Jacota pulled his hands away from his face after hearing his mates words. His eyes searched for Flora, but he didn't recognise the woman in front of him. She was older than all of the Gods as she turned, staring with mystic grey eyes, the wrinkles in between her brows deep with concern.

"You will not harm my grandchildren," she said boldly, and Hunter almost collapsed at the sound of her voice. Sam and Jacota had to grab his arms. "You will be the cause of this war if you do not learn to put our differences aside. Jacota Jones is no coward, he's not weak. He finds situations like this difficult, which all of you already know. You are here to tear him down using his insecurities instead of helping him through it. He is your leader, and if you're not careful, jealousy will once again destroy you all."

The light around the woman vanished, and Anthony dropped to his knees. His heart pounding with a tight chest. He couldn't bring himself to blink or even breathe, fearing his eyes deceived him.

"Mum," he croaked with a shaky voice, feeling like he was going to faint, and Hunter very nearly did.

Jacota lowered his mate to the ground when the woman moved past him and towards Anthony, watching her crouch and reached out to touch his knee, but Anthony shuffled back.

"This isn't real." He shook his head, eyes filling with hot tears. It was no God who arrived. "You're dead. You died."

The other Gods found the opportunity to leave. And they did, knowing another chance to question their leader would happen soon. Nobody seemed to notice they went as they focused on Anthony and the mysterious woman, dressed in a long white gown made of silk.

"My son," the woman soothed, revealing tears of her own. "I didn't think it would be today, but I have waited for this moment for far too long."

"No." Margo clenched her hands into fists, gritting her teeth with pulsing veins. "No. I watched my husband and son mourn for you for so many years. You died, and Hunter blamed himself. You can't tell me all of that was a lie?"

"You're right, I'm dead. I'm only here to break the tension." The woman reached closer and cupped Anthony's cheek, a loving smile was all she could express without letting her emotions take over.

Her hand was cold, but it knocked the air from Anthony's lungs, and he broke down, pulling the woman into him and hugging her.

"Why?" he cried into her hair with a throbbing heart. "Why did you leave me?"

Margo covered her mouth and watched Hunter who seemed paralysed by the shock.

"My time was up." Anthony's mother closed her eyes as if to memorise the moment. Her son's voice, his soft skin, his familiar scent of firewood and vanilla. "Your father wished he could come, but the angels only granted me the gift of returning to my family for one last time. Though he'll be watching."

"I don't understand!" Anthony was a mess, crying and struggling to breathe. His skin soaked in his tears, his body trembled. "Why is this happening?" He made wishes every birthday, watched the stars and begged, even prayed to the Gods before knowing Jacota, hoping that someone was listening to him and he would see his parents one more time. Not in a million years did he think he would, or even get the chance to hug his mother.

The woman pulled back, wiping his tears away, inspecting his face to see how he aged. "Look at you, look at your wonderful family, look at what you've achieved. Margo was right, I am so incredibly proud of you." She kissed his forehead, and Anthony would never forget what that felt like, not until they meet again in heaven.

She then turned to Hunter. The child she left behind was now a man, respectful, wise, and loving. She crawled over to him, and he didn't even blink.

"You blamed yourself," she whispered, forcing him into a hug when he didn't move. "Your granddad and I didn't get the chance to tell you that it was all okay." Hunter didn't hug back, so she embraced him tighter. "None of it was your fault. Accidents can't be helped. Not a single bone in my body blames you."

Hunter's arms slowly wrapped around her and he remembered to breathe. Her scent, he forgot what she smelt like, and he hated himself for being so careless.

"P-Please forgive me." His voice cracked, raw with despair.

"You did nothing wrong." His grandmother stroked his hair, pushing through his black strands. It had always been thick and felt like thin wires, though soft like petals. They were sucked into a memory, one that made Hunter cringe. Moments before their car crashed and fell off the side of the bridge, he had a tantrum and was upset about leaving a toy behind on the campsite. His grandmother reached over the seat and ruffled his hair, trying to cheer him up. Then the day turned into the worst day of his life. "Even if you were sleeping in the backseat, we would have still crashed our car. Fate took our souls that day and whether you could swim or not, it wouldn't have brought us back."

