Page 32 of Her Forbidden Shifters
If anything, I would deal with protocol later. As Savannah had said, loopholes were there for very specific reasons, and we had exploited one. Of course, I wasn’t without a large dose of understanding when it came to Savannah. I knew he had feelings for her. Maybe that knowledge, coupled with Noah’s presence, urged me to go against protocol more so than Savannah’s need for healing.
Was I the asshole for that?
“Is it true?” Jacob asked, leaning forward slightly.
Savannah huffed and rolled her eyes. “Yes. And before you get all high and mighty on your protocol pedestal, we went through every other step I could think of to heal before I went to sex.”
Jacob shook his head. “You never should have gone alone, to begin with.”
“So?” she said, staring him down. “I’m a grown-ass woman and don’t need either of you to accompany me at all times.”
“I didn’t mean that,” Jacob said and sat back, covering his eyes with the hand he had propped up on the arm of the couch. The other was still busy holding onto the coffee he had yet to drink.
“Good,” she said. “Far as I’m concerned. What I did changes nothing.”
My attention snapped to her. I disagreed with what she said, but I wasn’t going to say anything. Not right now. For me, everything was different. I would do anything to keep her happy. To make her safe. To make sure she felt loved every single day.
In fact, I believed she was the reason why I always was at peace when she was around me. She somehow calmed my racing thoughts and brought me a little more focus.
“I hope not,” Noah said. “Now that we have established the reason why Savannah went through the steps she had, let’s move on to the other question.”
“That is?” I asked.
“What to do about finding my sister.” He leveled his gaze on mine.
“Hold on,” Jacob said, raising his hand. “I have other questions.”
“Of course, you do,” Savannah muttered.
“Do you think they came after you to try and capture you?” he asked.
My lips parted as I switched my gaze to Savannah. It was something I thought about but didn’t have time to fully wrap my mind around with trying to get her out of there before she died. It made sense. Maybe this was all a ploy? A trap?
Savannah frowned. “I thought so myself. It is possible. But I don’t think it is likely that was the case tonight.”
“Why not?” Noah asked.
“Because they wouldn’t have left without her,” I said as the realization sank in.
“You can’t do that again,” Jacob said.
“I agree,” Noah added.
Savannah looked at me. A strange expression crossed her face. Whether she wanted me to stand up and defend her honor, I wasn’t sure. And that didn’t seem likely. She was probably just waiting for me to add in my piece.
“I stand with them,” I said. “We all clearly care about you, and if there is even a slight possibility the organization is after you as well, then we simply cannot risk you going anywhere alone.”
She closed her eyes, turned her face toward the floor, and nodded. “I care about all of you too.”
“That went over better than expected,” Noah said.
“Don’t push your luck,” she said. “I’m still frustrated. Just less so.”
“Now, about Avery,” Noah added. I couldn’t ignore the sound of desperation in his voice. That made me question everything I had suspected about him. That or he was still trying to play us.
Savannah nodded. “I’m at square one. Every time I think I get close to finding a clue or figuring out where they had taken her, something else pops up to blow everything out of proportion and send me right back to step one.”
“Maybe you’re going about it all wrong?” he asked.
