Chapter 22

Taryn and Rhys walked through the tunnels underneath the city, disheveled but victorious, their hands intertwined.

"Well," Rhys said, sweat dripping down his face, "That wasn"t the most scenic place I"ve seen so far. Show me somewhere prettier?"

Taryn smiled. "I will."

When they got to the outside, they had to squint in the early dawn sun, their eyes adjusting from the shadows of the tunnels—

And then they both froze.

People were waiting for them.

No… not just people.

Taryn"s surprise was genuine as he took in the sight of warriors from his clan assembled before them — and at the front of the pack, the imposing figure of Rael.

The alpha was as imposing as ever, his golden skin gleaming in the sunlight, his eyes sharp. But that wasn"t all: next to Rael, covered from sight head to toe in a thick cloak, stood a much smaller figure — Rael"s mate.

Jorah and Soren stood there, looking a little awed by the sight, their eyes wide. Krye was there, too, his expression carefully neutral. And then there was Worrack, frowning as he looked between Taryn and Rhys, as if he was already puzzling out a dozen different outcomes to this situation.

Taryn had been too distracted by the heat of the human in his arms to think about the consequences of his actions. Now, as the entire clan stared at him, he had to face them all.

He had to face his leader.

Taryn"s heart sank. He"d been so focused on the task at hand, on keeping the city safe, that he hadn"t thought about what would come afterwards. His mouth was dry.

Something tugged at the hand that Taryn still had wrapped in his own. He looked back at Rhys.

Rhys had stepped behind Taryn, and was currently peeking out from behind him, wide-eyed with fear. He stared at the assembled Borraq, scared.

Taryn"s heart did a strange little flip in his chest. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he couldn"t help but find the sight a little endearing.

He squeezed the hand in his. Rhys looked up at him, and Taryn saw the trust in his eyes.

"It"s okay," Taryn said. "This is my clan. You"ve got nothing to fear."

"Your clan!" Rhys swallowed, then nodded.

Taryn turned his attention back to the gathered warriors. "Rael! Kin! This is Rhys," he said. "I suppose my young charges have explained his presence."

"They have," Rael rumbled. "We came as soon as they burst back into the village, babbling their heads off. We came to aid you." He grinned. "Though you did not make it easy. Your trail went everywhere."

Taryn sighed. "It was a long journey. I will tell you about it on the way home."

"I"ll be glad to hear it. Getting sense out of these four pups has not been an easy task." Rael grinned. "Though they carried out their task admirably."

In the background, Soren"s chest puffed up with pride, and then he tried to hide the fact that he was preening. Jorah elbowed him, and Soren elbowed him back, but there was a grin on his face. Worrack rolled his eyes at the two of them, but there was a pleased quirk to his lips. Krye just mostly looked embarrassed, his gaze flicking between Taryn, Rael, and the rest of the clan.

They were embarrassed by the praise, but Taryn could see the pride burning in their eyes, too. They"d accompanied him on his mission, and they knew the significance of Rael"s praise.

Then Rael tilted his chin towards the imposing walls of the city. "It will not take long to turn the human over. Carry him through the gates, and your hands will be clean."

Rael eyed Taryn with a sharp expression, his eyes assessing the situation. "Though I sense… that you will not."

There was deep meaning in that, unsaid communication that rippled between Taryn and his alpha. In front of his alpha, Taryn felt stripped naked, like Rael could see right through him. "I will not."

"Good," was all Rael said. "Your wound is shallow? Then we depart, before the city"s lookouts notice us."

Of all the alphas to possibly pledge his allegiance to, Taryn was grateful he had pledged it to Rael.

As the clan started to breathe easy, Rael"s mate stepped forward. Taryn looked back at Rhys, wanting to see his reaction.

Elian stepped forward from where he stood at Rael"s side… and then he took down his hood, showing his face.

His decidedly human face.

Elian offered the stunned Rhys a warm smile and a handshake. "It"s good to meet you, Rhys. I"ve heard quite a lot about you— though from the look on your face, I don"t think you"ve heard about me."

Rhys stared at the offered hand for a moment, as if he couldn"t quite believe what he was seeing. Then he gathered himself, and shook Elian"s hand. "Uh, not exactly. I guess we were a little too busy. Nice to meet you?"

Taryn watched with a swelling sense of pride as the clan began to mobilize, preparing for the journey back to their home territory. His heart thrummed with a newfound sense of belonging, the weight of Rael"s acceptance lifting a burden he hadn"t fully realized he carried.

As the warriors fell into their usual formation, Taryn felt Rhys"s presence at his side, their shoulders brushing together in a subtle yet profound gesture of unity. He turned to meet Rhys"s gaze, his chest tightening at the sight of the human"s warm smile, radiant with joy and relief.

"My home is your home now," Taryn said, his voice low and intimate. "You are a part of this clan, a part of my life."

Rhys"s lips curved into a smile that spoke volumes, his eyes shining. "I never imagined a home like this," he confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "But I think I could get used to it."

Taryn reached out, his fingers intertwining with Rhys"s in a tender embrace.

As they walked together, their steps in sync with the rhythm of the clan, Taryn knew that their future was intertwined — forever.