I chewed on my thumbnail, unsure what to do, until Dare walked over to me, his brow furrowed in concern. “He okay?”
I shook my head. “He’s gotta shift, and he’s too weak to do it. I think he’s got a couple of cracked ribs and some internal damage. They really worked him over.”
Dare crouched down next to Hans, who watched him with wary, bloodshot eyes. “You need to shift,” Dare said.
“I know.” Wheeze. Wheeze. “Can’t.”
“Please, Hans,” Selene pleaded. “You have to.”
I was so damn proud of my sister. She’d been through so much, and yet she managed to stay strong and keep fighting. I wasn’t sure I’d ever forget the image of her standing over Xan’s body, knife in hand, pure fury on her face.
Dare rose to his full height, and a pulse in my body pulled me toward him. His gaze was intent on Hans, his entire body so tense the veins in his neck looked like they’d burst. He inhaled deeply, like he was gathering power, and my body was responding, my muscles coiling, blood pumping. What the fuck?
His canines descended, and his claws sharpened. He stared down at the dying wolf below him and with a voice that echoed off the trees surrounding us, he boomed, “Shift.”
Hans’s mouth opened, but no sound came out.
“Shift!” Dare shouted.
Something snapped inside me. My legs buckled, and I fell to the ground on all fours, muscles shaking. My energy was zapped, like it’d been sucked out of me.
Hans cried out, and began to writhe on the ground, back arched painfully. His nose and mouth formed a snout; his arms and legs shifted to furry ones.
Selene fell back and crawled away quickly as Hans’s body was forced to do what he couldn’t make it do. He screamed throughout the shift as the change healed his injuries.
I felt for him, knowing he was in agony right now, but it was necessary.
When he was finished, he lay at Dare’s feet, his dark gray, furry sides heaving, his tongue rolling out of his mouth. Selene scrambled back to him, running her hands over his fur.
Dare turned to me, jerking when he spotted me on the ground. “Shit.” He hauled me upright and gripped my face. His gaze searched my face. “Are you okay? I—” His brows lowered. “I drew on you, didn’t I?” He blinked. “Shit.”
I breathed in slowly and exhaled. My face warmed where Dare touched me, five points of energy returning much-needed fuel to my body. He’d taken it away, but now he was giving it back. My heartbeat returned to normal, and my chest loosened, making breathing easier. I nodded. “Yeah, I, uh, think I’m all right. Did you do something different?”
He set me on the ground, but kept a hand on my hip. “No, I was gathering my own power like I’ve always done. I could feel the drag, then like a rubber band snapping, more power slammed into me. I’ve never felt anything like that before.”
“Yeah, I felt that snap, except, uh, it didn’t feel quite so good.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I hadn’t realized I was doing it.”
I shook out my limbs. “It’s okay. I feel all right now.”
He gripped my neck, peering into my face. “You sure?”
“Yeah.” Did the power exchange go both ways? Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to investigate this new fancy True Mate bond feature, as much as I wanted to ask questions and see what else we could do. I glanced at Selene, who was watching us. “How’s Hans doing?”
“I think he’s sleeping now.”
Dare pointed at her. “You need to shift too.”
She nodded and, after a quick look at me, dropped her dress to the ground and shifted to a small gray wolf. After a small shake of her fur, and a couple of circles around Hans, she curled up in a ball next to him.
Happy with Selene’s condition, I searched the pack for Jude. He was shifted into wolf form too, and was lapping happily at G’s face, who batted him away with a…a smile?
Selene was fast asleep, next to a healed wolf who’d saved her. Jude was smiling in G’s arms and I…needed a fucking moment. I excused myself from Dare and retreated to the edge of the clearing to get my head together.
I’d never had an anchor, not since Xan slashed my parents’ throats in front of me. Not since I saw their blood mix with the dirt and stones. No anchor, no home. Just a constant gnawing in my gut, an ever-present awareness that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.
