My father lifted his head and stared at me. His eyes were clear, and I could see a wave of emotion filling them. "My little piece of the Sky," he whispered, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. "My beautiful little piece of the Sky."

My throat closed up, causing me to clear my throat. I licked my lips and looked away from him. "I'm sorry," I whispered my voice soft.

"Don't be," my father replied. "Look at me, Skylar." There was a warning in his tone, causing me to instantly look at him. Deep regret filled his eyes, and I could tell that he regretted all that he had done to me. "It's me that should be sorry."

I shook my head and cleared my throat. I took away the spell that made him immobile, knowing that he wouldn't try to escape.

He had accepted his fate, and I needed to accept mine.

My father held out his hands and cocked head. He was asking if he could give me a hug, both of us knowing that this was our last time together.

I, slowly, let my wall crumbled and flung myself on him. Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed, letting everything out.

My father didn't say a word and moved a hand through my hair. He said sweet nothings in my ear, his presence comforting.

"I'm scared," I confessed, hating that I sounded like a child afraid of her own shadow. But, I was scared. I was scared of what the future held for me, for my pack.

"I know," he said. He pushed me gently back and wiped my eyes. "But, your fear has lent you the courage you needed to step up to him, to me."

I shook my head and cleared my throat. "It isn't your fault," I whispered. "It's-"

He sighed, stopping me from talking. "A part of it is my fault, Sky," he said, softly. "If I hadn't let him whisper in my ear..." He shook his head and grimaced.

I wiped my eyes and cleared my throat. I closed my eyes and sighed, pulling back the wall that I had put up all those years ago. "Do you have any recollection of who else Mahklha has control over?"

My father grimaced and shifted. He was in pain, and I knew that I was going to have to kill him soon.

Guilt gnawed at my heart, causing me to feel like a failure. I didn't know how to keep him alive, and I had no idea if Mahklha would be able to control him if he was alive.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I wish I did, but as soon as you started the spell, he wiped that memory away from me."

I stayed silent and nodded my head.

"It's time," my father said, breaking the long silence that had fallen on us. He shook his head when I opened my mouth, causing me to shut it. "There is nothing you can do, Sky. It has to be this way."

I stayed silent and nodded my head.

My father reached out and placed his hand on my cheek. He stroked it gently as I nuzzled my face into it and took in his scent. "You still have a father and a mother to look after," he said, softly.

I closed my eyes and nodded my head. I basked in his warmth, knowing that this was the last time I would see him alive. I wasn't surprised that he knew Jerecho and Moria were my second set of parents. I was sure that Mahklha had found out some way.

"You, also, have a half-brother and another cousin that need your help."

"Another cousin?" I asked, furrowing my brows. "Uncle Noah doesn't have another kid."

He shook his head. "Your mother had a brother," he said. "And, the brother had a son." He furrowed his brows. "Jethro," he mused. "I think that is his name."

I scowled and narrowed my eyes, studying him. I knew that he was telling the truth and wondered why he had never told me.

My father nodded his head. He knew that I believed him, even though I was scowling. "You might have known," he said, his eyes darkening with anger. "He might have pushed the memory back."

I nodded my head. "I'll keep them safe," I promised. "And the pack."

My father grimaced and nodded. "It's time," he whispered.

I nodded my head and placed a kiss on his forehead. I said a silent spell to protect him on his journey and pulled back.

My father held out his arms, and I fell into them, giving him a hug. "I love you," he whispered, placing a kiss on the side of my head. "And, I am very proud of you."

Tears fell down my face and hit his shoulder. I felt him tense as I stabbed him in the heart before relaxing. "I love you, too, Dad," I whispered, my voice shaking. I listened as he took his last breath and his heart stopping. "I am sorry I couldn't have saved you."

Gently, I laid him on the ground and stood. I set the three bodies on fire before turning away from them and going back to my pack.

The wind picked up, blowing my hair away from my face. Two joyful howls filled the air as both my mother and father united and began a life of their own.

Some say that the end was death. But, I knew better.

Death was only the beginning of a new journey, a new journey that the living could never dream of being on.