by Nora Phoenix
Sven and Vieno were making sandwiches, and at first Bray thought that was strange. Why weren't they in bed? Sven especially, seeing how he was pregnant. But then he realized they needed to be close to their mates, and neither Grayson nor Lidon had any intention of going to bed at this point, which made total sense. In the corner of the kitchen stood a stroller, and Bray could just make out a pair of tiny baby hands. They had put Hakon to sleep here, and Bray couldn't blame them for not wanting to leave him alone right now.
"Bray," Lidon said. "We're happy to see you. How are your men?"
And just like that, his relationship with Kean and Ruari was established, he thought with a warm feeling. At least he wouldn't have to fight a battle there. "Ruari was shaken up, but otherwise okay. Jax is fine, obviously. And Kean is…" He hesitated, not sure how much the beta would want him to share. "He's hurting," he settled on. It seemed safe enough and close enough to the truth, albeit not in much detail.
"He fought hard," Palani said, his voice cracking a little. "And he's never been a fighter."
Bray had to push back the images that popped up in his mind again, those sickening recollections of Kean's body. "His spirit took a hit," he said.
Palani studied him for a second or two. "He watched Jawon get shot, and the man died in his arms. I think that would leave anyone shaken, but especially Kean with his soft heart. He's really a big teddy bear, you know?"
Palani's voice cracked again, and Lidon reached out to him to hold his hand. It was such a tender gesture from that big, strapping alpha that Bray's heart did a funny little jump. "I know," he simply said, and he did.
How he wished he could have protected Kean from that experience. Violence and death changed you in ways that were irreversible. It left scars that never fully healed, and Kean’s gentle heart had deserved better than that.
He took a spot at the kitchen table, and seconds later, Sven put a plate with a club sandwich in front of him, as well as a cup of coffee.
"Thank you," he said.
Much to his surprise, Sven leaned over and kissed him on his cheek. "No, thank you."
He looked around the table and noticed Enar was missing. "What's the sit rep?" he asked, suspecting Enar and Maz were still treating the wounded. "I haven't checked in with my men yet. I left Isam in command when I retreated for a little bit." He hesitated, then added, “I’m sorry for being absent, but—”
“You were where you needed to be,” Lidon said in that tone that made it clear the topic was closed. Bray exhaled, relieved the alpha agreed he’d made the right choice.
Palani shot him a sad look. "Enar and Maz are operating on Adar in the clinic. He sustained some injuries that needed surgical treatment, but we didn't want to send him to the hospital. It's not ideal, but they're making do, and Enar was confident Adar will pull through."
Bray nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. And everyone else?"
"Black and blue, cuts and bruises, some small wounds that needed stitching, but nothing life-threatening," Palani reported.
Bray let out a small sigh of relief. Two dead then, which was two too many but still a hell of a lot better than it could've been. Jawon's death was the hardest one, not only because he'd been a core pack member, but also because he was Lidon's cousin. That would be heartbreaking for Lidon to relay to his uncle and aunt, who, from what Bray understood, had been like second parents to him after his own parents had passed away.
Bray himself had lost one of his men, a relatively new addition to his team named Brett. He'd been in the guardhouse at the front gate and had been killed in the first wave of the attack. It pissed him off to lose another man, but it was far less personal than Jawon’s death. They were lucky most of the attackers had not been men with military or law enforcement experience, or the losses would've been much greater.
"How are you, Dad?" he asked his father. He was sitting quietly with Lars on his lap, who looked like death warmed over.
It was funny, because even few days ago, that sight would've bothered Bray, but now he was only glad to see him alive and safe. His dad looked like he'd gone a few rounds in a boxing match, his face swollen and bruised in multiple places. He'd taken hits to his cheek and jaw, the discarded ice pack in front of him showing he'd tried to prevent worse swelling.
His dad sent him a tired but warm smile. "Hurting, but okay. Sven is unharmed, and Lars got shot in his arm, but it was through and through, and Enar patched him up quickly. Lucan is assisting Enar and Maz, and so is Sando, who apparently, despite appearing like a total klutz most of the time, is surprisingly steady in emergency situations."
