20. Morgan

Chapter 20

Morgan

I stood there staring at the break in the trees long after the sound of the trucks' engines had faded into the distance. Pax's sniffles slowed, but he still clung to me. Just as well, since his overheated body was the only thing staving off the cold. My arms soon began to ache from holding the toddler for so long. He weighed at least 20 pounds, and I wasn't exactly athletic.

Brody joined us when we didn't come inside. "Want me to take him?" I just shrugged, not ready to talk. "Okay, come on, buddy," he said, holding his arms out for Pax, but the child just grunted, turning his face away and burying it into my neck so he didn't have to look at anyone. Looked like I wasn't the only one in the mood for a sulk.

Brody sighed. "You know, Pax has the sight. He's destined to be our shaman one day. "

I frowned. "But he's just a kid."

The Alpha Omega shook his head, smiling sadly. "I really wish that were true. He has nightmares almost every night, and sometimes he gets this dazed look in his eyes, and I swear he's catching a glimpse at the future. That would be hard for anyone, but he doesn't know how to tell us about what he sees yet."

I thought that over, with a growing sense of dread. "So, when he screams like he just did, is it because he misses his parents or…" Or was something about to go horribly wrong?

"I wish I could say for sure." Brody was doing a good job at keeping calm, but there were signs that he was just as uncomfortable being separated from his mate as I was. He was clenching and unclenching his hands, shifting his weight from side to side. And when his head perked up like he was listening, I found myself straining to hear what he heard.

After a long moment, I heard a deep rumble of an engine. "Are they back?" I asked, my pulse picking up with hope. Maybe Jude couldn't stand to be away. Maybe he was coming back to take me with him.

"No," Pax mumbled, still pouting. No seemed to be one of the few words he'd mastered .

Brody's shoulder sagged in disappointment long before the vehicle came into view. I was damn jealous of those heightened shifter senses. "It's Joe's security team." He turned toward his cabin. "Come on. Jude will never forgive me if you die of hypothermia, and if you're going to hold Pax all day, you might as well sit."

Turned out Brody was right. The guards sent by Dylan's father were… well, rough would be a polite way of saying it. Another word to describe them might've been "depraved." They were some seriously shady dudes. There were only six of them, and they didn't say much, but they all left the same oily taste in my mouth. My survival instinct told me these were not nice men, but it quickly became clear that they'd been given orders to keep their distance. When one of them was caught ogling Sasha's ass, the ringleader of their little team punched the alpha sharply across the jaw, then before the guy could hit the ground, he'd gripped him around the neck and snarled right in his face. "Keep your head on straight, or I will take it clean off your shoulders. Got it?"

Fangs out, eyes glowing an eerie yellow, the chastised alpha forced himself to nod. "Understood, sir."

Once the armed guards had dispersed into the woods out of sight of the camp, the rest of us converged into Shan and Brody's cabin for a playdate of sorts. Our goal was to keep the kids happy and distracted. The fire was warm in the grate.

"Hey, Wynn, Pax, look at me! Can you do this?" Malachi did a somersault on the king-size bed. "Ta-da!"

"Me too!" Wynn chirped predictably. He tried his best to mimic his role model, managing to do a weird flop-roll move, before holding his hands above his head and saying, "Da-da!" The others applauded their antics.

I looked down at the little white-haired boy still curled in my lap, his thumb tucked into his mouth. "What about you, Pax? Do you want to try?" He shook his head and went back to playing with the buttons on my shirt.

When I looked over at Brody, I saw a fleeting look of concern before he could properly mask it behind a comforting smile. "Who wants a sandwich? I made peanut butter, banana, and… marshmallow!"

Malachi cheered, which made his brother cheer too. Pax did nothing but sigh. Was it normal for a child to be this despondent? With some coaxing, I finally managed to get him to eat something, but he remained listless throughout the whole day.

We kept the kids busy playing I Spy, guessing games, and some old board games that had no rules as far as I could tell, except for moving their chunky wooden players around the board as quickly as they could. Vesta sang songs in a language I didn't recognize. Mary and Sasha taught the kids how to braid using scraps of yarn, and when it was time for bed, Mal did his best to read the younger pups a story from a picture book. From the snippets I heard, I suspected he was ad-libbing most of the story. It had been a while since I read Pinocchio, but I was pretty sure there hadn't been dragon shifters.

While Brody put the kids to bed, Stuart coaxed Mary and Sasha into playing a game of poker, but I wasn't in the mood. I felt antsy and anxious being away from Jude. I swore I could still feel him, and I rubbed at my chest absently as I dropped into an armchair in the corner and picked up a paperback that was sitting on the end table. The cover had a long-haired Adonis, his shirt torn to shreds to show his bare chest beneath. Mm, spicy , I thought, flipping it open.

