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Stay and fight for what I love.
I put a little pressure against her jawline so that she’ll turn back to look at me. “The night I met you, you looked like a goddess in the moonlight. You were the sweetest, most ethereal woman I’d ever seen. I almost thought you weren’t real. Like I’d conjured you from my dreams or something.”
She laughs. “The feeling was mutual. You stalked out of the shadows in the forest like you were made of them.”
Grinning, I point out, “Shadows and moonlight go together. You took my breath away then, and you take my breath away now. Everything I’ve learned about you, about your life, your strength, your determination, it’s all made me love you more.”
The tears she’s been fighting back finally slide over her long lashes. I catch both droplets with my thumbs before they can fall far.
“Despite my fucked up past with witches, and despite the grudge I can never seem to let go of, I’m not afraid of you,” I tell her, brushing away the remnants of her tears from beneath her eyes. “No matter what you learn or how powerful you become, I’ll never be afraid of you.”
“You should be.”
“But I won’t be. And neither will they,” I add, motioning to the door with my head. “There’s strength in you. Power. There’s also so much goodness it knocks me off my feet sometimes. And when goodness and strength come together, amazing things happen. We aren’t afraid for you to use your power, so you shouldn’t be either.”
Our eyes lock, and we hold there for a few moments. I drink in the way her tears have made her blue eyes shine like sapphires, wishing I could make all of it go away: her hurt, her fears, her pain. She deserves only the best, and I want to be one of the men who gives her that.
Finally, something softens in her expression, and the tension leaks away from her body. She leans into me, her soft lips seeking mine. I slide my hands into her hair, my body tingling from her proximity as I kiss her deeply.
When we break apart, Sable takes a shaky breath. “Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll… I’ll try to embrace my witch. To accept her.” She smiles and touches my face with delicate fingers. “If you can do it, so can I.”
10
Sable
We leave early the next morning before most of the village is even awake. We’re headed for North Pack territory—it’s the closest, so we can reach it the fastest. And it can also give us some distance from the rest of the shifters while I practice truly unleashing my magic.
We don’t go alone, however. Even though the sigils are still actively guarding pack lands, we know now that they aren’t infallible, and it wouldn’t do to get caught alone and vulnerable by invading witches. Ridge chose some of his biggest, most loyal pack mates to come along and provide extra protection.
I get the feeling they’re ready for an adventure when the five of them are the first to shift and take off ahead to scout. The way they run and leap reminds me so much of puppies let out into a yard after being cooped up in the house that it almost makes me laugh. I guess, in a way, they’ve all felt caged here in the aftermath of the battle.
Ridge, Archer, and Trystan already spoke with trusted members of their packs last night and made sure to leave their responsibilities in capable hands. God forbid, if the witches return while we’re gone and the alphas aren’t around to lead, there will be a group of wolves ready to take charge and keep everyone safe.
We shift at the edge of the village and wait several long moments, watching the scouts with their noses to the ground out in the forest.
Once they clear the area of any threats, we’ll be on the move, Ridge says through our mind speak connection.
Feels good to get out, Trystan says.
Yeah, Dare agrees. Can’t wait to stretch my legs. Maybe catch a rabbit.
Archer’s blond wolf glances back over his shoulder and huffs. I hate leaving them. Again.
It’s not for long, Ridge offers. They’ll be all right.
Trystan woofs his agreement. This is another good reason for our packs to join forces.
Yeah. Ridge nods, his snout shifting up and down. Apart from making us safer, joining the packs would mean we could all be with Sable and still effectively lead our people.
/> One big happy family, Dare adds, his tongue lolling out his mouth in a wolfish smile.
I still hate knowing that they’ve sacrificed a lot of their time for me when their duty rests with their packs. Of course, everything we’ve done has ultimately been for the good of the packs, from sorting out our untraditional mate bond to figuring out my magic. This morning, Archer mentioned how even though I was originally made to be a weapon against the wolves, I could end up being their greatest defender.
Which feels like a heavy fucking burden to bear.
The scouts return with a report that nothing seems amiss, and we set off, racing through the wilderness quickly and in a tight group. The landscape is starting to feel familiar, even though I don’t think I could navigate it alone yet. But I’ve learned good habits, like keeping my senses open for any hint of danger. Running like this with a larger group makes me feel more like a wolf than ever.
When we finally reach the North Pack village, the place is barren and quiet. All the houses are shut and locked tight, the yards empty of their usual activity. It’s eerie to walk down the dirt roads and hear the sound of our nails scratching at the hard-packed earth without anything to drown it out.
