“Don’t you dare help him,” Tieran adds, looking at Alpha Ebony.
“He’s not touching Duncan,” she replies, her gaze intense as she challenges her superior. “He’smine.”
Tieran considers her a moment, then concedes with a nod. “Only Alpha Duncan.”
She immediately relaxes, her gaze leaving his. “Thank you, Alpha.”
He steps toward her, his palm wrapping around the back of her neck.
She tenses.
And he pulls her into a hug. “Thank you,” I hear him whisper against her ear. “Thank you for taking care of our Clove.”
She shudders, her shoulders losing their stiffness.
“Alpha Duncan was a good man,” Tieran continues. “He will be honored.”
She wraps her arms around him, returning the hug as another tremble works through her.
He embraces her, lending her his strength for a long moment. Then he kisses the top of her head. “Alpha Pan will be here within the hour. He doesn’t know yet.”
“I’ll tell him,” she replies.
Tieran nods again, slowly releasing her. “Place Alpha Duncan near the water. I’ll take care of the rest.”
She visibly swallows and dips her chin in acknowledgement.
It’s the first true sign of pain I’ve seen from her since she woke up. She’s been holding herself together this whole time, her focus on protection.
Alpha Dirk’s been the same, his expression stoic as he waited for Tieran, Volt, and Caius to return.
Volt carries me into the hallway, leaving Tieran to say a few final words to Alpha Ebony and Alpha Dirk. I don’t know what they are because Volt and Caius start to purr so loudly that their rumbles are all I can hear.
It doesn’t seem intentional, just them wanting to offer comfort as we move through the scene of carnage around us.
“I can walk,” I tell Volt as he reaches another corridor.
He grunts in response. “I’m never letting you go again, Clove. Better just get used to being carried everywhere.”
“Yep,” Caius echoes.
Another battle I really don’t want to fight.
Although, I could point out that they’re both stalking through these halls naked when they just told me I’m not allowed to go without clothes in front of other people.
But I really don’t want to argue about that either.
I just want to revel in their presence.
They’re okay.
They’re here.
They’re alive.
I nuzzle Volt’s chest, inhaling his coppery scent and sighing at the hint of ash in its wake.
He smells like death.
