Chapter 182

[ 1,436 words ]

Kade

“Could you make it quick? I need a shower,” Theo complains.

Simultaneously, Aria shoots him a scathing look as Thomas scowls and deliberately moves slower while evaluating him.

“If you keep complaining about your well check, I’ll recommend you stay here another night,” Thomas says.

By recommend, he means demand.

I hide a smirk, mostly because I don’t want Aira’s ire to be aimed at me.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Theo says.

“Sure about that?” Thomas’ voice is even.

My wolf huffs a pitiful whine. He knows the healer won’t hesitate to do what he thinks is best for his patients, no matter who grumbles about it.

We woke up this morning, one after another. A phenomenon Thomas attributed to our band bond.

Weirder things have happened so … sure.

Groggy, parched, and jelly-limbed, I sit up trying to get the numb feeling out of my ass.

“Sweetheart, I think it’s my turn for cuddles.” I keep my voice extra soft to entice her.

Aria gives me a look, knowing my game, but I’m too shameless to care. As long as it gets her to fuss over me, I couldn’t care less about what I sound like.

“I’m coming,” she says, scooting over to me and fitting her body next to mine.

Aria’s scent, sweetened by the pregnancy, wraps around me, and I tuck her into my side, breathing her in.

“I want to raise that guy from the dead and kill him all over again for hurting all of you,” she says.

“Better us than anyone else,” I say gently, running my hands through her onyx hair.

She gives me a look that can curdle steel. “How can you say that?”

“Sweetheart—”

She springs up into a sitting position. “No. I could have lost you. I could have had to raise pups alone and you have the nerve to say it’s better it was you!”

Pain slices down our bond.

I feel like an asshole.

Barric comes to the side of the bed, putting his hand on her shoulders. “That isn’t what he means. You know that.”

I slim and hand across her cheek. “We would never leave you. Never dream of it. Never survive it. But if that explosion would have happened to anyone else, they would have died.”

Theo, finished with Thomas’ check, comes to her other side brushing his mouth against her temple.

Barric slides a hand on top of my thigh, comforting, steady.

“Come back here,”I coax her.

For a moment, I can see her trying to hold on to some of her anger but she must decide it’s not worth it and leans in.

I kiss her softly, gently.

Let my mouth comfort, soothe until the ache in or bond is replaced by the gentle hum of relief.

“No more,” Thomas orders. “Your brother already turned room three into a biohazard. I’m not ordering another full scale disinfection.”

Aria’s cheeks heated.

Ronan laughed, patting Thomas on his chest. “Are we all good here?”

“You’re clear. Make sure you eat for your recovery, lots of protein and clean nutrients. I don’t want to see you back here any time soon.”

“Come on Tommy, you know you’re going to miss us,” I tease.

Thomas just stared at me like I needed to seek a mental evaluation.

“Leave Thomas alone,” Ronan says easily.

We all stand and walk out of the medical room. On the way back, pack mates and enforcers give their well wishes and express their happiness that we are okay.

Within the first few hours of us being home pack mates came by with food and dessert. They helped get the house in order and came by to give us the social comfort and closeness shifters needed, reinforcing the support and strength of our pack.

Liam held two of his pups while Ronan and I held the other two.

It wouldn’t be long before we had another pup of our own.

I sniffed the warm, sweet smell of this baby girl setting on fire the desire to fill our home with more.

I kiss the dark downy hair on her head. “You are going to be so spoiled.”

“I think you mean protected,” Barric says from his position next to me.

“That too,” I admit.

We will put more pups in our mate, my wolf vows.

Let’s let her give birth to this one first, I reply.

Low runs around with River and Rain chasing him.

“So what do you think about Hazam’s offer,” I ask Liam. “Do you believe he’s right?”

Hazel and Aria come in with a tray of grilled meats and sides from our packs offerings and sets them on the coffee table for us to pick at.

“It’s hard to say,” Liam says.

When the rest of our family found out about Hazam and his request there was some speculation. But after confirming it with the Nightbane seer, Maddie, she confirmed that they could in fact receive visits of mates, it was just rare and often tied to a bigger fate.

“I won’t lie, I’m not a hundred percent comfortable with the idea that my baby is already being looked at as someone’s forever person,” Hazel purses her lips taking a seat next to Liam.

“That’s natural,” Ronan assures her. “But it won’t be anything that is romantic. Not at this age.”

“What do you mean? Will they recognize each other?” Aria asks, taking one of the babies away from her brother.

“We can’t be sure. Children who are blessed to know the identity of their true mate often subconsciously understand that they are special to them but it’s more like having a best friend or someone important to you. They don’t really start to develop a romantic understanding until after they have come into maturity.”

“So then what would be the point of having them meet now?” Hazel asks. “Can’t we just…let them be kids.”

She worried her bottom lip looking at River as he chases Low and Rain with a frog that is dangling from his hind leg.

“Put the frog down, River,” she snaps.

River stops at his mother’s tone, turning to face her. “But he got lost.”

“And how exactly is what you are doing helping?”

He makes a face that says it should be obvious. “I’m bringing him to the pond.”

“What pond?” Hazel crosses her arms.

He looks around. It dawns on him that his plan has a huge issue. Namely that the pond is nowhere near here.

“Fine,” he says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Here.”

Hazel grimaces. “No thanks. Just put him down.”

He looks like he’s going to run to her and Hazel stands. “Don’t you dare.”

One little foot goes forward.

“River,” Liam warns but it does nothing to dissuade the little impish look.

With a yell he runs at his mother waving the damn frog like its a war flag.

Before he can get close, Theo scoops him up and dangles him by the ankles just like he’s doing to the frog.

“Come here you little gremlin.”

River wiggles and laughs which only makes Rain and Low join in on the fun, climbing Theo like a jungle gym.

“Yeah, I’m with Hazel. We shouldn’t subject the poor girl to all of this. Let her enjoy her peace while she can,” Aria says, popping a spoon of potato salad into her mouth.

Hazel looks at Liam. “Still think we aren’t done yet?”

“Not by a long shot,” Liam grins.

“Breeding kink,” Barric coughs.

Aria hits him on the shoulder. “At least pretend not to notice.”

A knock at the door cuts off the jovial moment of peace. Before Ronan can say come in I scent Marcus at the door.

I said a straighter at the serious expression on his face.

“What did you find? Aria says immediately.

“It was a modified short range. Fragment grenade,” Marcus says without preamble.

Hazel stands up. “ I’ll go take the pups to the other room. They don’t need to be here for this discussion.”

Aria nods her thanks at her.

Once Hazel has the pups wrangled upstairs with Theo to help her Marcus continues.

“It was modified to fit in small places. When Thomas did an autopsy of the body the particles left inside confirmed that it was a close range explosive. If they were lucky it would have killed two and injured the rest.”

“So it was what? A last ditch effort to keep their secrets,” I ask.

“Thats one possibility. The other is that they knew we would be coming and took the opportunity to try and breach us with all the commotion.”

“You sound like you believe the second.”

“Aria gave us the order to eliminate survivors. Sebastian caught two of them trying to sneak away. When they were taken care of we searched their bodies. Inside their cheeks was a hidden compartment with a small camera inside.”

My wolf growls. Pacing.

Was the whole abduction a trap from the beginning, or where they alerted and modified the attempted rescue to their advantage.

“Fuck,” Ronan shouts, standing.

Fuck is right.

Because our small victory can just be another trap.

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