Текст книги "Turn of the Moon"
Автор книги: L. P. Dover
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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 15 страниц)
Bailey
Ryker sat down beside me in the sand, trying his best to smile. “When you were in college, you always braided your hair and played with it while you studied, just like you’re doing now. I thought it was cute.”
I laid my head on his shoulder. “Nervous habit. What else did you discover while stalking me?”
He chuckled and put his arm around me. “Your favorite color is green and I’m only saying that because you wore a lot of it. You’re smart, kind, generous, and you love to laugh. It took all I had not to go after you, especially when you drew the attention of human men.”
I snorted. “They never stuck around long.” When I looked up at him, he bit his lip, looking sheepish. “And now I can see why.”
He shrugged. “What can I say? I didn’t want them touching you. You’re mine.”
Shaking my head, I kissed his chin. “I am, and just so you know, I don’t blame you for anything that happened. I know you feel guilty.” It broke my heart listening to his inner turmoil.
“How can I not?”
“You didn’t know what was going on when you found me in the woods.”
“It still doesn’t change the way I feel.”
Taking his hand, I held it to my cheek and breathed him in. “That’s only one side of the coin. We both lost the ones we loved. If you wouldn’t have found me, maybe your family would still be alive. We can either share the guilt, or let it go.”
He held me tight. “You are wise beyond your years.”
We sat there for a few minutes in silence until Sebastian approached, his energy stronger than before. At least he wasn’t trying to hide his presence.
“Bailey,” he called out.
Ryker sighed and whispered in my ear. “I don’t like the guy, but you might want to listen to what he has to say.”
I glanced back at Sebastian. “What if I don’t like what I hear?”
“Then kill him.” He shrugged and got to his feet. Slapping a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder, he spoke low. “Try anything stupid, and I’ll snap your neck.”
“I’m sure she’ll beat you to it,” he answered back. Ryker moved out of the way, but stayed close. Sebastian sat down and grabbed a handful of sand, letting it slide through his fingers. “You know you’re a royal, but do you really know what it means?”
“No.”
“History says that when the first wolves were born, some were touched by the Great Luna and some were not. Over the generations, their bloodlines spread. There are royals everywhere, but a few are more powerful than others. Your family and mine happen to be one of those few.”
I gave his words a moment to sink in. “Let me guess, the Northern pack weren’t royals.”
He scoffed. “Definitely not. That’s why they wanted you. They were jealous of your family and wanted the magic for themselves.”
“And would it have worked?”
“I’m not sure. But I do know if you and Kade had mated and had kids, your magic would’ve passed on to them. Imagine a future with Kade’s cruelty and your power. It wouldn’t have been good.”
Ryker’s anger blasted through my mind. I glanced over at him with his hands fisted in the sand. Sebastian followed my gaze.
“If you hadn’t gotten away from Kade, I was going to kill the fucker myself. I would’ve gladly sacrificed myself to keep you from that shit show.” He turned back to me and I could see the truth in his eyes.
“Then why did you take me back? When you came to get me from school, we could’ve run away.”
“Would you have gone with me?”
“I don’t know. Probably, if you could’ve shown me proof.”
He lowered his head, the regret pouring off of him in waves. “There were many things I wish I would’ve done differently.” Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and watched the waves crash along the beach.
“Why don’t I remember seeing Ryker that day?”
“Maret had put a spell on your bond, masking its presence from you. The spell could only be broken once you touched—no magic or spell is strong enough to conceal the power of a mate’s bond.”
I shook my head. “Why didn’t you let me go to him then?”
He looked back at Ryker and then to me. “I couldn’t trust him. I hadn’t seen him in years and he was Kade’s brother. I knew little about the alpha he’d become. I wasn’t going to take the chance with your life. You’re too important.”
We all sat in silence, listening to the waves hit the shore. I could feel Ryker’s acceptance of Sebastian’s reasoning. He may even be coming around to the idea of my best friend. Ryker let out a low growl and I smiled.