"That's one of my favorites," Vesta said from the rocking chair they'd brought in for her, chuckling in her throaty voice. I wasn't sure how she knew which book I was holding, since I was pretty sure she was blind, but she had a certain way about her. I knew Jude was worried about her, but she'd seemed lucid tonight, though maybe a little distant.

"What have you seen?" I asked her, and I heard the conversation behind us drop off as they listened for her answer.

"I-I don't know anymore. I used to see the reflection of time spread out before me as surely as looking in the mirror. But now, it's all… fog and shadows." She frowned, her wrinkles deepening. "I'm sorry, but I just don't know."

She grew agitated, frustrated by everything just out of reach, so I did the only thing I could think of—I read to her. "‘The duke was not a nice man, but that was probably his best quality…'" Vesta fell asleep in her rocking chair before I'd even finished the first chapter.

It took forever for Brody to get poor Pax to quiet down, but eventually, he tiptoed out of the kids' room and closed the door softly, before walking over to the large window facing the forest behind the house. The sky outside had deepened to a rich indigo. "They're probably making their move on the lab as we speak."

"Oh," I said, dropping the book into my lap.

I knew the plan, I'd even been a part of thinking it up, but still, the realization that my mate was currently putting himself in danger made me feel like I'd swallowed a bag of bricks .

Brody turned to look at me and must've seen the emotions written plainly on my face. He crouched down in front of me and took my hands, rubbing his thumbs back and forth over my wrists. "Hey, it'll be okay, Morgan. This isn't their first rodeo. They'll watch each other's backs. They'll be home by morning, just you watch." He sounded so sure of his words, but it was impossible to cover up the shadow that lingered in his eyes.

He was just as terrified as I was, and that somehow made me feel less alone.

As the night grew late, everyone got quiet. Sasha crawled into the bed with me, while Mary and Stuart shifted into their wolves and slept curled up on the floor in front of the dying fire. Brody went to sleep with the children; I suspected it might've been to soothe his wolf's protective instincts. I might not have been a shifter, but I could relate. I laid in bed with my hand on my stomach, grateful to know, for now, our child was safe.

I didn't think there was any way I'd be able to sleep, not until I knew for certain that Jude and the others were safe, but at some point, sheer exhaustion dragged me under. I didn't even dream. There was only darkness.

I woke up with a gasp when claws sank into my shoulder. "Morgan!" Brody's face was wild, with fear, yes, but primarily anger. This wasn't just the protective father; this was the Alpha Omega protecting his pack, and he was a force to be reckoned with. "Get up and get dressed, we need to go. Now!"

Adrenaline helped clear my mind, but my body felt sluggish, clumsy. There was a series of muffled pops from outside, and through the window, I saw the flash of lights from the forest. "What—" I spun around, trying to make sense of what was going on. Was that gunfire? Was this the attack we'd been expecting? I was suddenly very glad that Dylan's dad had insisted on the security guards. Brody jerked the curtains closed, hiding us from view.

My eyes settled on the empty rocking chair. "Where's Vesta?"

"She's gone."

"Gone? But I was supposed to be watching her!" Guilt and panic flared inside me, making my brain start to fray at the seams. Where could an elderly woman go without anyone noticing ?

Brody threw the cabin door open, letting in a blustery gust of ice and snow. "Stuart, Mary, do what you can to hold the intruders off. We'll get the kids out. Meet us at the waterfall."

The two large gray wolves gave a nod of understanding, then they darted through the door and disappeared into the night.

I had no idea what time it was, no concept of what was happening. My hands shook as I struggled to pull on my coat and slipped my feet into my boots. "Does that mean our plan failed?" My breathing was short and shallow, tiny sips of air, but my chest was too tight to catch a full breath. Were they dead? Wouldn't I have felt something through the mating link if they were?

Brody ignored me. "Here." He thrust Pax into my arms, but when I tried to protest, he gave a short, sharp growl to get my attention. "I need you, Morgan. Do you understand? I need you to carry Pax, and I need you to keep him safe. Can I trust you to do that?"

"I-I..." I stammered.

Pax was staring up at me with these wide, trusting eyes. Out of all of us, he was the only one who showed no sign of fear. A small part of me wondered if he was just too young to understand, but at my core, I knew that with his sight, he'd already seen this play out before. I told myself that if he wasn't afraid, then he must already know we would be fine.