When I’d been with Dare back at the Silver Tip compound, I’d nearly forgotten about that ache. It was back now, and it had been since Dare told me I was free. Was this fate calling me home to Astria?
Heat rose in my face, and I rubbed my eyelids as the familiar prick of tears threatened. Alone, away from the eyes of the pack, I let the tears fall. Before I showed up in Dare’s basement, the only time I’d cried was when my parents were killed. I locked away every single emotion, refusing to let Xan have anything.
Now I couldn’t hold back. I had my family again, and they were safe—well, they would be as soon as we made it home.
Wiping away my tears, I turned to see Dare sitting on the ground next to G, and a smiling Jude—now in his human form—who sat with his back against a tree, munching on an apple.
I walked over and sat down next to him. I grabbed his water and took a swig. “You’re lucky you’re alive.”
Jude sobered immediately, and his head dropped. “I’m know.”
“That was a stupid fucking plan.”
“It was.”
Dare leaned forward. “I hope you understand what you put your brother through. And the pack.”
I wanted to snap at Dare, to tell him that Jude was my brother and I’d discipline him as I saw fit. But as of now, Jude was still a member of Dare’s pack. And Dare still outranked all of us. It’d always been hard for me to see my brother and sister disciplined by someone who wasn’t me. Dare had a point though, so I kept my mouth shut.
Also? I didn’t need to be an ungrateful asshole. My family was alive and together. Dare was to thank for that. He’d risked a lot to rescue Selene.
“I’m sorry,” Jude said, sufficiently ashamed.
When I met Dare’s gaze, he was studying my face, his head slightly tilted, lips thinned into a grim line. Was he…trying to read my mind? “Dare?”
He blinked a couple of times, then with a slight shake of his head, he said, “I’m going to go check on Nash.” He stood up and, with stiff movements, walked over to the thin Were. Nash had shifted, but even in his Were form, he looked sickly.
G was watching them, and turned to me with sad eyes. “I don’t know if he’ll make it.”
“Who is that?”
“A Silver Tip.”
“Really?”
“He left before I ever joined the pack, so I don’t know the whole story.”
Dare ran his hands over the Were, who stared up at him with a little bit of adoration. Something shifted in my chest. I turned to Jude. “So give me details. You got caught?”
“I tried to go in the same way we came out. Guard saw me struggling with the stone.”
“Damn, Jude.”
“I’m sorry! I was so desperate to get to Selene. I didn’t think my scent would be strong enough for them to detect me. I was wrong. As soon as they realized who I was, Xan went batshit. Asked me about you. I told him you were dead, but he didn’t believe me. Beat me to get me to talk about you, and when I wouldn’t talk, threw me in the Hole. Last thing I heard was that he ordered someone to bring him Selene, so I was sure I screwed up.”
“Fuck,” I muttered.
“I knew it was a matter of time before they pulled me out and went to work on me again—” A low growl cut him off, and we turned to see G with his lips curled back. Jude smiled at him and squeezed his leg. “—but then I heard some sort of crash. I think the brothers saw me as a distraction, and that’s when they started the fight for power. I thought I’d die down there in the Hole.”
I looked over his shoulder at Hans and Selene huddled together. “What happened with Hans?”<
br />
Jude chewed the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know. I was in the Hole the whole time. I heard them throw someone into the Hole near mine, but that was it.”
“Hmm. I’ll have to ask Selene.”
“How’s Hans doing?”
“I don’t know. He’s in his wolf form now, so we’ll see when he shifts back.”
Jude muttered something to G, but I wasn’t listening, my attention on Dare as he spoke in low tones to Nash.
I was so confused about where I stood with Dare. There was so much change and uncertainty that I was off-kilter. The security of my relationship with my mate was eroding like a flooded riverbank. I was still grasping for it while it slipped through my fingers.
He’d come to mean the world to me in a month. I’d thought all I needed was Selene and Jude to make a home, but now I wasn’t so sure I could ever be home without Dare.
He’d told me to go. But what if that wasn’t my choice?
