The Last Lunar Phoenix

The steering wheel crushed my ribs, and all I could taste was blood.

"Zephyr." Bron's voice cracked through my shattered phone. "I'm sorry, okay? Father needs your inheritance. You should understand."

"Bron," I gasped, blood pooling in my mouth, "you cut my..."

The world tilted as I tried to control the failed breaks. The screeching was loud enough for someone two blocks away to hear.

Then...silence.

Avalon's name was my last thought just before the darkness swallowed me whole.

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at candlelight.

"What the..." I sat up, clutching my ribs. There was no pain or blood. I was in a silk nightgown I hadn't worn in years.

A knock came at the door. "Miss Zephyr? Your father sent me to help you prepare. The car will be here in an hour."

My heart froze. That voice belonged to Emma, my maid. She was supposed to be dead.

I stumbled to the mirror and the reflection staring back wasn't the broken twenty-eight. My skin was too smooth, almost like porcelain. My eyes, which were once blue, had changed to amber and the scar on my brow was gone.

My fingers trembled as I grabbed my phone to see June 7th, 2020.

A sound escaped my throat. Tonight was the night before my wedding. The night before he rejected me.

I stared at my reflection, the rage rising hot in my chest. Bron had killed me for money while Avalon had destroyed me for pride. I'd cried through five years of humiliation. Not this time.

"Miss Zephyr?" Emma called again. "Should I tell your father..."

"No," I snapped. "Tell him I'll be ready in thirty minutes."

When she left, I gripped the vanity hard. In my first life, I'd spent this morning begging Father not to force me into that marriage. Now? I had just one thought.

I opened my closet and the white wedding gown I had worn in my first life, stared back at me. I reached past it and pulled out the black one. The silk hugged my curves with a dangerously low neckline that showed a good portion of my breasts.

The old Zephyr would've cried, not this one.

Just then the door burst open.

"Still not dressed?" Bron leaned against the frame, a stupid smug was across his face. "Father's furious. You know how he gets when his investments are late."

I met his eyes. "Get out, Bron."

He blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." I stood, and the air between us thickened. That strange heat flickered again inside me, curling through my veins. "Get out before I tell Father about the offshore accounts you've been skimming."

His face was drained of colour. "You...how the hell would you..."

"It doesn't matter." My lips curved. "Keep testing me, and I'll make sure the whole pack hears about it before breakfast."

"Father's going to..."

"I said get out." My tone sliced through the room.

He stared like he didn't recognize me. Then, for the first time ever, Bron Tarquin–my murderer–backed away.

"You'll regret this."

"Close the door," I said softly, "before I show you what regret really feels like."

When the latch clicked, my pulse thundered. My hands trembled, not from fear, but from exhilaration. I hadn't felt power like that before.

Something deep inside me hummed.

"Miss Zephyr, the car is here!" Emma called.

"Coming," I said, fixing my red lipstick. My brown hair fell loose down my back. I looked more like a free woman than a bride. Perfect.

Downstairs, my father's face darkened the second he saw me. "What are you wearing?"

"A dress," I said, brushing past him.

"That is not the gown I approved..."

"I'm marrying Avalon Cary, just like you wanted," I cut in. "But I'm not your puppet. If you don't like it, you are free to cancel the wedding and lose your alliance."

His jaw tightened. "Watch your tone, Zephyr."

"Watch your investments, Father. You wouldn't want them to crash because your daughter refused to smile would you?" I shot back.

He stared at me, speechless. For once, Bruin Chance had no script as I walked out the door.

The driver opened the limo, and I slid inside, crossing my legs. As the mansion disappeared behind us, I whispered to the night, "Goodbye, old life."

The drive north stretched long and silent. The forests swallowed the road in green and shadow.

In my first life, I'd spent this hour sobbing. Now I spent it calculating.

"Miss Delphine," the driver said through the mirror, "are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I lied, though my veins burned like fire. Something was wrong. It was as if my body wasn't quite mine anymore.

I pressed my palm to my chest. A three steady pulse answered.

"What the hell was happening to me?" I mumbled.

The feeling pulsed once more, then faded into silence as the limo turned onto a long, gravel road. Ahead, the Cary estate loomed in all its glory. Wolves watched from the tree line, I could see them although they were invisible to most.

I took a deep breath when the car stopped and the driver opened my door. I stepped out and looked up just as the massive oak doors swung open and Avalon Cary emerged.