Just like his father, Hunter's stability caved in, and the heart-ache crawled up his throat, watering his eyes and giving his cries the dejection he felt.

"I thought I had gotten over losing you!" Hunter felt like his voice was detached. He didn't sound like himself because he had never sounded so distraught.

"You never did. Your grandfather and I would watch how you went into the woods to cry. It's the only place where you are surrounded by life but can feel so utterly alone." She rubbed his back, gulping away her own sadness. "You're free of the guilt. Do you hear me? We are at peace and happy. You should be too."

Hunter examined her. She wore the same makeup from the day she died. Her glossy hair was up with the pin shaped like a wing, the one Anthony got her for her last birthday. The memories of her revived in his mind. He could see them clearly for the first time in years.

"I'll tell Granddad you said hello," she smiled, and Hunter choked back a chuckle.

"I can't believe it," he said with barely audible words, sniffing and rubbing his eyes. "You're actually here."

Her gaze then settled on Sam, and she pulled him into a hug too.

"My dear boy. Without your friendship, Hunter would have struggled to stay afloat." She cupped his face, looking strongly into his soul. "You know how much you mean to our- your family, don't you?"

Sam nodded, feeling like he was a kid again. Hunter's grandparents regularly visited, and he was always with Hunter, so he saw them almost every week.

"We love you both, so much," she beamed.

The visitors from the other world were quiet, patient, and felt a little awkward witnessing something that seemed so personal. As the sun disappeared and the moon shone bright, they had returned through the tear, leaving Jed and John to guard and tell the wolves they said goodnight. Kaiden and Milokan stayed in the werewolf world. The demon wanted to be with his parents.

Anthony's mother quickly turned to her son and said, "I don't have long. The angels sent me here to break up the Gods before it got out of hand. They noticed how Jacota needed a little help." She trapped her son into a hug once more, knowing it was the last time she would ever feel his arms around her. "They're pulling me back, I can feel it."

"No don't go," Anthony whispered, "not again."

"I never left." She rested her forehead against his. "Your father and I have always been watching you. And we are always right here, I know you can feel us." She tapped his heart. "Don't be afraid. Just because you can't see us doesn't mean we're not there."

"I love you," he said, and fresh tears poured down his face. "Mum I love you so much!"

"I love you too Anthony." She stood up, watching Margo. Her expression changed to judgement. "The truth is always the right way even if it hurts. I think it's time. Don't you?" Then, her time on earth was up once again. The bright light returned and shot into the sky like a shooting star, taking her back to her husband.

Everyone stared at the moon until Hunter laughed, falling back against the grass, the stars reflecting in his tears.

"I should have learnt by now to expect the unexpected." His legs felt wobbly, but his head cleared, and the guilt unlocked its chains from around his heart.

"The angels really are on your side," a voice said. The God with the rose stayed to watch from a distance. "Jacota, I am not here to fight. I came to observe how you would react to the other Gods and you didn't disappoint. My name is Vale Roots, and I am the God of nature. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other soon enough. It's important that you know I am also on the side of the angels, which means we share the same intentions." Vale, with a pleased smirk, teleported back to his mate, leaving Jacota to feel a little more at ease.

Margo shuffled to her husband and rested a hand on his cheek. His tears dripped over the back of her fingers. There was no point in asking if he felt okay. Clearly, her husband fell into an intense state of shock. Anthony was the best person at keeping his composure. To break down in front of strangers proved how much his parents still invaded his heart.

"What a blessing," Anthony whispered, "to see her so peaceful." The thought of his parents struggling in the murky water, unable to breathe in the sweet summer's air, unable to dislodge themselves from a small beat down vehicle as his son lay disturbed and shattered on the surface. The thought was enough to make him sick, his skin crawl and his stomach tighten. Now, his parents lived in quiet stillness, their own personal paradise. And that is how he will remember them from this day forth.

Margo hugged her husband, allowing their bond to settle him. Though Margo was far from settled. Anthony's mother's words awoke a deep secret within her. One that only a selection of people who they trusted knew. She has buried it so deep and hid it for so long, it seemed impossible to share. She watched her son and the Beta wolf as they embraced, sharing the same love for Hunter's grandmother, their grandmother.