Page 66 of Oakheart

Cash

WatchingAleks leave was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I knew what he was going back to, and as determined as he seemed that things would be set right somehow, I was scared for him.

Aleks and Viktor both might get pinched between two feuding alphas, and how was I going to look Katya and Leo in the eye then? Leo had saved Evie and swept her to safety, and I hadn’t done a damn thing to help his brothers.

I hated that I wasn’t a fighter. Maybe I should’ve taken dad’s chainsaw and pulled some Rambo shit and helped, but that... it wasn’t me.

When Jax hung back to ask if he thought I could trust Aleks, I felt a little better. At least he was open to the idea of working together.

I trusted Aleks fully, but I tried my best to give Jax a measured answer that wouldn’t seem false—that Aleks wouldn’t betray the people he loved for Jax or the Crescent wolves, but that Grant didn’t count among the people he wanted to protect. I didn’t see any reason for Jax and Aleks to be at odds, except that Aleks’s attitude riled Jax up.

Me? I thought his smirk was the cutest thing I’d ever seen, and I wished like hell I could mirror his confidence.

Now that I had him back and knew how he felt—Alekslovedme—it was lonely being without him. I wanted... I didn’t know what, exactly, but whatever came next. I wished he could stay at Jax’s place, just stay with me and not worry about anything.

But life in Wildwood had never been that simple, and I wasn’t going to ask him to abandon his brother for any amount of time, just because I wanted to keep him close.

It was hard to imagine, but I could have that: Aleks, with me. It still didn’t make sense why he might look at me and—and want more, but if he did? Well, I was going to give it to him.

From the moment that he left and the house emptied as most people went to work, I laid there, warm under the blankets, imagining more dinners with Pa and Katya, Evie and Aleks and his brothers. Good food and comfort and laughter and things that were too rare in our pack.

I’d only gotten glimpses of it, but that was the life I wanted, and Aleks loving me back made it all possible.

Maybe. If Grant disappeared.

For a little while, at least, I wasn’t going to think about that, just the good stuff.

He’d only been gone a couple hours when my phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a message from him:Miss you ;*

I miss you too, I sent back, grinning down at my phone screen.

I could’ve left it at that, but I had absolutely no chill whatsoever.

Are you ok? Did Grant realize where you went?

I waited while little dots scrolled across my screen.

He barely even noticed I was gone. Viktor covered. It’s fine.

And Viktor’s ok too?

He sent me a laughing emoji, tears in its eyes.Viktor is eager to finish this. I think he’s enjoying keeping Grant in his sights.

I swallowed, unsure if the swirling, tight feeling in my chest was excitement or nerves. Probably both, and a hundred other feelings besides.

Just keep yourselves safe.

You worry too much. We are strong Russian wolves.

Oh yeah? Some special spice in your mom’s borscht?

Precisely. It is magic.

A few seconds passed and then he messaged again:Don’t worry. We are ready, and when I see you again, very soon, I want to do that thing with my tongue that made you squeal.

I flushed, pressing the phone to my chest to hide the screen even though there was no one around to see it.

That wasn’t fair. I didn’tsqueal.