"Yes," I said, nodding once. "I've got him."

"Good." Brody picked up Wynn, and Sasha took Mal's hand, the young child trying to keep a brave face. "Keep low, move fast. Do. Not. Stop. We'll try to stick together, but if we get separated, head for the pond. The kids are the first priority. Got it?"

I nodded mutely, not saying a word about the doubts taking root in my head. I was just a human. What chance did I have against armed soldiers? I was just as likely to get us all killed! Wherever Vesta disappeared to, she was probably safer than we were. We had no idea how many assailants there were, and the moon was barely a sliver in the sky, leaving me blind.

We waited until the gunfire was at a peak, the shooters distracted. "Okay. Ready? Go!" Brody went first, then me, with Sasha and Mal bringing up the rear.

In the dark, I could barely make out my hand in front of my face, and the forest ahead was nothing more than a dark void. The snow was deep as we ducked between the cabins and made for the trees, and Sasha caught my arm as I stumbled. If it weren't for the feel of Pax's tiny fingers clasped behind my neck, I probably would've curled up in the fetal position in the snow and awaited my fate. That wasn't an option, though, so I pushed forward, keeping close enough to Brody to hear his labored breath.

We made it into the tree line without anyone being shot, but the gunfire had stopped. Did that mean they were all dead? We kept moving, and while there was less snow here, there were plenty of other obstacles. My pace slowed as I worked to avoid running into trees, and every step I took seemed too loud. Brody was no longer in sight.

As slow as I was, I felt Sasha falling behind. Mal's legs were too short, and he was still tired. I tried to reach back and take Mal's other hand, but then a bright beam of light cut through the trees, blinding me. I ducked down, but it was too late—we'd been spotted.

"They're over here!" someone shouted. I saw at least three flashlight beams converging on our location as they moved to cut us off. One of the beams fell, the guard's blood-curdling scream cut short with a wolf's snarling.

I could see Sasha too easily now, his blond curls stuck to his sweaty forehead. His jaw was set, a determined gleam in his eyes. "Go," he gritted out as he scooped Mal up into his arms.

We gave up all attempts at being stealthy. We needed distance between us and them, giving our guards and our packmates time. We went barreling through the brush and bracken as fast as we could. My shoulder glanced off a trunk, sending a sharp pain down my arm, but I managed to stay upright.

Off to the left, another of the flashlight beams went off suddenly at an angle, the man shouting in panic as he fired blindly at whoever was attacking him.

Someone shot in our direction, the bullets sending wood splinters as they shattered a sapling to my right. I ducked, tucking myself around Pax protectively. I thought we were okay, but then another barrage of shots echoed through the forest, and Sasha cried out.

I spun back and gasped, seeing him lying on the ground, the back of his shirt soaking through with blood, his legs paralyzed. He pushed Mal toward me. "Run!" Sasha begged the child, but I knew enough about the precocious child to recognize the stubborn jut of his lips.

I was about to run back and grab Mal, when a soldier stepped into sight. He wore camouflage fatigues, a flashlight strapped to his bicep, and he held an imposing rifle in his hands. He wore a sneer as he raised the barrel.

"No!" Malachi shouted ferociously, stepping in front of Sasha. "Don't you dare shoot him, or you'll be sorry."

The soldier laughed darkly, lowering the gun only an inch or two to stare down at the child. "Or what? You'll kill me? I don't think so, half-pint. I know enough about your kind to know you can't turn into a wolf yet. I'm bigger and stronger than you." His lip curled in disgust. "We're supposed to keep you kids alive for testing, but how will they know? I say, the world is better off without you. You're all a bunch of unnatural freaks."

From the corner of my eye, I saw Brody's horrified expression as he shifted to his wolf, cutting back through the forest, but he would never make it there in time. The soldier raised the gun to his shoulder, finger on the trigger. I cried out, trying to reach across an impossible distance, but just as the gun went off, a large gray wolf leaped into the gap. The soldier went down with a gurgling scream, the wolf's teeth sinking deep into his neck.

Brody made sure the guard was staying down, but the man had quickly gone quiet. Mal sat crying beside Sasha's immobile form. I stood frozen, unsure whether I should run to the pond or stay to help. In the end, it was Pax who told me what to do. He pointed a pudgy finger toward where Brody had taken his skin.

I stepped forward carefully, listening for more bad guys. Brody, tears streaming down his face, was stroking the gray wolf still lying half on top of the dead body. "Mary? Mary, come back to me." The wolf lay still, their chest no longer rising and falling.

