hapter One Hundred–Thirteen
DOMONIC
Once I was finally able to ding Koda outside and away from Emily, I sen the infirmary stall home. Cadence included. The rest of us- Bartlett, James, Rainier, Timmons, Andrew, Lief, and Benjamin congregled just outside the building next to our cars.
“If this is about that fucking rule, it can wait. I don’t want to fight right now. I want to be the first person Emily sees when she wakes.”
I shake my head, swallowing my guilt for the moment. I’ll apologize eventually, sure, but right now there are more important things to discuss. “I’ve called a vote, and before I tell you what for I need confirmation.”
“Confirmation?” Koda hisses tiredly. “Of what?”
I tilt my head, doing my best to keep my features steady, impassive. “Of whether or not you’ve decided to keep Emily.”
for real?
He snorts, shaking his head as his eyes narrow at me. “Are you fo
“Just a
answer the question Koda.”
His jaw clenches, his back going ramrod straight. “Yes. Of course I am.
“Are you willing to move your life here? I mean – is this place where you want to be?”
“Are you asking me if I’m willing to leave the pack just to be with her?
That’s not what I’m asking, but I nod anyway, just for kicks.
He glares, a low growl rumbling behind his throat. “If that’s the way it has to be, then fine. I’ll leave the pack.”
So the answer is yes.
You’d give it all up for her?”
Koda nods, the dark blue of his gaze going cold as ice.
“Thank God,” I say, “Because I’ve decided I would do the same. But, neither of us should have to.”
Each of my brothers around us laughs, save for Rainier, who has gone eerily quiet.
“What the fuck does that mean, Dom?” Koda whispers, his muscles tensing. ‘Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
I nod, “Yup.
Called in a vole e with Paul and the others already. The only one left undecided was you.”
Koda smiles, “And you already knew what my answer would be.”
I laugh, “I had a pretty good idea.”
“Was it unanimous then? Koda inquires jovially.
by jaw, my eyes locking with Rainier’s cold brown gaze for a long, heavy moment. “More or less.”
I clench my
Rainier smirks, ripping his gaze away to climb behind the wheel of his car and pull out of the parking lot.
Koda loses his grin, “Where is he going?”
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Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
I sigh, shaking my wad. To Argie, To Port Orchard.”
“Hell get mer it,” Bartlett remarks. “Give him some time.”
Koda meets my gaze, “So he was the one vote against, huh? Why? I thought he liked Draven.”
I shrug. He does, I don’t think his wife for an had anything to do with Draven.”
Koda sighs, glancing around as be shimmer of sunlight begins to shutter behind the mountains. “What are we going to do about this place?”
I smile as I turn toward Benjamin. “I think I have a plan for that too.”
DRAVEN
“Dermavennon,” a soft sing song voice chimes through my ears. “Draaazzwwwwnnn.“
Im uncomfortable. The right side of my face feels smashed against cool plastic and my arms are curled around my head shading my eyes. Drool dribbles from my mouth as I come to and I finally realize that there is a table beneath my face and 1 am in an uncomfortable plastic chair.
Slut, I must have fallen asleep.
“Dráven!” The voice snaps and I finally jolt to attention.
I slap my mouth, wiping the drool from my lips as I straighten my limbs. For a moment, I simply sit there in my seat, eyes blinking against the light, body wobbling back and forth as I try and make sense of where and who I am. It takes me a full on minute to realize the cute blond pixie standing before me next to the hospital bed is Emily.
“Emily?” I yelp.
She hardly gets to nod before I’m rocketting out of my seat to crush her beneath my arms. “We’re not dead right? You’re alive? And we’re both standing here, right?”
She giggles, her tiny body folding into mine as we crash the bed into the wall. “We’re alive.”
I stand back, my eyes finally coming into focus as I take in her muddy clothes and the golden tan of her skin. My eyes go straight for her throat, for the bare trace of a crescent shaped mark near the side of her neck where Koda bit her hours ago. There are no black veins anywhere to be found and 1 suddenly feel like breaking out in a dance. That’s when I notice, we are alone in the infirmary. Completely
alone.
“Where is everyone?” I ask absently, releasing Emily to wander a few steps into the half.
Emily shrugs. “Who is everyone?”
I cross my arms over my chest, my brow furrowing as I work to remember what happened just before I passed out.
Domonie came… he wanted to talk to Koda… Koda asked me to watch Emily for a few minutes while they stepped outside. I took a seat in the chair and must have simply passed out. After the last couple of nights that I’ve had, I guess it was to be expected. “How long have you
been awake?” I ask her.
She shrugs, “I don’t know. A few minutes. When I woke up, you were the only one here.
I snicker, “Koda is going to flip out. He wanted to be here when you woke up.”
She blushes, her dark onyx eyes filling with tears. “He saved me, didn’t he?” she chokes out and L–meet her gaze with a smile. “After Jason
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Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
tying her eyes as the gas and the mom in pair
told that andele Koda was going to come for me, for he didnt belie
She sighs, her eyes falling sad. To be
1 Korda was going to look for me or not. I cally fold Sanon that to try and scare him.”
bing over you for hours before I came. He was so afraid he was
A single tear spes her eyes to slide down her chank “Restart the r
raps
I nod, pulling her into another bug. “Come on, I want to hear every little thing you have to say about what happened, but I’m through twing in this place. Let’s go find the go
“I’m worry I wasn’t able to stop them sherges into my neck. “1-1 tried to get tops, but then he bit met And he left me in that place I thought I was going to die
My body shudder
close the actually came
ing exactly that. “Em, what’s the last thing you remember? The bite?
the shakes her head, stepping back just as we hear the doors to the inferary open. “N–no, I-”
Domonic step inde
Emily waves at him shyly and I have to hid mile when Koda charges forward and closes his arms around her. The scene is so adorably intimate that I almost don’t want to leave, but Dimonic tugt me into his arms and pushes me outside where the dawn is barely cresting the mountain tops. I shield my eyes from the sun and do a double take the line of vehicles and shifters standing in the parking lot.
“How long have I been out? I hiss
Domonic chuckles. A few hours. Long enough
Bart, Lief: Andrew, James, and Timmons are all leaning up against their respective vehicles. Each of them centering their crazy grins on
“What?” I bark “Do I still have drool on my chin?” They laugh and I roll my eyes, turning toward Domonic. What the hell are you up to. Mister Mayor? Something feels very strange. I glance around, noting that theres no one else up and about this early. No sign of Adam No sign of Benjamin. “Where’s Benny Boy?
Domonic gronds. “Really? Is he the first thing on your mind this morning?”
I shake my head, no. “You better not have killed him.”
He laughs, pulling me toward his Hummer. “Het at the town hall with the council.”
“Really?” I say, shocked. “Why?
Domonic sighs, his silver eyes sparkling with mischief. “Because he’s going to take over these parklands. And the rest of us are going to go
Home? I gasp, almost too afraid to ask as a smile tugs at my lips. “Does that mean. Are you giving this place to the Timber Wolves?
“It makes more sense to rebuild the packhouse in Port Orchard for our dads than it does to rebuild an entire town’s thousand miles away.
Doesnt it?”
I whisper, “But what about Jason? I thought…
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Chapter One Hundred–Thirteen
“I haven’t forgotten. None of us have. But we voted on it already, and we decided that you and the safety of our pup is more important than revenge. If he shows his face, we’ll be ready. But I’m done living my life in fear of the enemy, I want you with me, every single day.“
“So…” I start, biting my lips as I slide my arms around his neck. “We’re going home to Port Orchard?”
He lifts his chin gracing me with a wide full dimple smile. “We are.”
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