The Girl Who Cried War

by Heather Hildenbrand

  I pull away, wiping my eyes as I ready myself to tell them about it.

  Before I can, Beau shoulders his way through the crowd.

  He stops in front of Anna, chest heaving. His shirt is bloody and torn, but he looks unharmed–except for the strange certainty in his eyes.

  “Anna, with your permission, I’d like to court you,” he announces.

  Talia whistles and elbows Anna who’s gone still as stone. “Um.”

  Silence follows.

  “I know this is very forward, not to mention sudden,” he breaks off, blowing out a breath. “Hell, it may even be crazy, but I don’t care. Just say yes. Please,” Beau begs quietly.

  “Uh, do huntsman have the whole fated mate thing happening?” Talia whispers though it’s loud enough I’m sure Anna can hear her. “Because I recognize that deranged-and-in-love look in his eye.”

  “As a matter of fact, they can,” Xan answers. But it’s clear from his tone that even he’s taken aback by Beau’s pronouncement.

  Finally, Anna finds her voice.

  “Well, as much as I’d like to accept . . . you see, this life isn’t something I’d choose for myself. But I would never ask you to give up–”

  Before she can finish, Beau tosses down his blade.

  He steps over it and takes Anna’s hand. “You don’t have to ask. I don’t need that life. Not if I have you.”

  “Guess that answers the whole mate question,” Talia mutters.

  “Oh my.” Anna’s other hand flutters to her cheek. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say yes,” Talia hisses.

  Beau grins. “Say yes,” he repeats.

  “Yes,” Anna cries, and Beau beams at her then kisses her hand again.

  Probably the equivalent of a make-out session where they come from.

  My heart swells with happiness as the witches join us, Deissy, Mirabelle, and Birdie sharing a reunion.

  “Is it really over?” Deissy asks.

  “Damn straight,” Birdie tells her.

  “Birdie laid that Regina chick out flat,” Mirabelle says proudly.

  Bev appears and makes a beeline for Lynch, hugging him and swatting him for being reckless all at the same time. An older version of Lynch joins them, pulling them both into his massive arms. Lynch’s face flushes as his eyes dart toward Talia. Lina pats Lynch on the arm as she walks past him before grabbing Kash in a tight embrace.

  Beyond them, Danielle and the other girls hurry close behind. They scan the faces until, one by one, they find the male they’re looking for and rush to hug them.

  I smile as Reagan reaches Bellamy and is swept into his arms for a kiss. Kaitlyn does the same to Adam. Until the entire yard is filled with couples embracing and kissing and even crying that it’s all finally over.

  All except for one.

  Levi is propped up by Danielle, his expression bleak and lost in a way that I know has nothing to do with his injuries.

  Grief bubbles up.

  I turn away, scanning for Justice’s body. Before I can find him, Finn steps up and bends down to pick up the knife Beau tossed away.

  “I think you dropped this,” Finn says, holding out the blade.

  “Actually, I–” Beau gasps, staring at the blade with wide-eyed confusion as it begins to glow.

  “What the…” Xan stares in disbelief. The other huntsmen look equally shocked.

  “Whoa. It’s warm. That’s dope,” Finn says. “Does it have some kind of heating feature?”

  “No,” Xan chokes out.

  “A huntsman's blade chooses its master,” Beau explains.

  “What does that mean?” Finn asks.

  “It means you’re a huntsman now,” Beau says.

  “But, I’m a werewolf,” Finn argues, shoving the blade at Beau, who backs away from it.

  “You’re both,” Xan says, still looking a little shell-shocked.

  “Is that a thing?” I ask.

  “I’ve never witnessed it before,” he says, “but the blade doesn’t lie.”

  “So, I can hunt down asshole werewolves and take care of them?” Finn asks.

  “It seems so.”

  “Cool,” Finn breathes.

  Xan looks less than thrilled, but Lynch claps Finn on the back.

  “Hot damn,” Lynch says. “Guess this peacock of ours was really meant to fly after all.”

  “Pepper.” At the sound of Kash’s voice, I look over.

