Page 176 of The Lands Defying
“Of course, Carzan. We can do it after dinner?” He nods, and I feel his relief like my own. “How’s Samantha?” He shakes his head. I nod, understanding. “Let’s get back for dinner.”
We stand and drag the deer the rest of the way, Drax at our backs again. It doesn’t take long before we are at the gathering and the meat is cut up and put in the bubbling pot.
“That should do it,” Josh says, sitting next to Kade and ruffling his hair.
“It almost feels normal,” Colten says, relaxing back on the bench and tilting his head back, closing his eyes.
“You mean with just us?” Hudson asks, sitting next to him, shoulders brushing. Colten grunts in reply.
“We can always get naked.” We all look at Seb as he wiggles his eyebrows. “What? It would be fun.”
“Shut up.” We laugh as Taylor smacks him on the back of his head.
“You guys are no fun.” Seb comes and sits down on the ground in front of us anyway, and we all just take a moment to just… be.
It does remind me of the time we spent together before we went into the Deadlands, how we laughed and looked up to the sky.
We all have weights on us now, though.
We listen to the stew bubble, and I notice Drax has wandered off. Probably going back to Darius.
“Is Sarah doing okay?” Colten asks.
“I feel like a weight has lifted off of her now that her father is dead. He deserved more than an arrow, but she is glad he is rid of these lands,” Josh says. “She’s spending a lot of time with Anna and learning how to help treat wounds. She said if she can save someone else’s life like hers was saved, she feels like she is giving back.”
“That is a good skill to have,” Taylor says.
Josh nods, pride in his eyes. “She’s really good at it, too.”
Seb smiles at that, but I notice the residing pain in his eyes and I wonder if he is thinking about his mate he lost.
“She’s going to be great,” Colten chimes in, his eyes moving to Kade. “Wanna spar later?”
Kade takes a moment to think. “Wolves?”
Colten grins. “Fuck yes.”
Hudson sighs. “I’ll keep watch.”
“I’ll count points,” Taylor tells them.
“I’ll throw knives in for an extra flare.” We all look at Seb who shrugs. “You are never fighting just one opponent.”
We pause, and then we all nod.
He has a point.
Katy comes over and puts some herbs in the pot. Her and a few others have been tending to the gardens and salvaging as much as they can. It is working so far, and the younger kids love learning as they help.
Sam and Sybill come here next, and Kade gets up, walking over to Sam and nodding to the bench. When she takes a seat, he sits next to her and Sybill gives Kade a grateful smile.
The rest of my pack file in with the pups, and when some Elites come along, I notice Darius isn’t with them. I give Leo a questioning look.
“He went to the cabin a while back,” he says, nodding his head in the direction of it.
My brows furrow and I stand, making my way to my home. It isn’t like him to be away from me this long. Since I woke in his arms, he’s barely left my side, always kept me within his sights so why isn’t he here now?
When I get to my door, I push it open and hear him in the dining room. Going in, I see him frowning down at a bit of wood as he has a knife to it. His gaze is intent on it, so much so that he doesn’t even blink.
