Chapter 23 - Hanson

Leaving Elena was one of the hardest things Hanson had ever had to do. With his mind still whirling over all they had just learned, he wasn't sure he was going to be any good to his alpha, or the rest of the pack, for that matter. Then there was the fact he would have to face Eddie, knowing all that he knew about his sister and not daring to say a word.

Besides, it wasn't his secret to tell. Even if he was the father of her pups, Elena should be the one to tell her brother. Or was he just being a coward for thinking that way?

He tried to push the thoughts of the matter and Elena herself out of his mind as he headed up the hill to Nightstar Manor.

As he approached, the scent of drying blood hit his nostrils, and it was clear to him that the pack had suffered quite a few injuries.

Entering the yard at the front of the house, he found many of them sitting in chairs or directly on the floor, looking as if they were licking their wounds. There were the smaller things like bumps and scrapes and a broken finger or two, but there were also worse things, things that made Hanson realize they were all lucky to be alive.

"You all look like hell," he grumbled as he approached Jack and the other senior members of the pack, who were huddled close to the firewood shed well away from the porch where Bonnie, Miley and a couple of the other she-wolves appeared to be taking up the role of nurse.

"And you look remarkably happy for someone who was a hostage doomed to death a couple of hours ago," Will snarled back at him. Clearly the bandaged wound on his forearm was making him grouchy.

"Yeah, Hanson, what's your secret?" Eddie demanded, and Hanson cringed. It was the first time he had seen Eddie since he had left him in the barn.

Clearly more than one wolf had gotten past the others, or maybe he had joined the battle out of boredom, because he was bruised and battered and his face was smeared with dried blood, though Hanson was pretty sure whatever his wounds were, they were already healing well. He was strong indeed. And Hanson gulped. How was the guy going to react when he realized Hanson had knocked up his sister?

What was it he said in the barn? Hanson thought back. It had been something about if he touched his sister, he would damn well be sorry for it. Well, little did Eddie know that it was already too late for that.

"Layla and Violet have some pretty mean-tasting herbs in that store of theirs," Hanson said, shrugging his shoulders. "But they do the job."

In truth, he was still aching all over, but it was nothing compared to the agony he had felt while chained in silver. Anything was better than that.

"You could have brought us some of these magical herbs," Eddie scoffed. "Oh, wait, you only think of yourself."

Here we go! Hanson thought. Even after all they had been through, Eddie still had a stick up his ass over something. Maybe he knows already?

The thought was ridiculous. If Eddie had any inkling about what Hanson had done to Elena, he was sure he would already be six feet under right now.

He was actually terrified of what would happen when he did learn the truth.

"Ignore him," Kane insisted, nudging Eddie with his elbow. "He's just angry because he got the lowest kill count."

"That's because I was inside the barn most of the time saving his ass," Eddie protested, throwing his thumb in Hanson's direction.

"Enough!" Jack finally spoke up, standing from where he had been perched on the edge of one of the large plant pots that sat in front of the porch railing. "I've had quite enough of arguing and fighting for one day."

Hanson had to agree, and so he turned to the alpha and asked, "What happened? Is it over?"

The major had given the kill order. Surely everything was wrapped up now? Maybe now Nightstar would be more peaceful. Maybe it was a place he could be proud to raise his pups in.

That was if Elena decided to remain. For all he knew, she had already decided to return to her old pack. If that happened, he might never see her or his pups again. He wasn't sure he could handle the heartbreak of that, but could he really run the risk of leaving this place?

For the last year and a half, he had put his every waking hour into trying to keep Nightstar safe and happy since Karl Ryker's death. He had devoted himself to proving his loyalty to his new packmates and his new alpha. Could he keep hold of that devotion now that he had found his fated mate?

"Hanson, did you hear me?" Jack asked.

Hanson gritted his teeth and shook his head. "Sorry, no. I think I've still got a bit of brain fog after being hit so many times."

"Join the club," Zander scoffed, and the others groaned right along with him. They were a sorry bunch, all clutching limbs or rubbing their heads as if they were trying to ease their aches and pains.

"The plan went relatively well," Jack said, looking a little discouraged at having to repeat himself. "We executed many of Christopher's pack tonight."

Hanson's stomach clenched. He didn't like where Jack's words were going. He was about to ask after their alpha when his own continued, "Those we didn't kill, we rounded up and had taken over to Pine Valley. They've got their own jail, so it made more sense than bringing them here."

The odd sensation in Hanson's gut only grew.