  He’s bent down next to Justice who lies in the grass next to a grieving Levi.

  My throat closes, and I can’t find my voice.

  “Is that Justice?” Anna asks, her voice already wobbling as everyone else finally notices what’s happened.

  I nod, tears filling my eyes at the sight of my friend–one last casualty of Brody’s cruelty.

  Chapter 18

  “Surprise, bitch,” Justice shouts from his hospital bed. “I lived,” he says, drawing out the words.

  A sob bursts from my chest. The last five days have been hell while we waited to see if Justice’s wolf could heal all of his injuries.

  “Oh, honey,” he says, holding his arms out wide. “Nobody cries alone in my presence. Get over here.”

  I shuffle closer, stopping when I reach the edge of the bed.

  “A little help, please?” Justice asks Levi. “My girl needs a boost.”

  Levi chuckles, rising from his chair and walking around the bed to where I stand.

  “May I?” he asks.

  I nod, raising my arms and letting him lift me onto the bed.

  I snuggle into Justice’s uninjured side, careful with my own injuries as well. Though the cuts to my neck and arm are nothing more than faint red marks, the internal damage is still healing. The bone-deep ache has been staved off by the tea Birdie has been forcing me to drink three times a day. I kinda suspect the recipe she got from her friend Mirabelle has been mercifully altered.

  “I’ll give you two a minute alone,” Levi says, squeezing Justice’s hand.

  “No. Don’t go,” I tell him, my voice still a little hoarse. He pauses, quirking his head. “I may need you to protect me when Kash realizes I’m gone and comes to find me,” I joke.

  “Must be nice to be able to break alpha’s orders.” Justice laughs, approval ringing through his words. “I was gonna sneak out to check on you, but someone hasn’t left my side,” he says, nodding his head in Levi’s direction.

  I grin. “Newly mated males are nothing if not overprotective.”

  Justice blushes at my acknowledgment of his and Levi’s new relationship status, pink rising on his cheeks and mixing with the colorful bruises that still mark his face.

  “At least it’s only been your mate,” I tell him with a sigh. “I feel like my room must have come equipped with a revolving door.”

  Justice chuckles. “Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” he says, pantomiming placing a crown on my head.

  “Nope, you wear the crowns around here,” I say, taking the crown off my head and putting it on Justice’s head instead.

  “Sorry, girl,” he says, putting it back on my head. “This is all you. You deserve it. Hell, you earned it out there on that field.”

  I smile at his praise and take a moment to examine him, cataloging his remaining injuries. The swelling has gone down in his face, but his icy blue eyes still have a few red blood vessels showing. Thanks to the healing lacerations that remain on his back, he’s still unable to wear a shirt, not that Levi seems to mind.

  Danielle informed me that though the skin on his back has grown back with the help of Birdie, Mirabelle, and Deissy, the new skin is still sensitive to the touch and easily injured–which is why Justice is still on bed rest.

  The stab-wound he got protecting me wasn’t nearly as bad as we originally thought. His loss of consciousness was his body’s way of coping with the serious amount of pain he was in. Though he’ll always carry the scars, he was lucky. The knife went straight through, missing any major arteries, and t
hough he lost a lot of blood, his wolf was able to heal most of the damage from not only the injuries he sustained at the battle but his time with Brody as well.

  “Quit looking at me like that,” Justice says, rolling his eyes.

  “Like what?”

  “Like I might die at any second. Doc said I’m past the worst of it, so stop being so glum, and spill the tea. What happened after I heroically saved your ass?”

  My eyes widen, my gaze darting to where Levi is sitting.

  He shakes his head. “I didn’t want to worry him more while he was healing.”

  I bite my lip, unsure if I should tell him either. One glare from Justice has me caving, and I tell him all about the battle including Talia as a furry sword fighter.

  “Talia could make Chuck Norris cry,” Justice says when I finish, and we both burst into a fit of giggles.

  “Oh, my Lord. Don’t make me laugh! That hurts,” Justice groans.

  “You made yourself laugh,” I protest, causing another round of laughter.

  “I should have guessed you’d be in here.” Kash’s deep voice booms from the door, and Levi pushes to his feet, his gaze on the floor.

