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“I couldn’t save him, though.” A sob pours out as the words slip from her lips, moisture welling in her eyes. She inhales sharply, clearly in pain at the frantic movement.
“You did everything you could, Isabella,” I say, needing her to hear me to believe me. Instead, I push down the voice that urges me to listen to my own words, the feeling of the bond that pulses between Zeke and me willing me to do the same. “Please don’t blame yourself. Your bravery saved countless others. That’s what you should focus on,” I say. Despite my best efforts, I do realize my own hypocrisy as the words leave my lips. But it’s true, she may have been downed by the bear, but she took him with her, ripping his thick hide to shreds from what I’ve heard.
“Thank you, Alpha,” she says as she pulls in an agonized breath. Pain creases her eyes, but the weak smile she gives me has a bit lighter than before. I give her a nod, my hand slipping from her shoulder. But before I walk away, something stops me. “Isabella, come see me once you’re healed, I have an opportunity I want to speak to you about.”
Her eyes widen at the seemingly random request, but she nods in agreement, intrigue lighting up her tawny brown eyes. With that, I turn from her bed, giving her the privacy that she needs at this time. Or who knows, that may be the last thing she needs right now, I’m definitely not the most adept at dealing with loss in a healthy way. I close the curtain and take a few steps away before letting out a sigh of relief. I’m lighter after seeing everyone. I visited with the injured wolves from the Whitlock pack, we’re now one in this war instead of two separate packs. Seeing us all fight side by side showed me that.
“What are you doing?” A deep male voice growls behind me. The sound vibrates through my body, sending waves of desire to my core. Fuck, even when these men are being infuriating and possessive, I can’t help but be turned the fuck on by them.No, Skylar, you’re in the middle of a medical wing, get your mind out of the gutter.
I can’t stop myself from inhaling his calming, lust-worthy scent of pine and leather though.There’s no way I can walk away without even getting to know either of these men,I tell myself, revisiting my thoughts from earlier. Despite the fact that I can guess by his disgruntled tone—I know he’s about to piss me off—my heart still pangs thinking that I could have permanently severed this tie between us. But I can’t forget that he too spoke the words of rejection, even if I got the sense that he’d only done it to not be the one scorned. What if his pride gets in the way and he sticks to his words just to get one over on me?
“Everett, not here,” Zeke warns, glancing at the beds surrounding us. The thin sheets wouldn’t do anything to block out our conversation and any secrets he may let slip. That thought brings me back to reality, the haze of lust dissipating from my mind.
I turn to the door and Everett’s hulking form marches towards us, his narrowed glare flicking between Zeke and me as though trying to decide who to be more pissed at. Anger rises to the surface, but I push it down, not wanting to disturb any of the patients any more than we already have.
“What is she doing out of bed?” Everett grumbles, pinning his furious icy glare on Zeke, apparently making up his mind. I push down the urge to cross my legs at the sound of his voice. His hair is pulled back into his usual man bun, but a haggard look replaces the normal one of control.
“Outside,” I grind out, casting my gaze around the room, reminding him we have an audience. Everett bristles and redness creeps up the side of his neck at the effort it takes to swallow his outrage, but finally he relents, stalking back out the door, his thick boots slapping against the linoleum floor.
Zeke huffs out a sigh of exasperation, placing a hand at the small of my back as we follow Everett out of the room. I relax into his touch, my earlier hesitance is all but gone now. How had so much changed in one night? My world is being thrown off its axis right now, and … I think I might like it, as scary as that is to admit.
We exit back out to the alley. The night air whispers softly through the few stray pieces of hair framing my face, but it doesn’t sink into my skin thanks to the thick sweatshirt and Zeke’s warm body next to mine. Everett doesn’t bother waiting for us. Instead, he stomps off towards the main building, clearly deciding to have this conversation in his office.
We follow him through the entryway and the guards incline their heads in respect, more so for their Alpha’s second in command at my side. We walk in a comfortable silence down the familiar hall, not bothering to rush to get to Everett. That bastard can wait.
