16 Provide, Protect

Ember

The next day slips by and I spend it staring at the ceiling. Only the hope of violence against Orion drives me to eat a frozen meal and drink water from the sink.

When the door at the top of the stairs swings open, I expect Orion to come in and ask if I’m ready to become his mate. If I don’t agree, the magic of the mate bond won’t work and he can leave me to rot or perhaps try a little light torture.

I’ve resigned myself to my fate.

Aster stands there, clothing drapes across her arms. I watch her coldly as she makes her way down.

“What do you want?” I ask .

“I’m the only one coming to help you, so perhaps you could be polite.” Her words are clipped, and there’s an undercurrent of exhaustion.

“What’s going on up there?”

“Orion has banished your mother, but he’s not going to let you go.”

“Is she okay?”

“She’s alive.”

Aster drapes a simple white dress over the banister and smoothes it with her weathered hands.

“The sooner you agree to be his mate, the easier this will be for you.”

“I can’t do that. He’s a monster.”

“You’re the only one who has a chance to curb him. We need you.” Her gray eyes stay on the ground. I’ve never felt much emotion through our pack bonds, but I can feel her regret.

“I’m being sacrificed, is that it?”

“You’re doing your duty to your pack,” she says simply. “He’s going to come for you soon. I recommend you get ready.”

“Thanks for the warning,” I say, bitterness on my tongue. “I don’t need a dress. I need a weapon.”

“I’m sorry, Ember.” She finally meets my eyes. I only see resignation in her gaze.

“If you can’t help me, go away.”

She does.

I pace anxiously, my nails digging into my palms. In a few hours, Orion will come for me. I’ll have to accept to even have a chance at getting my hands on a weapon. Will that be enough for the magic to take? The idea of his claim mark on me makes me want to throw up.

Ignoring the dress, I tuck a fork into my waistband. It’s the closest thing to a weapon I can find in this basement.

For too soon, the door at the top of the stairs creaks open.

“Ember, you’re wanted,” a guard calls.

Preferring to walk instead of being dragged, I march up the stairs and face my fate. Two younger men stand at the door, their heads bowed.

The front door stands open, and I pass through it, shoulders tense. Orion’s broad frame is outlined against a lowering sun, the pack spread out before him.

“You summoned me?” I say, my eyes scanning for a weapon, an escape, anything.

Orion looks over his shoulder, beckoning me forward. Arms crossed, I step diagonally, forward but out of reach. Let everyone know how much I despise him. His lip curls and fear twists in my gut. Those eyes promise retaliation.

Engines rev in the distance, and dust plumes from a line of SUVs pulling level with our compound. Orion snags my wrist and tugs me against him.

The crowd turns, facing the newcomers.

The first door opens and Zephyr steps out. The Alpha of the Ironcrest pack smiles wide, his short, silver hair glinting as bright as his teeth.

“I heard we had a new Alpha to greet,” he says.

Orion lets out a low growl, moving closer to me.

The older man strides forward, his guards falling into step behind him. The crowd parts as he approaches us.

An echoing boom sounds from our right, away from Zephyr’s convoy.

Orion’s hand seizes my wrist as dust sprays across us. The sounds of gunfire ricochets off the concrete block buildings.

Zephyr throws his arms out, steadying his people. “What the hell is going on?” he yells, just as Orion shouts, “Everyone down. Find them!”

Hands drag me back as the entire pack breaks into chaos. I’m pulled into the house, the noise dulling as the front door slams shut, closing me in. I scramble to get my feet under me.

“Who?” the guard yelps.

I don’t care what the distraction is. This is my only chance. Jerking against his hold on my arm, I pluck the fork from my waistband and stab the tines into his side. He doubles over, releasing me.

Another set of hands catch me, and I thrash and struggle against the hold. “Hey, it’s okay,” a familiar voice says.

Twisting to see, I meet Cedar’s soft blue eyes.

My panic clears, and I turn to see Onyx leveling a wolfsbane gun at the guard. Before the bleeding man can react, Onyx fires. The poisoned ammo takes seconds to render him unconscious.

Cedar releases me now that I am steady on my feet .

“Hey, I heard you needed a rescue,” Onyx says with a grin.

“Are you kidding me?” I cry, launching myself at him.

