Page 43 of Rescuing Red

“Little Red, sit down. It’s complicated, but I’ll tell you more when we have hours to sit and do nothing on the ship. I won’t feel any pain. And you’ll be safe.”

He searched her furrowed brow and pulled her close, wrapping his goliath arms around her waist and resting his cheek on her bosom. Their size difference struck her anew, sending shivers of delight down her spine.

She ran her fingers through his hair, avoiding his ears since they had an audience, and murmured an okay. He lifted his head and smiled up at her, leading her eyes toward her nana with his own.

Liz let a drop of liquid spill over her lower eyelid as she heard her nana’s approving purr. With a robust quality Liz couldn’t remember hearing from her before, her oldest confidant nodded and swiped a stray tear off her own cheek.

“She’ll be okay, Chelle. He’ll take care of her. She’s found an alpha who’ll love and cherish her for the beautiful soul she is.”

Liz’s mother nodded and accepted the hand Nana reached out to her. Liz let another tear drip from her rapidly flooding eyes as she realized she hadn’t seen her female role models offer each other comfort in a very, very long time.

***

With full bellies and peace radiating from their souls, Liz and Blaide turned the corner in the hallway, Liz waving one last time at her mother before the wall blocked her view. Nana said her heartfelt goodbyes before she went to bed. Her body needed more rest to fully recover. Blaide promised they’d visit Nana once she’d moved back to Jun’gale, and the glint in his eyes had made Liz’s heart flutter. When Nana winked and smiled right back, a flush heated Liz’s cheeks, even though she couldn’t figure out what they were hinting at.

She held hands with Blaide all the way to the station where they boarded their ship together and sat where Blaide was most comfortable. She worried over him during takeoff, which prompted him to offer her a quiet purr, and Liz realized he’d strategically placed them as far away from the other passengers as possible so he wouldn’t bother them.

“You owe me an explanation. Actually, you owe me several explanations.”

After checking his back again and studying his posture, Liz sighed and scooted closer. Exhaustion still tugged at her, and she had a feeling his explanations would take longer than she could keep her eyes open.

“But I’m tired and would like to take a nap first.”

He guided her head onto his arm and strengthened his purr.

“Of course, my sweet little Red. Whatever you need.”

He’d already proven he meant those words—he’d bested six alphas, fought an entire platoon of enemies, and brought hernana home safely—but Liz had a deeper assurance that he meant them now.

She felt his honor, love, and commitment through their bond.

And although she did not know what the future held and wished she had a nest to burrow into, she slipped into a comfortable doze, knowing she was safe and cared for.

She’d found her true soulmate in the least likely of places and would happily follow him wherever the future took them.

Chapter 24

Blaide

“What the hell are you doing living in a cave?”

Blaide looked around the dim space, confusion filling him as he took in the primitive conditions. As the oldest of his unit and the one he’d consider the most refined, he’d expected to find Ursuli relaxing in a villa on the ocean, not a hole in the rock with wet floors.

Ursuli’s eyes narrowed, half of his body still drifting amidst the dark mist of the cave from the surprise of Blaide’s unexpected arrival. Blaide always found it amusing the way Ursuli turned into a puff of smoke when startled or irritated and had done his best over the years to push the man’s buttons. Usually calm and collected, the doctor had been hard to rile during their time in the service together.

“Why are you here?”

The growled words didn’t bother Blaide, though Liz’s apprehension flooded their bond. She stood behind him, clinging to his arm and tail after Ursuli had disappeared into thedarkness except for his glowing eyes. He’d made his upper body visible again, but he’d left his lower half in his incorporeal form.

“Shrapnel near my spine. Medic thought I was going to let some sergeant cut it out of me.”

Blaide huffed, quirking a smile at Ursuli as he waited for the usual speech about how every military surgeon sucked, but Ursuli only turned away.

“You should have let them.”

The muttered words sent Blaide’s jaw dropping, the shock passing through him feeling like ice water in his veins. He knew their last mission together had shaken Ursuli’s confidence, but the man before him seemed nothing like the one he remembered.

“You know I won’t let anyone else touch me. None of us would. You’re the best.”

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