46. Rhyson

46

Rhyson

"I have a heartbeat. I don't know much about babies, but it feels pretty strong," Irene said with a smile as she focused magic on Maya's womb. "And I sense movement. Your baby is just fine."

Relief washed over me. We'd made it back to the den, and everyone had healed. Nash still couldn't shift on his own, but Irene and Janelle both thought it had something to do with the toxin he'd been injected with. He'd been the only one who was still human when we were attacked.

"Thank you," she whispered, and closed her eyes. Her shoulder was still bleeding, but she wouldn't shift back until someone had checked on the babe. I feared she'd lost too much blood.

"Let your wolf out," I commanded. I wanted to just reach inside of her and pull it out, but I couldn't reach it, and that drove me insane. Her eyes widened, and I realized my voice was harsher than I intended, but she did as I commanded. It was painfully slow to watch, and when her wolf emerged, she tucked her tail under her and bowed her head.

"Go rest," I told her softly. "I'll bring you some food later."

She gazed at me one more time, and then turned and walked slowly from the room, her tail still tucked in. Irene, meanwhile, glared at me. "She saved your life, wolf."

"At the risk of her own and that of our pup," I said just as evenly. "If I thought for even a second that she would be safer, I'd drop everything and get her off this mountain."

"She would be safer off this mountain. She would be safer in a cushy castle with her king by her side."

At that, my lips quirked up. "I understand that you've never been off this mountain, but there is no castle for me. A beautiful home, yes, and one I have not seen in quite some time. Not that it is any of your business. Can you help Nash? Why is he affected when others were not?"

"Was he human when he was hit?"

I nodded. He was the only one who was human.

"Likely, the drug was meant to suppress all your wolves, but you're all strong wolves. Most likely, your wolf magic simply burned through that side effect, except Nash was suppressing his wolf magic since he was in human form. Now that you've pulled his wolf from him, he'll likely burn through it as well. If he doesn't, he may need to see a healer for an antidote."

He was still sleeping, so I let him be. Juniper and Dante were resting as well. Lunessa had taken Jenson back to Jax's pack to give him a full report, and, I suspect, interrogate Paisley.

Gideon had planted a mole inside my group, and I was furious about it, but there was nothing I could do. I watched over my wolves a little longer, and when they were healed and able to shift with little trouble, I retired to my room.

I smelled Maya when I returned to the room, but she was nowhere to be found. "Maya," I called out, keeping my voice gentle. "Come here."

There was no power behind my voice, and eventually, her wolf crawled out from under the bed. She kept her tail and her head low as she approached me. Sitting on the floor, I stretched out my legs, and she crawled up next to me. Closing my eyes, I stroked her head and ears until I felt her relax. "Irene is upset with me," I told her. "She feels I'm not grateful enough that you rescued us. She could not be further from the truth. Trapped in that cage, I realized just how much I wanted to live. How desperately I wanted to see my son grow up, to know the wolf he would turn out to be. I walked into this mountain so sure that I would not walk out. You didn't just rescue me today. You've given me a reason to hope for the future. I hadn't even realized how much I'd lost sight of that. So thank you."

Slowly, the wolf retreated, and the woman appeared. Leaning over, I snagged the blanket from the bed, pulled it down, and wrapped her in it as I gently lifted her into my lap. "It's not just that you're the king, Rhyson. You're strong enough, in power and heart, to make a real change among the wolf packs. You are so much more important than you know."

"I am not more important than you," I growled.

"Yes, Rhyson. You are. One day you're going to find your mate, and they're going to help you turn our species around. I hope that I'll be there to see it, but if I'm not, then at least I'll know that I was important in helping you reach your full potential. In helping you survive. I'm sorry for what happened to your brother. Truly, I am, but you were meant to be on this mountain. You were meant to see how we are supposed to be with nature, and you're meant to carry that change with you. Our son will be every bit as strong as you, and I will protect him with everything that I have."

One of these days, I would make her understand her own strength. Pressing my forehead against hers, I sighed and held her close. It was the only way I could chase away the darkness that had nestled inside me since I'd watched her throw herself into danger for me, since I'd thought for certain that she was dead. I wasn't sure that I could ever let her go.

I placed my hand on her belly. "There is nothing that I would not do for you, and one day, you will understand why."

We stayed quiet until I felt her breathing even out, and then I carried her to the bed and covered her up. I sensed Nash waking up through the bond and returned to check on everyone. Lunessa and Jenson had returned with a third occupant.

Paisley. The boy was white as a sheet, and his eyes were red-rimmed from crying. He held his head up bravely and faced me. "Darla?" he whispered.

"Alive. Her body will heal, although I suspect it will take much more time for her mind to be whole again," I said evenly as I studied him. "You could have come to me."

"I didn't know you," he said simply. "And I couldn't risk it. I'd already lost my sister."

"Your actions put my wolves in danger. Put my unborn child in danger. I have killed wolves for less," I growled.

He nodded and closed his eyes. "I know you aren't likely to grant me any last requests, but I would like to see Darla. To let her know that I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

His eyes sprang open. "What?"

"Sorry for what? You didn't kidnap and imprison her. You didn't threaten and torture her. You did everything you could to grant her freedom. Nothing that happened to her is your fault. She's sleeping in one of the guest rooms, but I'm told that she's not eating. You should bring her some food," I said roughly. "Get some rest, and tomorrow morning, we'll talk about what you owe me."

His eyes widened. "You're not going to kill me?"

"Not today, Paisley."

Anna led him away with a gentle smile, and Jenson ran his hand over his face. "Jax is furious. I don't know that he'll accept the kid now. He did get in touch with Elonso."

"And?"

"And he'll meet us at Snake River Pack in three days. He says the information you want is there."

Great. Another pack. "Should I be concerned?"

"London is an ally, but he doesn't trust Elonso. I honestly don't know what will be waiting for us, but at least we have three days to worry about it."

"Not worry. Prepare."