{SHILOH}
"Would you have left there? If the roles were reversed? Would you have co for ?"
When she rolled her eyes, I knew I’d hit the mark. She stopped believing in herself a long ti ago. Stopped believing that she was worth anything. It clouded every decision she made.
"It’s not the sa," she argued. "You have responsibilities. You are in charge of the largest pack on this mountain, and you love it! I told you to let go."
"Have you so little faith in that you don’t think I can protect you and my pack?"
"I think every second that I’m with you, we are all in danger. You. . The pack. Even if we do leave this town, Irving will just find another way to take . He doesn’t give up."
"Neither do I," I roared. I didn’t want to lose my temper, but I was so done with her flimsy excuses. "I am stronger than him, Mira. He can try a thousand tis. Or maybe, I kill him and rid us of the problem entirely."
"If you kill him, you could start a war."
"I’ve all but declared war on him already, Mira. I warned him of what would happen if he tried to touch you again, and we both know he will. Irving is living with a ticking clock, and I’m at the end of it. Now eat your damn soup."
Eyes wide, she stared down at her soup and took another bite. There was a knock at the door. "What?" I snapped.
It opened, and Kai stepped in. "Only little old . I thought I’d check on Mira while she was awake. If you could give us a mont."
"And if I say no?"
"Then I would remind you that a, you are currently not my alpha, and b, even if you were, my orders supersede yours when it cos to patients."
"It’s all right, Kai," Mira said with a small smile. "He’s feeling a little vulnerable, and you clearly just ca in here because you hear him yelling at . We’re all right. There might be more yelling later, but it’s good for us to clear the air."
Kai stared at her for a mont and then nodded. "All right. How is your stomach feeling?"
"Good. The soup was a good choice. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble with it."
"All right. I would like to look you over, but I can wait until after dinner. And after the air is cleared." He shot a sharp look and left the motel room.
Properly admonished, I lowered my head. "I’m sorry, Mira. I shouldn’t be yelling at you.
After everything you went through..."
"Stop. Please, stop. I know you’re pissed at . I’m pissed at you. We can yell for a little bit."
"You’re pissed at ?"
"You closed the mating bond. I know why you had to do it, and I know why you had to take all those pictures with Kenzi, but it’s going to be awhile before I can stop seeing them in my mind. Before I can stop hearing her taunts. I left thinking that that is exactly what would happen.
You would realize that she was the better choice. It hurt, but I did it anyway. And when I was gone, I realized that I’d made a huge mistake."
"You did?"
"I don’t know that I would have made a different choice, or that I could have made a different choice, but I do know that I haven’t given you a chance. I haven’t given us a chance.
I’ve hated you. I’ve needed you. I’ve wanted you, but I haven’t trusted you, and that’s not entirely your fault."
My chest squeezed. "It’s partly my fault. I haven’t given you many reasons to trust ."
"That’s because you didn’t trust ."
"So what? We start over?"
"I don’t know what we do, but I definitely don’t think we can start over. Things are still too dangerous."
"The crone hasn’t had any more visions since the twins died. They may have been the darkness she foresaw."
"Soone was draining Janelle of her magic. Slowly and over ti, but every day that I saw her, she was weaker. Irving is still dealing with powerful witches. I don’t know that it’s over."
"Then after dinner, I think it’s ti we talk to the witch. Until then, do you mind if I join you?"
"What do you an?"
"I need to touch you, Mira. Please. Just touch." It had been a long few weeks. I told myself that when she woke up, I would give her space. My wolf had curled up as small as possible and was trying to desperately to ignore the feelings of need.
But it was my human half that was breaking down. If she said no, if she said she needed space, I would give it to her. But if there was even a chance...
Carefully holding her bowl so it wouldn’t spill, she scooted over on the bed. I was up like a shot, bag of food in hand, and climbing into bed next to her. We settled against the wall, and I carefully put my arm around her. I could eat one-handed. "Okay?"
Sighing, she snuggled under my arm. A few seconds later, I felt her shoulder shake.
"Hey. I’ve got you." Tossing my bag aside, I grabbed the soup from her and placed it on the floor. When I returned, I gathered her up into my lap and held her while she cried. It completely undid to see her like this. She never broke down. That wall of hers never even seed to crack.
"I’m sorry," she sniffed. "I just..."
"You don’t have to apologize, Mira. Just let it out. It’s just us here." I propped my chin on the top of her head and let her cry. "When we get back, things are going to be different. You don’t ever have to be afraid to cry in front of ."
When it was over, and she wiped her cheeks and looked up at , I kissed her forehead.
"Was it sothing specific that made you cry, or were you just a little overwheld?"
"Overwheld. I haven’t felt like this since the first ti you left at The Iron Root and Phineas frowned at and told I looked like a rat."
"Christ. I knew he was a little rough around the edges, but I didn’t think he was that rough."
"I miss him, rough edges and all," she admitted. "With everything that happened, I haven’t really had a chance to mourn him."
"He would have said sothing snarky to make you feel better." I wish I knew what to say, as if a few words could make anything better.
"Actually, the more ti we spent together, the less snarky he beca. He started to patch the holes in . Irving made a couple of more, but I’m going to be okay. We’re going to be okay."
Damn right we were. I’d conquer the whole fucking mountain to make sure that she was okay.
I kissed her head again, and to my surprise, she lifted her face to mine. Smoothing a hand over my cheek, she offered her lips, and I accepted. At the first touch, I wanted to devour her whole. To sink myself inside her until we were one, and she knew that nothing was going to break us apart.
Instead, I pulled away, and she frowned. "I’m not going to break," she whispered.
"No, but these walls are thin, and I’d like a little more privacy when I take you. I want to hear you scream so loud."
"Well, that’s not helping," she laughed as she moved off my lap. "I guess I should finish dinner so I have the strength to handle it when we are alone."
Wordlessly, I picked up her soup and handed it to her. She’d taken two bites before there was a knock a few doors down. Muted through the walls, I heard a stranger’s voice. Instantly, I was on my feet and pressed against the outside door so I could hear better.
Finn was talking to him. "Can I help you?"
"I’m Officer Jones, and this is my partner, Officer Whalen. We’re looking for a missing woman, possibly endangered, matching the description of soone seen entering one of these rooms. Do you mind if we take a look around?"
Mira frowned. "What is it?" She whispered.
"Irving got the police involved. He reported you as a missing person."
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