He was six-foot-four, had broad shoulders, and his blue eyes were as sharp as winter. His presence swallowed everything around him in that cold alpha energy.

"Miss Zephyr," he said, descending the steps. "You're late."

"Blame the traffic not me" My tone was casual, almost bored.

His brows lifted. The last time I'd seen this moment, I'd apologized like a fool. Now, I let him stare and feel the difference.

His gaze flicked over my black dress, my loose hair, my red lips. A flicker of something unreadable flashed in his eyes before it vanished behind that icy mask.

"I see," he said evenly. "Not the look I expected." he moved closer.

"You'll find that I'm full of surprises."

I moved past him toward the open doors, brushing his arm as I passed. A surge of electricity exploded under my skin. My breath hitched as Avalon's eyes widened. For a second, the Alpha façade cracked, revealing the wolf beneath as his pupils glowed faintly gold.

"What was that?" he muttered.

"Nothing. Shall we?" I asked smoothly. "We have a wedding to attend."

I saw the faintest twitch on his jaw. He was definitely thrown off balance.

Behind me, I heard Osilus–Avalon's best friend–speak quietly. "Valon, did you feel that?"

Avalon's voice was low, rougher than before. "Something's... wrong. She doesn't smell human."

My lips curled as I crossed the threshold of the Cary mansion.

Inside, the foyer was just as I remembered with the cold marble, high ceilings, and portraits of dead Alphas staring down like judges. The memory of the humiliation stung like acid.

In my first life, I'd walked through these doors trembling. Tonight, I walked like I owned the place.

Avalon followed, silent but tense. "You've changed," he said finally.

"Have I?" I looked back at him, letting my gaze drop deliberately to the silver cufflinks at his wrist. "I see that you still wear your 'that thing.'"

"It protects what matters," he said quietly.

"Then you must be very afraid."

His eyes narrowed. "You're playing a dangerous game, Zephyr."

"So are you," I shot back. "Except in my version, I win."

Osilus coughed awkwardly behind him. "Should I... leave you two..."

"No," I said before Avalon could answer. "I want witnesses this time."

Avalon's gaze darkened.

"Witnesses to what?"

"The moment you realize I'm not the weak little bride you rejected."

He stepped closer, voice low. "Rejected?"

I smiled. "Oh, you'll remember."

For a heartbeat, the world held its breath as his wolf's energy brushed against mine again, cold and ancient and something inside me answered as the air between us sizzled.

Avalon inhaled sharply, eyes flashing gold again. "What are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around my wrist before I could move. The touch burned and I gasped. The strange heat roared to life as it flooded my veins.

"Zephyr!" he screamed, his voice no longer human. "There's something inside you..."

"Let go," I hissed and the temperature spiked with the air shimmering with invisible heat. His grip loosened, and I yanked free.

Both of us stared at each other, breathing hard.

Osilus took a wary step back. "Valon..."

Avalon's jaw tightened. "Do you see that she's not human?"

I straightened my back and smoothed my dress, as I smiled like a woman who'd just been reborn.

"No, Avalon," I said softly, stepping into his shadow. "I'm not. Not anymore."

Before he could answer, a loud crash echoed from the upper floor. A growl that was not quite human ripped through the mansion.

Avalon's head snapped up. "What the hell was that?"

I met his eyes, the burning in my chest flaring bright enough to hurt.

"Looks like your wolves aren't the only monsters in this house."

The Blackwood mansion reeked of old money and older magic. The scent of pine and leather crawled under my skin as I walked the marble hall. Every step screamed to run, but I forced myself forward.

"The ceremony begins in twenty minutes," a voice called.

Valta Tallis leaned on the doorway. She stood there in platinum hair smirking. She was Avalon's real mate. She looked at me like I was something rotten.

"You must be the bride." Her eyes lingered on my black dress. "How... unconventional."

"You must be the other woman," I said sweetly. "How predictable."

Her smile faded. Behind me, Osilus snorted and her eyes turned red. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." I stepped closer. "Touch what's mine, and I'll bury you."

Her brows lifted. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise." I said as the air thickened with power. Then Avalon's voice sliced through it.

"Valta, leave."

He appeared instantly standing in-between us.

"She insulted me," Valta hissed.

"I said leave." His tone made the walls hum.

Valta's jaw locked as she brushed past him. "You'll regret this, little girl." She said as she got close to me.

I smiled. "Get in line."