He hoists me up, my legs hooking around his hips as I bury my face into the crook of his neck. The world falls away as I breathe in his scent. I thought I would never get to touch him again.

Far too soon, he lets me go. Standing back, I gaze at him in wonder. He looks perfect, all visible wounds healed.

Terror grips me. I can’t go through seeing him almost die again. “Why did you come back? What were you thinking?” I whisper.

“I was thinking I couldn’t live without you,” he says before he tugs me forward and captures my lips with his.

The dull darkness of the last few days falls away, my body coming to life again. Energy surges in every cell of my body. I kiss him like he’s my oxygen and I’ll die if we stop or even slow for a second.

“Now’s not the time!” Cedar hisses.

He releases me. “As much as I love this, and love you, we need to go.” Without wasting another second, he grabs my hand and leads me toward the kitchen.

“We need to hurry,” Cedar says, taking up the rear and scanning behind us as we rush through my house.

“How did you manage this?” I hiss.

“A lot of wolfsbane and calling in favors,” Cedar says .

“Zephyr was the distraction. We followed his group in,” Onyx explains, pausing at the back door and peeking out. “Looks clear.”

“And the explosion?”

“Drones and fireworks,” he says with a grin.

Two guards lay unconscious between the house and the tree line. As we pass, Onyx kicks one in the leg and mutters, “Oops, motherfucker.”

“Hurry, they’re just up ahead,” Cedar snaps, keeping pace behind us. Jasper’s black car idles on the access road, just out of view of the main compound.

Marigold stands by the passenger side, a crossbow peeking over her shoulder. “Come on, you guys!”

Onyx wrenches the door open, pushing my head down as I leap in. The twins pile in behind me and Onyx pulls me up in his lap as he slides across the bench seat. I have no complaints. In fact, it’s not close enough. I want to burrow into his skin.

Jasper sits in the driver's seat, another gun in his lap. “Hey!” he greets me, before turning the steering wheel and feeding gas to the engine.

The car spits pebbles with a sound like rain as he peels out and drives northward. Marigold’s arm reaches across the center console to grip his thigh, her expression tense as she stares past us out the back window.

We hit the freeway and Jasper speeds, increasing the miles between us and the pack as quickly as possible. After twenty minutes or so, he eases off to the speed limit. We are all breathing easier and even smiling.

“Alright, I’d say that went pretty well,” Marigold says, leaning her head back against the headrest.

“Much more successful than my first attempt,” Onyx says, nuzzling against my temple.

“I can’t believe you guys came for me.”

“We weren’t going to leave you there,” Cedar says plainly, like it was the most obvious fact in the world.

“Why? I left on my own, and then…” I trail off, unable to verbalize what Onyx went through because of me.

“We heard shit hit the fan,” Onyx says, kissing my shoulder.

“I suppose that’s accurate,” I say, my mind whirling through everything that has happened and what to tell him. Jerking upright, I glance at Jasper. “Do you know what happened to Mom?”

“She’s recouping at Ironcrest,” he says calmly. “But that’s not where we are going.”

“How is she?”

“She’s doing pretty good, all things considered.”

Marigold looks over her shoulder and gives me a supportive smile. “She’s fine, just worried about you. She’s the one who convinced Zephyr to play decoy actually. Turns out, he doesn’t care for Orion or the northern pack.”

“Neither do I,” I said darkly.

Everyone is quiet for a moment. The road splits, and Jasper turns West, away from both his pack and mine.

“What happened after I left? Did he?” Onyx starts to ask, but can’t seem to finish his question .

Looking up at him, I attempt to smile despite the choking feeling in my throat. “After he challenged my mom, he demanded that I become his mate and when I said no, he locked me up until right now.”

I feel like I barely escaped a train crash.

“He’ll never get near you again. And I’m going to make him wish he had never even looked at you,” he promises. It’s the best thing I’ve ever heard and I reward him with a soft kiss.

“So seriously, what’s the plan? Where are we actually going?” I ask, feeling lighter than I have since leaving Onyx in the woods.

Jasper sighs, keeping his gaze on the road. “You guys are going to lay low for a while, and I am going to work with Slate and Hawthorne to put together a plan. Not totally sure yet what that’ll be, but we need you out of the way. No more idiotic schemes to run home and challenge anyone.”