“This isn’t the first time you’ve seen the ocean,” Sebastian said. “You just don’t remember it.”
Eyes wide, I gasped. “What?”
He nodded, staring at me with his crystal blue eyes. “You were four years old. I remember making sand castles together.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a wallet and something else. When he held it out to me, my heart stopped. “This is your family, B. Your real family.”
In my hands was a picture of a man and a woman with three kids, two girls and a boy. “Oh my God. How do you have this?”
“Your mother gave it to me the night of the attack. She knew what Maret had done to you, how she took your memories, along with those of your brother and sister.” He pointed to the two other children in the photo.
My eyes burned and my heart ached. I didn’t want to know what happened to them, but I needed to. My sister looked like me and our mother, except her platinum blonde hair was wavy and ours was perfectly straight. My brother, however, was the exact image of my father with darker blond hair and striking blue eyes.
“Are they all dead?”
He swallowed hard. “Your parents are. They stayed and fought so we could get away. Your mother made me promise to keep you safe.”
“What about them?” I cried, pointing to my siblings.
“They had other protectors, Bailey. I was assigned to you. But if there’s one thing I know for certain, I have no doubt they’re still alive. I just don’t know where they are.”
“How do you know that?”
He looked down at the picture. “Because, they were protected by my brothers. They would do anything to keep them safe.”
Closing my eyes, I tried to remember them but I couldn’t. “I don’t even know their names.”
“You will,” he promised, taking my hand. “We’ll get your memories back. Until then, I’ll tell you anything you want. Your father,” he said, pointing to him in the picture, “was a doctor. His name was Marrock Storm. That’s who you truly are . . . a Storm.” He gave my hand a little squeeze and continued. “Your mother’s name was Tala. She was a Biology professor before you and your siblings came along. After that, she stayed home. You and your brother used to fight all the time.”
The thought made me laugh. “What is his name?”
“Colin. Your sister is Faith.”
“How can we find them? If your brothers are their protectors, surely you know of a way.”
He sighed. “There are ways, but now isn’t the time. The Yukon pack is searching for both of us. They are all in at this point; they aren’t going to stop.”
“What should we do?”
He got to his feet and helped me up. Ryker joined us, his face a mask of uncertainty. Sebastian glanced at him and then back to me. “Whatever we do, we need to stay together. That is, if you’ll let me. You’re all I have left of our pack.”
Our pack. I would give anything to see my family again.
“The choice is yours, angel. If you believe in him, so will I . . . to some extent.”
With a small smile, I glanced up at him. “You sure?” He nodded and that was all the assurance I needed. “All right,” I said to Sebastian, “you’re coming with us.”
Bailey (Six Days Later)
It felt good to roam free in the woods. My wolf was happy. We’d just gotten back from our daily run and Sebastian was up ahead at the cabin, waiting on Ryker and me to get back. Side by side, we approached in wolf form and watched as Sebastian turned. He was huge and white, just like Ryker. Over the past week, I’d enjoyed hearing Sebastian’s stories of my family. I thought for sure we’d have heard something from the other alphas, but there was nothing yet.
Sebastian stalked toward us and then took off into the woods. Ryker had already made it clear he didn’t want him encroaching on our time together. And, as long as he respected our space, he was willing to let him stay with us.
Following him up the steps, we shifted back. “The full moon is tomorrow,” Ryker claimed. His eyes flashed when I looked at him.
“Your point being . . . what?” I asked with a laugh.
He pulled me into his arms and nipped my neck with his teeth, his erection pushing into my side. “I think you can feel my point.”
“I can, but I want to hear it come from your mouth. What do you want to happen on the full moon?”
He cupped my breast and rolled my nipple between his fingers. “I want you to be mine. I don’t want to wait any longer.” Brushing his lips over my breast, he flicked my nipple with his tongue and I moaned, pushing my breasts out further. A deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Is that a yes?”
