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Eliana whipped on some of the clothing she’d left at the restaurant, which was two sizes too big for her frame. None of it mattered, though. Bria blasted them to the hospital, and she breathed out a long, gritty sigh of relief when she saw Lucas had shifted on the hospital bed.
They encountered Tao in the hallway, who had been given scrubs by the hospital. He was smiling ear to ear, jolly as usual.
“We won. We did it,” he said. “Lucas is going to be fine. His throat is already healing up.”
Eliana nearly fainted, with Tao catching her in his arms while Bria held her by the waist. She let all of the years of grief flow through her as she wailed, a mixture of pain and joy.
Lucas healed miraculously fast, which wasn’t surprising considering the fact he was a strong alpha. The healing was encouraged by a morphine drip, and he was released the same day without even the faintest of scars etching his jugular.
Eliana was glued to him from then on. She wanted to spend private time with him, to thank him, to figure out what was going to happen between them, but Tao and the pack were adamant about a big-time blow-out celebration.
It took place at the Hal restaurant, of course, with all of the injured pack and pride members and their families. None of their lives had been taken on the battlefield, which Eliana was excessively relieved about.
Bria and the chefs worked overtime to prepare a feast for the ages for the hungry wolves, bears, and lions while music thumped through the streets. They had barely given Lucas time to bathe before he was dragged inside, announced as one of the vital members who aided in the island packs’ victory.
“Here, here to Lucas!” Tao boomed, holding Lucas’s hand up in the air like he’d won a boxing match.
It was obvious that Lucas wasn’t used to being in the spotlight. That, plus the fact that he was likely exhausted beyond measure, made him appear adorably bashful.
Eliana watched from the sidelines, sitting in a booth while Tao made his proclamations. She was swooning for him, not only because of their undeniable bond but because of what he had done for her.
He had let her take on Garth despite his alpha nature, knowing that it was something she needed to do. It was a gesture she would hold in her heart forever.
The authorities had cleaned up the beach, the majority of them also shifters, who had been aware of the battle before it ensued. They were glad to be rid of Garth just as much as the rest of the islanders were. That allowed everyone to wipe the slate clean and begin to cultivate a new dynasty.
Eliana stirred her straw in her long island iced tea, watching Tao make Lucas’s face bloom red with meek embarrassment. Had he ever been really praised properly? Eliana wanted to praise him, and she clenched her thighs together, thinking of the next time they were alone.
But then a thought struck her like a thrum of a bass guitar; were they going to be alone again? Was Lucas going to go back to his pack while she and Tao made a commitment for the sake of the pack?
She didn’t want the depressing notion to corrupt the good vibes of the party, but it was difficult not to let it. Especially since she couldn’t keep her eyes off the man of her dreams.
Eventually, Tao let up, making a semi-intoxicated toast to the whole of the packs and pride. Everyone clacked their glasses together clumsily, then began chattering and back-slapping one another in celebration.
Lucas returned to the booth with Eliana, his cheeks stretched out to the point where they may have cracked his beautiful face.
“That was interesting,” he sighed.
Eliana giggled.
“He really has a way with words, doesn’t he?”
Lucas chuckled, bringing his drink to his lips with wide eyes before taking in a large gulp. Eliana played with the straw with her tongue, hoping it looked sensual instead of stupid.
He gazed at her and tilted his head in the endearing way he always had when they were alone. Eliana knew they were about to broach a more serious subject.
She raised her eyebrows at him, the rest of the room’s din fading away.
“What?”
Lucas’s smile melted, and Eliana felt a painful clench in her chest. That was it. The arrow to her heart was coming.
Lucas opened his mouth, then let it hang as his eyes shifted behind her, narrowing in on the front door.
It was rare for him to be distracted, so Eliana knew there was a good reason for him to be looking away. He must have sensed something.
Eliana turned in the direction he was looking and spotted a rather gorgeous woman. By virtue of her being a shifter, she could tell that the person wasn’t a wolf, a lion, or even a bear. She was human.
A smile grew on Eliana’s lips like a flower reaching for the sun.
