Page 51 of Possessive Mate

Elena’s insides twisted. Everyone in Nightstar was so kind. It made her feel more than a little guilty for all the trouble she had caused. After all, if she hadn’t gone and gotten herself caught by those no-good rogue werewolves, the Nightstar wolves never would have snuck onto their base to rescue her, Hanson never would have been caught, and they never would have had to start a second attack.

Instead of answering, she shook her head and asked, “Layla, is everybody really alright?”

Chapter 23 - Hanson

Leaving Elena was one of the hardest things Hanson had ever had to do. With his mind still whirling over all they had just learned, he wasn’t sure he was going to be any good to his alpha, or the rest of the pack, for that matter. Then there was the fact he would have to face Eddie, knowing all that he knew about his sister and not daring to say a word.

Besides, it wasn’t his secret to tell. Even if he was the father of her pups, Elena should be the one to tell her brother. Or was he just being a coward for thinking that way?

He tried to push the thoughts of the matter and Elena herself out of his mind as he headed up the hill to Nightstar Manor.

As he approached, the scent of drying blood hit his nostrils, and it was clear to him that the pack had suffered quite a few injuries.

Entering the yard at the front of the house, he found many of them sitting in chairs or directly on the floor, looking as if they were licking their wounds. There were the smaller things like bumps and scrapes and a broken finger or two, but there were also worse things, things that made Hanson realize they were all lucky to be alive.

“You all look like hell,” he grumbled as he approached Jack and the other senior members of the pack, who were huddled close to the firewood shed well away from the porch where Bonnie, Miley and a couple of the other she-wolves appeared to be taking up the role of nurse.

“And you look remarkably happy for someone who was a hostage doomed to death a couple of hours ago,” Will snarled back at him. Clearly the bandaged wound on his forearm was making him grouchy.

“Yeah, Hanson, what’s your secret?” Eddie demanded, and Hanson cringed. It was the first time he had seen Eddie since he had left him in the barn.

Clearly more than one wolf had gotten past the others, or maybe he had joined the battle out of boredom, because he was bruised and battered and his face was smeared with dried blood, though Hanson was pretty sure whatever his wounds were, they were already healing well. He was strong indeed. And Hanson gulped. How was the guy going to react when he realized Hanson had knocked up his sister?

What was it he said in the barn? Hanson thought back. It had been something about if he touched his sister, he would damn well be sorry for it. Well, little did Eddie know that it was already too late for that.

“Layla and Violet have some pretty mean-tasting herbs in that store of theirs,” Hanson said, shrugging his shoulders. “But they do the job.”

In truth, he was still aching all over, but it was nothing compared to the agony he had felt while chained in silver. Anything was better than that.

“You could have brought us some of these magical herbs,” Eddie scoffed. “Oh, wait, you only think of yourself.”

Here we go! Hanson thought. Even after all they had been through, Eddie still had a stick up his ass over something. Maybe he knows already?

The thought was ridiculous. If Eddie had any inkling about what Hanson had done to Elena, he was sure he would already be six feet under right now.

He was actually terrified of what would happen when he did learn the truth.

“Ignore him,” Kane insisted, nudging Eddie with his elbow. “He’s just angry because he got the lowest kill count.”

“That’s because I was inside the barn most of the time saving his ass,” Eddie protested, throwing his thumb in Hanson’s direction.

“Enough!” Jack finally spoke up, standing from where he had been perched on the edge of one of the large plant pots that sat in front of the porch railing. “I’ve had quite enough of arguing and fighting for one day.”

Hanson had to agree, and so he turned to the alpha and asked, “What happened? Is it over?”

The major had given the kill order. Surely everything was wrapped up now? Maybe now Nightstar would be more peaceful. Maybe it was a place he could be proud to raise his pups in.

That was if Elena decided to remain. For all he knew, she had already decided to return to her old pack. If that happened, he might never see her or his pups again. He wasn’t sure he could handle the heartbreak of that, but could he really run the risk of leaving this place?

For the last year and a half, he had put his every waking hour into trying to keep Nightstar safe and happy since Karl Ryker’s death. He had devoted himself to proving his loyalty to his new packmates and his new alpha. Could he keep hold of that devotion now that he had found his fated mate?

“Hanson, did you hear me?” Jack asked.

Hanson gritted his teeth and shook his head. “Sorry, no. I think I’ve still got a bit of brain fog after being hit so many times.”

“Join the club,” Zander scoffed, and the others groaned right along with him. They were a sorry bunch, all clutching limbs or rubbing their heads as if they were trying to ease their aches and pains.

“The plan went relatively well,” Jack said, looking a little discouraged at having to repeat himself. “We executed many of Christopher’s pack tonight.”

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