16. Bexley Blackforge

Chapter 16

Bexley Blackforge

"What are you doing?" Gage asked as I placed another stitch into the fabric. I looked at the horizon through the open balcony doors, then back down at my needlework. The thread was the right shade of orange, but I still didn't like it.

"I'm trying to create a sunset, but I don't love the color."

My friend sat down next to me, examining the piece before assessing my collection of thread. Picking up two spools, he held them next to one another in the light.

"Could you intertwine them somehow and do both colors so that it blends?"

"Oh." I tilted my head in thought. "It would be double the stitch size, probably, but I'll try. That's a great idea."

"You may have to do it after dinner. Our parents are ready, and the others just arrived."

"Wait! Jagger and Breaker are here? Why didn't you freakin' lead with that?"

Gage scowled, having been particularly grumpy this trip compared to normal. Not with me, exactly, but with pretty much anyone else around us…which was weird since Jagger and Breaker were his best friends.

Come to think of it, they'd almost gotten into a physical fight last time we were all together, but no one would tell me what it had been about.

"They're always around. Nothing special." He shrugged, looking suddenly frustrated.

Offering him a confused look, I placed down my stitching and stood, walking onto the balcony and peeking my head over to see both of their carriages in the driveway. Turning, I found Gage right behind me, offering me another look I didn't fully understand.

"Spending time with any of you is special to me," I countered.

His gaze warmed, and he let out a long sigh, conceding. "I know, I know. Come on, let's go see them."

That was exactly what I wanted to do right now— to go see them .

I stood on the exact same balcony, my hands gripping the cement railing. That memory—a clear display, I now realized, of them all having feelings for me and not knowing how to deal with it—felt like a different life. It was a different life: one that wasn't filled with war and potential heartbreak.

Rolling forward on the tips of my toes, I felt the urge to shift. To go find my mates.

The things I felt through our bond didn't make me feel better about the situation, either.

Pain, for one. Not extreme pain, but enough to have me spinning anxious circles in my head, wondering how bad it had to be for me to feel any of it. Biting down on my lip a bit too hard, I tasted blood. I had to keep reminding myself that going to them would only make it worse. Then they'd be worried about my safety, distracted by their concern, and I wouldn't jeopardize everyone's well-laid plan just because I wanted to be near my mates.

Plus, the people inside were relying on me for protection. Well, not just me—Rachel, Celine Bronzeheart, Marilyn Silvershade, my dad, and my mom were here as well. I could hear voices from downstairs, and I wasn't surprised when my dad's magic reached out to me, his footsteps slow and steady as he walked into the room.

Despite having been imprisoned for eight years, each of my parents had managed to retain large parts of their personality, including humor. Not only that, but they were starting to look much more like themselves. Simple things like taking a shower, having a good meal, and getting some truly restful sleep—sleep not plagued by the looming threat Linan had posed—had made a world of difference.

"Bex?"

"Hey." I turned and offered him a small smile, trying not to portray my nerves.

He wasn't buying it. His face, the features so similar to the ones I saw in the mirror every day, said it all.

As he slowly sat down on a chair, I joined him across the coffee table. Unfortunately, sitting down did absolutely nothing to help me relax. If anything, it made me a bit more uneasy, my feet bouncing to expel the extra energy.

"You're worried about them," he observed. "And you're as bad about hiding that shit as I am. Your mother was always the one who could conceal her emotions."

"Really?" Being easy to read wasn't something I wanted at the moment, but I was still happy to have something in common with my dad.

"Really." He chuckled. "After we started dating, it took a long time until I was convinced that she loved me as much as I loved her."

"No way. Mom seems pretty emotional and open, at least with me."

"Now," he agreed, his expression moving from amused to something more serious. "But growing up, she was very different—she didn't have the easiest life. Your grandparents were difficult."

"How so?" I asked. I was fascinated, wanting to know everything there was to know about my parents—and it certainly didn't hurt that I was currently in need of distraction. It was hard to imagine my mom as someone who wasn't emotionally vulnerable considering my memories of her and what I'd experienced recently, but it made sense in a way.

I surely would be different in twenty or thirty years than I was now.

"They were very traditional, wanted her out of the house and married from the time she turned eighteen." He grunted, settling himself further in the chair. "Luckily, I was able to make that happen since I met her about two days before."

"What?" I squeaked. "You got married in two days?!"

I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved that he knew my mom was the one—but even to me that seemed a bit extreme.

He chuckled. "Something like that. She moved in with me, at least. Took her a while to actually come around to liking me. I think I was overwhelming or something."

"It sounds like you may have kidnapped her," I teased.

He flashed a smile. "That sounds about right…but by the time our wedding rolled around, I had totally convinced her we were meant to be."

I broke out into a laugh, unable to stop myself. The twinkle in his eye told me he was only partially joking, making me wonder if he wasn't just a little bit crazy. I loved their love story, though, especially knowing that their connection to each other hadn't faded. From my dad protecting my mom with his magic all these years, to her being so fiercely protective over him in return…I looked up to them in every way.

Looking out the window, my eyes trailing over the horizon, I let out a small sigh after our laughter died down. "I didn't realize how hard it would be to love someone. The loving part is easy, but the constant worry…it's a lot." And I knew my mates worried even more than me!

"And it only gets worse the longer you're together," he admitted. "But you're doing amazing. I mean, the fact that you haven't left yet says everything to me. I would've followed them minutes after they left."

He probably didn't realize just how close I'd been to doing exactly that.

I offered him a pointed look. " Which reminds me —my mates said you had a talk with them?"

