Vivianna
“Tav, help me get Koit up. I think it’s best if we take him to his room for now,” I said after I checked to make sure he was okay.
Tav gave a worried look in the direction of the bathroom. “Someone should make sure he’s okay.”
“I’m sure Darius would be more than happy to since he’s the one who pushed the matter.” I glowered at him. “Just couldn’t leave it alone, could you?”
“He has a right to know that he’s been lied to his whole life,” Darius said, defending himself.
“Koit always planned on telling him, jackass. It just didn’t have to be the moment he regained consciousness,” I said, turning my back on him to follow Tav, who had Koit tossed over his shoulder.
While Rik had been recovering, Tav and Koit had picked out rooms that they would use when they weren’t with me.
I gave them free rein to make them their own, a place to be comfortable in and not feel punished if I wanted a night alone.
That didn’t seem to be like it was going to be often, but four people in a bed had the potential to get overwhelming.
Tav carefully placed Koit on his bed, stepping back for me to check him over once more. I was worried that he hadn’t woken up yet, but I wasn’t sure how fast a werewolf recovered from getting chucked at a stone wall.
“He’ll be alright,” Tav said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me to his chest. “I can speak from experience—he just needs to sleep it off. Now that he’s not repressing his alpha energy, it will speed up his healing.”
I twisted so I was facing Tav, looking up into his eyes. “Will they be able to get through this?”
Tav’s eyes softened as he looked at me, and I could see his own hurt shining through.
“Family is hard. You want so much for them to be there for you, but sometimes they’re not.
I don’t think Rik is really upset with just Koit.
He was raised to believe that mates are to be cherished and honored above all else, and now he’s questioning everything he’s ever known. ”
Boy, can we relate to that. He should be glad he gained family instead of finding out he never had any.
Oh, now don’t you go getting all jaded. That’s my thing, go find your own.
Is it too early to say that Rik was hella hot when he turned into the Hulk? He tossed Koit like he was a rag doll. Do you think he could do that to us, but like, in a fun way?
See, being a total horn-dog is your thing. Stick to that.
So that’s a ‘no’ on the getting tossed around bit?
I rolled my eyes at my wolf, making Tav chuckle. “What’s she talking your ear off about now?”
“Believe me, you do not want to know. Some things are better left a mystery,” I groaned.
Sure, go on, act like you’re ashamed of me. I’m just the honest one out of the two of us. You wouldn’t have any mates at all right now if it weren’t for me. I didn’t even get a ‘thank you.’
Tav took my hand and led me back to my room. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face what was waiting for me there, but I was Dama and leader of this pack. If I couldn’t sort things out in my own household, then I had no business trying to lead others.
Entering my room, I found Rik in an armchair, his head in his hands, and Darius over by the window, looking out over the courtyard.
I let go of Tav’s hand and walked over Rik, kneeling down so I was eye level.
Without saying a word, I wrapped my arms around him and held his head to my chest. He had been my rock through all the changes in my life; I could be his this time around.
The room was silent as I felt Rik’s tears dampen my shirt and his body shake in my arms.
When he calmed down and relaxed into me, I spoke. “What can I do to help you?”
“Is Koit okay?” he whispered.
I hugged him tighter, nodding my head. “Yes, he should be just fine. He hasn’t gotten much sleep the past few days, so I’m sure he’ll be out for a while. There was no permanent damage that I’m concerned with.”
“Thank god,” Rik said, pulling out of my arms so he could lean back into the chair. He pulled me onto his lap, wrapping me close to his chest. “You don’t hate me, do you? Because of how I acted?”
“No, Rik, I don’t hate you. It wasn’t your finest moment, but I can understand feeling like the rug has been pulled out from under you,” I answered, nuzzling his cheek. “I’m sure you have lots of questions, and not being able to talk to your father doesn’t help.”
“How could he have done that to my mother?” Rik said, his voice raw with emotion. “He used to always tell me how important it was to be a good mate and to stay true to them. I know he loved my mother more than life itself. I just can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Is there anyone in your pack that was close to your father that he might have talked to?” I asked.
