Page 210 of The Lands Defying
Four hundred and twenty three men.
That’s how many I have lost under my rank in all the years I have been Alpha, that is how many letters I have had to send.
A slender hand comes to my shoulder, and then to the back of my neck, squeezing. I would have never let anyone do such a thing to me, never show anyone this side of vulnerability but just like she cannot hide from me, I cannot hide from her.
I take a full breath, my fist clenching on my knees as I sit back on my heels. “I wasn’t quick enough,” I tell her. My voice is gruff, angry.
She squeezes. “You did your best.”
“Which isn’t enough,” I snap at her, then instantly regret it and take a calming breath. I reach up and place my hand on top of hers as she begins to take it away from my neck, probably wondering if she made the wrong choice coming over here.
I will not have her second-guessing herself.
Once I have her wrist in my hold, I pull her around and move her until she is straddling me. I place my forehead on hers and just…breathe.
“I didn’t mean to snap.”
Her breath hits my lips. “I know.”
We sit there for a while as I come to terms with losing more men.
“We can take them to the graveyard,” Rhea says, her hand caressing the mark on my neck. I feel her power beneath her skin, just like I’m sure she can feel mine.
“You would let Elites be buried there?” I ask, opening my eyes to see hers already on me. “Elites that helped take your home away?”
She’s quiet for a moment. “I am ready to move on from what has happened,” she whispers, as our wolves come up to us.
Runa lays down, licking her paws as Drax stands over her. After Runa gives him a quick nuzzle, she closes her eyes to rest, letting him protect her.
“There has been too much death, and there are too many regrets. I want to choose how we go forward.” She moves her head back to me. “This is me choosing. The Elites are yours, and what’s yours is mine.” She says it so confidently, so possessively that I squeeze her hips as the beating in my chest becomes stronger.
“And yours is also mine?” I ask.
She nods. “I won’t accept anything else.”
“I’m not sure it feels like home anymore,” Rhea says as she walks through the trees. “It feels like it’s been tainted.”
I hate that she feels that way, and I clench my teeth.
“I tried to make sure it was back to its usual state. I didn’t want you any more upset…” I trail off, uncomfortable.
She looks at me, but I don’t meet her eyes for once. “I appreciate you trying.”
“It’s your home. A home I helped destroy.” I resist the urge to growl at myself. “I needed to do something.”
A hand reaches my jaw, stroking lightly there, stroking my thumb up and down. “Thank you.”
She doesn’t need to thank me. I was trying to fix what I helped break.
She drops her hand and she hesitates for a moment.
Slowly, her fingers touch the back of mine. I look down, brows furrowed, then I watch as she slots her much smaller hand in mine.
I pause for a moment, looking at our intertwined hands and then at Rhea. She bites her bottom lip, her cheeks heating again but she doesn’t look away from my stare.
I bend and rub my nose with hers, then begin walking again.
I look at her out of the corner of my eye, not making a big deal of this to her as a smile curves her lips.
