Page 44 of Protected By Her Wolves

Cyan clasped her hands to her heart. “How very lucky they are.”

“It takes more than luck to make strong leaders,” Tor answered, though he kept his gaze fixed on Erik. “It takes strength, courage, cunning, and above all—” He paused, giving Erik a long look. “Loyalty.”

“Of course,” Erik answered tightly, his features hardening.

“If you’d excuse me,” Tor said, his deep voice dropping to a dark rumble. “I need to call Boris Lupescu with the good news. He was very upset when word leaked to him about the crash.” He gave them each a curt nod. “Goodbye.”

Cyan gasped.

Erik averted his gaze, his cheeks coloring. “Goodbye, Chieftain.”

Tor marched back toward the house without a backwards glance, his keen wolf senses picking up on the tension radiating off the couple behind him.

“Did you tell?” he heard Cyan hiss. “After all Amara has done for us.”

“Get in the truck,” Erik barked.

She swore at him.

Tor chuckled to himself as he went into the house. If Cyan was anything like Mihaela, Erik would be sleeping in the doghouse for weeks.

* * *

Drasko

Drasko never thoughthe’d welcome the sight of his home as much as he did the moment they stepped out of their truck. Though it was only early evening, night had already fallen, the sky blanketed with twinkling stars. His wolf-touched eyes easily adjusted to the darkness, and he could clearly make out their parents waiting for them underneath the lit porch, Mihaela and Arvid each carrying a baby in their arms.

Amara rushed to the babies, rocking them both in her arms, tears streaming down her face. Drasko had to fight back his own tears at the sight. To think, these boys had almost lost their mother. He would’ve never been able to face his family hadn’t she survived. And even though Amara and his brothers all insisted he’d made the right call, that familiar self-loathing crept into his mind, filling every open crevice with the dark stain of doubt.

Ever the attentive gamma, Rone helped Amara when Alexi started squirming in her arms. He and Arvid followed Amara inside the house. Only when they shut the door behind them did he exhale a breath of relief.

She’s safe,he kept reminding himself.

Hakon and Tor embraced while Van hugged Luc. Skoll clasped Drasko’s shoulder, his eyes gleaming with pride. Drasko wanted to tell his father his pride was misplaced, but coward that he was, he couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing him.

Then their mother rushed each of them, plastering their faces with kisses like they were still children. “I was worried about you, sons,” Mihaela said, tears cascading down her face.

Hakon visibly swallowed. “I was worried about us, too.”

Drasko’s veins turned to sludge and his knees weakened when he remembered just how close they’d come to losing everything. Even though his pack refused to blame him for leaving Amara, he still blamed himself. She could’ve been raped or killed.

Their mother kissed them once more, and she dried her tears with the backs of her hands. “I must go see my Rone,” she said, flashing a watery smile as she pinched Drasko’s cheek, her Romanian accent growing thicker. “I’m just so glad you’re alive,fiul mea.”

Drasko’s face flushed at the pride in her voice when she used the Romanian endearment for ‘my son.’ He wasn’t sure he was deserving of the praise. “Me, too,” he said.

After their mother went into the house, Tor patted Drasko’s back, his grin nearly stretching ear-to-ear. “You gave us all a good scare, but we’re glad you’re safe.” Then shadows fell across his eyes. “Had I known about the Russians, I would’ve gone with Hakon and Rone.”

Skoll mumbled his agreement.

“It’s okay,” Hakon said, beaming at Drasko. “Those Russians didn’t stand a chance against our brother.”

Drasko shuffled uncomfortably from foot to foot as heat flooded his cheeks. “It was nothing.”

Tor clasped Drasko’s shoulder. “Amara is alive and safe. You did a fine job protecting her.”

“Are you still angry with yourself?”

Drasko glared at Luc, not liking the casual way he asked the question. “I shouldn’t have left her.”

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