I didn’t have to think twice. “Yes,” I breathed.
Picking me up in his arms, he carried me inside and upstairs to our room. Setting me down, he locked the door and stalked toward me. I wasn’t about to let him have all the fun. Pushing him against the wall, I kissed him hard and made my way down to his chest. He sucked in a breath when I got on my knees and licked from his abs to the tip of his cock. Grabbing his length, I pumped him while I sucked the tip, smiling as his body jerked in response.
Breathing hard, he groaned and leaned against the wall as I slowly fucked him with my mouth. “Holy shit, angel. I’m going to come if you don’t stop.”
Wanting a different end result, I sat back on my heels and stared at him. It was his move. Picking me up in his arms, he slammed me down on the bed. He lifted my legs and wrapped them around his head, breathing me in. “Now it’s my turn to get a taste of you.”
Not wasting any time, he dove in and fucked me with his tongue. I screamed when he sucked on my clit. He chuckled at my response and the vibration of it almost set me off, but he licked me one more time and then slammed into me. I cried out and wrapped my legs around his waist as he made love to me. I didn’t want him to stop.
“I’m so close, Ryker.”
“Keep going, baby. I want you to scream my name when I come inside you.”
Those words were all it took to drive me insane. Screaming out his name, I dug my nails in his back as my orgasm exploded throughout my entire body. Breathing hard, Ryker collapsed on my chest and grunted as he filled me with his release. I loved the feel of him inside me.
“I have to say, that was the best orgasm I’ve ever had,” I admitted breathlessly.
Ryker bit his lip and smirked. “There’ll be plenty more where that came from.”
About that time, we could hear Sebastian approaching. “Perfect timing.”
He laughed and threw on a pair of jeans. “I’ll meet you downstairs. Want me to pour you a glass of wine?”
“Sure. I’m just going to take a quick shower first.”
Smiling, he opened the door and shut it behind him. It didn’t take me long before I was showered and dressed. Sebastian was already sitting at the kitchen bar with a beer when I came down. My glass of wine was right beside him.
“Have a good run?” I asked, taking the seat beside him. Ryker winked at me but then hurried away when his phone started to ring from our room above.
Sebastian took a long gulp of his beer. “It was okay, but would have been better if I couldn’t still hear you two from over a mile away.”
The blood rushed to my face and I focused on my wine. “Sorry about that.”
“Eh, don’t worry about it. I know firsthand what it’s like to be an unmated male. The need can get a little overwhelming at times.”
“Do you think you’ll ever find a mate?”
He finished his beer. “I’m sure I will one day. Especially once you and Ryker complete the bond. You won’t need my protection after that.”
“Will you be staying with our pack?”
“Do you want me to?”
Nodding, I placed my hand over his. “I do. You’re a part of my family. And soon, we’re going to find our siblings. We need to reunite the royal pack.”
He squeezed my hand. “We will.”
Out of nowhere, a blast of anger spiked through my bond. I grabbed my chest and gasped, hoping I could see into Ryker’s mind. When I tried, all I could see was red.
Sebastian grabbed me by the shoulders. “Bailey, what’s wrong?”
I looked up at the ceiling where Ryker stood just above. “I don’t know, but it’s not good.”
Ryker
“What do you mean ‘they took Kami’?” I shouted.
“They came in the middle of the fucking night and took her out of her apartment. They’re not giving her back until they find Bailey. They’re getting desperate, Ryker.” Tate Grayson was one of the toughest alphas I knew, and if he feared for his sister’s life it was bad.
“How long have they had her?”
“About eight hours now. They left a note.”
“What does it say?”
I could hear the crunch of paper as he gripped it in his hand. “They’re going to send pieces of her body back for each day they don’t have Bailey, but not until after they’ve had their fun with her.”
“Goddammit!” I yelled. Kami was only eighteen years old and a sweet girl. The thought of them raping and torturing her enraged the fuck out of me.