Bray's eyebrows raised in surprise, as he didn't see that last part coming. Then again, the whole pack kept surprising him, the way everybody rose to the occasion and became a better version of themselves.
"We locked Wyndham up in one of the storage rooms in the basement,” Palani said. "He's tied up and we have someone guarding him at all times, so he's not going anywhere. The question is: what do we do now?"
It hung heavy in the air, this complex question that had no easy answer. Bray leaned back in his chair as he mindlessly chewed on the sandwich. He hadn't realized how much he’d needed food until he took the first bite, and now he was devouring it, his body craving calories.
"It won't be long until York finds out what happened," Lidon said. "If he doesn't know already, since he hinted they've been keeping tabs on the AWC."
"He knew they were planning this," his dad said, his voice dripping with anger. "He knew, and instead of choosing to protect us, he tried to blackmail us. The losses we suffered, that blood is on his hands as much as on the attackers’.”
"I agree," Palani said. "And my fear is that he's not done blackmailing us just yet. If he knows what happened, he has the perfect leverage to force us to do his will. If he has the authorities investigate this attack, we could be facing murder charges."
The kitchen grew quiet at those last two words. At the kitchen counter, Vieno slowly turned around. "Murder charges?"
"We killed fourteen of the attackers," Bray said, his voice calm. "Two of those were by my hand, six were killed by the pack alpha, another two by you, Vieno, and the other four, I haven't determined yet."
"One by me, and the other three by Isam," his father supplied.
"That means they could charge five of us with murder charges, if they wanted to," Palani said.
"It was self-defense," Lars said. "They fucking attacked us with twenty armed men. Were we supposed to just let that happen?"
Bray could totally understand his anger, as he was feeling the same emotion. Unfortunately, he also knew it didn't work that way.
"I think if there's one thing we have discovered in the last year, it's that the truth doesn't mean much to these people. They will twist and turn it any way they can to justify their goals. We know what this attack was, but they can spin it any way they want. And don’t forget the fact that two of us shifted. Some of the bodies will show that those men were killed by wolves, not humans," Palani said.
"You have to tell us how you managed to shift," Bray said to Vieno. "Because I have to admit, that was the biggest surprise ever."
Vieno smiled a little as he walked over toward Lidon and settled on his lap. "I didn't know I could do it until I knew I could, and if that sounds totally contradictory, that's because it was. Me, Ruari and Sven were locked in Sven's bathroom with Hakon and Jax, and we had no way out when three men came into the room. We had nothing to defend ourselves with, so I realized it had to come from me. All I could think of was that I had tapped into Lidon's powers during the delivery, and that you guys had said that he sort of borrows yours whenever he shifts. So I reached out to all the alphas in my mind and took their power. And then it just happened. I thought myself a wolf and then I was one."
"You did borrow from us," Bray told him. "That second shift, yours, it brought me to my knees before it gave me an adrenaline rush unlike anything else."
“It was amazing,” Vieno said w
ith a wistful tone. “I know the attack was horrific, but that experience was… God, I can’t even describe it. It’s the best feeling ever. I felt so powerful and free. Whole, somehow, like a part of me that had been missing had been restored.”
Lidon nodded. “It’s truly special, despite the circumstances. The power I have as a wolf, it’s beyond words. It’s healing too.” The last bit was said with a look at Vieno that Bray didn’t quite get.
"The power is unlike anything else,” Vieno said. Then he raised his chin. “I don't regret killing those two guys."
Bray saw the shiver that tore through the pack alpha at those words, but then he kissed his mate on his forehead. "You shouldn't, sweetheart. You did what you had to to defend yourself and protect our son."
It brought it home for Bray all over again, how close they had been to absolute disaster. If it hadn't been for Vieno being able to shift, what would've happened to those three omegas? To the two babies?
"I hate to bring this up, but do we know for certain what their objective was? Was it to abduct Hakon?" his dad asked, apparently having the same line of reasoning.
