Page 95 of Rest In Knotty Pieces

Kestrel just laughs, but it’s soft and harder. “Maybe. Maybe we’re wrong, and we know nothing. Maybe you had a great childhood, maybe you embrace these alphas, maybe you are brave enough to love Merle.”

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up,” he growls, his body is shaking, and I get a serious concern that he might hurt her.

Pix lets out a snarl and rushes into the forest, slamming his fist into a tree on the way. Roseland goes after him, while Kestrel gets to her feet. Her smile isn’t as confident as it was. It’s a bit broken, a little bit like glass. When she looks at me, I see cool cunning in her expression and a challenge, as if she’s daring me to say something.

No one says anything, but I think we’re all just seeing a new facet of this personality that none of us anticipated.

She’s got teeth, too.

She called herself the protector, the caretaker. We overlooked it. That was a foolish error on our part. Wariness swims in me, whispering caution.

Kestrel forces a smile and dusts herself off. “So, where are we heading? I noticed you changed our direction early this morning?”

“Who?”

“Oh, that was a little bit Raven at the start, but the rest was me. Just because I’m nice…well.” She shakes her head, but there’s a smile on her lips, danger in her eyes. She’s not being welcoming anymore; she’s cautious and wary of us.

Another sign that she’s smarter than we’ve given her credit for.

Blaze chuckles. “I have a property, I figured a bed would be a nice change of pace.”

She shrugs. “It would be novel. So, another bunker in the middle of nowhere or an actual house?”

“An actual house,” Blaze says. “Tell me, are you that observant, or is that all information from the others?”

“Oh, no, that’s all me.”

“Hmm, interesting. So, can you tell me why Merle stayed so long?”

I whip my head around, staring at her face, longing to hear the answer, needing it.

“Merle?”

“Yes, she was around for long enough that no one had a clue you are a they and them. So, how did she stay so long?”

Kestrel smiles mockingly. “Blaze, you haven’t worked it out yet?”

His cheeks turn a little ruddy, and he swallows hard. He hates not knowing things. It drives him crazy, and being caught out is like salt in the wound.

“No,” he admits after a long moment. “I don’t have any idea. I find it strange when you and the others appear to be so much more suited for some of the situations.”

Kestrel shrugs, but her eyes get guarded. “The answer is simple, Blaze. Merle stayed so long because she was happy.”

I wheeze.

It’s like I’ve been struck. A gut wound that hurts and heals.

She stayed because she was happy. Even when she was scared. Even when she was fighting her demons, she stayed because we made her happy.

I want her back.

Kestrel

“All right, so Merle was happy, and you all what…let her stay?”

I shake my head and bite my lower lip so I don’t laugh in this alpha's face and make things worse than they already are.

“Do you love Sage?”