Dare
* * *
Nash had shifted, but even as a Were, his body was emaciated. He lay on his side, jaws gaping as his sides heaved. I’d instructed Vaughn to give him some water and a bit of food. My guard stood over him, clearly distressed and unsure what to do.
I clapped Vaughn on the shoulder. “I’ll take it from here. Go get some rest.”
Vaughn held my gaze, zero humor in his brown eyes, then he nodded and walked away with slumped shoulders.
I knelt next to Nash and ran a hand over his furred head. His large eyes rolled to me, and with a shudder, he shifted back to his human form.
“Why did you shift back?” I frowned.
He shrugged his shoulders, a weak jerk. “Doesn’t matter, Dare. We both know it.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “We have healers back at Silver Tip. They can take a look at you.”
With a groan, he rolled onto his back, knees bent. He stared up at the sky, and licked his cracked lips. He was silent for a long time before he said with a shaky voice. “How’s Bay?”
The question caught me off guard, but talking about Bay wasn’t a hardship. I was eager to get home to see him. And maybe the change of topic would take Nash’s mind off his health. I settled down on the ground beside his head. “Bay’s good.”
Another long pause. “Tell me more.”
I squinted up at the sun. “Well, he’s grown up like you. He’s not as tall as me, but he’s solid. He’s funny, just like he was as a novus. The pack loves him. He’s my second-in-command. In fact, he’s back taking care of the pack while I came to rescue my mate’s family.”
Nash squeezed his eyes shut. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.”
“You can see him for yourself when we get you home and healed up.”
His laugh was hoarse. “Right.”
I didn’t know what to make of his responses. I hadn’t known him that well as a novus. “What happened, Nash? How the hell did you end up in the Hole at the Bluefoot compound?”
Nash coughed and his face paled. “Another time, Alpha. If that’s all right? Another story for another time.”
“Sure.” I squeezed his shoulder. “We’re going to get moving soon. I want to get home as soon as possible. You going to be okay?”
He nodded. “Don’t worry about me.”
I helped him to his feet, and although he was weak as hell, he at least could walk without help now. We were about to enter the Nowere territory and my nerves were on edge. How the hell was I going to keep this pack safe? We had werewolves and injuries, and had grown in size more than I’d anticipated.
I walked to the edge of the clearing and peered into the woods, tilting my head up to get a scent. There it was. A very faint strain of Nowhere drifting on the breeze. They were out there, and no one felt the responsibility of keeping everyone alive like I did.
A hand settled on my back, and the smell of Reese replaced the lingering stench of Nowere.
“Hey.” He had that submissive look in his eyes, the one I hated. It reminded me of how he’d reacted to me back when we first met. Had he already shut off the part of him that cared about me? Maybe he never had. Maybe the mate bond was all that was there.
It was going to take some time for me to cauterize my raw wounds over the loss of my mate. I slid my eyes to him, then straight ahead. “We need to move.”
“Look, Dare—”
I didn’t want to do this now. “Are you ready?”
“Will you let me speak?”
I went silent, the plea in his tone like a twisting knife in my skin. He waited a beat before starting over. “Thank you. I don’t know how else to say it. You risked so much, and still are risking a lot to save my family.”
I turned my head and locked eyes with his. What was I looking for? A sign that this hurt him as much as it hurt me? I was going to miss him with every bone in my body, with every beat of my heart. I slipped a hand into his hair, and his eyes fluttered before popping back open. His body swayed into mine, and his hand settled on my waist.
The naked need shone in his blue eyes, and this was all too much for me. I had to finalize this, stab one last knife into the bloody body of our bond. He deserved to know the truth before he gave me hope. I steeled myself for this reaction. “We have reports that Astria, and particularly the Whitethroat pack, are being repopulated.”
Reese’s entire body froze, and his eyes went wide. He blinked at me a couple of times before taking a step away, his brows lowering. “What did you say?”