Her palm cracked across my face so hard the sound echoed.

I didn't flinch, instead I returned the slap hard enough to turn her head.

"That's for last time," I said.

She froze, then stormed off, heels clacking like gunfire.

Avalon's brow furrowed as he turned to me slowly. Power rolled off him, but I met his gaze head-on.

"What game are you playing, Zephyr Delphine?"

"I am not here to play games. Just setting boundaries." I shot back.

His eyes darkened. "You're different."

"People change..."

"Not overnight." He stepped closer and my pulse jumped.

"Just yesterday you were crying to your father, begging him not to marry me. Today you're threatening my..." he stopped.

"Your what? Your true mate? The woman you'll reject me for tonight?"

His expression shattered. "You know about that."

"I know everything."

He went still. "Explain."

"No."

His hand shot out again, catching my wrist and the surge of electricity seared through me. We both gasped as he dropped me like I burned him.

"What are you?"

"Your bride. At least for the next twenty minutes, anyway." I brushed past him as my heels echoed down the hall.

"Zephyr...come back here..."

"Save it." I waved my hand.

The ceremony hall doors loomed ahead and as I pushed through, I was greeted by white roses and whispers.

"Is that what she's wearing?"

"Human trash."

"Alpha Avalon deserves better."

In my first life, I cried. This time, I smiled.

Avalon waited at the altar, while Osilus stood beside him, and Valta sat in the front row simmering.

"Dearly beloved..." the officiant began.

"Let's skip it," Avalon said. "We both know why we're here. This is purely business. Nothing more." And a wave of gasps rippled through the church.

"Do you, Zephyr Delphine, take Avalon Cary as your husband?"

"I do."

He didn't look at me. "And I take you as my wife only for the alliance."

"Only for the alliance," I repeated.

"I... I now pronounce you..."

"We're done here." Avalon turned and walked off before the words finished.

Murmurs exploded as Valta stood smiling victoriously. I stood alone, the humiliation almost familiar but this time, fury burned instead of tears.

And just then, the chandeliers flickered as the air shimmered. The very next second, every wolf stiffened.

"Zephyr?" Osilus's voice carried.

I smiled. "Thank you all for coming," I said, voice sharp and echoing. "As you can see, my husband treasures this union. I'm sure we'll be very happy."

The whispers died as every eye widened and then I turned and walked out. The crowd parted like I carried fire.

Avalon caught up in the hall, hand clamping my shoulder. "What the hell was that?"

"Your wedding. Did you enjoy it?"

"You did something. Every wolf felt it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He blocked my path, voice rough. "You're hiding something, and I will find out."

"Good luck."

I shoved his chest and he stumbled back. For a split second, shock flashed between us because I'd just moved an Alpha.

His voice dropped to a growl. "This is your last chance. What are you?"

"Your wife. That's all you need to know."

I ducked past him and ran.

The guest room door slammed behind me and my chest was heaving.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered.

Heat pulsed beneath my skin. And those strange pulls grew stronger. The nearest one throbbed through the wall. Was it to Avalon?

I squeezed my eyes shut trying to calm myself down when a knock interrupted me.

"Zephyr?" Osilus's voice was gentle. "Please let me in."

I hesitated for a while, then opened the door.

He stepped inside. "We need to talk."

"About what?"

"About why every wolf in that room submitted to you."

"I didn't..."

"And why do you smell like a mate bond, but not to Valon." He came closer, jaw tense. "Why is my wolf losing his mind right now?"

I froze. "What?"

"You feel it too, don't you?"

His voice dropped, soft but rough. "This pull."he traced my shoulders.

"No. You're imagining..."

He touched my face and sparks shot down my spine.

"Osilus..." I groaned.

"Zephyr," he whispered. "What are you?"

I met his eyes. "I don't know all I remember is me dying and when I woke up, everything changed."

His breath caught. "You're a..."

Suddenly, the window shattered causing us to duck for safety.

Then a huge black wolf crashed through the window, shards raining across the floor.

This wasn't Avalon for sure this was much bigger, wilder, with eyes like burning coals.

He shifted mid-lunge to reveal Severus Zane. Alpha of Shadow Crest. My killer.

"Found you," he growled, then sniffed, stopping mid-walk. "Mate." he growled.

The world froze.

"Severus..." Osilus started, stepping between us and his growl deepened.

That was when the door exploded open and Avalon stormed in, eyes glowing gold, teeth snarling.