"What about Christopher?" he asked, remembering the vile way the alpha had talked about Elena, and how he would have liked to pluck his eyes from his head just for having looked at her and his tongue from his mouth just for all the horrid things he had said about her.

He had only one thing to be thankful to the man for, telling him the truth, and yet he still would never admit it to his face. Even if Christopher hadn't told him of Elena's condition, he was sure she would have told him in the end. At least, he hoped so.

"The fucker got away with a handful of his men," Zander snarled, and Hanson's gut almost dropped out of his ass.

"You're kidding me?" he snarled, his hands tightening into fists. "Is this guy a wolf or a cat? Does he have nine damn lives?"

"We're starting to think the same thing," Jack said, his tone filled with amusement, though it was clear from his expression he wasn't nearly as amused as he was making out. In fact, he looked quite frustrated. "Don't worry, Hanson, we'll get him eventually."

"How?" Hanson demanded. "Every time we get him, he slips through our fingers and makes ten more werewolves to replace the ones we've taken out."

Again, Jack looked as if he agreed, but if he did, he didn't say so. Instead, he said, "The major has given us the go-ahead to finish this. He says he'll have all resources at our disposal until this guy and his pack are ended."

That was something, at least, but Hanson wasn't entirely sure it was good enough. At this rate, they would need a whole army to get their hands on Christopher. The guy was pure psychotic trouble if Hanson had ever seen it. Just spending ten minutes in that barn with the man told him that. He was diabolical, and the vendetta he had against Nightstar worried Hanson, especially now that he had so much more to protect.

"We'll handle the problem of Christopher and his goons in the morning," Jack assured him. "But for now, I need volunteers to check the borders."

Usually the first one to volunteer, Hanson felt all eyes turn on him, but there was no way he was volunteering tonight. He needed to get right back to Elena. His insides were already tugging him right back to the healer's store.

"I'll go," Zander offered.

"I'll join you," Will said.

"Not with that arm," Jack protested. "You need to rest."

"I'll go," Kane said before Hanson could even consider leaving Elena just a little bit longer to remain the loyal servant of the pack he had been before she showed up.

"Good," Jack nodded. "The rest of you, see if your packmates need any help with anything, then get to bed. I want everyone up for a meeting first thing in the morning to discuss where we go from here."

With that the group broke up. No sooner had Hanson turned away, prepared to head right back down the hill into town, than Eddie appeared before him. "Where the hell is my sister? I'm assuming because you're here, she's safe?"

The insinuation was enough to make Hanson growl, "Of course she is."

"Then where is she?" Eddie demanded, his eyes narrowing. He looked over Hanson's shoulder as if he was half-expecting to see her standing there.

"She's at the healer's store with Layla," Hanson explained. He grimaced, bracing himself for the ensuing argument that was bound to come from Eddie learning that his sister had been injured.

When the arm came flying at him, Hanson stiffened, ready to take the hit. But instead of a punch, or even a slap, Eddie clapped him on the shoulder as if he were giving him a job well done.

"Thanks, brother. I guess this makes us even," Eddie said, his tone much less aggressive than before.

Utterly confused, Hanson raised a brow. "Even?"

Eddie laughed almost as if he thought he was joking. "You saved our asses, I saved yours. In my book, that makes us even."

"Oh, right yeah, sure," Hanson said, feeling nervous now more than ever. He gulped hard.

Eddie scowled, clearly having heard. His hand dropped from Hanson's shoulder, and he growled, "What's the matter?"

For just a second, he considered telling Eddie everything. The escape, the cornering, how Elena had almost been ripped apart, the fact that she was having twins. But when he opened his mouth, no words would come out. How could he tell him any of that when he had finally started acting like an actual packmate again?

Instead, all he could manage to say was, "She's worried about you."

Eddie rolled his eyes at that. "Sisters, aye?"

Hanson agreed, though in truth, he and his own sister didn't get on all too well. Sure, he had spent most of his adult life looking out for her, but they weren't nearly so close as Eddie and Elena seemed to be.

Eddie clapped him on the shoulder again and started to walk past him. "I'll head on down there and see her."

That, at least, was some relief to Hanson. She could be the one to decide how much to tell him. After all, she was already beginning to heal, and soon there would be no trace left of the injuries she had endured. The pregnancy was another matter entirely, and somehow, Hanson didn't think it was his secret to tell.

Still, as he watched Eddie head on out of the yard, he couldn't help but think, I had better make the most of my last night on earth.