“Our scout saw what looked to be inhabitants of Astria again, in the old Whitethroat compound. She smelled werewolves.”
Reese’s fists clenched at his sides. “When?”
“Weeks ago.”
“She saw them weeks ago or you found out weeks ago?”
I didn’t hesitate. “I found out weeks ago.”
Reese sucked in a breath and turned away, the muscles in his jaw clenching. If he thought some of his pack was still alive, he’d be drawn to them, and despite our mate bond, it’d be hard to resist that draw. “You didn’t tell me when you found out.”
“I did not,” I said. “I’m telling you now. And I’m also telling you to take your family and return home.”
“You withheld this pretty fucking important information from me, but now that I lied to you, this is your excuse to send me away, is that it?”
It was an excuse to send him away, but it had nothing to do with him lying, and everything to do with wanting him to live the life he’d been denied. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. It was better for both of us if he wasn’t conflicted about his choice. “Do you not want to go?”
“Of course I want to go,” he growled. “Everything inside of me is pulling toward home right now, knowing I have family there. But I’m coming home with you first. I want to say bye to Bay and Mav.”
“’Course.”
Our eyes locked. “What about you?” he asked.
“What about me?”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to do what I did before you came, Reese.” Now with a hole in my heart.
His mouth dropped open, but I was done with this conversation. “Gather your wolves. We need to leave.”
“Can’t we talk about this?”
I gritted my teeth. “Gather. Your. Wolves.”
His nostrils flared, and his eyes narrowed. “Fine.” He turned to stomp off, but while I was done with words, I wasn’t quite done with him. I gripped his bicep, and tugged him to me. He smashed against my chest with a grunt, and I didn’t let him get a breath before taking his mouth.
He was stiff for about five seconds before melting against me, opening his mouth and kissing me the way only Reese kissed. The way I’d taught him. With everything he had.
I gripped his head, controlling the kiss, controlling him, wanting him to know how much I didn’t want things to be this way.
When I broke the kiss, his eyes were half-closed, lips red, swollen, and glistening. He blinked up at me,
taking a moment to come back to himself. I let him go, and he stumbled before righting himself. “I’ll, uh, go gather my pack, then.”
I nodded, swallowing down words that threatened to come out. “That sounds like a plan.”
When he left me, I inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. Power flowed through my veins, tingling down to the tips of my fingers and toes. Selfishly, I was going to miss that too. I’d only just begun to understand all the power that the True Mate bond had given me.
But I couldn’t justify clinging to power while my mate was miserable. I loved him, I knew. Beyond the mate bond, beyond anything in this world. I loved him because he was Reese, because he was smart and brave and loyal. I loved him too much to see him die a little inside every day he was denied freedom, denied his birth pack.
G stopped at my side, staring ahead into the woods of Nowere land with me. I could tell he was nervous too. Traveling with a party this large, moving slow because of injuries, wasn’t a position any of us wanted to be in. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“Gav,” I said.
At his full name, he turned to me, one eyebrow raised in his serious face. For so many years, I’d taken G for granted. His loyalty and strength. His bravery. I placed a hand on his shoulder. “What are your feelings for Jude?”
He was quiet for a moment, his lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, he said so quietly I could barely hear him, “I’m his.”
I’d never thought I’d see the day G would willingly declare himself as someone else’s. But then, Jude was something special.
I sighed heavily. “After this, I’m sending Reese and his brother and sister home. To Astria.”
G’s eyes widened, and his body vibrated with tension beneath my hand.
I forced out the words. “You’re free to go with them.”
He didn’t move, his muscles freezing. “Alpha—”
“They’ll need protection. And this way you won’t have to be separated from Jude.”
He just stared at me, clearly at a loss for words.
“I told Reese about the scout reports from Astria. He knows. He wants to go home to his family. I’m within my rights to keep him with me, but I can’t, G. I can’t leave my pack and give him his home at the same time.” I tilted my head. “What would you do in my position?”
Daring Fate: Silver Tip Pack series Page 18