"The attacker I briefly interrogated near the front gate said their goal was to take the alpha's son, which I assume meant Hakon. But he wasn't clear on whether taking meant abducting or killing, and I didn't ask for clarification," Bray said.
This time, it was Vieno who shivered, and Lidon pulled him even closer, folding those big arms around that small frame.
"That's something we'll have to ask Wyndham," Palani said. "I have a long list of things I want to ask him."
"I doubt he'll be inclined to answer questions," his dad said.
Bray shared a look with Lidon, one that left little to the interpretation. "We'll make him talk," the pack alpha said, and the power of that simple statement made it clear it wasn't up for debate.
2
Kean was running, the sound of his boots hitting the grass with loud thuds almost drowning out the frantic pounding of his own heartbeat in his ears. His lungs ached with the effort of drawing in enough oxygen, but he pushed himself even harder. Gunshots echoed in the distance, and he had to get there in time to save him.
But when he turned the corner, he saw him on his knees, facing the guy in black who raised his arm with a calm gesture. Kean wanted to scream, but he couldn't, his voice taken away from him for some reason, and he watched helplessly as the attacker pulled the trigger. Then Jawon slowly keeled over, a big, crimson stain flooding his T-shirt. His eyes found Kean's, and then Kean could scream.
He woke up with a jolt, his body covered in sweat, tears streaming down his face.
"You're okay, baby,” a soft voice told him, tight with emotions. "It was just a dream.”
Kean turned his head and found him. Ruari, watching him with tears in his eyes, his face distorted with Kean's pain. He swallowed, found his throat raw and constricted, then tried again.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?" he said, his voice croaking.
Ruari's face tightened even more, and he let out a soft, sad sigh. "I'll get you some water."
Kean watched him as he hurried into the bathroom. God, everything hurt. There wasn't a single spot on his body that didn't hurt right now, inside and out. When Ruari held out the water to him, he wanted to cry with frustration. How was he supposed to push himself into a sitting position when even lying down brought tears to his eyes?
Ruari gave him one look, then put the water down on the night table. "I'll get you a straw," he said softly.
Kean closed his eyes, unable to deal with the sympathy in those sweet, blue eyes. He lay motionless until Ruari returned and he felt the straw touch his lips. He drank greedily, the cool water a wonderful relief for his sore throat.
"Bray texted me that Enar will stop by to check you out as soon as they're available. They’re operating on Adar right now, who apparently sustained some injuries in the attack that needed surgery," Ruari said.
That made Kean open his eyes. "How is everyone?"
Ruari stood hesitantly next to the bed, and Kean's insides softened. "How are you?" he asked, amending his question. "Are you okay, honey?" It wasn't till then that he realized Jax wasn't in the room. "Where's Jax?”
That's earned him a sweet smile from Ruari. “He’s fine, we’re fine. I dropped him off at the main house with Sven about an hour ago, since I wanted to be here for you.”
"Good," Kean said. "Thank you."
Ruari's smile widened. "I wouldn't leave you alone if you asked me to."
"I'm not good company right now," Kean said.
Ruari slowly shook his head. "That's not why I'm here, and you know it. How's the pain?"
Kean debated lying to him for maybe two seconds, then decided that was the most stupid thing ever. It wasn't like he could hide how much pain he was in and besides, what did it matter? "It's pretty bad," he said. "My whole body hurts. It wasn't like this last night."
Ruari bit his lip. "Maybe I should call Bray and ask him to send someone over sooner."
With effort, Kean lifted his hand and reached out for Ruari's hand. "No, I can wait. If Enar and Maz are in surgery, there's no need to disrupt that. It's not critical or urgent. It just really hurts."
"I wish there was something I could do for you, but Enar ordered us not to give you any painkillers until he had examined you."
That was kind of what Kean had expected already, and he was fine with it. He understood he had to be checked out first so they could accurately gauge his pain and medical issues. "You can sit with me for a spell and keep me company?"
With care, Ruari climbed into the bed with him, making sure not to jostle it too much. Once he was seated with his back against the headboard, he took Kean's throbbing hand and laced his fingers through it. It was such a simple gesture, and yet it comforted Kean. Apparently, that whole thing about feeling better when you were close to your mates was true.