His words sting. It felt like the right thing to do at the time. If I had known the consequences then, I would have made a very different choice.

“We’ll drop you off at a vacation rental nearby. You’ll hang out for a few days and then when everything is safe, you’ll come home,” Marigold says, looking pleased with herself.

“I’ll be staying to give you back up, and keep you out of trouble,” Cedar grumbles.

I reach over and squeeze his hand. “Thank you, Cedar.”

Onyx kisses my forehead, and I fold my arms in until I am cocooned in his embrace. Everything has fallen apart, but somehow I’m more than alright. Alone, I had no chance of helping my pack and my mother. With Onyx and my friends, maybe there’s a chance.

Onyx

The rental is a brick house at the end of a small neighborhood two towns over. Being ninety minutes away from everything makes me nervous, but it’s worth it for the safety. Granite Ridge will never find her here.

Jasper’s sleek, black vehicle pulls into the driveway and we climb out. Now I have her, all of the stress from the last few days dissolves, leaving me exhausted and a bit sore from wounds still healing. Sable said I had several fractures in addition to a nasty concussion, but shifters heal quickly and she helped it along with her salves and tonics. My bag in the trunk holds several of her concoctions. I wasn’t sure Ember would be okay when we found her.

Jasper inputs the door code and we step into a silent house. I note the security camera at the door. What must the owner think, seeing five young adults arriving together, two of us limping in and clinging to each other like they just survived the apocalypse? At least we left our weapons in the car.

“We can’t stay long, but I’m going to order some groceries and make sure you’re all set for a while. Better to be safe than sorry.” Marigold disappears into the kitchen.

Cedar and Jasper explore the other two bedrooms and hall bathroom. I open the interior door to the garage through the laundry room, revealing a ping pong table and a set of bicycles. Maybe our stay here won’t be too bad. Frankly, it wouldn’t matter if the house was completely devoid of entertainment. I have Ember back.

She brushes against me, peeking out. “Oh, don’t tell me you love ping pong,” she says, scowling at me playfully.

“It could be fun,” I say, wrapping my arms over her shoulders in a hug. “We could try making it strip ping pong.”

“Or not,” Cedar yells from the hall.

Ember’s nose wrinkles as she laughs silently.

“He’s going to be a total cock-block isn’t he?” I mutter, leaning down to kiss her.

“As much as I can’t wait to test that theory, it’s been a rough few days and I’m not feeling my best,” Ember murmurs, allowing me to support her weight.

My instincts to protect roar to life, and I lift her up, one arm under her knees in a bridal hold.

“That’s overkill. I just need a nap and some real food,” she says against my shirt. But she nuzzles down against my chest and allows me to carry her to the master bedroom. Cedar will be fine in the kids room.

Gently, I lay her out across the bed and pull a coverlet over her.

“I’ll rest here a bit, but I really am hungry,” she says, a yawn breaking her words in half.

Food, provide, protect.

Marigold sits on the kitchen counter with her phone in her hand .

“I’ve almost got the grocery order done and it’ll be here in an hour. I’m glad they have delivery. One of the benefits of a bigger town, I guess.” She looks up and smiles at me. “You look happy,” she notes.

“Yeah,” I say. “Everything’s going to be fine now.”

They had to tolerate my incessant worries over the last few days as we put together a plan, negotiated with Zephyr to help, and I healed from the beating I took.

“Thank you, Goldie,” I say quietly.

She slides off the counter and pats my arm fondly. “She’s your mate, so she’s family.” My stomach swoops at hearing her called my mate. It’s not official, not yet, but I love the sound of it. “Hazel is probably going crazy right now. We’d better text her.”

The Alphas had to stay behind. They couldn’t be involved in our smash and grab plan. And despite his grumpiness, Slate was supportive. Somewhere along the line, Ember won him over, or he knew Hazel would strangle him if he didn’t help get her back.

“I even got you s’mores supplies,” Marigold says with a wink before walking into the living room where Jasper sits perched on the edge of the sofa, texting on his phone.

“Oh, here,” Jasper says, pulling Ember’s phone from his pocket and tossing it to me.

“Thanks,” I say, tucking it away for later. Right now, I need to secure sustenance for my girl.

