Page 58 of These Wicked Desires

“I also want everyone to know Ellis gets the right to kill Sam, if she wants it.” I open my eyes and stare at our three companions, making sure they understand the severity of that statement.

They all nod and I sit back in the chair, looking at Sterling. He’s been writing down various plans for getting into the warehouse and getting Grace out. He runs his fingers through his silver hair, grimacing as they get caught in knots. “I think our biggest decision is whether or not we do this all in one go, or split it up.”

“You mean rescue Grace first, then go back to deal with Sam? Or do it all at once?” Cade asks, sitting on the arm of my chair.

“Exactly. I’m worried splitting it up is pushing our luck. Right now, Sam is quiet only because he knows we’ll be coming for Grace.” Sterling frowns, flipping through the pages of his notebook. “If we rescue Grace, there will be nothing to keep him from coming after us. Or worse, setting his creatures on Altair.”

Cole leans over to glance at the notebook. “What if we break off into groups? One deals with Sam and his creatures, the other rescues Grace.”

Sterling bobs his head from side to side. “That's an option. But we’d have to run it by Ellis first.”

“Run what by me?” Ellis’s sleepy voice cuts through the room as she descends the stairs.

I smile. Her hair is wild and untamed like she didn’t even bother to attempt to wrangle it into a bun. A pair of shorts peeks out from under one of our shirts, and her bare feet drag across the floor as she walks to Sterling. He tosses the notebook onto the coffee table and sits back so Ellis can plop onto his lap. She snuggles against him, knees curled to her chest and eyes closed.

“We’re making plans for rescuing Grace,” Sterling says quietly, brushing her curls away from his face.

She makes a non-committal sound and attempts to bury herself further against him. Cade laughs softly and heads for the kitchen. When he returns, he’s holding a steaming cup of coffee which he waves in front of her face. As the steam hits her nose, her eyes pop open.

“Coffee,” she breathes, reaching for the mug. She inhales and a beautiful smile spreads across her face.

Cade returns to my chair and sits on the armrest again, draping his arm over my shoulders. I’m hit with a surreal sense of rightness. Take Cole, Connor, and Drew out of the picture, leaving just the four of us. Me and Cade on the chair, Ellis and Sterling on the couch. An early morning with coffee and tea, maybe a fire in the fireplace. No threats. No danger hanging over our heads. Just laughter, peace, comfort. Love.

Laughter and the patter of little feet on the floor.

A visceral need to protect this spreads through me like wildfire. My family, my pack, my entire world is these three people. Without them, there is nothing worth living for. I glance at Cade and he gives me a small, content smile. I glance at Ellis, sleepily drinking her coffee cuddled in Sterling’s lap. And Sterling. The brooding, tough alpha, with his features softened as he holds his mate. Fuck. I will do whatever is necessary to make sure my family comes through this alive. I will burn the world to the ground and bathe the ashes in blood to ensure my beloved has an eternity of happiness with the three of us.

After Ellis sets her mug on the coffee table, she looks at all of us. “Okay, now that I’m caffeinated, what decision am I making?”

Sterling shifts her slightly in his lap so he can look at her better. “We were talking about rescuing Grace and taking care of Sam at the same time. I think splitting up into two teams is the best option, but I don’t know if you want to be with the team who rescues Grace or the team who takes on Sam.”

She bites her lip as she thinks, and indecision draws her brows down. “Will you go with the group to rescue Gracie?” she asks Sterling. “Since she saw you and knows you’re my mate. It might help her feel more comfortable.”

Sterling’s mouth flattens into a thin line. He doesn’t like that idea. None of us are going to want to be separated from Ellis, but he nods. “Yeah. I can do that.”

“Okay, then I’ll go with the group to deal with Sam.” Golden light briefly flares in her amber eyes, determination straightening her spine.

Just as we all assumed. Ellis wants the last thing Sam sees to be her ending his life. If I wasn’t so worried, I’d find that incredibly sexy.

“So Cade, Kai, and Cole, you guys will go with Ellis. Connor and Drew will be with me.” Sterling falls into alpha mode, delivering instructions in a brisk, no-nonsense manner, fully expecting us to obey him. And we do.

When Sterling puts on his alpha panties, he could command anyone to do anything. His presence is that forceful. The plan he has developed is solid, and under normal circumstances, I’d feel confident—probably even cocky—about this entire thing. But nothing about this is normal. My beloved’s life is on the line. Her sister’s life is on the line. The future of this little unit, my family, my pack, could be forever changed. Too much is at risk for me to feel completely at ease.

Once the plan is in place and everyone is in agreement, Sterling stands. “Okay. Tomorrow evening, we’ll meet at the abandoned office building. Connor, make sure Allie is here and ready with all of her supplies.” He walks our guests to the door, and when he returns, he finds Cade, Ellis, and me sitting in silence.

We all stare at each other. Ellis’s heart is racing. A nervous, uneasy energy has settled in the room, and I have to strengthen my mental shields to keep everyone’s emotions from battering me. This is it. This could be the last night we all spend together.

“Can we …” Ellis pauses, her voice seeming too loud in the silence yet too small at the same time. “Can we spend the day just being together? No training. No talk of tomorrow. Just the four of us. Please?”

Sterling smiles. “Of course. What do you want to do?”

The cord to the TV drags behind me, lightly thumping on each step as I carry the stupid thing to the bedroom. Ellis wants to cuddle in bed with movies and popcorn, so that is what she’s getting.

Sterling is in the kitchen making all kinds of snacks, and Cade … I almost drop the TV when I get to the room and see what he’s doing.

“What the hell?” I ask, setting the TV down on the dresser and glance at the spot the dresser used to be in.

“What?” He looks at me, eyebrows raised, daring me to say anything.

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