Page 82 of Blade's Battle
“Hey, it’s been years since I siphoned off a little honey,” Blade said, with a carefree smirk.
“I think the bears have a wanted poster with his name on it,” Callen joked.
While Anna loved that Blade had finally relaxed, she was still stuck on what Damien had said. “Do you mean Blade is going with me?” Anna asked.
“He’ll be part of your protection detail,” Damien replied.
“He can’t go.”
“I go where you go,” Blade said, twirling one of her curls around his finger. “I’ll keep my distance if I must, but I’m going to be there, to watch over you.”
Damien rose and offered his hand to Tess to join him. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but figure it out. I need to get Blade out of our territory for a while too, Anna. While Drake demanded we hand you over alive, he emphasized he only wanted Blade’s head, that we could keep the rest of him.”
Unfortunately, she could picture Drake saying that, and meaning it.
Blade put his hand on her lower back. “If he wants me, he has to find me.”
“Yeah, Blade’s back to his usual cocky self,” Frank said, which had all the shifters chuckling.
Anna couldn’t bring herself to laugh. As much as she loved seeing Blade relaxed, Damien was sending him with her. “This could take weeks, or longer,” she protested, scrambling for a reason to leave Blade behind.
Blade’s hand stopped caressing her lower back. “Weeks? Damien, what if—”
“We’ll have that conversation in private,” Damien said, cutting Blade off.
“What conversation?” Anna’s stomach suddenly knotted. The glances between the shifters caused her worry to ratchet up to a new level.
Tess put an arm around her. “Come on, Anna. I’ll walk you back to your place and you can tell me about how you’re going to fix me.”
It wasn’t until they left the house and all the males had stayed behind that Anna knew the ‘conversation’ Damien wanted to have. Despite the alpha’s promise that Blade wasn’t being sent away permanently, he expected Blade would go feral before he ever had a chance to return to his pack.
Chapter Thirteen
ANNA
Holding hands, Anna and Blade walked down to the lake where most of the pack was gathering. The moon was full, the night air crisp, perfect conditions for a Running of the Moon.
“You’re quiet,” Anna said.
“You don’t want me to go with you to this cabin of yours. You’d rather I disappear into the woods somewhere, alone, without a pack, without anyone.”
“I never said that!”
“Maybe not, but that’s the only choice. If you insist, Damien will pull me from your escort. Your research is too important to Tess and the other shifters who survive the virus. And if your work helps Alex or whoever we find to combat the virus in his place, all the better. I have no value here, Anna.”
“That’s ridiculous! You’re his top scout. Tess and Callen have both told me that.”
“Not for long. My wolf’s only calm when you’re nearby. Once you leave. . .”
“Once I leave, what? Controlling him will be hard? You’re strong, Blade. You’ve put him in his place twice now.”
“I’velostcontrol to him twice,” he corrected.
Then, for no apparent reason, he flashed her a smile and swung her against his chest holding her flush to him. “Don’t worry about me. I’m bitter about the idea of not seeing you for a while.”
She’d hurt him. This had been another rejection of a shifter who didn’t feel as if anyone wanted him. “I’m afraid, Blade,” she confessed.
His eyebrows arched.
