24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

C ourage

The silence in the van is heavy, weighted with the aftermath of Candy's interview. She stares out of the window, her reflection ghostly in the glass, the passing landscape a blur of muted colors and indistinct shapes.

I reach over, covering her hand with mine where it rests on her thigh. "Hey," I murmur, my thumb tracing soothing circles on her skin. "You with me?"

She blinks, turning to face me with a shaky exhale. "Yeah," she says, her voice hoarse from the hours of raw, unflinching testimony. "Just… processing, I guess."

I nod, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze. "You were incredible back there, Candy. The way you spoke your truth, the way you refused to let them silence you… it was fucking inspiring."

For a moment, I contemplate pulling over and easing her onto my lap, but we're only an hour away from our hotel. I imagine she'd rather get there as quickly as possible so she can let her guard down.

A wan smile flickers across her face, there and gone like quicksilver. "Inspiring? I don't know about that. Mostly I just feel… hollowed out. Like I've been scraped raw from the inside out."

Candy frowns as her phone beeps. Reluctance and fear are etched on her face as she reaches for it. Scanning the message, her face goes deathly pale. My fur bristles with dread.

"What?" My tone is gruff, my muscles tense as a bowstring.

She swallows hard, then reads with a shaky voice as I pull to the side of the highway.

"‘Rumor has it you've agreed to do the Broken Starlets interview. You have no idea how many hidden cameras were on the KEN set. We have dirt on you, Candy. This is your last warning before we go to war. We've got all the KEN money and half of Hollywood behind us. You're bringing a knife to a gunfight'."

Ice slides down my spine, a growl building in my chest as my claws extend in anger.

"Fucking hell," I snarl, my fangs bared in a vicious grimace. "Those cowardly bastards. Threatening an unfounded smear campaign because they're too spineless to face the consequences of their own damn actions."

Candy remains eerily silent, her complexion ashen, her eyes glassy with shock. I immediately soften my tone, gathering her hands in mine.

"Hey, look at me." I wait until her gaze focuses on mine, until I see a flicker of her strong spirit beneath the fear. "We're going to get through this, okay? Together. These soulless assholes don't get to win, not this time."

She takes a shuddering breath. "Dear Lord, what have I done?"

I pull her into my arms, tucking her head beneath my chin as I stroke her hair with a gentle hand. "You've done what you believe is right. You've spoken your truth." I grip her shoulders and maneuver her so I can stare straight into her eyes. "You are a fucking warrior queen ."

She makes a little hiccupping sound as I watch her pull herself together, but even as I shore up her depleting reserves, my mind races with the implications of the threat. Hidden cameras, potentially incriminating footage, a scorched earth campaign designed to destroy Candy's credibility, career… and her soul.

We'll need more than love and solidarity to weather this coming storm. We're going to need a fucking battle plan. And reinforcements.

"Candy." I kiss her forehead, gusting my love toward her, hoping she feels it from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. "You can call Eleanor right this moment and tell her to destroy the recording. You could make this whole thing go away."

She thinks for long moments, then shakes her head, slow at first, then faster. "I'm scared shitless, Courage, but I'm not backing down."

"I'll support you no matter what you decide. But if you want to go forward, I think it's time we bring in some extra muscle. This threat… it's too big for me to handle alone."

She frowns, concern etching lines into her brow. "Crap! Out of everything that's happened, I think you saying you need help is the scariest thing I've heard." Her green eyes search my face, wordlessly begging for reassurance.

Her words, her unshakeable confidence in me, pierce through to my heart as powerfully as a shotgun blast. With that kind of faith, I'll burn down the world to protect her.

I take a deep breath, hoping to calm her fears. "I'd like to call Fury. He's another Wolven Warrior, one of the best. He's a bit of a grumpy bastard, but he's fierce, loyal, and smart. Exactly the kind of backup we need right now."

Candy's eyes widen, a flicker of apprehension crossing her face. "It's that bad?" Her lips are trembling.

"It's not that bad," I lie. "But we don't want it to get that bad."

I cup her cheek, my thumb stroking the delicate skin beneath her eye to banish the one teardrop my warrior woman has shed. "I know it's daunting, but Fury isn't just some random hired gun. He's a friend, a brother-in-arms. And right now, we need all the allies we can get."