"As far as I can tell, everyone is okay. Aside from Adar, I think you and Lars got hurt most. Lars was shot through his upper arm, Bray texted. But it's a through and through, so he should be okay, though it'll be a while before he can use that arm again. And everyone else is just banged up, more or less. I guess me, Sven, and Vieno are the only ones who walked away unharmed. Oh, and Sando, Lucan, and Rhene, because they were near the clinic and hid.”
"And the babies," Kean croaked, grateful when Ruari leaned over him and allowed him a few more sips of water.
"And the babies," Ruari confirmed. They sat like that for a little bit before Ruari said, “You should've seen him. Vieno, I mean. He shifted right before my eyes. It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever witnessed. I knew Lidon could shift, but to see Vieno do it right in front of us, to see him turn from a man into a wolf, it was amazing. He flat out attacked them, those guys who tried to get into the bathroom where we were hiding. He killed two, then prevented my father from running off so they could capture him."
There were so many emotions in that statement that Kean didn't even know where to begin. He figured he would start with the biggest one, reasoning that Ruari wouldn't have brought it up if he didn't want to talk about it.
"What did they do with him?"
Ruari shrugged. "He's being held for questioning, as Bray put it. I doubt that's as friendly in reality as it sounds in theory."
Kean heard nothing in his voice but resignation, maybe with a hint of anger. "Are you okay with that?"
Ruari started playing with Kean's hand, tracing his fingers with his own, then gently stroking his knuckles in mindless circles. "He tried to kill us. He didn't know I was on the ranch, as far as I can tell, but he wanted to kill us all. I'm not sure what his objective was in attacking the ranch, if they wanted to abduct Hakon or kill him, but he was fine with taking innocent lives, maybe even babies. That's not a man who deserves compassion, not even from his own son."
They both looked up when they heard a noise near the open door, and Kean found Bray leaning against the wall. "He's still your father," B
ray said quietly.
A wave of happiness washed over Kean at the sight of the alpha. And for all his pride and his determination to not show his weaknesses, his mouth opened as if it had a mind of its own. "I need you."
If he had any doubt whether Bray would fault him for such a show of weakness, it was obliterated when he got a soft smile in return. "I'm here. Whatever you need from me."
"He's hurting really bad," Ruari said, and Kean felt his concern caressing his soul.
Bray pushed off against the wall and stepped closer. "Can I have a look?" he asked, and Kean realized how far they still had to go if the alpha had to ask that.
"Yes, please," he said, lifting his hand to pull up the T-shirt he was wearing and then deciding that was too painful to do himself and dropping it just as quickly again.
Bray kneeled next to the bed and carefully lifted Kean's shirt. He whistled between his teeth. "That's quite the collection of bruises you've got there."
"Even breathing hurts," Kean admitted.
Bray’s face tightened for a second or two before he relaxed it again. "No wonder, it looks like somebody used you as a punching bag. What happened?”
"Somebody used me as a punching bag," Kean said in a lame attempt at a joke that earned him a chuckle from Ruari and a smile from Bray.
"We were trying to reach the main house when we ran into four attackers," Kean said, his voice soft. "We tried to hold them off, but none of us are fighters, you know? And then one of the guys pulled a gun, and that was it. But when he announced they were intending to go inside, we couldn't let that happen. Jawon, he…"
Kean's throat closed again, his voice breaking. He opened his mouth again, determined to push through it, but found he couldn't. Ruari squeezed his hand, and he took comfort from that, that small, warm touch.
"You stopped them," Bray said. "Those men never entered the house because you guys stopped them. In the end, only five made it through to the main house, and four of them were killed. If you guys hadn't made a stand, we would've lost."
Rationally, Kean knew Bray had a point. And rationally, he could even admit that in the bigger scheme of things, Jawon's sacrifice had been worth it. It had fueled their anger, given them the strength to fight back and hold on until Lidon had arrived in wolf form. But that was rationally. His heart, it bled, it cried out, it raged at the sheer injustice of that wonderful man who had lost his life so senselessly.