  “Sorry, Kash. I was going to help her back to her room once they had some time to chat. It’s just–” he breaks off, his gaze darting to Justice. He smiles, his eyes finally meeting Kash’s. “My mate wouldn’t stop asking to see her. I was afraid he’d make a break for it soon.”

  Kash laughs. “I know the feeling.”

  He crosses to Justice’s bedside.

  “I’ve been meaning to come in anyway,” he says, sticking a hand out to Justice. Justice eyes it warily before placing his hand in Kash’s. “Thank you for everything you did for our pack and for my mate.”

  “Um, sure,” Justice mumbles, looking embarrassed, but Levi steps to his side, beaming with pride.

  “As for you, Pepper,” he says, pinning me with his gaze. “If you had waited another ten minutes, you would have gotten the green light from the doc yourself.”

  A grin spreads across my face. “Really?”

  Kash leans down, kissing my nose. “Really. You’re officially released from her care, but she wants you to take it easy and come back in a week for a checkup.”

  “What about Justice?”

  Kash shakes his head. “He’s gonna have to stay here for a little bit longer.” He smiles ruefully. “Sorry, man.”

  Justice sighs. “I’m gonna go crazy if I have to stay in here for too much longer.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing we’re here to break you out then, isn’t it?” Talia calls from the door.

  Behind her, Lynch stands, holding a giant bouquet of balloons made from rubber gloves. He attempts to wrestle them through the doorway, but he quickly gives up and turns to face us.

  “I’d like the record to show that this was not my idea, and had I been given more time to prepare, I could have made this a proper soiree,” he says, poking his head inside the door and pinning each of us with his gaze.

  “Um, okay?” My questioning gaze darts to Talia, and she rolls her eyes.

  “Yeah, yeah. We all agree not to judge your party planning skills based on this one event. Just go,” she says, shooing him out of the room.

  “Um, Tal? What the hell is he talking about? And what do you mean you’re here to break Justice out?” I ask as Anna comes barreling into the room, pulling a flustered looking Beau behind her.

  “Oh, thank goodness,” she pants. “I thought we were gonna be late.”

  “Late for what?” Justice asks, and he winks when I shoot him a look of thanks. Maybe one of these whack jobs will answer him.

  Anna’s brows crinkle in confusion. “Midnight kisses, of course.”

  Shock and excitement flitter across my face.

  Kash’s eyes narrow. “Is that so?”

  Anna shoots a death glare at Talia. “You said Kash okayed it!”

  Talia merely shrugs before turning her steely gaze on Kash.

  “Midnight Kisses are happening. You in?”

  “Depends. Where is this party happening?”

  “Don’t you worry your pretty little head about that, bossman,” Lynch says, striding back into the room. “We’re not leaving the medical wing. We’re just relocating to a bigger room.”

  “Did you clear it with the doc?” Kash asks.

  Lynch rubs a hand over the back of his neck. “Listen, as your beta, I don’t really want to lie to you, but my woman has her heart set on Midnight Kisses. You know what I’m saying?”

  “Well then, I guess we’d better hurry,” Kash says, shocking us all into silence.

  He laughs. “What? I can break the rules sometimes too, you know.”

  “Don’t question it,” Talia instructs us. “Just run.”

  Lynch crosses the room, unlocking the brakes on Justice’s bed and starting to move us out of the room before I even have time to protest.

  “Woohoo!” Justice cries as Lynch steers us out of the room and down the hallway.

  “No time for big reveals, I’m afraid,” he says, glancing over his shoulder. “Quick, everybody in before the doc sees.”

  My jaw drops as I take in the room. Three other beds are already set up, the standard hospital bedding swapped out for fluffy red blankets. A pile of linens sits on a hospital cart next to an empty space, and Lynch rolls Justice’s bed next to it before handing him the more comfortable bedding.

