Chapter 20 - Elias #2
Her face paled, but that was the only indication she gave that the words had frightened her. Despite her ashen color, her features remained composed, her eyes hard and determined. She sucked in a deep breath as her shoulders went stiff, not in fear, but in preparation.
“Right,” she said, giving a short, curt nod. “Well, we knew it was going to happen, though I wish we had a bit more time.”
I tilted my head, momentarily surprised.
She was handling it better than a lot of people I knew.
Hell, better than some of my own men. It was little things like this that reminded me just how strong she was.
A surge of gratitude toward the Oracle—or the universe, or whatever had decided Emma was my luna—flared through me.
“That more or less sums up my own thoughts on the matter,” I said.
“What’s the plan?” she asked, cutting to the chase. Just another reason to like her.
I gave her a brief rundown. She listened intently, eyes glancing down but narrowed in concentration as she focused on my words, her fingers tapping against her folded arms.
“Makes sense. What do we do with Grace?” she asked.
“I’ve thought about that,” I said. “She’s met Rachel a couple of times. They seem to get along. I’m going to send Rachel out of town, probably leading one of the groups. I think if we send Grace along with her, that might be the best option. Assuming you trust Rachel with her.”
“Of course.” Relief washed over her face as she let out a deep breath. “That’s perfect.”
“I’ll let Rachel know.” I gave a reassuring grin. “I think she’ll be happy. She likes playing aunt.”
“She’s good at it,” Emma said, a fond smile spreading across her face before her expression sobered again. “What about me?” she asked. “You’re going to need my help. If you think that I’m leaving my pack to that wraith, you’ve got another thing coming.”
I knew that, and it grated on me. The thought of Emma deliberately putting herself in danger set my teeth on edge. If I had it my way, she’d be locked behind a two-foot steel door until all of this had settled. But we didn’t have that luxury, so I had to come up with something else.
“I know you have to stay. I think it’s best to keep you back, but close,” I said. “And I’m going to have guards with you to keep you safe.”
Her brow furrowed. “You might need your men somewhere else.”
“I don’t particularly care,” I said. “You’re our best hope right now, and the instant the sand wraith figures out what you can do, it’s going to make you its primary target.
” I reached out and gripped her shoulders, making sure that she was looking directly into my eyes.
“And I can’t stand the thought of you getting hurt.
I’m only going to be able to focus if I know you and Grace are safe.
” I added in a low growl as my fingers tightened protectively around her, “I’m not going to lose you to this creature. ”
Her features softened. Slowly, she stepped forward, and her hand cupped my face.
“You won’t,” she promised. “And we’re going to take this wraith down. Together.”
I pulled her against me, and she nuzzled into the crook of my shoulder. I inhaled her scent as I stroked her hair.
“I’m lucky to have you,” I said.
She stepped back, eyes sparkling with amusement.
“I know,” she said, then her face went serious again.
“I think the best option would be to lure it into the oasis,” she continued.
“I’ve been practicing with the water there, and I’m getting better.
Once it’s there, I can use magic to douse it.
I’m guessing that will give it some sort of more corporeal form.
You know, sort of like what happens when sand gets wet. ”
“At which point, we can have it cornered,” I said, nodding. “We can flank it.”
It was a good idea, close to the plan we had come up with. We no longer had the luxury of searching for its lair and hitting it there. Not if it was coming toward us.
My eyes narrowed. “You have to promise me one thing, though,” I said.
She raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. “That depends on the thing.”
“I mean it,” I said, my voice lower.
She must have sensed some of my own desperate panic through the mating bond, or maybe just on my face, because her features softened. Her hands fell to her side.
“What?” she asked.
I walked forward and gripped her arms, crouching so I was at eye level.
“The instant you’ve done your part, I want you to run as fast as you can and get away from the oasis,” I said. “I’ll have someone go with you to make sure you’re safe, but the only way I’m going to be able to focus on the wraith is if I know you’re out of harm’s way.”
For a moment, she looked as though she might argue.
I could understand why. I sensed her desire to help, that feeling of protection so like my own, as it pulsed through the mating bond.
I could see her wanting to protest, could sense it in my bones.
After a long moment, though, she let out a long, irritated exhale and gave a short, curt nod.
“All right,” she said. “I promise.”
The tension that had been coiling and swirling inside me abated, and I relaxed, at least a little.
“Thank you,” I said.
She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it gently. “We’ll get through this,” she promised. “That wraith won’t know what hit it.”
“I just wish there were another way,” I growled. “One that involved you and Grace being over a thousand miles away from here.”
“Honestly, in a weird way, I’m glad,” she confessed.
She gave a soft, amused laugh at my confused expression.
“It’s because I want to be useful. This is my pack.
I’m their luna. I want to help protect them as much as you do.
I would go insane if I were just shuffled off.
I’d hate being helpless like that. At least this way, I’m able to do something that will undoubtedly help the town. ”
I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
She snorted even as her grip on my hand tightened. “What? I’m basically doing the bare minimum. It’s not like I’m not going to help when I know there’s something I can do.”
“After everything I’ve done, after all the bullshit you had to endure when you were younger, after running away and never wanting to come back here again, you’re willing to stay behind and fight for these people? After the way the elders treated you? And some of the rest of the town?”
She didn’t blink, didn’t hesitate, didn’t so much as have to think about it. “Of course,” she said. “This is my home. I’m the pack luna. No matter what happened in the past, I have a duty to this pack now.”
I stared at her, the words taking a moment to process. When they finally did, emotions took over. With a soft snarl, I reached out, grabbed her arm, and tugged her forward until she was pressed against me. I could feel her heart pounding through her chest as she looked up at me.
“I don’t deserve you,” I said, my hand cupping her cheek.
She gave a coy smile that drove my wolf wild. “I know,” she teased.
Instead of saying anything, I pulled her mouth to mine, letting my fingers tangle in her hair. She melted into me, angling her head upward, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed there. Long enough that my cock twitched in interest as a burning need began spreading through me. Long enough for my tongue to slip between her lips and for my grip on her to tighten. Long enough for me to want more.
When she pulled away, I could see the own need in her eyes as she bit her lower lip in a way that drove me absolutely wild. It was all I could do not to grab her and carry her to my bedroom.
“I need to go check on Grace,” she said. “And give her ice cream before she riots.”
“Of course,” I said.
She hesitated for a long moment as she looked me up and down. I could sense through the mating bond how badly she wanted me, and she could sense how badly I wanted her. But Grace took precedence. With a small smile, she slipped past me and went into the kitchen.