Page 61 of Her Wolf's Demands

“Thank fuck.” I grabbed either side of his head and planted my lips on his. “You’re…”

My throat closed, strangling the words that wanted to expel from me. So much had gone on, I couldn’t keep up with my thoughts. Malone was alive because of Drake.

Drake.

Sitting up, I searched the floor. Drake was passed out, his head resting on… Rochelle’s lap? I’d wondered what all the new smells had been, but not had a chance to process.

“He’s okay,” Rochelle said, stroking my brother’s hair out of his face. “… He saved our alpha.”

“How do you know?” I blurted, attempting to get up from my comfy resting place.

Malone’s arms tightened around me, compelling me to stay cradled in his lap. He was naked, his smooth chest pressed against my shoulder. A thin line of a red welt on his skin was the only sign that he’d almost died.

The shuffling of feet nearby made me look up. Manual and Lionel were surveying the room, checking on Ertha and returning the drowning fish into intact tanks. Wait, didn’t some fish eat other fish?

Rochelle shrugged and shook Drake’s shoulder. He snorted, sitting upright and blinking awake. Relief flooded my veins, helping me to relax against my nice resting place.

“Are you alright?” Both Drake and I asked each other at the same time.

Malone chuckled and shook his head, stroking my damp hair out of my face and picking a piece of glass out of my cheek. I cringed at the pain and climbed off his lap, not appreciating the picking monkey act, although it was quite sweet, technically.

He got to his feet, grunting as he stretched his back. I waved a hand over his chest and spelled some clothes. Yes, the two men in my life were comfortable around one another, but Drake didn’t need a flesh display. I wanted to ease him into the company of the pack gently.

“Ertha’s definitely dead,” Manual announced, shrugging when Rochelle punched him in the arm. “What? She was out of line.”

Going to Drake, I pulled him aside. “Thank you,” I said, clinging to his arm, “for saving Malone. You risked your life.”

His hand came up to my head, and he pulled me to him, pressing his forehead against mine. “I figured that you’d saved me enough. It was my turn to repay the favour.”

Emotion burst from me, laughter accompanying the sob that choked my throat closed. My brother had given everything to save Malone. Not for the alpha, he hardly knew him, but for me.

“I can see he makes you happy,” Drake said, cupping my cheek, “and you deserve to be happy. I can make my own life now.”

“Well,” Malone interrupted from where he stood, “I do have an incredible apartment in Brighton, Drake. You’re welcome to live there for as long as you need.”

Rochelle approached and nudged my side, reaching for me as soon as Drake let go. Her arms came around me, hugging me close.

“Thank you,” Drake said, nodding his acceptance to Malone. “I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“And you?” Rochelle asked me. “Will you come home with the pack? Where you belong?”

Manual cleared his throat, raising his eyebrows when we looked at him.

He glanced at Lionel who rolled his eyes and shook his head. Clearing his throat, the werewolf looked directly at Drake. “Thank you for saving our alpha. Your bravery in facing Ertha has proven that you’re worthy of being associated with our pack.”

“Is that forgiveness I hear?” Rochelle joked, flicking her red hair when Drake glanced at her.

Lionel inclined his head towards Drake before turning back to Malone. I shared a smile with my brother as he breathed a visible sigh of relief. At least the wolves no longer had it in for either of us.

“There is another problem,” Lionel said, shuffling on his feet.

Malone had been watching us, a slight grin stretching the corner of his lips. A flash of desire mixed with gratitude that he was still alive tingled every inch of me.

His chest rising, Malone tilted his head to the side. “Please tell me the ritual won’t go ahead now that Ertha is dead.”

“Correct, the ritual won’t go ahead tonight,” Manual took over, stepping away from Ertha’s body where it hung on the wall.

A shudder moved me as I avoided looking at the witch who had been prepared to kill both my brother and I. Not one to shy away from death, I made an exception with the leader of the coven. Mostly because I’d been the one to kill her. And although there was a tiny part of me relieved that she was dead, I wished it hadn’t have had to been that way.

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