Chapter 11
Gracie
Basir hadn’t been hurt. I just had to keep reminding myself of that as I stared at him from opposite the body sprawled on the floor. Blood was already staining the stone of the balcony, but beyond that…it didn’t feel real. Just a body. Empty.
I’d seen my father like that once. I’d covered my mother’s face with a cloth before they burned her body—there had been nowhere in the compound to bury those we lost—but her eyes had looked like that too. Empty.
Death didn’t shock me the way it should have—not after everything I’d seen. Not compared to what people were capable of when they were alive.
Something I was seeing in Basir right now.
Tears slipped from my eyes in relief that he was unharmed, but I could still feel pain through our bond.
He stood frozen across from me, his knife clattering to the ground.
The unexpected sound made me flinch, and something cracked in his gaze.
His foot shifted back, like he meant to put distance between us.
Not again.
I knew what needed to be said couldn’t come from across the space. I stepped forward, moving to cross the balcony—
A massive arm looped around my waist, lifting me clean off my feet.
“Let’s avoid getting blood on your fuzzy socks, little flame.”
Thornar’s wonderful scent wrapped around me as he carried me across the balcony, far from the body…and far from Basir.
Except Basir didn’t move toward me either. No disgruntled rumble from Thornar’s move came from his chest. Instead, he just stared at the two of us, choosing not to do or say anything.
“I have to admit,” Thornar drawled, “I expected a welcome party, not a welcome assassination.”
My head snapped up, surprised by his levity, but his gaze was filled with a seriousness that didn’t match. His arm remained locked around me.
“I suppose this makes their message clear,” he continued. “Basir, you may want to pick up your favorite knife though. Wouldn’t want anything happening to it.”
Basir did so in an efficient movement just as Ravik stepped out onto the balcony, his gaze dropping to the body before lifting back to Basir. Panic began to build in my chest, but when I tried to move forward again on instinct, Thornar’s arm tightened.
His voice dropped to a low hum in my ear. “Give him a minute, Gracie. He didn’t expect you to see this.”
Thornar’s words, mixed with what I already knew about Basir, made something click, and I nodded slowly. His nose brushed into my hair as I melted back into his chest, trusting his judgment.
I just wasn’t sure how long I could stay there without being near Basir. Not with the agony and guilt still echoing through our bond.
“What happened?” Ravik asked calmly.
“The hotel manager got off the phone twenty minutes ago, arranging for them to use the seventh-floor fire exit. They chose not to. They scaled the wall instead and were headed for the balcony doors. So I stopped them. I’m not sure who the manager was speaking to, but considering the crest on the back of his uniform”—Basir nodded toward the body—“I have to assume it was Alpha Chace.”
I peered at the body, barely making out the outline of the crest, blacked out but still visible. A lion.
“Do we know the target?”
Basir tensed. “I have to assume us. Or you.”
“Or Gracie,” Thornar hummed.
Basir’s face didn’t change, but the lack of reaction felt off. Detached.
I hated it. After everything we’d been through today, it felt wrong.
“Thornar.” I looked up at him, his dark gaze flicking down to me. “I need you to let me go.”
His jaw tightened. He clearly didn’t like the idea, but he released me anyway. I crossed the balcony in a split second, ignoring the squelch of blood underfoot, my arms wrapping around Basir as his body went stock-still.
For a long moment, I wondered if it had been the wrong move. If, after all this, I hadn’t understood what he needed.
Then a deep rumble built in his chest as his arms came around me. The way he held me was more than need—it was like he was grounding himself, pressing into me as if I could keep him tethered to reality.
“Well, now that that’s handled,” Thornar sighed happily, “I suppose we should dispose of the body.”
“No,” Ravik said decidedly. “We leave it. I want the message to be unmistakable.”
“You got it, boss,” Thornar said in amusement. “Well, let’s get this show on the road.”
“We’re leaving? Already?” I looked up, Basir’s grip tightening around me. I wasn’t moving from him, though.
“Alpha Chace has made his feelings obvious—and if it’s a misunderstanding, we aren’t staying around to risk you being in danger again,” Ravik explained evenly. “We knew we’d face issues in some territories. Just didn’t expect it to be this one.”
“I’ll have Banthor grab us a car from the garage. He’ll have to hot-wire one,” Thornar added.
“To get to the plane?” I frowned.
“No. Can’t risk going to the same airfield. We’ll have the pilot meet us at a different airport,” Basir said.
I nodded in understanding. This territory wasn’t safe anymore. They knew we were here, and they wanted us dead.
“We’re leaving?” Banthor called from behind Ravik. His eyes dropped to the body, then lifted to Basir. His expression was almost thoughtful. “Clean one.”
Then he was gone. Clearly, death didn’t faze any of them. I could hear Elowen in the living room as lights flickered on, Ravik stepping back inside to relay instructions.
Looking up at Basir, I offered a small smile. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
The look on his face wasn’t one I could fully dissect—but Thornar seemed to. As he passed, he clapped Basir on the shoulder. “See? You were worried she’d think you’re a monster. Our mate’s stronger than that, Basir.”
