Page 250 of The Lands Defying
“And me,” a female says, eyes hard.
“I will go.”
“I can use a sword.”
“I’m good with a butcher’s knife.”
More and more people come toward us, offering to fight for the safety of their family and I grip Darius’s arm tight.
But I look to the older female who now stands, heading straight for us.
She stills a foot away, eyes Darius and I, then the Elites and my pack that are still helping move the dead.
“As the elder of this village,” she says. I knew she was important here. “Take us to safety and we will fight.”
“We will take you to safety either way,” Darius lets them know, and I look to him, my hand curling around his in thanks.
“No,” the elder says, strong, firm. “I want them dead.”
My smile is full of teeth.
“This is where you and your family will stay,” I say to Mivera.
She looks around the small, new cabin that was built, a smile on her face. “This is perfect,” she tells me, coming over and holding my hand. “Thank you, for everything.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” I say quietly as I walk back out. “War is coming.”
“All done?” Josh asks, walking beside me as we make our way to the gathering.
“Yeah,” I sigh, leaning into him. “There are so many here now, I thought it would bother me but…”
“But?” he presses.
“It feels right, like it was always meant to be.” Like I am actually doing something right.
He curls an arm around my shoulder. “We will get through this. I know it.”
“We have to, or all is lost.”
We look into the gathering and pause, watching our pack, the Elites and those who have joined us from all over the lands.
It has been a few weeks since that day in the village with the Elder, and since then, we have had many join us to be safe and fight back.
And some we have had to take down, as they have tried to kill us.
Snow covers the ground completely now, as we are all wrapped up in thick cloaks, our breaths showing every time we exhale.
I make sure we all come together once a week as we are all tending to our own duties, or fighting the hounds of the lands. You never know when our last meal will be together, so I make sure we have one to remember by.
“Did the last village get to Colhelm okay?” Josh asks and I nod.
“Damian says it went well.” I still don’t know where that farmstead is, but I’m in no rush to go back to Colhelm.
“Alpha,” Maverick greets me, dipping his head and I sigh.
“It’s Rhea, you ass.” He smirks and walks to the center, looking into the large pot of stew before he takes a seat.
“If he doesn’t remove his arm, he will lose it.”
