***Hankie Alert***

“Will…will…ye send…Tyrone to me? I…need…to…be with him…one…last…time.”

The weight in Deus’ heart grew heavier at hearing Lenora’s request. “I’ll get him, sweetheart.” As he bent over her to kiss her brow, Deus was brought up short by an odor on Lenora’s shallow breath. He thought he’d detected it earlier, but now, there was no mistaking it. It smelled something like almonds but not quite. Deus’ memory flashed. His mind tried to grab onto something that slipped away as quickly as it tried to come.

Deus straightened up and went to the door, rubbing his chin in contemplation. Where the hell had he smelled that odor before? Deus had a feeling in his wolfish sixth sense that this odor was a key to what was ailing Lenora.

A wolf’s senses were so acute that he or she could detect the slightest change in a person’s physical being, especially if the person was someone they were bonded to. A wolf could sense, for example, when a person, especially his mate, was deeply asleep or about to awaken. A wolf could sense an illness even before the person began to feel sick. A wolf could smell and sense death before the moment of occurrence. The end is near. Oh, merciful heaven, help us all to endure. Deus closed his eyes as the thoughts came accompanied by a tidal wave of grief.

As Deus entered the waiting room, he saw that Valerie had arrived. “Oh, Daddy! How is she?” Valerie sobbed as she rushed into Deus’ arms.

“Not good, sweetheart,” Deus said, hugging her tight. Over Valerie’s shoulder, Deus locked gazes with Tyrone. “She’s asking for you, son.”

At hearing the somber finality in his sire’s voice, Tyrone went chalk-white and swayed alarmingly. Seeing and sensing her twin’s distress, Theresa wrapped her arms around him and held on as tightly as she could. //Tyrone, sweetie, you must be brave. Lenora needs you to be strong. You’ve got to be braver than you’ve ever been before and show that to Lenora.//

Theresa repeated these words telepathically to Tyrone until they sank in. When he felt stronger, he released his sister and took a step back. Theresa’s hands came up to cup her brother’s face. “Go!” she whispered.

As Tyrone hurried off, Deus slid an arm around her waist. “Theresa, love, I need to talk to you.”

Theresa glanced over at Crystal and Landon, who were talking to Valerie in hushed tones. “Sure, Daddy.”

Deus led his daughter to a quiet corner, pulling her close to his side to whisper quietly to her. “I shared my suspicions with your mother and now, I’m sharing them with you. There’s something fishy going on here.”

“I know, Daddy. It’s odd that Cian and Mathilda can’t be reached, and Lenora got so sick so fast. I asked Mom if she could do something for Lenora, but…” Theresa trailed off, shaking her head helplessly.

“i’m afraid what Lenora has goes beyond the scope of your mother’s knowledge of healing, at least for now.” Deus hugged his daughter and kissed the top of her head. “We’re going to have to prepare ourselves for the worst, sweetheart. Lenora is…Lenora’s out of time.”

“So it would appear…but…”

“But what, sweetheart?” Deus asked. “Wouldn’t your magic sense that she’s about to…to die?”

“Yes, it would, and it’s never failed me. But Daddy, it’s telling me just the opposite this time. I know what I see before us, but my magic is giving me totally opposite signals.”

Deus studied his daughter’s troubled face. “Theresa, this is very important. Can you try to explain to me what you’re feeling?”

Theresa bit her lip in concentration as she gathered her thoughts. “As you know, everyone has a life force and a preordained time to live. Fairies would see a person’s life force as part of an aura. As you also know, I’m gifted with the ability to tell how long a person has to live and can sense when death is eminent. Then, there are a few people such as you, Mom, Grandda Liam, Mathilda, Cian, and myself whose timelines go to infinity. The thing is, Daddy, that I also see this for Lenora and Tyrone. No, they haven’t been given the Elixir of Everlasting Life as we all were, but my magic tells me that the Elixir is their preordained path. Either my magic is being cloaked so I can’t see Lenora’s death for some reason or something is very, very wrong here…or both.”

Deus blew out a long, agitated breath. “Nothing is adding up here. The deeper I dig, the more questions I have.”

“I wish I could help more. Oh, Daddy, I feel so helpless! if Lenora dies, Tyrone wont survive it, which means my magic would be way off here.” A tear rolled down Theresa’s cheek, a sob shaking her shoulders.