Hadn’t I already told him that? Seeing death didn’t shake me nearly as much as the thought of Basir being hurt.
“You were protecting us,” I pointed out softly, hoping to remind him of the conversation we had on the jet.
Basir pressed his lips to the top of my head but he didn’t say a word. When he lifted me over the body and carried me back into the hotel room, I rested my head against his shoulder.
His silence wasn’t distance; it was him pulling me behind his walls. He wasn’t ready to talk, but he also wasn’t letting me go.
When he did place me down, I focused on what we could control.
I moved quickly, packing my things, disposing of my socks, and helping Elowen gather her books and documents.
Within thirty minutes, the hotel was fading fast behind us as the dark SUV Banthor had stolen from the parking garage cut through the desert night.
It was nearly ten, and the car was filled with a soft string of music playing through the speakers. And while we were putting distance between us and the city, it didn’t feel like we were safe yet. I didn’t think my mates would feel at ease until we were out of the territory entirely.
I sat between Ravik and Thornar, with Basir up front beside Banthor to navigate. Elowen rested in the back. I didn’t hesitate to do the same, though I found myself wanting to stretch out against one of my mates in a bed instead of a car. My cheeks warmed at the thought.
“Get some rest, lux mea,” Ravik murmured. “We’ll wake you when we make our next stop.”
I looked up into his golden gaze and nodded, taking his advice as I settled between them. My eyes grew heavy almost immediately, the darkness settling around me like a comforting blanket.
“This is the closest place to stay near the airfield?” Elowen scrunched her nose as she eyed the motel that was attached to the gas station we had just pulled into.
It was late—or really early—and the star-filled sky above us did very little to shed light on the long row of worn doors.
“Yes. You’ll be fine,” Thornar said before glancing at me. “That being said, if you want to sleep in the car, Gracie, I’ll happily stay awake so you can.”
I smiled at him before shaking my head, nodding toward the motel. “I think this looks great. A place to rest your head is as good as any.”
Elowen grumbled something but my attention shifted to Ravik as he stepped out of the store, tossing room keys to Basir and Banthor. They immediately split off, each taking a door and sweeping the space before letting anyone else in.
“The jet will land at two in the afternoon,” Basir said. “It isn’t taking off until well into the morning—we want them to assume we’re still within city limits. We’ve driven as far as we can from it. Until then, we need to lay low and probably stay in our rooms.”
“Not an issue!” Banthor called out, sweeping Elowen up and carrying her away. She didn’t even argue or throw out a comeback because she was already half-asleep in his arms.
I walked toward the door Basir stood in front of and rested my hand against his muscular chest. “You should get some rest.”
His eyes darkened slightly as he nodded. “I’ll try, glow.”
I wasn’t sure I completely believed him. “Seriously,” I said. “I want you to rest.”
With that, he followed me into the room.
I slid off my shoes and crawled onto one of the two beds, patting the mattress.
In a surprisingly fast move, Basir was beside me, his legs stretched out and his back against the headboard.
It wasn’t exactly the restful position I’d envisioned, but it was a start.
“I’m going to shower really quick,” Ravik said in the quiet of the room, the door shutting behind him. Thornar sat on the edge of the bed across from us.
“How are you feeling, little flame?”
Despite his light tone, I could hear the concern in his voice. I offered him a small smile, because what he was really asking—his expression open, easy for me to read—was whether I was okay after seeing a body.
And I was. Truly.
“A little tired,” I admitted. “Although I feel like I’m getting more sleep than any of you…”
A shift in weight had me glancing over, my words trailing off as relief loosened something in my chest. Basir’s eyes were closed, his breathing already even. I was so thankful he was resting.
When I looked back at Thornar, he was watching me with a warmth that had my cheeks heating.
“What?” I asked softly.
“You convinced him to sleep. That’s a skill.”
“He’s been through a lot tonight. He was really upset earlier. I can’t imagine taking a life, but—”
“That wasn’t why he was upset.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Basir has killed before,” he said plainly. “He was upset with how close it came to you and that you saw him like that. He’s been trying to hide that side of himself.”
Oh. That made sense, especially considering how hard he fought to keep himself contained.
“Why?” I asked. “Why is he trying to hide part of who he is?” I couldn’t hide anything from these men.
Thornar leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “Little flame, he slit someone’s throat without hesitation. Do you think most people would take that in stride? Most people would run from it. You didn’t even blink.”
My brow furrowed. “I didn’t really think about it like that. But protecting the people you care about—even if it’s violent—doesn’t make you a bad person. When I think about the people who fought back against Ivan…they’re not bad.”
“I agree,” he said. “It’s probably better you see it that way, little flame. After all…it’s not just his darkness you’re stepping into.”
What? What darkness did he mean?
Before I could press further, he continued, “That being said, if it bothered you, we could do our best to keep it from you.”
“No,” I said softly but with urgency. “I don’t want anything hidden. Even that.”
Thornar gave me a slow, approving smile, but before I could ask him what he meant about the darkness, the bathroom door opened andRavik stepped out.
“Get some sleep, Gracie.” Thornar’s suggestion had me nodding but I wasn’t sure I could. His words echoed in my head.
Did Thornar mean his darkness?