Chapter 142

[ 1,373 words ]

Minx

142: 142.

Minx Ronan

The answer was yes.

I knew it would be.

The thought of what comes after is as real as the battle itself.

More so, actually.

The battle will be a moment in time.

History for the next Generations to look back at and marvel or abhor.

The shadow of the first snow of the season clings to the air, turning crisp and fresh.

The once lush leaves have fallen, leaving the pine branches getting out like claws tangling together.

It has given us less coverage but more visibility to guard against enemies.

As if on instinct and internal countdown has started, and the pressure to make the right choice for our people hangs off me.

“I hate this,” Liam says, looking out into the naked woods.

“No doubt your beast feels the same.”

“I don’t think I can let her go.” The words feel as if saying them out loud reveals a weakness he wants to keep hidden.

“You don’t have a choice.” He turns to me, those blue eyes so much like his sisters yet so different.

“I’m not trying to rub it in. I’m saying this because I’m your friend. Sometimes we have to fight our instincts if we don’t want to unintentionally smother those around us.”

He runs a hand through his hair, causing the chocolate brown strands to stand up in disarray.

“You think I don’t know that?

But Hazel isn’t Aria; she’s human.

And now she’s walking into a place with people who want to hurt her; it’s eating at me, and I don’t know how to make peace with it.”

“Maybe you don’t have to.” I let out a breath, turning my head to the sky as I formed the words I hadn’t said out loud.

“I haven’t. I don’t think I ever will. It’s not in my nature to be okay with my mate being on the front lines. It’s not yours. But we aren’t our feelings. We are their masters.” I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly.

“So feel it. But don’t let it control you or sway your actions.”

Liam snorts.

“Yeah. I’ll get right on it.”

He looks away, but I can tell he is thinking of my words, and what more can I ask for?

“Hey,” Sigrid calls out, his arms stacked with logs.

“A little help here.”

“Sure,” Liam jogs over and picks up some logs, and I follow him.

“The submissives are really cracking the whip today,” he says, amused.

I pick up some more logs and follow them inside.

“Then we better hurry. Never mess with the hands that feed you,” I say.

The Winter Solstice is only days away, and our submissives are determined to turn the tide of emotions in our mountain.

Something I am most grateful for.

Especially because it’s working.

People are laughing again as they work to prepare for the festivities, and the gloom of what’s ahead feels further than it ever has before.

We restock various fire pits in the kitchens.

Quinnie is scribbling away with her clipboard, giving orders and checking off completed tasks.

“Alpha,” she calls when she sees me.

“Can you get down to the forge and ask Ransom if he can make sixteen more serving trays?”

“No problem.” I look around the room.

“Have you seen Aria?”

“She’s on pup duty with Rick and Theo. They should be in the garden, harvesting.”

I grin at her cunning.

“Nice way of putting all our hands to use.”

Quinnie flushes at the praise.

“We do what we can.”

I laugh, knowing well that she doesn’t just do what she can.

She plans for everything.

As I’m walking away, she shouts, “Forge first!”

I snort.

“Don’t worry, I remember.”

I pass through the hallways, stopping and giving help or answering questions as needed.

Everyone seems to have a job to do, and I can already see the signs of wreaths, decorations, twisted holly and juniper veins, and the smell of mint oil from polishing the wooden furniture.

The heat from the forge warms me from down the hall.

Sounds of movement come from inside.

“Mmm.

Elliot, not now.

I have to get this done for the solstice party.”

“This is your fault.

You should have waited for me.

You know I can’t start my day without my fix,” Elliot says, the distinct sound of a zipper opening following his statement.

I hesitate at the door.

My wolf chuckles in amusement.

The Alpha is more fun than I would have thought.

You would think that.

Heady panting and moaning fill the air.

“If you’re going to stand there listening, you may as well come in and watch,” Elliot calls out.

“Who are you—” Ransom starts.

“I’m good. Just came to give Ransom a message.”

There is the sound of a small struggle, then a thud followed by a bitten-down groan as a table pointed slams into a wall.

“He’s busy,” Elliot bites out.

The smack, smack, smack of the table against the wall tells me exactly what busy means.

I roll my eyes.

“We need sixteen more serving trays for the solstice.

You can get to it whenever you’re ready.”

“Sure,” Ransom pants, “I—” his words are muffled like he’s talking around something.

Well, that’s good enough for me.

I quickly head up to the garden to go meet my mate.

Hopefully I receive the same reception from my own mate if I can get a moment alone with her.

It’s not hard to find them.

I follow the sound of giggling and come across the most chaotic harvest I’ve ever seen.

The children are scattered around, some working diligently on digging out root vegetables and others playing in the dirt.

Rick is passing around collection baskets, and Theo referees the dirt fight, trying his best to keep the mess to the plots and not the walkway.

However, instead of Aria, Sebastian is with them, looking the most uncomfortable I’ve ever seen him.

“Where’s Aria?” I ask no one in particular.

Sebastian’s eyes widen at my voice, and the hope in his eyes at me saving him almost makes me laugh.

“She went to take a quick break.

Do you want me to go get her?”

“Ah, quit trying to run, boy.

You need the practice,” Rick rolls his eyes, showing one of the pups the correct way to unearth a carrot.

“I’ll get her,” I say, answering Sebastian’s question and sniffing out her scent.

From the smell of things, she hasn’t been gone too long.

Following the trail she left, I hunt her further into the garden.

My foot steps crunch on the grass, and I spot her head of dark hair just over one of the border hedges.

“You hiding?”

She doesn’t turn around, but I can hear the smile in her voice.

“If you must know, I was thinking.”

I snort, slipping in beside her and putting my arm around her.

“Could I help sort out your thoughts?”

She looked at me, her mischievous streak wiping away the residue of anxiety that had been there.

“You could. Or… you could just kiss me.”

I grin, hoisting her up to straddle my lap.

“Fair. But only after you tell me what’s wrong.”

She pouted in that manipulative way of hers.

Minx.

“Trouble first, pleasure later,” I instructed, brushing her hair from her beautiful face.

“I don’t want your mind on anything else when I fuck you.”

She sighed a longsuffering sound.

“I’m just ready to get this all over with. I don’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

I rub her back.

“You have such a big heart.” She looked vaguely offended.

“It’s not a bad thing.

But there are some things in this world that are unavoidable.

All we can do is our best to keep our people safe.”

“I know.”

“Then stop worrying and just trust us, all of us, because that is how we survive this.

Together.”

“Mmm,” she wriggles on my lap suggestively.

“Well, now that I’m sufficiently comforted, how about you work on making me come.”

Blood rushed between my thighs, and I can feel myself at half mast.

Not needing to be told twice, I stand up, carrying her with me to the nearest secluded room.

Our mouths meet like magnets.

The force of their pull is a hit of adrenaline that has my wolf pressing against my skin.

I slam her into the nearest wall, and she moans, wrapping her legs around me tighter, preventing me from getting away.

Like I would ever want to.

My tongue delves inside her parting lips, and she meets mine, stroking, lashing, twirling, and sucking.

She opens up to me, giving me her body and soul as her pleasure floods our bond, heightening my own.

We both needed this.

The reconnection with each other.

The reminder that we are more than leaders, with lives on our shoulders and the chance to just be each other, as we were born to be.

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