“Not about something like this. If people knew, they would’ve started to question him as Alpha, and that would’ve led to nothing good. No, that man took all his secrets to the grave,” Rik said, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.
“Any thoughts on how we should handle things between you and Koit?” I ventured, knowing I couldn’t let this hang between them.
Rik let out a heavy sigh as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I can’t be mad at Koit for being my brother or hold him accountable for my father’s choices. What I’m upset about is that we’ve known each other our whole lives, and he never said a word.”
I couldn’t argue with his reasoning—I wasn’t sure that if I were in this situation, I would be handling things as well as he was right now.
“Give us time, we’ll sort it out,” Rik said, kissing the top of my head. “It doesn’t change that we are both your mates and that we love you.”
I’m sorry, did he say the ‘L’ word? Are we there already?
Why are you shocked by this? I figured you would be leaping for joy at the fact they love us. Isn’t that what this whole soulmate thing is about for you humans?
Listen, Linda, don’t get sassy with me. Yes, we are different parts of a whole, but I have commitment issues, so let me have my freak-out.
I get that, as your wolf side, it’s easy for me to give in to the consuming emotions of mating. Seems your human emotions might take a bit to catch up to our level.
Not knowing how to respond to Rik, I just cuddled up closer to him. I knew that I loved him—that was made clear after having almost lost him—but I wasn’t ready to say it out loud. That brought on a whole new can of worms, and I wasn’t ready to deal with that just yet.
“Fill me in on what happened while I was out,” Rik said, switching subjects.
Darius finally pushed away from the window and joined us in the sitting area. “I was able to hack into the computers and download all the information, but I need Viv to look over it. I’m not a doctor, so I have no idea what medical jargon is going on in those files.”
“How would you feel about Bentley working with me? I think he could help fill in the gaps for me on stuff I don’t know,” I asked, knowing the reaction I was going to get.
Darius snarled, his face more wolf than human. “We let him help because Rik’s life was in danger. He didn’t go through the whole vetting process that we put together for them.”
I twisted in Rik’s lap so I could look Darius in the eye. “So you’ve been telling me for the last three days. I know you don’t trust any of them, but if he wanted to do harm, he could have very easily.”
Darius shot to his feet, eyes wild. “You don’t get it, Vivianna. If he’s a spy or wishes you harm, he is in the perfect position. He’s gained your trust—you even let him into your personal chambers that I have to ask permission to be in.”
Oh, now he’s done it.
My wolf surged forward, bringing me to my feet to meet his challenge head-on.
“Darius, I’ve been extremely fucking patient with you and all your bullshit.
I don’t get it. You refuse to be my mate, but you want all the privileges that go with it.
You’re upset because you’re not on equal footing with the others, but that was YOUR choice.
I’ve had it. You need to decide what you want and stick to it.
Either decide to be my right-hand man and Head of Royal Security, leave and return to your own precious pack, or grow a pair of fucking balls and mate me. ”
“Really, Viv? Those are my only options? What if I decide to leave and go back to The Collective? I could spill all your dirty secrets and weaknesses. You don’t have the guts to do what it will take to protect this pack.
You can’t wolf up enough to do the dirty work around here, which is where I come in.
Are you sure you can afford to lose me?” Darius taunted.
We were nose-to-nose at this point, both panting with the effort to keep our wolves from exploding out of us.
Oh, you done flipped the bitch switch, buttercup. Hope you’re ready for the consequences.
Darius moved first, slamming his lips on mine with a clash of teeth.
There was nothing romantic about this kiss—it was all animal and primal need.
I gave as good as I got, but I wasn’t going to give in so easily.
No, this jackass had pushed me too far, overruling my call when it came to things between Koit and Rik.
Now he was trying to decide who I could recruit for help?
Well this asshole had another thing coming to him.
I shoved Darius away from me and let my shift take over, my wolf bursting out of me and lunging for his throat, but Darius shifted and rolled out of the way of my attack.
Darius’s wolf was pure white and much larger than mine, but the difference was that he didn’t want to hurt me.
I was past that point. My need to dominate him and get him to yield drove my instinct.