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“The previous examples still stand,” Wyatt answers with a smirk. “Plus, if the worst happens and it turns out they’re double-crossing assholes, at least we get a fight out of it.”
“That’s the spirit,” Sawyer says, clapping him on the shoulder. His cousin groans, his eyes squeezing shut in pain.
I glance between them all, stopping at Tessa and Abel. They have the most to lose if this goes wrong, and I can tell by the pinched look on Tessa’s face that she is scared. I don’t blame her. I would feel terrified if I were pregnant and facing this choice.
As if she can feel my gaze on her, she lifts her eyes and meets mine. “Abel and I talked for a long time last night. Staying here alone isn’t an option. I don’t have enough power to keep the wards in place without you guys, not that they matter now. We still want to go with you. We’re safer together.”
“I know we don’t have the right to ask this,” Abel’s deep voice rumbles, “but I’m going to ask it anyway. I need your help protecting my son or daughter.” He licks his lips, his eyes sliding away as if he feels humiliated for needing help. “I should be able to protect my mate and my kid, but this is bigger than me.”
“Than all of us,” Roux assures him. “None of us can fight this alone, Abel. It doesn’t mean that you’re failing.” Tessa squeezes against his side.
“I keep telling him this,” she says as Abel presses a kiss to the side of her head.
“No matter what happens, we’ll all take care of each other. Your baby will be safe.” I say the last part with such vehemence that it comes out more like a snarl.
Tessa gives me a tired smile. “I don’t think there’s anywhere that is safe for our children, Dove.”
Movement catches my attention, and I turn to see Hester standing in the doorway of the house. The tightness of her jaw gives away her feelings on this matter, but she says nothing.
I’m not sure there's anything she can say.
“I wish she’d come with us,” Tessa admits, her soft heart always trying to take care of everyone.
Roux shakes her head. “She’ll never leave the Sanctuary.”
Apryle rolls her eyes, stepping out from behind Cade and Sawyer. “I wouldn’t trust her to come with us anyway. She’s related to the asshole who wants to turn us into baby factories.” Apryle and Hester were close, so the vitriol coming from her shocks me. I guess she’s feeling that betrayal deeply.
“We’ve been here for months,” Roux says. “She’s never handed anyone over to her brother in that time, Apryle. I know you’re angry—we all are—but I don’t think Hester is the bad guy here. She seems genuinely scared of her brother.”
Hester lied to us, and she made mistakes, but that doesn’t mean I get any pleasure from knowing she will be here alone and at risk. I don’t want anyone of our kind to be hurt or taken. This whole crusade is about making things better for all of us.
The conversation stops as Callum walks over, his hand resting on the hilt of the knife strapped to his belt. “We’re ready to leave.” He glances briefly at Hester, who glares at him before storming back inside the house. “You guys ready?”
Cade steps up to him, drawing himself to his full height. It would intimidate anyone. It intimidates me, and I know him. “If this is a trap, or if you’re double-crossing us in any way, there will be no mercy.”
Callum steps closer, his expression carved from stone. “If we wanted you dead, we wouldn’t have bothered risking our people to save you. I understand your doubts, but I hope we can earn your trust. That works both ways, though. You have to earn back our trust.”
Callum turns, walking to the cars. There’s a look that goes between the rest of us—an unspoken Here we go.
It’s Tessa who takes the first step, and Abel and the others follow. We won’t fit in one car together, so we split between the three. Jackson keeps a tight hold of me as we get into the back of the middle SUV with Apryle. I don’t know her as well as the others, but as she glances sullenly out the side window, I reach for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
She just stares at our joined fingers for a moment before she squeezes back.
I lean my head against Jackson’s shoulder, realizing Beck is driving and another man I don’t know the name of is in the passenger seat.
Jackson presses a kiss to my hair. My heart has finally calmed down, as have my nerves. I was terrified when I stepped onto the battlefield with Tessa. I didn’t expect to see Jackson fighting for his life, and the fear my wolf and I felt will haunt my nightmares for a while.
He is the missing piece of my broken soul, and seeing him hurt unlocked something dark inside me. It made me realize the lines I am willing to cross to keep him safe. I know I killed hunters back there. I should feel bad about it, but I don’t.
He places a finger under my chin, forcing my head up, and stares at me under his heavy brows. “What are you thinking about?”
How does he always know?
I don’t want to tell him the dark path my thoughts have taken. I don’t want him to look at me differently. “I’m fine.”
I try to glance away, but his fingers grip my chin, stopping me. “We don’t have secrets between us, Dove. Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
The plea is soft; he hates knowing I’m holding back. I swallow hard, not sure how he is going to take what I’m about to say.
