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torn skin, blood, and dirt. Logan sat on a chair beside the table, his hand clutching his side, his face
pale.
 We almost had him, Logan rasped out, his voice sounding as if his lungs were full of fluid. From
the way he was breathing, Lexi wouldn t have been surprised if that were true.  We only got away
because Corbin left us. Don t know why. The fucking wolf mumbled something about Caym saying it
wasn t the right time. I don t even know anymore. He let out a shaky breath and widened his eyes
like he was trying figure out how to use his lungs again.
She would worry about exactly what Corbin meant later. The implications of the Central Alpha
letting the one fated to kill him go meant something. She just didn t know what. Either Corbin had a
plan that was more involved than she thought, or Caym did.
Knowing both of them, she was afraid what that plan could be.
Right now though, she needed to focus on her mate and brother. She swallowed hard, putting the
thoughts of what was to come away and looking to the present. If she didn t compartmentalize, she d
scream, cry, or do both.
 North! Parker yelled from the doorway, and Lexi spun on her heel. Her little boy looked stunned,
his eyes wide, his face pale, his mouth open.
 Go back into the house, Parker. He looked ready to revolt.  Please, baby. For me.
He nodded, gave one last look at North and Logan, and then headed back to the residence area of
the building. She could hear him pad his way there, very reluctantly. She made her way to North s
side so she could be between him and Logan. This way she wouldn t have to make a choice of who to
comfort. No, Lexi needed to be by both men to make sure they would heal and that they wouldn t do
something as crazy and stupid as what they d just done again. She wanted to hold her mate s hand but
was too afraid to touch him.
 North&  Her voice broke, so she stopped speaking. She had to remain strong. If she let her
emotions breach the shield she d put up, she d break down. Her gaze met Maddox s, who looked as if
he d been sucker-punched, and she cursed.
Maddox was the Omega. He could feel the emotions of the entire Pack save his twin, meaning he
could also feel everything Lexi was feeling and trying so hard to hide.
 I m sorry&  she whispered.
He held up a hand.  Don t be. If you weren t feeling like this, you wouldn t be the mate my brother
needs.
 Oh goddess, Hannah said from behind them.  Reed, help Logan get in a better chair. I ll help you
soon, honey. The Healer sent everyone to work and lay her hands over North.
 Hannah, baby, can you fix him? Reed asked the question they had all wanted to ask but had been
too afraid to.
 I m going to try.
Heated energy filled the room, and little pinpricks of sensation danced along her skin as Hannah
went to work. Her hands glowed, and her eyes were set on her charges, determination on her face.
Lexi went to her brother s side and did what she could with the wound. Cailin came in while she was
dressing the wound and set about helping without a word.
Lexi sensed the pain and anger radiating off the woman at seeing both North and Logan hurt, and
she knew it mirrored her own.
 Stupid men, Lexi whispered, her throat constricting.
 After they re healed, we ll yell together, Cailin mumbled back, and Lexi closed her eyes,
knowing she wasn t alone in her agony.
What seemed like hours passed, but Lexi wasn t sure how long exactly. Before she knew it though,
she was sitting on a chair beside the bed where she d been lying that morning. Only this time, North
was the one unconscious, and she was the one praying to the moon goddess that her mate would wake
up soon.
Logan had gone back to his place her former place with Cailin by his side. The duo hadn t
spoken a single word to each other, and Lexi was too tired to worry about what was going on
between them.
Parker had fallen asleep in his room after Pat held him and read him a story. Lexi had tried to join
in but was told to go do what she had to do and to stop spreading herself so thin. After all, she d just
been brutally attacked on purpose and was still healing herself.
She ran a hand over her face, unsure of what to do just then. She could go and find another family
member to sit with, go try to force herself to eat, as the others had tried to do earlier, or just sit there
and stare at her unconscious mate.
She was just so& angry. What right did he have to do this? He didn t have to go out and look for
trouble. Not when trouble always seemed to find him and his family. He d gone out there because he
wanted to protect her, she knew that, but she didn t like it. Didn t understand it.
It pissed her off to no end that he thought his life was worth less than hers& less than anyone else s
in the Pack.
That s what it came down to.
He d risked himself to try and force fate s decree faster than she d thought possible. So what if
some hack had foretold it was North s destiny to kill Corbin?
So. Fucking. What.
It wasn t his duty to die for something that might not even happen. Fate and paths changed daily
with just a new thought or action. She didn t believe that, no matter what happened, one way was the
only way.
He didn t have to throw himself into the fire in order to make something happen.
She let out a breath.
If he hadn t done it though, he wouldn t have been the wolf she loved.
Damn it.
The man risked everything for those he loved, and this act was no different. The fact that Logan had
gone with him didn t change things. Her brother was the same as North in that they protected what
was theirs.
They just didn t protect themselves as much as they should.
Lexi clenched her hands and tried to take a deep breath. If it weren t for Parker, she d probably
have done the same thing herself, and it killed her to admit that. As a whole, the Pack had been on the
defensive against the Centrals for far too long, and they knew it. With each strike, they won what they
could and held strong. However, the time would come when the Redwoods would need to go on the
offensive.
They just needed to make sure they had the magic and power to back it up.
With the demon in control like he was, Lexi wasn t sure that would happen any time soon. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]