Total pages in book: 182
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 171176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 856(@200wpm)___ 685(@250wpm)___ 571(@300wpm)
Maybe my blindness to reality had been a survival mechanism the whole time. Maybe some part of me had known that I needed to save my heart through those many long years so that I could use it again.
Weston slipped a blanket over my shoulders and then helped me climb into a carriage. He followed me, draping his blanket over his waist as a driver climbed in.
“Are you okay?” I asked him, trying to get a look at his wounds. They were clean from the water but still seeping a bit of blood.
“I’m fine. I’ll heal.” I could feel the proof of that through the bond. He stopped me from fussing, hugging me close.
“Ready?” the driver asked as dragons roared their victory.
“Go,” Weston replied, looking over his shoulder. In a moment he turned back, resting his palm on my belly. “Are you okay?”
I put my hand over his and leaned into him. “Honestly, I know she turned out to be rotten—or had always been rotten and I was just late to the party—but my heart hurts.”
“I know, baby. That can’t have been easy.”
“Not for you, either. What happened?”
He shook his head, and I felt his frustration through the bond. “She staged the thing with her product to get us to check it out. She clearly knew that the size of the shipment would have them calling me in. I came with a few people as backup and boarded the ship. Her trap was well laid out. The people with me were dead and overboard, and I was locked in a cage before I could blink.”
I let a breath leak out. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You saved me. Now I need to refine our procedures.”
“The dragons took down the enemy and saved the day.”
He squeezed me. “It was a team effort, and that’s the point of a pack. You worked within it marvelously.”
Nothing about this felt very marvelous except for one thing:
“At least that horrible prick is fucking dead. Good riddance, Alexander, you fucker.” I wanted to spit to commemorate it but didn’t want to lean over the edge of the carriage to do it.
“I wanted to have that pleasure,” Weston growled, “but this way was probably better. The magic that got you admittance into Granny’s village was the magic that was eventually their undoing. The way he went was good enough for me.”
I fell into silence. Weston let me be quiet as the horses trotted, taking the carriage back to the castle. Dragons flew overhead and wolves jogged alongside us on our way, watching us pass, seeing Weston safe.
“You didn’t pull them all with you,” he noticed, stroking my belly.
“My wolf was about to, but I reminded her that she needed to leave some behind to guard the castle.”
“Tattletale,” she grumbled.
He glanced at those we passed and watched as wolves rushed by, coming from the altercation and heading toward the castle. The battle must be well and truly over, with only a small party staying behind to handle the details.
Weston looked away from them and into the passing trees. “It was a good exercise . . . though I was losing my mind a little being locked in that cage. It felt like it had when I was taken by the demons. But then I felt you coming, and a new fear materialized.” His breath ruffled my hair. “I want to tell you never to do that again, never come for me. That you need to protect yourself and the baby. You two are the most important things in my life. I will die happily if you two are safe.”
“But . . .?”
Dark humor bled through the link. “I’m not stupid. I know you’ll always come for me, like I will always come for you.”
“Always.”
“And so I will just say that I love you, I don’t have words to express how grateful I am that you and the baby are okay, and I’m hopeful we can now finally get some peace.”
Nyfain and Finley were at the castle by the time we arrived, with Hannon and Vemar and Calia and everyone else. They had on the slips from the claiming—easy to put on and take off.
The carriage eventually stopped in front of the castle steps, and Leala and Niles stepped forward, handing us a similar sort of garb. We slipped them on as we got out, and Weston led me to stand in front of the king and queen. Our pack spread out behind, all in human form, all looking firm and resolute.
“Weston, good to have you back, brother.” Nyfain stepped forward with his hand out.
Weston shook his hand, looked at Finley, then to Vemar and Calia standing off to the side a little, and finally to Micah beyond them. “I had flashbacks of being taken to the dungeons. It was not pleasant.”