Bailey and Sebastian appeared at the door, concern etched on their faces. Once my mind cleared, she was able to hear what was going on. “They want you, Bailey. If we don’t go, they’ll kill an innocent girl. But if we do . . . I put your life in danger.”
She walked up to me, placing her hands on my face. “Then we go. We have to save her.”
With desperation in his voice, Tate replied, “These wolves are out for blood. I need you here, brother. I can’t do this alone.”
“You won’t be. We’ll be out there first thing.” I hung up the phone and threw it on the bed.
“What’s going on?” Sebastian demanded.
“The Yukon pack is desperate to find Bailey. They took a girl hostage, threatening to dismember her if they don’t get what they want. We’re heading back to Wyoming.”
He stalked into the room. “And what, hand Bailey over? Do you have any idea what they’ll do to her?”
“Not a goddamned thing. I’ll kill them all if I have to.”
“So will I,” Bailey added, glancing at me before settling her focus on him. “I can’t let them hurt an innocent girl because of me. You know I’m a good fighter.”
“Yeah, because I’m the one who taught you,” he grumbled.
“Then it’s all the more reason for me to go.”
Sighing, he headed for the door. “Fine, let’s go. I can’t have you fighting without me.”
As soon as he was down the stairs, I grabbed Bailey’s hand, pulling her to me. “This isn’t how I wanted the full moon to go down.”
She nodded. “I know, but we have to do this. There will be plenty of full moons.”
I kissed her long and hard. “And I’m sure as hell going to make sure of that.”
We were almost to Tate’s ranch, which was about three hours north of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where I lived. Everyone was on edge, including Cedric, who was still back in Jackson. “Are you sure you don’t want me there?” he asked.
“No, I need you with the pack.”
“What if they outnumber you?”
“Then I guess we’ll have our work cut out for us.”
“Stubborn son of a bitch. Don’t get yourself killed,” he snapped.
“Don’t plan on it. If everything goes the way we want, we’ll be fine.” I hung up and tossed my phone into the center console. “Okay, we’re almost there. We need to come up with a plan.”
“If your main objective is to save the girl, we need her scent,” Sebastian explained. “I can track her location and then someone can go after her.”
“Why can’t you track her and find her yourself?” I asked, glaring at him in the mirror.
“Because I’m not leaving Bailey’s side.”
“Are you always going to be up her ass?” I snapped.
Bailey slapped me on the shoulder. “That’s enough. Stop with the pissing contest.”
“She’s right. You’ll be thanking me once the night’s done,” he grumbled low.
When we got to Tate’s ranch, he was outside with five of his wolves. They tensed when Sebastian got out of the car. Tate walked up to me, but stopped cold, focusing on Bailey and Sebastian.
“Where are they?” I asked, referring to the Yukon wolves.
“Some of them are in town, but I still don’t know where they have Kami.” He nodded toward Bailey. “Is that your mate?”
I glanced back at Bailey and nodded. “That’s Bailey Storm and her protector, Sebastian Lyall. They’re part of the royal pack.”
Eyes wide, he stepped past me and bowed his head while the other wolves watched on with curiosity. “My name’s Tate Grayson. It’s nice to finally meet you. I didn’t know there were any living royals.”
Sebastian snorted. “That’s because we don’t pronounce it to the world. I’ve seen what happens when we do.”
Tate turned around, eyes wild. “You need to get the fuck out of here. If I’d known she was a royal, I never would’ve asked you to come. We can’t risk her. If they find out what she is, they’ll come after your pack next.”
“Not if we kill them first. Besides, they already know what she is. They knew when they stole her the first time.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Fuck me. What are we going to do?”
Bailey stepped forward, meeting each of their stares. “You aren’t going to do anything. Kami’s gone because of me. I’m going to make sure we get her back. First, we need to track her. Can someone produce something of hers?”
