Chapter 18 #3
The wolf had the audacity to laugh, the sound cold and cruel as his eyes shifted to where Nix was standing by my side, fingers still laced with mine. “Exchanging one captor for another?”
Nix’s eyes blazed over. Static crackled around me, the air filling with electricity. He squeezed my hand, lips trembling.
“I’m not his captor,” I shouted. “He’s a person, you disgusting piece of shit. He’s here because he wants to be. We protect him because he’s part of our pack and we protect what’s ours.”
Bear rolled his eyes. “Heartwarming story.” He turned to Nix again. “You really believe that? He’s lulling you in, trying to get your trust. I have to admit, he’s doing a better job than Knox did. But you’ll end up the same—property of a shifter pack.”
Nix’s eyes hardened, and his heart skipped a beat. Those words… it was probably exactly what he’d been thinking himself. And now that fucker was playing right into his fears, putting thoughts into his mind.
Unease knotted my stomach.
Maybe Nix shouldn’t have come after all. What if Bear managed to plant doubt? What if this encounter catapulted us right back to the beginning? What if…
Nix released a breath, very slowly and deliberately.
“Just take your wolves and go home,” he called.
“There’s nothing for you to gain from staying.
You have two wolves left. This pack has hundreds of shifters while the rest of your pack is in California.
You’re outnumbered. You’ll never get to me.
Knox isn’t going to send more wolves to fucking Canada to try to attack a pack on their home turf. ”
Bear growled, his anger so tangible that Rhett and Heath positioned themselves at Nix’s and my side.
But his fury stemmed from the knowledge that he’d been defeated.
Because Nix was right. No Alpha in their right mind would send his wolves thousands of miles to attack another pack on their own pack lands.
And even if they did, thanks to Nix, they wouldn’t even be able to enter our territory.
“I want my brother back!”
I nodded. “I won’t keep your dead hostage.”
It was more than he deserved, but I had morals.
He snorted, the sound bitter and angry. “I just want my brother back.”
I looked at Nix, searching his eyes. He knew him better than I did.
“Can we trust him not to attack if we carry his brother’s body out?” I whispered. I could always just throw his brother’s body through the barrier, but I’d rather treat the dead with respect.
Nix scrunched up his nose. “I’m not sure. But I can shield you.”
I nodded, squeezed his hand one last time, then went and picked up the grey wolf. Blood dripped down his torn-out throat, leaving a trail behind as I slowly and deliberately crossed the barrier, letting the energy wash over me.
There was complete silence as I walked a few feet before I stopped and carefully laid the body down in the snow.
Usually, I wouldn’t dare take my eyes off an enemy, but Nix had my back. I couldn’t see or feel the shield he’d been talking about, but I trusted him. If he said it was there, it was.
Bear didn’t come close. He waited until I’d retreated into my territory before he walked up to his brother, face a mask of anger and grief.
He didn’t say anything when he picked up the body, just turned around and left.
Two wolves emerged further back, flanking him as they slowly disappeared into the forest.
My pack was quietly watching me as I turned to Nix and searched his eyes to find out what he was feeling. He didn’t reek of fear, but not of happiness either.
“I don’t think I like bloodshed like this,” he said, mouth twisting. “I thought I’d enjoy seeing them dead. I mean, I wanted them dead for months. And I’m glad they’re gone… but I really don’t like seeing it.”
I placed my hand on his cheek, caressing his soft, smooth skin with my thumb, leaving a dark red trail behind. Fuck. I winced when I realized I’d just smeared blood on him after he’d said he didn’t like bloodshed.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to go to battle ever again, if you don’t want to.”
Nix smiled at me, his eyes filled with so many emotions I couldn’t even begin to sort them out. “If you think I’m going to stay behind while my mate puts himself in danger, you’re sorely mistaken.”
And then he tipped onto his toes, pulled my head down and kissed me, blood covering my chin and mouth and all.
It was everything, and somehow even more.
Electric shocks ran down my spine, and I pulled him closer and closer, trying to fuse our bodies as his lips moved against mine, sending new sparks through my body, lighting my blood on fire.
It might’ve been an eternity or a second, but at some point Nix pulled back and scrunched up his nose.
“Can we try that again once you’ve washed away the blood?” He rubbed the sleeve of his cloak over his mouth. “I really didn’t think that one through.”
I heard my packmates chuckling and couldn’t help but laugh too.
If someone had told me the first time I kissed my mate I’d be stark naked and covered in blood, I’d have laughed my ass off. Yet here I was—and it had been the best kiss of my life.