Page 27 of Banishing Regrets

“You get used to it.” The leader smiled. “Take these back to whoever needs them. Make the magic work to save both your people and mine.”

“We will.” Katia lowered her head to the leader, and Jackson followed suit.

“Know this, we are determined not to lose our people and our way of life. If ever you need help in any other way, we’re here to support you. You know where to find us now.”

“We won’t let your people suffer. We’ll stop this, I promise.” Katia found herself giving assurances she wasn’t sure she’d actually be able to keep, but she was going to try damn hard.

“We fight as one,” the leader called out as he made a symbol of a cross in the air, and all the other men in the tribe responded in unison, “We fight as one.”

Katia looked to the sky.

“Jessica, we have what you need and so much more. Bring us home.”

Seventeen

“I thinkI love them the most when they’re asleep.” Scott crawled into bed next to Emma, having just checked the twins.

Morocco and Zahara were sound asleep and hopefully planning on staying that way over night. A lack of food over the last few days was starting to leave Scott in a grumpy mood. He understood the reasons why they couldn’t hunt close to home, but he didn’t understand why they couldn’t go somewhere like Katia and Jackson had been today. All they’d come back with was a bunch of sweet smelling flowers, which he had no plans to eat unless they sprouted legs, fur, or miraculously transformed into a lovely leg of lamb.

“I have to agree with you.” Emma, the lion shifter who’d captured his heart many years ago, snuggled deeper under the covers. “Long may they sleep. I think we’re finally starting to establish a routine.”

“Which I’m sure will fall apart in the next few days,” Scott groaned.

“Don’t say that.” Emma curled her svelte body around his. She was pure muscle even though she hadn’t been training as much as normal since she’d had the twins. “I’m enjoying being able to sleep again and get a little bit of time with you.”

“That’s something I think we need to talk about,” Scott stated with sadness.

He’d been putting this discussion off for a while, but the time had come—he no longer had a choice. The war was imminent, and he had a family to protect. He needed to man up for the first time in his life and not be the lazy lion he was famed for being.

“What do you mean?” Emma sat up in the bed, a look of concern on her face.

“I’ve been thinking about this for some time. I want you and the twins to go to Morocco. My family will welcome you. They’re protected from the outside world now by virtue of their position of power. You’ll be safe there. Zahara and Morocco will have lots of aunties to help look after them. They’ll be spoiled rotten. I’ll ask Jessica to take you there tomorrow.”

Emma shook her head.

“No, Scott. If we go anywhere, then we go as a family. I’m not leaving you behind.”

“Normally, I would agree. However, Kas and our friends need one of us to help. As a fighter, you’re ten times better than me, but you have to look after the twins—they need their mother. Without you, everything falls apart, so I have to be the one to stay.”

Emma continued to shake her head.

“No, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Emma, please.”

“No, this is our family here, Scott. If anything happens to one of us, this is where I want us to be. These are the people who would look after us, not some strangers in Morocco, even if they are related to you by blood. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are the twins. They’re safer here than anywhere else because the people around them will lay down their lives for them if necessary.” Tears tumbled down Emma’s cheeks, and reaching out, he brushed them away.

“It’ll be safer for you in Morocco. I promise it will.”

She shook her head adamantly.

“No, I’m not going now. If it looks like the worst will happen, then I will take the twins there. However, the pack is my family as well, and I’ll fight for them and for a future for Morocco and Zahara. The only way we can win is to stay together.” Emma took his hand. “Besides, the twins will starve without Daddy falling asleep with half-eaten lambs’ legs on him. It’ll be all right, Scott. We just have to stay strong.”

He pulled Emma into his arms and held her tightly to his chest. Part of him was glad that she was refusing to go, but the other half worried about the future. He guessed they’d find out about that soon enough.

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a few minutes.

Silent but together.

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