“I have one of her jackets inside. Come with me,” Tate insisted. We all followed him into the house and he brought me a thin, denim jacket. I breathed in her scent and so did Bailey and Sebastian.
Sebastian closed his eyes, clutching the jacket in his hands. “I’ve got a trail. When do we go?”
Bailey started for the door. “Now. We can’t waste any more time. If those cocksuckers said they’ll fuck with her, they will. I’m not taking any chances.”
I grabbed her arm before she could get outside. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“I agree,” Sebastian cut in.
Tate joined us. “I’ll have my men go after her. Just point us in the right direction.”
Eyes wide, Bailey scoffed. “Are you kidding me? That’s your plan to get Kami out alive? Because that’s our goal here, to see her walk away from this mess. If you waltz in, those wolves will smell you from a mile away. At least, with me and Sebastian, we can mask our scent along with Ryker’s.” She opened the door and stepped out. “Now, let’s go. I, for one, know what it’s like to be tormented by those fuckwads.”
Clearing his throat, Tate slapped a hand on my shoulder. “She’s a pistol, Whitemore. Remind me never to get on her bad side.”
Sebastian snorted. “Tell me about it. She’s already threatened to kill me on at least three different occasions; not to mention how many times my balls have been on the line.”
He joined Bailey outside, but before I could go, Tate squeezed my shoulder. “I’m sorry, brother.”
“For what?”
“For putting your mate in danger. I love my sister. I couldn’t let them kill her.”
“And I would never expect you to. This is my fight, not yours. Besides, they wouldn’t have stopped at just Kami. I know those wolves. I used to be a part of their pack.”
“When they see you, it won’t be the end. They’ll hunt your people down.”
The thought of that made my blood boil. “They can try, but as you know, I have some of the fiercest warriors in my pack. We won’t stop until they’re all dead.”
Bailey
“How far away do you think? Four miles?” I asked, peering at Sebastian. Brows furrowed, he closed his eyes and breathed in.
“Roughly,” he replied with a nod.
Ryker put his arm around my waist, grabbing my attention. “Why don’t you stay as you are and we’ll shift? That way you can help Kami and get her out.”
“Good idea,” Sebastian agreed.
I couldn’t argue with them there. “Okay. Let’s do this.” I could always shift if I needed to, but they had a point. If I was her, I wouldn’t just trust any wolf, especially two, unmated males.
Ryker and Sebastian took off their clothes and left them on Tate’s back porch. They shifted into their wolves and we were on our way. We ran through the woods and I could smell Kami’s scent as if she was right beside me. I’d never tracked anyone before—never had the reason to. Sebastian took the lead and Ryker stayed by my side. Once Sebastian slowed his pace, I knew we were close.
Crouching down, I crept up beside him and focused on the camp in the distance. There were three tents and four wolves from what I could tell. “She’s in one of those tents,” I whispered. Sebastian nodded in agreement and padded off slowly.
Ryker nudged me with his nose. “Stay out of sight during the fight. When all is clear, get Kami out of there. Shift if you have to.”
Grabbing a handful of his hair, I leaned into him. “I will. Be careful.”
Without wasting any time, he took off with Sebastian, their howls piercingly loud. Ryker killed one of the wolves instantly while he was still in human form, but the other three had already shifted. Masking my scent, I crept along the camp edge to the first tent. Kami wasn’t in there, she was at the far tent, but I had to get past the fighting wolves first.
Ryker attacked first and the fighting began. Their teeth ripped at each other and the smell of blood filled the air. As much as I wanted to fight, I had a job to do. However, blood wasn’t the only scent in the air. I finally reached the tent and rushed inside, only to find Kami gagged and bound, surrounded by wolfsbane. Her head jerked in my direction, tears falling down her cheeks.
