42 Jericho
We waited patiently for Ryatt to have personal time with Kit and got cleaned up to pass the time.
It was challenging for us to sit around while they were so close, but we knew better than to go barging in on their private time.
Those two had too much to figure out between them, but none of it would be discussed today.
Kit couldn’t even wake up long enough to acknowledge anyone around her from how hard her grief struck.
Even the death of an unwanted Alpha proved difficult to overcome.
My mind kept reeling on it because I remembered my own thoughts about doing something similar from her being in the wrong pack when we believed she had a different Alpha.
Turner’s words made more sense, and I could tell the bond remained undeniable, even if someone hated their Alpha.
There was so much I wish I could do to change what had happened, but I knew the only thing we could do came down to helping her heal and recover.
“I’ll be right back,” I conveyed to the others. “I’ll meet you at Kit’s room in thirty minutes, but I wanna go talk to someone real quick.”
After the fight, none of them bothered to question me for leaving by myself.
I wasn’t a strong fighter, but I held my own long enough to save Ryatt from the beast who got him.
It felt nice to leave our room without having a bodyguard chaperoning my every movement.
Plus, this walk would help clear my head after how much happened in such a short time.
Making my way to the motor bay, I knew Anika would be there getting everything cleaned up.
She was the one person who had been there for Kit last time, so she was the only one who could answer my questions now.
Finding her, I saw her sniffling as she cleaned the weapons by herself.
Apparently, it wasn’t just me who wanted to be alone to weep.
Finally feeling my own cheeks, a dew spread down them that told me I had released a few during my walk.
I knocked on the door for her to know I planned to intrude. She cleaned her eyes like I did and smiled even though it didn’t reach her forlorn stare. “Jericho, can I help you with something?”
I met her near the table she stood at with all the guns on top of it. My gaze skimmed over them as I stumbled for the proper words. “What do we do?”
She heard the crack in my voice, the telling sound of how broken I became over what happened to Kit.
When she opened her mouth, I watched as her lower lip quivered just a smidge.
She tried to form words, but all she could do was shake her head.
It took several deep breaths before she could finally get something out of her mouth.
“Saul used drugs against her again, and that was the hardest battle for Kit to get over. She didn’t have a dead Alpha last time, so I’m trying to prepare myself for what it’s going to be like this round. ”
Anika fell into a squat, sobbing on behalf of her best friend. Her hands anchored on the edge of the table to hold herself in her position, but she could no longer stand from her suffering.
I quickly moved myself to be on her side of the table, bending down to hold her against me.
Falling onto our butts, I made it so I could hold her as we cried together.
The others were concerned only for Kit, but I knew Anika would need someone as well.
Anika was the one person who had been with Kit through everything so seeing her Omega broken again couldn’t be easy.
“You won’t be alone to help her this time,” I vowed my oath to her. Kit and Anika meant a lot to me even though we had only known each other a few weeks. They were real and genuine, and I knew I would forever want those type of friends in my life.
Unlike Kit, I wasn’t attracted to Anika the same way. The feeling felt mutual, and I could tell. Our care and compassion stemmed from a place of friendship, one I’d be honoring for the rest of my life.
“It’s so hard,” she admitted. “All of this is so hard.”
“I know.” I kept embracing her as we snuggled our backs against the wall by scooting a little bit. “I know I can’t do much to fix what’s happened, but I just want to promise you that I plan to stick it out and help. No matter what that looks like or how nasty it gets, I’m not going anywhere.”
“She cares for you, you know. Cares for you just as much as she does the others.” She dried her eyes just a little. I knew she needed this as I helped her feel a little better with what went down. Anika needed to have someone voice they were on her side.
“You guys care for each other a lot. I think that’s what really fooled everyone into believing you were pack,” I responded to her.
“We’ve been through too much to be anything else. Even if we’re claimed by different Alphas, we’d still honor each other as though we were pack.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” My question wasn’t really a question, and she knew it.
“I’m that easy to read, huh?”
“For me, yes, but I don’t think Kit knows. Have you told her how you feel?”
“Kit doesn’t swing both ways like I do, and I respect her sexuality just like she respects mine.
She’s one of few who know I like the companionship of a woman, but I’ve known our whole friendship that she prefers men.
I might be in love with her, but I also know how to keep that platonic.
I’ve always figured that when I met my pack, that it’ll magically cure how I feel for my best friend. ”
Her words hurt me because I knew how hard that had to be for her.
It wasn’t easy being in love with someone who could never love you in return.
Taking her hand, I gave it a squeeze because I understood.
“I know it looks easy for me now because I have a pack of all men, but I understand where you’re coming from.
I’ve always favored men as partners for myself, so I went through tough times growing up when I was in love with my own best friend. ”
“And how did that go?” Anika asked.
“As well as a fifteen-year-old boy could take it,” I huffed. “He quit talking to me and pretended I didn’t exist anymore.”
“I’m so sorry,” she tried to soothe with an apology.
“Don’t be sorry. I found where I belong, and so will you. At least your best friend didn’t leave your side when you told her you liked the same gender.”
Anika smiled without showing teeth. “You should probably get back to your pack. I need to keep cleaning these weapons because I know it’s not the last fight we’re about to have.”
“But we defeated Saul,” I reminded her.
“When an empire begins to fall, it usually has the numbers to detest what’s happening.
Cut off one head, two grow back. There’s usually someone inside the power that tries to take over.
We just chopped off the head of the snake, so we need to be prepared for the next heads.
Go be with your pack, and don’t waste a minute of time with them.
I have a feeling we’ve opened a bigger can of worms.”
This time, she was the one to wrap her arm around me to give me a side hug before she stood from the wall we were at.
Going right back to what she’d been doing, I watched her for a minute longer before heading back to the room.
My guys wouldn’t be in here right now, but I needed a moment to collect myself and think about what she just said to me.
Maybe the battle wasn’t done, but I didn’t know what else we’d have to contest.