I give Zeke a conspiratorial look and he chokes back the laugh that bubbles up, clearly not wanting to antagonize Everett any further since he would be able to hear us this close. I pull in a deep breath as we near his open office door, really not wanting to deal with this right now. My energy is quickly draining after meeting each of the injured betas, and all I want to do is curl back into Zeke’s satin sheets. I don’t let myself linger on that thought, though, and whether or not I would want him there with me …
“What is she doing out of bed?” Everett growls again as soon as we cross the threshold. His eyes zero in on the contact between us, Zeke’s hand still on the small of my back. Oblivious to where Everett’s attention has landed, Zeke slides his hand off my back to close the door behind us. At least someone was thinking about being overheard, especially since I was about to just bite back at him.
I have no doubt in my mind that the two alphas would have had a pissing match if Zeke had noticed Everett’s attention. Despite how close they are, they both seem the type to attempt to one-up the other, and I’m really not in the mood for that right now.
“She has a name,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest, mirroring his own stance as I pin him with an unimpressed look. “And I’m healed now. Thank you for your concern.”
“Are you kidding me?” he grinds out and marches towards me. Tension radiates through his body, his muscles pulled taught as he stalks towards me like a predator approaching his prey. Well, newsflash, I’m no one’s fucking prey.
I start forward as well, letting my own lethal edge shine in my gaze as I meet him halfway. This man has to learn that I won’t sit back and let him order me around, I won’t be his second, no fucking way. Zeke’s soft chuckle huffs from behind me and my heart warms at his ability to slice the tension like a knife.
“I’ve done nothing but worry since the moment you left here, and then you return with your back shredded to ribbons,” Everett breathes, so close his breath washes over me as I look up, pinning my hard stare on him. My look softens as his words hit me like a dump truck, barreling into me and piercing my heart. I feel the rumble that vibrates through his chest, our bodies so close they almost touch, wishing I could take back the callous words. I knew that worry, deep in my soul—I felt it for Zeke countless times tonight.
My hands itch to glide over the hard jawline beneath his thick beard as my skin tingles with desire. Everett is the perfect mix of control and savage, the perfect alpha and a missing piece to my soul. Everett is the dark, dangerous lust creeping in, while Zeke is light and hope—hope for a better world, a better life, a real chance at having not one but two equal partners.
“We all need to get some sleep. This night has been too long already, and none of us wants to say anything we might regret later,” Zeke says, closing the distance and placing a hand on my shoulder.
My chest deflates at that, the last of my will to fight leaving me as exhaustion presses in. I swallow my pride and give Everett a soft smile. His brows furrow in confusion at the expression, looking between Zeke and me for some sort of explanation. I glance back to meet Zeke’s gaze, expecting it to be soft and understanding. Instead, he swallows thickly, his eyes distant as though some memory plays in his mind.
“We’ll start your training in the morning,” he says finally, and I understand the look, the memory. I can only nod in response, knowing it needs to be done, not only for myself but also for my pack and my mates. I won’t let them endure that fear again, because I can only imagine how I’d feel if one of them had been injured as severely as I had. I would be just as frantic with rage as Everett is, and I’d stop at nothing to kill the person who did it to them.
Chapter Fourteen
Skylar
“Skylar,”amalevoicewhispers beside me in a sing-song voice, and I gently float to the surface of consciousness. That is until I wake with a start at someone being in my room. I grasp a hand beneath the satin pillow and reach for one of the daggers I always keep under there. Flipping the blade out, I have it at the intruder’s throat before I notice his tanned skin and the familiar cedar and cloves scent cloying at my senses.
“Fuck,” I curse, moving the blade back from his carotid artery. To my relief, Zeke chuckles, pulling his calloused fingers back through his thick, black hair. My eyes latch on to the movement, wishing I too could drag my hand through his silken locks. Tendrils of desire lick up my spine. No, it would be much too tempting to let those thoughts fog my mind while I’m splayed between his sheets, wearing one of his thin T-shirts.
“I brought you breakfast.” Zeke chuckles weakly before swallowing thickly, clearly sensing the lust permeating the air.
“Thanks,” I say, my mouth now dry from the yearning I see reflected in his eyes.Too soon, this is all too soon.I’m only just warming to the idea of having mates, I haven’t actually considered what to do about it. This is too close. So I reach for the tray in Zeke’s lap, jolting him from the vacant gaze that has taken over, and he helps to place it on my lap.
