Chapter 29
Chapter
Twenty-Nine
Sitting in Lash’s lap with my head tucked against his shoulder, I leaned back and took in the glow of towering yellow flames.
Even though we were seated a ways back from the fire, the heat was still strong enough to warm my face. Wrapping my arm around Lash’s waist, I pulled myself in closer to his side.
“So a bonfire celebration, eh?” I noted. “Given the circumstances, don’t you think that might be a little, uh…”
I trailed off, searching for the right word.
“Callous?” Sophia offered helpfully from her spot across from me on Kyre’s lap.
“I was going to say garish,” Hannah chimed in next to Tauren.
Either one worked.
“Don’t get me wrong,” I quickly added. “It’s metal as hell.”
“Metal?” Kyre asked, turning toward his mate for clarification.
“Violently awesome,” she answered before turning back to me. “And yeah, it is. But it’s also how the pack celebrates just about everything.”
That made sense. It wasn’t like there were DJs or firework shows they could bring in for entertainment. If you wanted to party at night in the Wilds, a bonfire was your best option.
Besides, there was a primal aspect to such a raging fire that couldn’t be denied. The sight was as spellbinding as it was dangerous.
“But I’m just worried about Calindra,” I said. “Has anybody asked her how she feels about all this?”
“She’s fine,” Kyre answered brusquely…as usual.
After the last few days, I was finally getting used to the alpha’s gruff snapping. At first, I’d thought he was only being short with me because I was Lash’s mate, but Sophia assured me that wasn’t the case. He was just a man of few words, all of them direct.
Fortunately, Sophia was there to fill in the gaps.
“It’s okay, Felicity.” Her voice was soft with understanding. “It’s not like her house burned down. It’s just a few scorch marks on the Main Hall stones.”
That was nice of her to say, but we both knew there was a lot more to it than that.
“We torched everything in the Hall,” I reminded her. “All the woodwork. The furniture. I tossed thousand-year-old tapestries into the fire. The repairs are going to take months, maybe years. And don’t get me started about the smell in there. You are never going to get that out.”
My stomach churned at the thought of all the chaos and destruction I’d caused. A lot of the things I’d turned to ash could never be replaced.
But before I could spiral any further, Lash cupped his hand under my chin and lifted my gaze up to meet his.
“They were just things, Felicity,” he said, his voice steady but firm. “The value of all of them together wouldn’t equal even one hair on your head. If saving you meant burning every inch of the Wilds to the ground, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”
His dark eyes shone with honesty.
“We all would,” Tauren added to his own mate.
“I know,” Hannah said before wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tight. “Now dance with me.”
I couldn’t help but smile as the couple rose and headed off toward the sound of the drums pounding in the distance.
“How about you two?” I asked Sophia. “Are you going to dance?”
“Maybe later,” she said. “Right now, I just want to spend as much time as I can with you before you head out tomorrow.”
Warmth lit up my cheeks. “I’m going to miss you too.”
“Are you sure I can’t persuade you to stay just a little bit longer?” she asked.
But both our alphas jumped in, sharply answering at the same time. “No!”
“Okay. Okay,” Sophia laughed. “I get it. Honestly, I’m amazed that you all managed to play nice this last week. No black eyes. No broken bones.”
She was only half-joking.
It really was surprising that Lash and the other alphas had managed to swallow their pride and tolerate each other.
Of course, it helped that Lash’s assistance had proved critical in Nelissa’s defeat. With his knowledge of her battle plans, the pack’s alpha warriors had been able to corral her forces and force their surrender.
Now, the pack was left to decide the survivors’ fate.
Some were pushing for the harshest punishment possible, while others were leaning toward leniency. But in the end, it would be Calindra and the council who made the final judgment.
“Are you still planning to head toward the mountains?” Sophia asked.
I nodded. “At least through the winter.”
“And after that?”
“We’ll see,” Lash answered. “There’s a lot of open territory out there.”
Surprisingly, Kyre nodded. “I think you’ll do well as a nomad. It suits your nature.”
Lash kept a neutral expression as he answered. “Agreed.”
It was as close as these two were ever going to get to a friendly conversation. Both Sophia and I knew that. But the fact that they were making the effort to be civil meant the world to us.
“But aren’t you worried about Nelissa?” Sophia asked. “She’s still out there somewhere.”
It was true.
Her attack had been a massive failure. She’d lost nearly three-quarters of her alphas not on the battlefield, and those who had survived were now locked up tight in the village’s holding cells, awaiting justice.
But just like before, Nelissa herself had managed to slip away. She wasn’t brought in with the other prisoners. Her body wasn’t found on the field. Like the slippery rat she was, the woman refused to die.
“I’m not worried,” Lash said, shaking his head. “She’s nothing without her alphas.”
“Still, aren’t you concerned she’ll form another army?” Sophia asked.
“I doubt she can,” Lash said. “She was only able to recruit this one because of the schism that happened in this pack. The alphas who felt like they’d been driven out needed a place to go. They needed a sense of purpose. Nelissa provided that for them.”
“True,” I said. “But as more kirre come, there’ll be more division. Other packs are likely to go through the same troubles this one did.”
“They will,” Kyre agreed. “But no alpha is likely to give their loyalty to a defeated Lykaon. My guess is that she’s already quietly slinking away to lick her wounds. I’d be surprised if we heard from her again.”
I wasn’t so sure.
Nelissa and I didn’t share much, but if there was one thing I understood, it was her never-say-die attitude. I knew what it felt like to be counted out. It only strengthened that internal drive to come raging back, stronger than before.
“But no matter what happens with Nelissa,” Lash said. “I promise to keep you safe.”
“I know,” I said with a smile.
“As long as you promise to bring her back every now and then,” Sophia demanded.
“Of course he will,” I answered for him. “I could never walk away from you forever. Besides, I’ll need to come back to see how you’re doing with my podcast.”
“Your podcast?” Sophia shook her head. “I’m pretty sure it’s my podcast now.”
She was right. It was.
She was the one with the phone and the recording equipment. She was the one who could interview the pack’s members and get them to open up about their lives. She had easy access to the Wall and the smugglers who could send the recordings back to LA.
This had become her baby now, and she was going to do a hell of a job with it. The show she made would shatter our world’s perception of The Wilds and the ferus that lived inside of it.
And I didn’t doubt for a second it was finally going to score Josh Caine that corner office he’d been dreaming about.
“So what are you going to do next?” Sophia asked. “I know you, Felicity. You can’t stand still for long. You need a dream to chase after.”
“I’ll find a new one,” I assured her. “I always do.”
“I’m sure you will,” Lash agreed. “And whatever it is, it’ll be amazing.”
And staring up into his eyes, I had to agree. “It already is.”
This wasn’t the life I imagined, but it was better than anything I could have ever dreamed of.