Fallon POV
Over the next few weeks, Ryan and I were together to improve my reaping skills, Libby helped with my magic, and Alpha Mayhem helped with my wolf training. By the end of the month, I am ready to take on my role as the reaper of the supernatural community, and the most important thing I need to do is kill Umbra. It is all I can think about it. Killing Umbra consumes my mind and my body and infects every part of my life.
"You have to let the hate go. If you do not, you will end up like your mother, BITTER!" Libby fusses at me. She is correct, but I cannot stop thinking about it. I want Umbra dead for what she did to my family. She needs to die.
I sit down in the grass, and Libby joins me. We have spent most of the day working on spells, but my mind is elsewhere. Consuming my mind is nothing but these thoughts every day. I want this to stop.
"Your mind should be on your husband and your new life, not on death. You have to move past this. Your life and your magic will suffer," Libby says.
I sit silently, waiting for her to fuss on me more, or try to convince me how wrong I am, but she does not. Instead, she sits with me in silence as the sun goes down.
"I need to get back to Ryan. We are having dinner with my father. You are welcome to join us," I say, extending my hand and helping Libby to her feet.
"I think I should go home. You know the kids might miss me a little," Libby says. We both laugh, and then she takes me into her arms and hugs me.
"I worry for you, Fallon, not about you but for you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I do not want to see you waste your life on this reaping business. Train someone else to take your place. Be with Ryan, have a house full of kids, and just be happy," Libby says.
I close my eyes, and tears begin to fall. "I promise as soon as Umbra is dead, I will give my life to Ryan and Ryan alone," I say. I mean every word of it. I have to kill Umbra. No one seems to understand how much it hurts knowing she took so much from me. She destroyed my life.
I hear someone coming up behind me. I look to see Ryan. "We all understand. That is why we are going to help you. Are you serious about not reaping if we can kill Umbra?" Ryan asks me.
I nod my head. "Yes," I answer.
My father and five of his wolves, plus Charis, emerge with Ryan. "We all will help you. You only have to help," Charis says.
"I know, mom," I say to Charis. She smiles when I call her mom. She deserves the title. Charis is the one that listens to me when no one else will, and the last few weeks with the pack have been really hard. Charis has let me cry on her shoulder and let all my frustrations with being a new wife and wanting more from life.
"All I want is for Umbra to pay for killing my family. I want her to pay for the damage she caused everyone. I want a life with Ryan and this pack," I say.
My words make my father smile. I can see how much he loves me and wants me to be the Luna of his pack. I will leave the reaping to someone else, but who? As I look over the ones standing with me, it dawns on me the who. "Libby, would you be willing to pick the next reaper? I have a feeling you know the perfect person for the job," I ask of Libby.
Libby puts her arms around me. "You know I know exactly how to bestow this on, and I will take care of it just for you. This is not a burden you need to bare. Let me take it from you," Libby says.
I pass the Libby, the reapers staff, and she holds it for a moment. Libby begins to glow. Her hair, her skin, and her eyes glow the reaping flow of energy. "Why were you never chosen?" I ask her.
"Because I backed away from it for my husband, but now I can be the reaper. We will kill Umbra and then I will take this burden from you. My husband and I will take the reaping. My children are old enough now," Libby says.
I hug her again. "She is saving me from a life I really do not want, but am I cursing her?" I ask Ryan.
"No, she wants this," Ryan answers.
"He is right. This is something I want, Fallon. I want to be the reaper. I want to serve my community. I choose the reaping and free you," Libby says.
Libby hands me back my staff. "When Umbra is dead, I will give you the staff to keep, and I will build my family," I say.
Ryan reaches for my hand. He pulls my hand to his mouth and kisses the top of it. "I love you, Fallon," Ryan says.
"I love you too," I say.
The moon begins to rise over us. It is big, beautiful, and full. "How about a run with your husband?" Ryan asks me.
"I would love that," I say.
I kiss Libby on the cheek and hug my father and Charis. I run into the woods with Ryan. I love him, and I cannot wait to start a life with him. We leap into the air and shift into our wolves. The moon is so big over us. We run toward the creek, howling and loving every minute of this adventure.
Ryan and I are both thinking about the future and children. He is thinking about what kind of Alpha and father he will be. He is more concerned with being a good father than anything.
We stop by the creek and shift back into our human form. "Make love to me here," I say as I fall into his arms. Skin to skin, I kiss his chest. I want him.
"There is the little bitch!" a howl comes from behind us. Why would a wolf come for me?
"Kill him and take her!" a woman yells.
I never see who grabs me. I hear Ryan howling and growling as a dark hood covers my face. "You are going to die tonight, but first, we want the staff, Fallon," the grave voice says.
Fighting breaks out. I cannot see anything. I am trapped. Use your magic, Fallon, and I hear Ryan call to me. Use your MAGIC, he says again, this time more desperate. I feel something bite into me, but I quickly realize it is not me that is being bitten. It is Ryan.
"STOP!" I scream.
Everything goes silent, and I feel blood covering my body. Please use your magic. They will kill me if you do not save me, Ryan says again in our mind link.