Episode Thirty-One Touched by the Angels

M irron

I wake with my mate in my arms. He's asleep with the oddest look on his wolven face. His mouth and cheeks give the most pronounced appearance of peace. Perhaps he's having a wonderful dream.

I don't want to wake him, but I'm not sure I can wait another second to kiss him. I love him all day every day, but this morning just feels… more. I want to tell him how special he is to me and I want to dive into his gaze, and I want to fuck him. I always want to fuck him. But right now is different. Everything just feels bigger.

His lids flick open and his gaze flies to mine. There's a look on his face I've never seen before. A smile that pulls his mouth so far open his fangs peek out. And his eyes, those piercing blue eyes, the lines around them shout how happy he is to see me.

"Mirron. You're alive."

"Of course I am," I tease, then remember the fuckers from Up Above, their weapons that shot fire, and the heinous way they spoke to our prize. My eyes widen with worry as I ask, "The Prize?"

"She's safe," Dek says from in front of me while from behind me a tiny, pale hand snakes around my waist as Alliana says, "I'm fine. How are you?"

I turn on my back so I can see them both, then catch sight of Luka at the firepit in the middle of the cave. He's watching us with interest.

"Come over here, Kit," I call, using the name I used when I first joined our pack. He was so young, stupid, and eager back then. "Come join your pack."

"Will I ever be too old for you to call me Kit?"

"When you have as much gray in your hair as the monk silverback, you'll still be our Kit," I say with affection as I motion him over.

He joins us in three long strides, not hiding his excitement at being part of our happy pile of bodies.

"Speaking of the silverback," Luka says, his voice serious, "we need to get you up to date."

I'm stunned to hear I've been sleeping for three days. By the look of it, Dek is too.

I don't remember a moment of it—nothing after those motherfuckers from Up Above disrespected my female and then shot me.

Alliana tells me how she killed the last male and how the monks appeared and brought me back to the cave. I guess it shouldn't surprise me they were willing to save my life. Arguments between species usually involve little more than slinging insults. I must admit the hurling shit tactic still angers me, especially since it was little Alliana's first glimpse into our way of life in the Down Below.

Dek tells me how his body felt the pain in the exact place they shot me. I'd heard of the matebond affecting people, but that he really felt me when he was miles away makes me feel even closer to him.

When he describes the Energy Transfer, it takes me long moments to picture what he's describing. It's only when he uses the term "touched by the angels" that I even partially understand how profound the experience must have been.

"You were both out of it for three days," Luka says. "The little prize and I have been caring for you night and day. We've been so busy making broth and pouring it down your throats, we've barely had time to share sex in our furs."

"You can be an ass sometimes, little brother," Dek scolds with a rueful smile on his handsome face.

Alliana scoots closer and hugs me harder as she tucks her head against my chest so I won't see how flustered she is.

"Don't embarrass our prize," I tell him. Some things are better left unsaid. "Is that everything?" I ask, because it sounded like he wanted to tell me something else about the monks.

When Dek finishes the story, telling me the price he agreed to pay for saving my life, I take a moment to absorb everything.

Alliana could have been lost to us. Raped and returned to the prison of the Up Above. My little huntress found her courage and killed a male much bigger and heavier than she is.

By the looks on the brothers' faces, they didn't know that part of the story. They're staring at our little prize with awe on their faces, their mouths hanging open.

I almost died, which gave my mate excruciating pain when he was miles away on a hunt. Without the monks, Alliana might have gotten lost, or been attacked by wild animals as she tried to make her way back to the cave.

"We're lucky," I say as the truth of it hits me. "We're all still alive, and we're a true pack."

I move my shoulders, testing to see how much pain I'm in. Surprisingly, I feel good.

"If everyone agrees, we should eat some food, so we have the strength to share the furs all night long. By the time the sun rises tomorrow, I want to have two mates and one pack brother. Does anyone disagree with my plan?"

"Let's eat," Luka says as he strides to the stew pot.

"What are we waiting for?" Our little prize says as she gathers the nerve to peek at me from where her head is lying on my pec.

"I suggest we discover if you can make your way from the bed out to piss before we decide to fuck all night," Dek says with a smile.

"There will be no fucking tonight," I say seriously. "Tonight I want to see if we can all be touched by the angels without the help of the monk healer."