Holding my breath, I rushed over and untied her, careful not to touch the plants. Grabbing her arm, I wrapped it over my shoulder and lifted her up. Her brown hair was knotted and dirty, her body covered in bruises and fucking bite marks. I growled low, wishing I could rip every single testicle off the dirtbags who did it to her. Quickly, I carried her outside and we both sucked in a huge breath of air.
“Thank you,” she gasped, “I thought I was going to die in there.”
“We need to get out of here. Can you shift?”
Her face contorted in pain when she moved. “Not yet. Once my adrenaline pumps up, I should be able to.” I could only pray that came soon. The fight was still going on, but I had to trust that Ryker and Sebastian would come out on top. Usually we could heal pretty quickly, but Kami was so weak, her body couldn’t catch up. We were almost a mile away from the fight when I got the whiff of something foul—another Yukon wolf.
“Fuck me,” I hissed.
“I’d be glad to,” a voice spoke up from behind.
Kami tensed in my arms, but I squeezed her hand and slid out from under her arm. Whispering as low as I could, I said, “I want you to get away from here as fast as you can.”
“She’s not going anywhere and neither are you. Now I have two wolf whores to fuck.” Anger boiled through my veins and I didn’t even bother masking my power. He was going to know who I was, but I didn’t care. I turned around and his eyes went wide. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
I recognized him from the day Kade came to get me. His name was Ansel, one of his friends. I shifted into my wolf and went on the attack, but he was faster than anticipated and ducked. He was bigger than me, yet I was stronger. We circled each other and I lunged, snapping at his neck; he knocked me away, right as I took a bite out of his backside. He growled and nipped my shoulder, but I tore away before he could lock down. Kami was by the trees, trying to shift. I could see the fight in her glowing gray eyes. She wanted revenge.
Ansel attacked and knocked me on the ground, the breath whooshing out of my lungs. He bit down on my shoulder and I howled, the pain radiating through every nerve in my body. I raked my claws over his face, blinding him for only a few seconds so I could get out from under him. He fell over, and then a beautiful gray wolf landed on top of him and attacked. Kami latched onto his throat and jerked as hard as she could. His blood sprayed across the ground and his eyes lost their glow.
Kami huffed and turned her back on him. Before we could take off toward the ranch, Ryker and Sebastian joined us, both smelling of the enemies’ blood. Ryker found the wound on my shoulder and growled, but it was already starting to heal. We needed to get out of there before more wolves showed up.
Tate’s wolves were all congregated in the back of his house. When they saw us, they grabbed a blanket and raced out to Kami, who collapsed onto the ground. She immediately shifted back and Tate picked her up in his arms, covering her with the blanket.
“What the fuck did they do to you?” he thundered.
“I’ll be fine.” Then she looked down at me. “Follow us inside. I’ll get you some clothes to wear.”
I was thankful, considering I ruined mine when I shifted with them on.
Ryker and Sebastian both turned and fetched their clothes from the back porch. I padded past them into the house and followed Tate and Kami into one of the back rooms. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked her.
She clutched the blanket closer. “Yes. I just need some time.” When he left, she opened the closet and pulled out an old high school T-shirt and a pair of shorts. I shifted and put them on. “I’m sorry it’s not much, but this used to be my room before I moved out on my own. The only thing left in my closet are things I wore in high school.”
I looked down at them and smiled. “No worries. I’m not picky.”
“I didn’t know you were a royal. I couldn’t tell right away when you came to save me. I already know Ryker, but the other wolf, he’s a royal too, isn’t he?”
“Sebastian? Yes. We can hide our essence from other wolves. It works well if you want to sneak up on someone.”
“It feels like I learn something new every day. I don’t know if I should bow or curtsy.”
“Neither,” I exclaimed, holding my hands up, “I’m a wolf just like you.”
“With a lot more power and royal blood,” she added.
“I didn’t know I was a royal until a couple of weeks ago, when I found out my parents were murdered. I didn’t have a fairytale life.”
