if anything interesting happens.'
I felt my wolf doze off and sent a thought to them.
"Guys… I need to meet with you like right fucking now. I figured some things out, well with the help of my wolf, but it involves Zoey."
"On our way Deke."
It was a matter of minutes before they came into my room. By that time, I had found the prophecy in my lore book and confirmed what my wolf had said, not that I doubted him. But I wanted to make sure the wording was exact.
"What's up Deke? Is something wrong?" Ash looked worried.
"No. Exactly the opposite. Something good but powerful is happening."
Jer looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
I pointed to the passage in my book and gave it to them. They both read the prophecy and looked at me, the question clear in their eyes. I gave a laugh and rolled my eyes just as my wolf had minutes ago.
"Think about it, guys. My wolf told me that Zoey DOES have a wolf, that he can feel her. She just needs to be released. And that it will take the power of three, just like the prophecy says. He also says it will unlock her shifter powers… powers stronger than any wolf. Powers of the Goddess herself."
"Holy fuck… you think Zoey is the woman in the prophecy?" Jer's tone was hushed.
I nodded. "Yep. And can you figure out the power of three?"
I smirked as after a few moments their faces showed the same shock mine had when I figured it out.
"We… we are the power of three? Really? But how can we help let her wolf free? I don't understand."
"Damn Ash, you really didn't connect that dot? We claim our mate, right Deke? Mate mark her and claim her, all three of us. It explains how she's the mate to three wolves and powerful wolves at that. I know that Deke and I are just the Beta and Gamma but the three of us are the strongest Alpha, Beta, and Gamma of all the packs. Hell, if we wanted to, Deke and I could go to other packs and be Alpha's in our own right. But we never wanted to. So much of our lives makes sense now."
I nodded and swallowed. "You're right Jer. Everything has led us to this moment, to Zoey. And it kills me to know that every moment of her life, all that pain and torture she went through, had to happen to bring her to us. I know the Goddess has her plans and I can't even begin to guess what they are. I… I think Zoey had to suffer to really appreciate what good would come to her life later. To not take her mates for granted or abuse the powers she will get when her wolf is free."
"I agree. And as much as I want to rush in there and mark our mate and free her wolf, we gotta wait. She isn't ready for that. And I don't want to tell her about the prophecy just yet. I don't want her to feel pressured into accepting us as her mates just so she can finally have a wolf. I want her to do it because she truly wants US." Ash gave a loud laugh. "A feeling that is echoed by my wolf. He agrees with your wolf Deke. He can feel Zoey's wolf wanting to come out and be with us."
"Mine too, Ash. Although my wolf seems a little more sarcastic than yours. I don't think he has ever told me I was a dumbass human before. But he agrees that Zoe isn't ready for us just yet. I think if we tried to mark her now it would send her running from us. And he grumpily agrees." Jer snickered.
I grinned. "It's strange having three such putout wolves. But it makes my heart lighter that they agree. They're tapped into powers we aren't, and it makes it feel like the right decision if they're agreeing we wait too."
Jer gave a big yawn. "And with that agreement, I'm going to bed. With all the whiskey our mate drank while she shopped online, she's out cold. I hope it's enough to keep any nightmares at bay. She relived some horrible memories today and I don't want them to haunt her sleep."
"I think she'll be fine. There seemed to be a lightness about her after she told us. As if confessing her past lifted the heaviness of it." Ash yawned too. "But I agree on bed. You should get some sleep too Deke. I know you think you should stay up, but you need sleep. With all the fuckery that is going on recently we all need to be as alert as possible. We are all close to her room and I have all the external doors and windows on lockdown. She is safe for the night, so sleep my friend."
I nodded. "I will. I'm going to shower first then hit the sheets. Goodnight guys."
"Goodnight brother."
"Night Deke."