She takes a shaky breath as she considers. "What's he like, this Fury? Aside from being a grumpy bastard, I mean."

A chuckle rumbles in my chest. "He's a fucking force of nature. Picture a silver wolf—sorry, silver fox —with a scowl that could curdle milk and a silver glare that could freeze boiling water. He's older than me, seen some serious shit in his time, but that's only made him stronger, more determined."

Candy's lips twitch, a glimmer of reluctant intrigue in her eyes. "He sounds… intense."

"He is," I confirm with a wry grin. "But underneath all that bluster and snarl, he's got a heart of fucking gold. Loyal to a fault and fiercely protective of those he considers his own."

She doesn't seem convinced, so I continue, "And because I'm his pack brother and you're m—" Did I really almost say she's mine? To her face? "And because you're my responsibility, he'll do what it takes to keep us both safe."

She nods slowly, the tension in her shoulders easing a fraction. "Okay," she says, her voice steady despite the lingering apprehension. "If you think Fury is what we need right now, then I trust your judgment. Goodness knows we could use a little extra ferocity in our corner."

Relief washes through me. If I thought I could keep her safe without help, I would. I'm a selfish enough bastard to want to keep all the glory for myself. But Candy's too precious to risk.

"Thank you, Candy. I know it isn't easy for you to trust. But I promise you, Fury is one of the good ones. He'll have our backs, no matter what."

Candy leans into me, her forehead resting against mine. I doubt she's aware that gesture is what wolven do with close relatives and those they love. Although she doesn't know what it means, I allow it to warm my heart.

"I trust you, Courage. Implicitly. I'll call Maury and get him to book airfare for Fury for our next destination. If he agrees to join us."

I tilt my head, capturing her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. It's a seal, a promise, a vow—that she's going to come out the other end stronger and safer.

When we finally pull apart, I reach for my phone and punch in the familiar number. Fury picks up on the second ring, his gruff voice filling the line.

"This better be fucking good, pup. I'm in the middle of a game of Texas Hold'Em. There's a lot of money in the pot, and I've got the winning hand."

I picture his smirk and I imagine he's saying this for effect to the males listening in. By the tone of his voice, I'm one hundred percent sure he's bluffing. Rolling my eyes, my lips twitch with fond exasperation. "Good to hear from you too, old male. Listen, I need a favor…"

As I explain the situation, the threats against Candy, and the need for reinforcements, Fury's grumbling fades into a steely resolve. By the time I finish, his tone is sharp with barely leashed anger.

"Those fucking bastards," he snarls, the sound echoing my own protective fury. "Threatening your female like that… it's unforgivable."

I glance at Candy, trying to read her bland expression to see if she picked up on his "your female" statement. I haven't told anyone back in the Zone about my feelings for Candy. They must be obvious even half a continent away.

"So? Ready to leave the Zone for a little… adventure?" When he doesn't immediately say yes, I know I'll need to goad him. "Ready to come out of retirement ?" I ask, even though he's as strong and effective as any other Wolven Warrior.

"Retirement, my furry ass," Fury scoffs. "I'm still in my prime, pup. And you better believe I'm ready to put the fear of the Goddess into these spineless worms."

A grin splits my face, fierce and feral. "Glad to hear it. Maury's assistant will contact you with flight details. And Fury? Thank you. I owe you one."

"You owe me a fucking case of beer and a week off from Bold's bullshit," he snarks, but beneath his gruff words, I hear the unshakable loyalty, the packmate bond that transcends distance and time.

We say our goodbyes, and I turn to Candy with a renewed sense of determination. "Backup's on the way," I tell her, squeezing her hand. "Between Fury and me, those KEN fuckers won't know what hit them."

Candy's answering smile is a thing of beauty, bright and brave and brimming with a fierce, defiant love.

"Bring it on," she says, her voice ringing with conviction.

KEN may have hidden cameras and incriminating footage. They may have power, influence, and a veritable army of soulless lackeys. But they don't have what we have—a good cause and a connection I'm convinced is love.

I have no fear about fighting the enemy, I just have to muster the courage to tell Candy I love her.