Kneeling in the snow beside the others, I checked over Mal first. "Are you hurt? "

He shook his head, not looking away from Sasha. "I tried to be brave like my papa. Is Sasha going to be okay? Did I save him?" he whispered somberly, his chin quivering.

Pax let go of me and went to curl up with Mal, the two of them comforting each other, while I put my fingers to Sasha's neck. I felt a pulse, though it was slow. Lifting his shirt carefully, I saw a bullet wound through his spine. I knew shifters could heal quickly, but how far did that go?

We were all back at camp by the time the others came tearing in, the vehicles fishtailing through the snow. Joe's security guards were still on high alert, but Brody waved them away. Tristan left the engine running, focused solely on reuniting with his family, the headlights casting the small camp in crisp white light.

I only had eyes for my mate as he raced across the clearing to get to me. "Morgan!" Jude clung to me, breathing in my scent, pulling my jacket open so he could touch my stomach to make sure we were both unharmed.

"I'm okay," I assured him. Before I could have a chance to explain what happened, he gripped the back of my neck and kissed me, laying fresh claim to my lips .

When he pulled back, he remained close, our foreheads touching, breathing the same air. "We got back as quickly as we could. I was so scared that something had happened to you. I can't live without you, Morgan. I just can't."

"You won't have to. I'm not going anywhere." Unfortunately, not everyone had been so lucky.

Behind Jude, I noticed as Silas and the others got back in their vehicles to leave, since it was obvious they were no longer needed. Maybe I was mistaken, but I swore I saw Silas hesitate, as though reluctant to leave. His gaze lingered on the reunions, a look of longing on his face. Finally, his Beta nudged him, and they hopped back into their truck and pulled a five-point turn, before heading back the way they'd come.

The camp grew quiet once more. I was so cold I'd gone numb, but it was still not enough to dull the grief I felt inside. "Come on." I took Jude's hand and led him to one of the smaller cabins. There was flickering orange firelight from within, and it was where the others had converged.

Sasha was lying unconscious in the bed, face haggard and too pale, and his twin curled up on her side beside him. Dawn seemed afraid to touch him, but she eventually hooked her pinkie through his. That seemed to be enough to settle her wolf .

Tara went about doing whatever she could to make him comfortable, rearranging the blanket, setting snacks and water on the bedside table. "Vesta, do you have anything for pain, for when he wakes up?" she asked.

Brody had found Vesta when he'd arrived at the pond, and when he saw Sasha and I weren't behind him, he left Wynn with the shaman and came back for us—but he was too late. Mary's fate was sealed as she sacrificed herself to save Malachi.

The elderly woman nodded briefly. "I have some willow bark, but… it won't be enough."

"He can handle it," Dawn said, wiping her palm over her eyes. "Sasha's tough. He can get through it."

I looked around the faces gathered, confirming that everyone had come home from the mission to take out the lab. My eyes snagged on a new face, though, his features both foreign and somehow familiar at the same time. When he saw me looking, he smiled shyly and made his way over.

Jude's arm tightened around my waist. "Dad, this is my mate, Morgan. Morgan, this is my dad, Jesse."

"Oh!" I gasped. I could see some of Jude's features in the omega's face. I held a hand out to shake his. "It's an honor. "

Jesse shook his head, laughing. "You're my son now too. We don't shake hands." He gripped me by the shoulder and dragged me in for a hug, but because Jude refused to let go, I ended up in a warm, firm, shifter sandwich. I would be happy to stay here forever. Back when I was camped out on my couch watching survival shows, I never imagined it would lead to me finding a new family, a whole new life, a future. It was more than I'd ever hoped to dream for.

The armed guards stayed the rest of the night, watching over as everyone slept, and the next day, we prepared Mary's body for cremation. After dark, we lit a funeral pyre, and even though I hadn't known her well, the bond I shared with my mate sang with his grief. I took what burden I could from him, sharing in mourning her loss.

Sasha had wanted to be there, even though he was too weak to get out of bed, so Tara offered to help carry him. His pain must've been immense, but he gritted his teeth and didn't make a peep in complaint.

The pack stood together as one, celebrating the life of their fallen friend as her ashes were returned to the Grim Wilds soil, where it would strengthen their connection to the earth. As the night got late and the fire eventually grew cold, we spoke in soft voices about life and love .

As Jude and I crawled into bed, we found solace in each other. Jude rested his head on my stomach, listening to our child quietly grow. I combed my fingers through his hair until his breathing evened out, but no matter how tired I was, I couldn't shake the worry that had set down roots inside me.

Could this truly be the last we'd seen of the doctors and soldiers from the lab?