"Avalon!" Zane roared, and the whole house shook.

He didn't speak, he just shifted. Bones cracked, fur erupted, and before I could think, Avalon slammed into Zane. They hit the wall like a freight train and went down in a tangle of claws and teeth.

"Osilus...get her back!" someone yelled.

"Now!" I heard again, and his hands grabbed me, yanking me behind his broad back. "Stay back," he ordered, but his eyes never left me. "Zephyr, did he just..."

"Call me his Mate," I said, stunned. "Yeah, He did."

"What?!" Kai's voice was small.

"Zane called... me... mate."my eyes widened as the realisation hit me.

Zane's wolf tore through the air and changed mid-lunge into a man–scarred, massive, and burning with something feral. He landed on his knees, then rose, and when he sniffed me he froze.

"I finally found you..." he growled. Then he sniffed again, and his face changed.

"Mate."

"Mate?" Osilus echoed like he'd been slapped.

"Zane..." I started but they started fighting again.

"Stop it!" I screamed, and everyone froze. The light in my veins flared and a golden wave pulsed through the room. I felt it, all three anchors snapping closed around my chest.

Avalon. Osilus. Zane.

They stared at me with the exact same shock on each face. The air was full of my scent. Then Avalon tore himself free and stood, he was human again with hard nipples, blood slicking down his side.

"What...Was...That." His words were broken, edged.

"I don't know!" My hands wouldn't stop shaking. "I felt... everything. All three of you like you were in my bones."

Zane rose, chest heaving, his hair and scars on display. "You stopped us."

"She used Alpha command on two Alphas," Zane said, slow and amazed. "She...used...Alpha command."

"Don't be ridiculous,she's human," Avalon snarled.

"Does she smell human to you?" Zane's nostrils flared. "She smells like moonlight and fire. Like power that's been sleeping."

"She smells like mine," Osilus said soft and stunned.

"Yours?" Avalon's voice dropped. "She's my wife."

"A wife you rejected before you even married her," Osilus spat. "I felt it too, Val. The bond...she's my..."

"Don't say it," Avalon warned.

"Mate," Osilus finished, and the room exploded again.

"Pull yourselves together!" I threw myself between Avalon and Osilus without thinking. My hands hit Avalon's bare chest and something exploded inside us. Ice slammed into fire and we both flew back. I hit the wall so hard it cracked while Avalon slammed the opposite wall. Between us the air was alive.

"Lunar Phoenix," Zane breathed, like a prayer and a curse. "Holy shit. She's a Lunar Phoenix."

"That's impossible," Avalon said. "Lunar Phoenix bloodlines..."

"They are supposed to be extinct." Zane finished.

"They are hunted...Except..." his eyes widened.

"They can have multiple mates."

"Three mates," Zane corrected, stepping closer like a predator tasting the truth. "Ice, Earth, Fire. Guess which one I am."

"Don't call me that," I warned, backing up until the glass of my shattered window rattled.

"You did something no human could," Avalon said, and his voice had a new, stunned reverence. "How long have you known?"

"Since tonight," I said. "Since I woke died and woke up."

Silence.

Osilus swore softly. "You're a regressor."he said

"And a Lunar Phoenix," Zane added, with a grin too sharp for comfort. "Not even sure that combo should exist."

"It's not possible," Avalon whispered. "Unless death triggered something dormant. Life-force bloodlines like the Lunar Phoenix respond to that. If you died and came back..."

"I'm not a freakshow on your doorstep," I said. "I'm a person."

"You are not ordinary," Zane said bluntly. "You are so valuable."

"Is that why you killed me?" I asked before I could stop myself. I met his burning gaze. "Three years from now at the summit, you shoved me down the stairs and Bron helped you. You started the chain that ended me."

Zane's face went hard. "I would never..."

"But you did." I looked at all three of them. "Avalon, you rejected me at our wedding. Osilus, you pitied me and did nothing. Zane..." My voice broke. "You killed me."

There was a long, slow moment where their faces rearranged into defense, then comprehension.

"What?" Osilus asked, and it sounded like a child.

"You don't get to pick what the bonds do," Avalon said, cold. "Lunar Phoenix bonds are permanent once triggered."

"Watch me," I said, and shoved past them for the door.

Avalon caught my wrist and the electricity sparked again, this time stronger. His thumb found my pulse and the touch made my head spin. "You're my wife. My mate. Our bond is sealed and You're not leaving."

