Page 32 of Tangled Fates

Is she rejecting us, Dean?

I didn’t know how to answer him, so I stayed silent. Because, honestly? I had no clue what Raven was going to do next. I didn’t know if she was coming back, if she’d stay, or if she’d appoint an Alpha before she left. I didn’t know how any of this would unfold, and it gave me enough anxiety as is. But to not have answers for my pack? To not have anything to tell them?

I wasn’t sure I’d ever forgive her for that.

Just rest, Pride. Let yourself heal, and then we can talk.

He sputtered and coughed. You know as well as I do that?—

My eyes shot open and I actually spoke. “We don’t know anything, and that’s the rub. So, stop running those jowls of yours and shut up so we can get you back on your feet. Got it?”

The healers paused to look at me, but Pride simply chuckled. I needed him to shut up so that I could put the extra pounds I had to good use. But I knew one thing for certain. If Raven came back, she wasn’t doing anything else that would influence this pack until we all aired our differences and answered some serious questions. Someone had to be responsible for showing Raven as well as the pack that neither party involved rejected the other by choice. It was all circumstances beyond our control.

I just had to figure out how in the hell to do that.

“Look! His intestines!”

My eyes ripped open and I watched as the pinky flesh Pride held in his hand slowly crept its way back into his body. I watched as his internal organs shifted around, making way for the feet upon feet of intestines that had been exposed for much too long to the outside world. A smile crept across my face as a healthy flush returned to Pride’s face. I gave him the last little bit of weight I had on me before releasing his hand and standing. And as I watched his skin fuse together, the healers rejoiced.

“We did it!”

“He’s alive!”

“You’ll be back on your feet in no time, Pride.”

I chuckled as I smiled down at him. “It shouldn’t be long now.”

His voice already sounded stronger. “Thank you, Dean. For everything.”

And when he held up his hand, I clapped it fiercely and shook his hand.

Before Levi came bursting through the door.

“Dean!”

I groaned. “Duty calls.”

Pride barked with laughter. “An important man never stops. Go save the world. I’ll come find you when I’m back up on my feet.”

“Dean,” Levi said breathlessly as he rushed to my side. “You have to come here.”

I shot him a look. “Can it wait?”

He shook his head. “It’s important.”

“It’s always important. Can we just?—”

“Brody’s gone.”

I blinked as his words slapped me across the face. I recalled the visions I kept having of him that didn’t make any sense. Visions of Brody running off into the woods. Visions of him interacting with the bear shifters. Visions of him…

“Outside. Now,” I commanded.

“I’ll be there soon,” Pride said.

I whipped around and pointed down at him. “You take your time. I’ll fill you in when you’re better. But for now, your top priority is getting yourself back to one hundred percent. We need you, you hear me?”

He nodded his head. “I can do that.”

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