An amused glint filled his eyes as he shrugged. "Nothing they couldn't handle. The conversation I had with them when you were younger and always playing together was probably worse. Until I trusted them, I was constantly worried that you were going to get caught up in one of their fights or something like that."

"They would never," I huffed. "Well, I'm not sure about then, but now at least."

"I swear, being a girl dad is not for the faint of heart." He shook his head looking momentarily distressed.

"What are you complaining about in here?" my mom teased, walking in and sitting on the arm of his chair. "Being a girl dad was anything but hard! You were always getting to relax and go on exciting adventures with us."

"That's true," he conceded, "but there was the constant worry—can't get rid of that. Something the other fathers will never understand. Not fully."

I'm sure they worried about their sons as well, but I understood his point—in the shifter world, there was quite a big difference between the dominance that someone like Breaker brought to the table compared to myself.

"But their sons might one day," I chirped, clapping a hand over my mouth the moment the words had left my lips. Had I literally just said that? Time to backtrack. "I mean, if we ever have kids or anything."

My mom burst out laughing as my dad grumbled under his breath and shook his head. "You know what," he huffed, "that may make me feel a little bit better. Then they'll understand where I'm coming from."

Before I could tease him further, a small scream that was instantly muffled had me sprinting onto the balcony. My eyes darted across the courtyard. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but I hadn't imagined that sound. I jumped and shifted mid-air without a moment of hesitation, searching the ground and locking onto a faint movement in the trees right within the western estate border. Shifting back, I dropped to the ground in a crouch and jogged over.

Opening my senses, I heard a rustling sound and creeped along the stone wall of the estate, trying to sneak up on anyone trying to break in. My body froze as my hand grazed over a particular stone marked with carved initials.

"We shouldn't be doing this," a feminine voice said. "We can't…you're part of Clanguard's pack. I live all the way out here; it doesn't even make sense."

"Shh. It's okay, baby. I promise that this will work out—we love each other, don't we?"

I looked around, finally finding the two people who were talking, their fingers intertwined and her back against the same stone wall. Aurora and a man I didn't recognize. His dark clothing was nondescript, but the scar down his face was violent.

"We do. Of course we do," she said. "You really think there's going to be war? The girl—Bexley. She said she didn't want that."

"That girl has no idea what she's involved in," he growled, and it took a moment for him to compose himself again. "Promise me something. When the attack happens, meet me at the gates. I'm going to get us out of here. We'll go to another territory ? —"

The memory was ripped away as another scream sounded, my eyes snapping open. I traced the carved initials with a finger, one of them an ‘A.' What had Aurora gotten herself into?

Continuing my search along the wall, I tried to make sense of what I'd just seen and how. It wasn't until I turned the corner and laid eyes on the two people in question that I was able to piece together what happened.

Aurora was unconscious and being held by a man wearing a Clanguard pack uniform, his expression filled with disgust. "Dumb bitch will believe anything." He dropped her on the ground and shoved his boot against her side, causing her to whimper.

The shifting of my feet on the dead leaves beneath me had the jerk looking up, right at me. "Well look who we have here. You must be the dragon, right?"

"Did you kill her?" My voice was foreign, etched in a fury that I didn't think was possible, considering Aurora and I were practically strangers. But everything about this…it felt so wrong. He'd betrayed her in the most fundamental way.

"No, but I will."

My dragon broke free from my control, and I didn't even bother to rein her back in. I ran forward and slammed my palm against his chest, his blood-curdling scream thrilling my dragon as the scent of burning skin filled the air. His eyes widened to the point they almost appeared to pop out before he fell to the ground.…nearly, if not completely, dead.

I wanted to hesitate in the wake of what I'd just done, but my dragon didn't let me dwell on it. I had more urgent matters to tend to at the moment anyway. I kneeled next to Aurora, placing two fingers on the side of her neck. Her pulse thrummed, and I let out the breath I'd been holding. She was alive. Unconscious, but alive.

Aurora was taller than me but fairly light, so I picked her up the best I could and began to carry her back to the estate. The adrenaline rush from the altercation was fading, and I wondered how Aurora would feel when she woke; if she would remember what had happened. I wasn't even sure she would believe me, but hopefully…hopefully she would at least listen. She wasn't exactly my biggest fan to begin with, and now that I'd killed?—

I couldn't even finish that sentence in my mind. Guilt tried to seep in, but I forced it down. There were plenty of things people did in war that they wouldn't ever consider otherwise. He was hurting Aurora, and he'd been about to hurt me. I had no choice…so why did my eyes sting as if I was going to cry?

I was panting with effort by the time I reached the courtyard, struggling with the awkward effort of carrying another person. Pausing to shift Aurora into a position that would hopefully be more comfortable, I was struck by the eerie silence. Of course the doors to the estate were closed, so that made sense, but the medical team that had been stationed outside the gate was…gone? And the gate was busted open. Had I missed that when looking down on the courtyard initially?

Placing Aurora down, I walked to the gate and inhaled sharply, seeing specks of blood on the stone. The hair on the back of my neck rose as I tried to maintain composure, not wanting to show my nerves in case someone was watching. Returning to Aurora, I eyed the balcony—which was also empty. Had my parents gone back inside?

Maybe I could shift and bring Aurora up with me. The last thing I wanted was anyone opening the estate doors and potentially putting everyone in danger. Aurora's friend may have brought others with him. They could be circling the grounds now, waiting for a chance…

The front doors of the estate creaked open.

"Bexley Blackforge."

Standing at the top of the stairs, soldiers lining the space behind him and keeping everyone inside prisoner, was Linan Clanguard.