She nodded, her expression sad. “I can see that. You must be the one they’re after. I heard them talking about you, how they were going to take you up north.”
I snorted. “They can try, but I’m not going anywhere. Right now, my concern is for you. What did they do to you?”
Sighing, she averted her gaze. “Things I don’t want my brother knowing. He trained me to be a fighter, but I let him down. I couldn’t fight against them.”
“That’s not your fault, Kami. There were four of them and one of you. They were the cowards. They were the ones who had to use wolfsbane against you. You’re a survivor.”
Tears fell down her cheeks. “But they touched me, humiliated me. Their bite marks are all over my skin.”
I put my arm around her. “They will heal. The dipshits who did this to you are dead.” I paused for a moment. “Did they . . . rape you?”
She glanced up at me. “No, they didn’t. With it being so close to the full moon, none of them wanted to chance it. I can’t imagine being mated to one of them.”
“But you’re not of age. The magic of the moon wouldn’t have worked.”
“That’s why I told them I was twenty-three.” She smirked.
“Smart girl. I was almost forced to mate with their pack leader. I don’t know what I would’ve done if that had happened.”
A knock sounded on the door and Ryker’s voice echoed from the other side. “Bailey, can you come out here for a minute?”
“I’ll be right there.” I squeezed Kami’s shoulder and stood. “You sure you’re gonna be okay?”
She nodded her head, determination in her gaze. “Of course I’ll pull through. I’m more amazed than anything. You came out here and risked your life to save me. I’m worth nothing compared to you, and I am grateful.”
“Every life is important and worth just as much as the other. What kind of person would I be if I didn’t clean up after my own mess? Your life was in danger because of me and I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you to the wolves.”
“What are you going to do to the others tonight when they come?”
“After what they did to you, there’s only one thing we can do. Kill them.”
Night had come and I was ready to face the others. Tate had called the Yukon pack and let them know where we were.
“What if this is only the beginning?” I asked.
Ryker sighed, his focus on the woods beyond. “Then we’ll keep fighting. You’re my mate and I will protect you until my last breath.”
The back door opened and Sebastian sauntered out. “That’s good. It takes the pressure off of my job.”
“No one said you had to keep protecting her,” Ryker challenged.
“No, but I’ll stay by her side until she tells me to leave.” He took the seat beside me and lifted my sleeve. “Wow, you’re already healed. That’s amazing.”
I looked at him and smiled. “The joys of finding your mate.”
He rolled his shoulder and hissed. “Maybe I should find mine. My shoulder would feel a lot better if I did.”
“You don’t have to be my protector anymore, Sebastian. I release you of those duties. You’ve spent your whole life protecting me. It’s time you went out and did something on your own. Maybe even find your mate.”
“You could try a dating site,” Ryker teased.
Smirking, Sebastian leaned forward. “I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten more play than you, my friend. I don’t need any help. Besides, I kind of like giving you a hard time. I think I’ll stick around for a while. That is, if you’ll still have me?” he asked, turning to me and grinning wide.
Rolling my eyes, I sat back in my chair. “Is it always going to be like this with you two?”
“Worse if I didn’t have you,” Ryker replied. “Two unmated, alpha males constantly together isn’t a good thing for anyone.”
I glanced over at Sebastian who smiled, blinking innocently. “Still want me to join your pack?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m probably going to have to rethink my decision.” I elbowed him in the arm and smiled. It didn’t last long because coming from the west side of the woods, a group of wolves approached.
Tate came outside, his body tense, eyes focused on the land. “It’s time.”
Everyone started for the woods, but Ryker stood back and took my hand. “When the fighting starts, stay as far back as you can. They’ll be gunning for you.”
“I know. I’ll be okay, I promise.” We caught up with the other wolves just in time to see the Yukon pack filing in. There were twelve of them and only eight of us. “We’re outnumbered.”
Ryker leaned in to me. “Yeah, but we have four alphas. We can beat them.”
