Free A Shade of Vampire 32: A Day of Glory by Bella Forrest Page A

scratchy.
    Bastien’s brows lowered in a deep frown. “Where do you think we stand? I can give you one hint: it’s not on the same side.”
    She pursed her lips, swallowing hard. Bastien’s words had hurt her.
    “You, Father, and the rest of your pack can do whatever you want now,” Bastien went on, “Though I suggest that you be careful and tread lightly,” he added in a lower tone. “You haven’t exactly gone out of your way to make friends in this land.”
    I wouldn’t have been surprised if the Mortclaws were forced to leave The Woodlands now. I would’ve thought that it would be incredibly dangerous for them to stay here. I could imagine a huge army of wolves banding together and attacking them at night while they slept, finishing them off for all the lives that they had claimed. But that wasn’t Bastien’s or my concern anymore.
    Bastien’s arm wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer to him. “As for my mate and I,” he went on, “I don’t think you deserve to know our plans for the future, considering all you’ve done to try to tear us apart.”
    Sendira’s eyes moistened. I couldn’t help but feel a slight twinge in my chest as she choked, “Don’t discard me, Bastien. Please.”
    Bastien’s jaw tensed, but he remained unswayed. He stepped backward even as his mother moved forward, attempting to hold his hand.
    He cleared his throat. “Maybe, at some point in the future, we will meet again. Maybe, I will allow you to meet our children. But these are all maybes. If you want to have anything to do with me again, you will need to prove that you have changed—every single one of you—and given up the ways and attitude of the black witches.”
    With that, Bastien drew further away from his parents. Taking me with him, we returned to Mona and Brock’s side.
    “Goodbye,” he told them.
    It seemed that Sendira had finally gotten the message that she had been cut out of the picture—there was no use in her still trying to cling on to her son. Bastien had forsaken her, his father, and the rest of the clan. Now, they had to turn their thoughts to survival in this suddenly hostile world.
    After one last longing glance at their son, Sendira and her husband turned slowly, before they and the rest of the Mortclaws in mismatched clothing hurried into the woods. Sendira hadn’t even bothered to cast me a final look.
    I searched Bastien’s face as they disappeared through the trees. It was stoic, though behind his eyes were many emotions. I was sure that he felt guilt, but his behavior was actually for their benefit in the long term. Sendira couldn’t just think that she could act however she wanted and there would be no consequences in regards to her and her son’s relationship. She had to think long and hard, and redeem herself— stop being another Brucella— if she ever wanted to have a relationship with him again.
    After being at the mercy of that woman’s temperament, I could see how empowering it was for Bastien to put her in her place. My heart soared for him as I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.
    He glanced down at me, his expression warming. He scooped me up in his arms, lifting my feet from the ground and kissing me deeply.
    We both knew what the Mortclaws’ retreat meant for us now.
    Finally, we were free.

Bastien
    A lthough we were now free from the Mortclaws, I was not yet free of my responsibilities in The Woodlands. First, I had to finally go and fetch Rona. Poor girl, she had been hiding for days.
    “So what’s happening now?” Mona asked, her voice audibly tired. She couldn’t know how much I appreciated all that she had done for Victoria and me. There was no way that either of us could repay her. But I needed to request her kindness and patience for just a little longer.
    “I need to go and retrieve Rona Northstone. She is waiting in a boat by the shore for me. Then I need to have a meeting with my people. If you would be so kind as to hold on…”
    Mona and