Page 55 of Blade's Battle
“She was.”
Frank gave a low whistle. “Not many survive the death of a blood-bonded mate. And you’re expecting her to bounce back from that and blood-bond you?”
“Hell, I didn’t think of it like that.”
“You’ve never been good at talking, Blade. Too afraid we’ll judge you, throw you back into the woods. And you’re doing the same thing with her.”
Blade straightened.
“I hit that nail on the head, didn’t I?” Frank rose and approached the doors to Damien’s house. “They’re finishing up. Now would be a good time to start fighting. Don’t fighther. Fightforher. Even if that means leaving her alone until she’s ready.”
“For how long?”
“As long as she needs.”
“My wolf—”
“Your wolf will have to learn who’s boss.”
The door opened, and Damien called Blade in. Blade kept his focus on Damien, ignoring Anna and Tess. He wasn’t sure he or his wolf could handle meeting her gaze, not when his emotions were too raw.
“I know this is unconventional, Blade,” Damien began, “but Anna’s staying with you tonight.”
“What?” he and Anna both said in unison.
“Tess and I are technically still on our honeymoon, so we’re not taking in house guests. And Anna needs a bodyguard. We’ll talk more about the situation with Drake tomorrow.”
“What situation?” Blade asked, his wolf fully on alert.
Damien sighed. “Why do you always have to push, Blade? I said tomorrow.”
“I need to know if she’s in danger here.”
“I’ve doubled the guard along the border with Drake’s pack. Now, everyone leave,” Damien ordered.
“What’s going on, Hayden?” Blade turned to him. If Damien wasn’t going to give Blade answers, then he’d get them from Hayden.
“You heard Damien,” Hayden repeated. We’ll discuss this tomorrow.” Hayden threw a smile Anna’s way. “You’re safe here, Anna. No one’s getting past the patrols.”
Damien ushered everyone out, tossing Anna’s backpack at Blade.
Blade caught the backpack, along with a glare from Callen that said to not screw up again.
“I guess I’m bunking with you, then.” Anna wasn’t exactly smiling, but she wasn’t running from him either. “Unless you have a sleeping bag and a tent that I could borrow. I had all of five minutes to pack.”
Without a word, Blade hoisted her pack over his good shoulder and headed down the path to his cabin. Words were not going to be his ally right now. It was best to shut up and head to bed. He was still mad at Anna for what she had said, for essentially tossing him aside as if he didn’t matter.
Don’t fight her. Fight for her.Frank’s words swirled in Blade’s head even as his wolf pushed him to reach out and touch Anna.
Damien hadn’t ordered Blade to be friendly or give a guided tour. His orders were to keep her safe, which he would do regardless. It didn’t matter how many times she rejected him, Blade would always watch out for her. He’d just do so from a distance. He didn’t need to talk, look, or even scent in her direction. She was just a visitor assigned to bunk down with him for the night.
Anna followed behind him, quiet as a rabbit. A sweet-smelling, alluring rabbit that stirred his wolf. Blade shut his wolf down fast and focused on the trail—a trail he could normally walk in his sleep.
Blade lived a bit further out from the rest of his pack. Damien’s house and a few utilitarian buildings were in the center of their pack. From there, a dozen paths stretched out in all directions, like spokes of a wheel. Most of the single shifters bunked in larger cabins that fit six to eight shifters each, down by the lake. They preferred to share the chores of chopping wood, cleaning, and whatever life required, but Blade had never expected to stay in Damien’s pack long, so he had claimed an empty cabin years ago.
At the time he hadn’t realized that the empty cabins were reserved for families and newly blood-bonded couples. No one had kicked him out of the cabin, however. Maybe his new pack had sensed his need to be alone. Aside from his work as a scout, he’d had trouble acclimating to life within the pack. He attended the weekly Saturday night gatherings of singles down at the lake, listening to the shifters swap childhood stories of people and events they all knew. Those gatherings reminded him too much of what he’d lost, so he had stopped going.
That’s when he appreciated the cabin most. It was his sanctuary away from the pack, away from the reminders that his birth pack, his family, was gone. Then Damien had invited him to join him, Hayden, Callen, Pryce, and Frank up at his house to kick back in the evenings. That too had been awkward at first, but the guys had managed to steer the conversation several times to recent events, making sure Blade felt included.