Deus hugged her tight and stroked her hair. “He’ll survive it, darling. I made a promise to Lenora that I’d see to it.”

“Oh, Daddy! What are we going to do?” Theresa sobbed against her father’s chest while he rubbed her back, continued to stroke her hair, and murmured soft words of comfort.

“I don’t know, sweetheart, but we’ll have to find a way to endure.” Deus kissed Theresa’s forehead and just let her cry. When she was a little calmer, he spoke again. “Can you try to dig deeper with your magic and see what you feel? We need to keep fighting for as long as we can.”

Theresa lifted her head and looked at her father with watery red-rimmed eyes. “Yes, of course, Daddy. I’ll try anything.”

Dashing to Lenora’s side, a grief-stricken Tyrone felt as though he were trudging through a vat of peanut butter. His Lenora was slipping away; he could feel it. The harder he tried to hold onto her the more futile his efforts became.

Entering the room, he caught sight of Dr. Hughes bending over her. “I need to be alone with her.” Tyrone’s voice was clogged with the tears he was trying to hold back.

Neil jumped, then straightened. “Sorry. I didn’t hear you come in.” He cleared his throat and eyed Tyrone soberly. “She’s waiting for you,” he whispered, touching Tyrone lightly on the arm in a compassionate gesture.

“Thank you…for everything you did for her…tried to do for her.” Tyrone choked on the last few words.

Neil inclined his head, sighing. “I’ll be just outside at the desk if you need me.”

The instant Neil was gone, Tyrone was beside his Lenora, his large fingers curled around her delicate ones. “My Lenora…” He kissed Lenora’s brow and smoothed her hair with his free hand. “I’m here, my Goddess. I’m right here beside you.” He leaned over her, tenderly touching his lips to hers.

Lenora’s hand twitched ever so slightly in Tyrone’s as her eyes fluttered open. “I’m…so glad…you’re here.”

“Oh, me too, Lenora. Me, too.” As valiantly as he tried to stem the flow of tears, they came regardless. Resting his head on the bed beside her, he sobbed her name. “Oh, Lenora! Please…please don’t leave me!”

Lenora moved her hand to momentarily rest it atop her beloved wolf’s head before stroking her fingers through the thick gold of his hair. “Shhhh. Don’t cry. Oh, my love…don’t…cry.”

“I can’t do this without you,” he whispered.

“Ye must…love,” she answered in as strong and firm a voice as she could produce. “Ye…must listen…to me. There…is so much to say…and not…much time.” When he started to protest, she squeezed his hand. “Look at me.”

Tyrone raised his head, swiping the back of the hand not holding Lenora’s across his wet cheeks. When his eyes met hers, she continued. “Ye…must promise me…that you’ll…go on. The wee ones…need their Da…and the world…needs ye…to help save it. The…mission…”

“Hang the world and the mission! None of it matters without you,” Tyrone burst out.

“No…” Lenora insisted on a long whisper. “The…world…mustn’t stop…simply because…one person ceases…to be. There…is more…at stake…than just us.”

Tyrone wanted nothing more than to gather his Lenora close and bellow at the gods to take him instead of her. He would gladly lay down his life a thousand times over if it meant seeing his Lenora well and strong again.  Instead, he just said, “Please don’t ask this of me, Lenora. I…can’t.”

“Wolfman…ye must! Innocent…lives depend…on ye…innocent…lives…that have…a purpose…that must be…fulfilled. Ye…must find it…within ye…to survive. The world…depends on…ye…and the wee ones…when they…are older. Ye…must teach them.”

“And what of your life, Lenora? Don’t you know I’d trade a million of those faceless innocents for your life?”

“No,” she whispered. “Listen…to me. No one…except a…small handful…of people…is guaranteed…a tomorrow. When…it’s our time…to go…it’s…our time. Don’t…ye harden…that beautiful heart. Ye…have so much love…yet to give…and so much…good to do. I…want ye…to remember me…how I was…and not how…I am now. Always know…how much…I love ye…how much…I will always love ye. I…loved…every minute…of being your wife…and soulmate. We had…more love and understanding…in one day…than most people…have in…a lifetime. Ye…will always be my heart…and my soul. Ye gave me a reason…to hope. Ye became…my reason…for living. I want ye to know…just how cherished…and loved ye…always made me feel. Ye kept me safe…when no one or…nothing else could.”

