Chapter 24 #2
Sam’s gaze softened on her for a moment, then sharpened again with purpose. “You two have been through hell. Let the Clan carry some of the weight for now. That’s what family is for.”
Gavin slipped an arm around Marigold’s waist, pulling her close. “We hear you. We’ll stay put.”
Sam nodded once, satisfied. “Good. Because I meant what I said—today, you’re off-duty. Rest, eat, and remember you’re not alone in this fight.”
“But my team—” Gavin said, his expression pained.
“Can carry on without your input for one day. You trained them well, and I’ve called in some of the old guard who are happier than pigs in mud at the chance to use their skills again.”
“You’ve got some of the SEALs working security?” Gavin asked, a bit of awe in his tone that Marigold would have to investigate later.
“They all came in when they heard what happened,” Sam said, grinning.
“Seriously?” Gavin seemed impressed.
“You bet. Can’t keep an old war dog down, is what one of them told me. They’ve positioned themselves all over headquarters, guarding every entrance. It’s like Fort Knox there right now.” Sam smiled, and Gavin followed suit, shaking his head.
“I hope I still have a job tomorrow. Some of those guys didn’t like being put out to pasture,” Gavin said, chuckling lightly.
“Don’t worry. I’m not letting any of them move into your office just yet. Come back tomorrow, if you feel up to it, and you can decide what to do with the extra manpower. Until Claudia does the security audit, I’d like to keep them on.”
“Understood,” Gavin agreed. “I’m sure we can use the extra help.”
“Good. Frankly, I didn’t even call them. Once they heard what happened, they showed up at headquarters and sort of took over,” Sam admitted.
“I’m not surprised. Some of those guys invented the SEAL teams, Sam. They don’t wait for orders. They see something that needs doing, they just go for it,” Gavin said, surprising Marigold.
Shifters forming SEAL teams? That sounded fascinating.
She’d have to keep an eye out for the extra security guys when she went back to work tomorrow.
Something settled deep inside her as the men talked.
Marigold felt like she could breathe a little easier.
She felt safer than she had in a very long time.
“Would you like some coffee?” Gavin asked Sam politely, already steering Marigold toward the kitchen with an arm around her waist. “You’re here early, Alpha. Might as well get something out of the visit.”
Sam’s mouth twitched into what passed for a grin. “If you’re offering, I won’t say no.”
Gavin snorted. “Offer? I was being polite. You know you’re going to drink half the pot.”
“Good coffee’s hard to come by,” Sam replied evenly, though there was a spark of amusement in his eyes. “Yours is strong enough to wake the dead. Can’t let it go to waste.”
Marigold hid a smile as she busied herself with mugs while Gavin dealt with his surprisingly fancy coffee machine, grateful for the easy banter. After the nightmare in the garage, normalcy—even in the form of two Alpha males sparring over caffeine—was a gift.
A few minutes later, Gavin poured, sliding a mug across the counter to Sam. “Don’t say I never give you anything.”
The Alpha took it without missing a beat, inhaling the steam. “I’ll be sure to remember this act of generosity at the next Clan meeting.”
Marigold laughed softly, tension easing from her shoulders. The sound felt good, like sunlight breaking through clouds.
They all sat for a while at the kitchen table, the silence companionable as they sipped their first cup of the day. Then, Sam asked a few more questions about Blossom, careful and to the point, before letting the matter rest.
By the time he rose to go, he’d finished his second mug of coffee and left behind a trail of reassurance Marigold hadn’t realized she needed so badly. At the door, he looked at her one last time, his expression steady.
“You’re safe here. Gavin would die before he’d let anything bad happen to you. Don’t forget that.”
Marigold nodded, warmth blooming in her chest. “I won’t. Thanks.”
When the door closed, Gavin slipped his arms around her from behind, his lips brushing her hair. “See? Even Sam knows you’re stuck with me. No use fighting it now.”
She laughed, leaning back into his solid strength. “As if I’d ever want to.”
The house felt calmer once Sam had gone, like the weight of the Clan Alpha’s aura had lifted. Marigold curled up on the couch with her knees tucked under her, a blanket draped over her lap. Gavin joined her a moment later, still barefoot, carrying two mugs of fresh coffee.
He handed her one and settled beside her, his solid warmth pressing against her side. For a while, they just sat in silence, sipping and breathing, letting the quiet settle their frayed nerves.
Finally, Marigold let out a shaky sigh. “I keep seeing her face. Blossom, I mean. The moment the Light broke through. She looked so lost. So young. She’s a year or two younger than me, Gavin. And all that hate was gone in an instant.”
His hand closed around hers, rough and warm. “Because of you. You gave her a chance no one else would have. She might’ve killed you, Goldie, and still you gave her mercy.”
Marigold swallowed past the lump in her throat. “It doesn’t feel like mercy. It feels like…responsibility. If this is my gift, then I can’t look away from people like her. Even when it scares me.”
“You don’t have to carry the burden alone,” Gavin said firmly. “That’s what I’m here for. What the Clan is here for. What we’re building together.”
Her heart softened at his words, and she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Blossom’s parents are already changed. Now she is too.
That means Robert and Rowan need to know what happened.
If they’re serious about guiding what’s left of the family, they need to understand how far this change has spread. ”
Gavin kissed the top of her head. “We’ll give them a call.”
The thought made her stomach twist, but for once, it wasn’t fear. It was hope—fragile, trembling, but real. She glanced up at him, managing a small smile.
“You make everything sound so simple,” she said, smiling at him.
“That’s because it is,” he said with an answering grin, tugging her closer. “We’re Kinkaids. We face the hard stuff head-on. Even when it’s family politics with too much magic mixed in.”
Marigold laughed, the sound lighter than she felt. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“C’mon.” Gavin pulled his phone off the coffee table, scrolling to Robert’s number. “Let’s see what the Rollins twins have to say about Blossom.”
Marigold tightened her grip on his hand as he hit the call button, steadying herself for whatever would come next.