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“This is him?” the Valkyrie asks.
June nods.
In one step, the Valkyrie crosses the room and picks Ephraim up by the throat. He grapples with her, starting to shift, but he doesn’t have time to complete the process before she’s tossed him out of the open hatch, right past Soledad. We all stare in shock at her as she looks down into the sea.
She clears her throat as she turns around, an imperious glare on her face.
“Our order kills men like him,” she says. “I won’t ask for forgiveness.”
Soledad gapes at her for a second, then raises her hands and shakes her head. “Not necessary,” she says. “Uh…good for you, actually.”
Will blows out a breath. “That’s one way to deal with it.”
Emotions war in my chest over what I just saw—my father killed, my brother thrown into the ocean. They’ve done worse, I know, but they were the only family I had left…
No.
Javiis my family.
And this is my pack.
I bury my face in Javi’s fur as he struggles to breathe, and the rest of the world falls away. I just want to inhale his scent for the rest of the night…but I also want him to behere, not wherever he’s gone. I twist his coat in my hands and before I know it, I’ve started to sob.
The nightmare is over, I suppose.
But Javi’s fight is just beginning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
?
PEACHES
Everyone at the den has questions, but I only have eyes for Javi.
We land in the field inside the perimeter fence just after dawn, after a long and emotional ride. I wake up groggy and nestled into Javi’s side, my eyes red and puffy from finally letting myself cry. I’m nauseous, too—a friendly reminder that I have a baby to worry about.
My legs ache when I stand up, an ugly bruise on my hip and another on my shoulder. It must be where I collided with the deck when Gideon threw me. I groan and duck my head against Javi until someone comes to get us, and my heart melts when I realize who’s helping me up.
Soledad on one side.
Akari on the other.
I take a shuddering breath and tuck my face into the crook of Akari’s neck, inhaling the scent of my best friend—and one of the only people here besides June who knows what I’ve been through.
I sob.
I can’t help it.
I think I’ll be doing a lot of that in the next few weeks…or months, even.
“We’ve got you,” she whispers, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. “You’re safe.”
I look from Akari to Javi, tears blurring my vision. “He needs help,” I say.
“They’re coming to get him,” she says. “Don’t worry, Peaches.”
How am I supposed to stop worrying? Javi’s getting worse; I can tell from the fact that he doesn’t snarl at the other alphas this time, letting them lift him limp from the floor. More of my family comes out to carry him into the den—Grant, Elijah, Will. There are so many people I need to talk to…people to catch up with, to thank, to apologize to. Ireallyneed to apologize to June for Ephraim’s presence on the ship, I have to thank Will and Soledad, Randvi…