“Oh, my Lenora!” He lowered his head to brush her lips in a feathery kiss.

“Promise me…you’ll…do as I asked,” she whispered faintly.

“I…I will.”

“It’s…unbreakable…ye know. It’s…part of…what we are.”

“I know, sweetheart.” His heart broke as he spoke the words. Although a wolf often cannot survive the death of his or her mate, the promise Lenora extracted from Tyrone would hold him to the physical realm because it was what she needed. “I will always be what you need,” Tyrone choked out, feeling knives of pain slash through his being.

Lenora breathed out a gentle sigh and closed her eyes. Tyrone felt panic arise within him as he felt her slip further away. He touched her cheek, running his thumb lightly over the soft skin. “Lenora? Sweetheart?” Tyrone’s eyes flooded with tears as he called to her.

Lenora opened her eyes and took in a labored breath. “It’s…getting…harder to…breathe now.”

“What can I do, my Goddess? Tell me what I can do.”

Lenora inhaled on a sharp gasp. “I…I want ye…to pick…me up. I…want ye…to make me…stand up with ye.”

“Stand up?” Tyrone asked.

“Yes.” Another gasp. “Put…your arms…around me. Hold me…hold me.”

Tyrone reached for his beloved Lenora and enfolded her in his arms with utmost tenderness. He easily supported her weight and held her snugly against him. “I will love you…forever, my Lenora. I’ll love you always.” He rained gentle kisses on her lips and over her face, then returned to her lips. “You are my forever love.”

“I..love…ye, Wolfman.” Lenora lay her cheek against Tyrone’s chest, the steady beating of his loving heart sounding in her ear. “Tyrone…my love…my big…brave wolf.”

Tyrone’s body gave a shudder as jagged shards of pain seared through him. I’m losing her. I’m watching her die. Oh, great Drogo, I’m watching and feeling her die! Great Grandfather, if you are there, make it stop. Please…for the love of all things sacred…make it stop! 

Lenora moved her hands feebly over Tyrone’s sweater and inhaled on another gasp. “Goodbye…sweetheart.” Another gasp of air, then momentary silence. Lenora breathed out a whisper-soft sigh…then simply didn’t breathe again.

With the ebbing of Lenora’s final breath, unspeakable, unbearable agony ripped through Tyrone. It burned inside him as though he’d been barraged by thousands of silver bullets. A red hot inferno of pain erupted in a Vesuvius-like cloud of anguish. “LENOOORAAA!!!” Tyrone sank to the floor, the now stopped body of his beloved soulmate clutched in his arms. He rocked her back and forth as howl after howl of unquenchable grief tore him asunder.

As Tyrone gave voice to his unbearable sorrow, he was totally oblivious to the fact that everything around him began to shake.  IV trays clattered to the floor, small objects hit the ground and shattered, and people ran down the corridor screaming hysterically. So lost in grief was Tyrone that he took no notice of any of it.

Author’s Note: I’m sure there will be quite a few tears, which I can include myself in that. It broke my heart to write this. Things may seem hopeless right now, but there are a lot of clues that should lead us to believe that things aren’t what they appear to be. A wolf’s senses as well as Theresa’s magic (please read my Cast of Characters page to get acquainted with the characters and what powers/gifts each possesses) are big clues which will also be spoken of in future updates. Will they put it all together and find out what they need to know? If Deus has any say on it, they’ll find out very quickly. And why did the very ground begin to shake at the moment of Lenora’s apparent death? Please stay tuned for further developments in this sinister mystery, as much will be revealed over the next few chapters.

The majority of the poses I used for this chapter came from two sources. The first is from Poses by Bee. Her poses are amazing, and I’d highly recommend them. The second source is from You Name It, I’ll Pose It by Blamsart, who made some poses for me by personal request. Again, some awesome poses here that I’d definitely recommend checking out. I’m in awe at the amazing talent of these wonderful creators. Without people such as Bee and Blams, my stories wouldn’t be able to come to life as they do.

Poses used are from this set by Bee and this set by Blams.

As always, thanks for reading, subscribing, commenting, liking, and lurking.