  I hop down from Justice’s bed, laughing as I notice that the jars of medical equipment have been replaced with food. The tongue depressor jar now holds wafer cookies, the cotton balls are now marshmallows, and the gauze has been replaced with cotton candy. My eyes roam the table, taking in the buffet of what Anna deems comfort food. My stomach rumbles as I spot her famous banana pudding, a smile spreading across my face when I see our signature drink right in the middle of all the food. The Midnight Kisses are displayed in syringes in perfect shot size.

  “Wow, Lynch. Is this really the best you could do?” I ask. He grimaces, and I laugh before pulling him in for a hug. “It’s perfect,” I assure him.

  Talia beams at him. “It really is, Scruffs. You’re kind of a badass at this sort of thing.”

  “I’m a badass at other things too.” Lynch stalks over to her, pulling her to him and kissing her senseless.

  I roll my eyes, my gaze searching out Kash. My stomach flutters when I spot him on the bed across from Justice’s. He holds up the corner of the red blanket, patting the spot next to him. I go willingly, only stopping to grab a couple of syringes. Levi takes my vacated spot next to Justice, snuggling in close to his mate.

  “It’s been a wild couple of weeks, Pepper. You’re not going to get bored of me now that all the excitement has passed, are you?” Kash asks once we’ve settled into our bed.

  “I think I’ve had enough excitement to last a lifetime,” I tell him honestly.

  He chuckles, and we clink our syringes together.

  “I can drink to that,” he says with a lopsided grin.

  My gaze roams the room, taking in all the people I care most about in the world. Anna is cross-legged on a bed with Beau behind her. He pulls her back so that she’s leaning into his chest. My heart melts a little at their tentative affection. Beside her, Talia and Lynch have stopped making out long enough to start arguing over who gets to choose the music.

  I smile.

  We’re battered but whole, and I can’t help but think how nice it will be to get back to normal for a while. Whatever that means now.

  “Okay, time for some tunes while we get properly sloshed,” Talia announces as she hits play on some old-school Missy Elliot. “We’ve earned it.”

  “Damn right we have.” Lynch lifts his syringe into the air like it’s a conquering sword and then squirts the contents into his mouth.

  We all follow suit.

  Three hours and far too many syringe-drinks later, my sides hurt from laughing.

  “I’m serious,” Anna says. “When I
saw you sportin’ ears and a tail but naked as the day the Lord made you, I almost peed myself.”

  “It wasn’t that scary,” Justice quips, and the room bursts into laughter.

  “Like you would know, drama queen,” I yell, throwing a pillow at him.

  “I was feeling some base instincts myself, Anna,” Kash rumbles before nipping at my jaw. “Instincts I fully intend to show you later,” he whispers in my ear.

  “Gross,” Talia groans, throwing popcorn at us. “Werewolf hearing, remember?”

  I stick my tongue out at her like the mature adult that I am, and she flips me off in response.

  “So what are y’all gonna do next?” Beau asks.

  “Besides graduate?” Talia asks

  “Besides graduate,” he agrees with a chuckle.

  “I don’t know,” she muses. “I suppose everything is about to change.”

  A somber mood settles over our little group.

  We lost a couple of packmates in the battle, and their loss will take a long time to heal. But we also have a lot to celebrate. Brody is gone, and so is his pack–though some of the wolves from his pack have chosen to join us now that they have the free will to choose.

  I wasn’t sure about it, but according to Anna, “Compassion is accepting an ex-werebro into your midst.” The ceremony with Birdie is tomorrow.

  From what Kash tells me, the pack house is bursting at the seams. With the arrival of the cubs imminent, we aren’t likely to be bored any time soon.

  A thought occurs to me.

  “Do we have anywhere else we can house the hospital?” I ask no one in particular.

  “What do you mean?” Kash asks.

  “I mean, having the hospital in the dungeon next to where you keep prisoners is depressing as hell.”

  “Preach, sister,” Justice says, holding up a syringe of Midnight Kisses in solidarity. “I was starting to wonder if we were vampires instead of wolves. I haven’t seen the sun or smelled fresh air in a week.”

  “Exactly,” I say, pointing a finger in his direction. “And we’re getting ready to have a baker’s dozen of cubs. They shouldn’t be brought into the world in this dank medical wing.”