I was too late.

The magic from the faultline swarmed the entire forest, causing trees to snap and branches to whip back and forth. The ground itself started to shake beneath me, evidence of the magnitude of the reversal spell.

I tried to take a step forward, but even that small movement proved difficult. It was almost as if the magic itself was creating resistance. The source must have been close. Digging my claws into the earth, I fought to stay upright.

The churning power was disorienting. My wolf's exceptional hearing seemed to pick up every sound in the forest, and yet, nothing was discernible. The underbrush whipped recklessly around me, while trees clashed against one another. It was almost as if I'd been caught in the center of a devastating storm.

My wolf released a high-pitched whimper as I struggled to take another step, all while panic threatened to seize control of my mind. I couldn't be distracted. I needed to reach the faultline's source.

I needed to reach Nolan.

The thought of my mate alone offered me the strength to take another step forward. His piercing blue gaze. Another step. The dimple that formed on his cheek with every smile. Another step. The way his chest rumbled every time he laughed at one of my jokes...

I continued like this, my head bent in determination as I forced myself closer to the magic source. With every step, I prayed to the Moon Goddess. I prayed that she would give me even a second longer with my mate.

"Charlie?"

The sound of my name rose above the turmoil of the surrounding forest, snapping me out of my determination-driven haze. My eyes immediately flickered ahead, toward the source of the voice.

My heart skipped a beat at the sight of Dominic standing mere paces in front of me. Shock ricocheted through me, and my body lurched forward. I possessed no semblance of control over my own form as my wolf's bones splintered and shrunk, shriveling until I was reduced to my human body once more.

I gasped. Every muscle in my body quivered as I attempted to push my newly-naked body off of the ground, but I scarcely had the strength to lift my neck. Disorienting magic still swarmed around me, biting my bare skin like a thousand pin-pricks. I weazed, resisting the urge to close my eyes.

"D-Dominic?" I rasped.

"Shhh, Charlie," Dominic's familiar, husky voice murmured. He sounded closer than before. "You're okay. You're going to be okay."

I struggled to keep my eyes open, even as my head rolled back, landing in the dirt. "N-Nolan is..."

"Take a deep breath, Charles," Dominic coached, his voice shockingly clear despite the buzz of magic surrounding us. It almost didn't seem real. "Stay with me."

I obeyed his command, forcing a deep breath into my lungs. Then another. When I felt sufficiently re-settled in my human body, I propped myself up on an elbow.

I blinked, suddenly realizing that Dominic was crouched just inches away from me. He reached out a hand, his fingers bent to gently caress my cheek as I met his beautiful blue gaze...

But our skin never made contact. Not really. I noticed it a moment later. Dominic's form wavered, taking on a cloak of transparency that I'd grown painfully familiar with.

A spirit.

Dominic's spirit.

I released a shattered breath, extending my trembling fingers to stroke his hand that would have rested on my cheek. They passed straight through him and onto my own skin. "Dom?"

He smiled, his blue eyes softening as he nodded. His throat bobbed once. "I had to come see you one last time. I didn't realize I'd get to finally meet your wolf, too."

My bottom lip trembled, and I fought to sit up a bit straighter. "N-no, Dominic. What happened? Oh, g-gods..."

Dominic sighed a chuckle, the smile remaining on his lips. "The spell called for the blood of an Alpha..."

It was the only explanation that I needed. Dominic had Alpha blood pulsing through his veins. He could have ascended as the Black Lupis Alpha, but he'd also taken his place as an Alpha among the rogues. His blood was enough to fulfill the sacrifice. My mouth fell open, and fresh tears spilled past the corners of my lips.

"You deserve to be happy, Charlotte," Dominic whispered, his voice rising above the roar of magic around us. "You and Nolan deserve to be happy together."

I gasped, my entire body trembling. "Y-you took his place?"

My Rogue Alpha smiled, and peace pooled in his radiant orbs.

"Oh, Dominic," I whispered, unable to contain the sob that racked my naked body.

Dominic, my friend and protector. The male who had endured heartbreak and rejection, time and time again. The male that had never known true happiness, yet still managed to fight for good. I'd treated him so unfairly, but he never ceased protecting me. Not for one moment.

I didn't deserve him.

"I'm s-so sorry," I sputtered, but he quickly cut me off.

"Please don't apologize to me," Dominic murmured, reaching out to stroke my cheek with a phantom hand. I closed my eyes, imagining his calloused touch. "You gave me purpose for these last few months... You brought light into my life again, for the first time since Sarah died. And now... Now, I get to be with her again. And Sophia."

I sucked in another breath, clenching my eyes shut to cement the sound of his voice in my head. He continued, "And, one day, I'll get to see you again, too."

"Dominic, th-thank you," I whispered, emotion clogging my throat.

"I love you, Charlotte," Dominic said, and, a moment later, the world went still.

The magic that had been pulsating from the earth itself came to an abrupt halt. The forest stopped its churning, and the magic that peppered against my skin calmed. I wrenched my eyes open, but Dominic was gone. I was alone.

Exhaustion seized my entire being, threatening to pull me into darkness. At that moment, I thought that it would be easier to slip into an abyss. To succumb to the exhaustion plaguing my body and sleep for days. At the tempting thought, my eyelids became impossibly heavy.

But how could I give up when I'd already come so far?

Somehow, I mustered the strength to push myself upright. I placed my hand on my knee, bracing myself to stand. It was a slow process, stumbling through the forest to finally reach the magical faultline. To reach the clearing where my mate had been spared, but my friend had died...

Finally, the scent of vanilla and cedar candles drifted into my nostrils, tainted by the unmistakable tinge of iron. Blood.

Darkness ebbed on the edge of my vision as I hurried forward, twigs and thorn-bushes scraping relentlessly against my bare legs and torso. I stumbled through a particularly dense thicket, falling forward as I reached the other side. The thicket mercifully opened into a clearing, where an insurmountable number of flames danced in a circle around three fallen shapes. Other figures knelt around two of the dark bundles on the ground.

A soft groan escaped my lips as I landed on my hands and knees, and half a dozen bodies turned in my direction. I vaguely heard a male voice shout my name, then a pair of arms wrapped around my waist, cradling me against a warm body.

"D-did the s-spell work?" I croaked, eyelids fluttering.

"It worked," Nolan murmured, his lips pressed against the top of my head. His entire body shook as it surrounded me, and his salty tears dripped onto my cheeks. "They reversed Sidra's spell..."

Nolan might have continued, but I stopped hearing. My limbs became limp, but I forced my eyes to stay open, just long enough to meet his watery gaze.

My unexpected friend and lover. My Alpha and equal. My life partner. My Fate Mate.

I allowed my head to roll back against his chest, and my gaze swept across the clearing one last time.

Moments before darkness settled over me, I saw two shapes appear above one of the bodies on the forest floor. One of the figures held a baby against her chest, but she reached out a hand toward the larger form. United at last.

Sarah had come to take Dominic home.

Finally, I allowed my eyes to close. I could rest knowing that Dominic found the peace that he, more than anyone else, deserved.