"You can't keep me." I jerked, and pain lanced through my wrist as something pulled at us.

"You really think so?" He leaned close, and the scent of pine and frost and power filled my nose. "You want to know what happens? You have no idea of the threats that's coming so work with me. Help me protect what's mine. I'll..." His voice faltered. "I'll do better."

"Do better?" I let out a bitter sound.

"You already did this...said I was weak, human, and unworthy. You sent me to the guest room while Valta warmed your bed. Why should I trust you now?"

"I never meant-"his jaw worked.

"Yes, you did." I wrenched my wrist free and this time he let go. "I came back to survive and get revenge on the people who killed me. Everything else is noise."

"Revenge on who?" Osilus asked quietly.

"Bron, my father. The pack that ignored me." I met Avalon's eyes. "And maybe you, for what you did to me every day for five years."

His mouth tightened. "I..." He stopped.

"That's not enough," Zane said circling me. "If the Vampires finds out about a Lunar Phoenix, they'll parade her around, then forcefully breed her to control their bloodline."

"What Vampires? Who are those?" I asked.

"Our biggest rivals," Avalon said, and fear creased his features in a new way. "They are slowing going extinct and have been actively hunting the Phoenix bloodline. If they discover you, they'll..." He didn't finish.

"Breed you," Zane said, blunt as a blade. "Probably lock you up and use your power to restart their lineage."

My stomach fell through the floor. "We can't let them know."

"We?" I repeated.

"The three of us." Avalon's voice hardened into command. "You're bound to us now. That means we protect you."

"I don't need protection," I said as pride flared. "I just need help destroying Bron and my father."

Zane shrugged. "I'm in, only because it sounds fun."

Osilus's expression melted into resolve. "I'll help. She's my mate too...whether Val likes it or not."

"You're just a beta," Avalon snapped.

"And I'm tired of watching you throw people away," Osilus shot back. "I felt the bond, Val. Now, I can't un feel it."

"This isn't about what you expect," Avalon turned to me."This is about pack law. If the Vampires finds a Phoenix unguarded, they'll take you. We can't risk it."

"Fine." I breathed. "You'll help me find Bron and my father and teach me to control whatever this is. Then, stay out of my way while I figure out how to live differently."

"Agreed," Osilus said immediately.

"Sounds like a show," Zane grinned. "I like shows."

Avalon looked at me long and hard, finally he said, "Only on one condition. You stay in the estate where I can protect you."

"That's not happening."I shot back. "You don't get to control me twice."

"I want to keep you alive." He moved closer, and the bond tightened like a noose. "You've died already died once, Zeph. I won't let it happen again."

"Why do you care?"

"Because that hasn't happened yet," he said quietly. "And now that I know what you are... it never will."

His thumb brushed my cheek so gentle it should've felt tender, but it ignited something hot under my ribs.

"Give me a chance to be different," he said.

"Never, not a chance in hell." I wanted to spit at his face then run. I wanted to burn the place down and be done but exhaustion and the ache of the bond made me small.

"Fine. I'll stay," I said massaging my temples. "But I sleep alone. If you try to be funny, I promise, I am going to burn this estate to the ground."

Zane chuckled. "Ouuu, she bites, I like her already."

"You literally just tried to kill her," Osilus said.

"I haven't yet," Zane corrected. "Now I never will."

Avalon ignored them both and because someone fetched pants he pulled them on and stepped back.

"A room will be prepared with reinforced locks if you want."

"That would be nice."

"Consider it done." He nodded and the distance between us suddenly a wound.

"Tomorrow, we train," He said. "You need to learn to control the bond and fight. If you're going to survive, you need to be ready."

"We can't have our mate falling without a fight."Zane chipped in

"Of course," Osilus echoed, softer than before and Avalon expression darkened, but he didn't argue. "After you, Mrs. Cary." His voice...those words...landed like a weight.

Mrs. Cary. In my previous life I craved to be called by that name. Now, I simply didn't give a damn.

I walked out of that destroyed room with my head high, feeling the pulse in my chest, three beats tangled into one. "I can't believe all this happened in just one night," I say revenge burning like acid in my veins."

"Tomorrow," I told myself, "we plan Bron's downfall."

"Tonight," I let a sliver of something like hope crawl in, dangerous and fragile, "I'll let myself believe maybe...just maybe...this second chance wouldn't end in my death."