There isn’t much in the house, just a few basics the host was kind enough to stock, and a few random items previous guests had left. I find a box of crackers in the pantry that weren’t expired and didn’t seem too stale. It’s better than nothing and I’m not about to leave her to go pick something up, not when food will show up on our doorstep in fifty minutes.

Clutching my box of crackers in front of me like I had gone out and hunted wild game for my beloved, I stride back into the bedroom.

Ember is sleeping peacefully. She’s thinner than she was before. I hate the dark circles under her eyes and the hollowness of her cheeks. She’s still beautiful and always will be, but the signs of her mistreatment make my stomach clench.

Setting the box on the side table, I stretch out beside her and tug the blanket over my own chest too. She lets out a tiny noise and turns in her sleep until she’s tucked up against my chest.

A short nap won’t hurt. Especially right now when Jasper and Marigold are here too. With her in my arms, it’s all too easy to drift off.

“Dinner,” Marigold calls, waking us. Ember startles in my arms, looking around wildly. I run my hand down her arm, soothing her until she locks eyes with me and relaxes.

“It’s okay,” I murmur. She lets out her breath slowly, her brows furrowing. “Come on, I know you’re hungry.”

“Yes, please,” she says, climbing off the bed and rolling her shoulders.

Marigold, Jasper, and Cedar sit at the little kitchen table. Cedar is perched on a stool because there are only four chairs. Ember presses her lips into a thin line as she picks up a plate from the counter and slides into her seat.

She devours two grilled cheese sandwiches before she slows down. Marigold happily piles more tater tots and carrots onto everyone’s plates. She must have used an entire loaf of bread to make enough sandwiches for five shifters.

“There’s lots of easy-to-make frozen stuff in the fridge, like chicken tenders and lasagna. You guys should be fine,” she says.

“Thank you,” Ember says.

“Of course!” Marigold chirps, beaming at her.

Ember sets a tater tot back down. “So what did I miss while I was gone?” Her eyes meet mine, wide with guilt.

“I made it home and they patched me up,” I say gently.

“He was yelling about going back for you pretty much the entire time,” Cedar adds.

“We had to convince him a little strategy was needed,” Jasper explains.

“Yes, because rushing in worked out so well the first time,” Ember quips, her hand slapping over her mouth when she realizes what she said.

I chuckle. “No, you’re right.”

“I’m so sorry,” she says, “I can’t believe they hurt you like that.”

“Not the worst beating I’ve had,” I say with a shrug .

Cedar washes the dishes while Ember cuddles up to me on the sofa. Marigold and Jasper sit opposite us, hands linked over the side table. Jasper’s thumb rubs circles over Marigold’s wrist absently.

“Anything you can tell us would be helpful,” Jasper says, pulling out his phone to take notes. “I don’t think Sienna was being entirely honest with us and we don’t know enough about Orion or the situation.”

Ember pinches the bridge of her nose, gathering her resolve. Her bright hazel eyes move from me to Jasper. “It seems like most of the pack supports him. I don’t know what he’s been doing to win them over. Maybe they just respect his strength. After everything with my father, Sienna definitely lost their favor. I didn’t really pick up on it, but I’ve always-” She pauses.

“I know it’s been hard,” Jasper says softly. “Becoming Heir suddenly, trying to prove yourself especially when the pack is in so much turmoil.”

“Guess what, I’m not Heir anymore,” she says, her voice a little too high. My hand goes to her thigh. She’s not in this alone.

“So everyone seems to like him?” Jasper asks.

Ember nods, sinking her teeth into her lush bottom lip. It takes her two tries to speak again, as if she’s scared of what she’s going to say.

“I don’t think he desires me. He wants me as his mate to solidify his position as Alpha. So there has to be some dissent. But I honestly couldn’t tell you who or how much.”

My hold on her thigh tightens, and I have to flex my hand open before I hurt her. The reminder that he is demanding she become his mate heats my blood. I’m so ready to hurt this dipshit.

Sending my anger, she takes my hand and draws it to her mouth, pressing a sweet kiss to my knuckles. It feels so natural, like nothing at all, even though it’s everything to me. I’m crazy about this woman.

“We can use that,” Jasper says, leaning back in his seat. “I noticed a handful of wolves that seemed unhappy with him becoming second to Sienna. We might have a few allies.”

“Why?” Ember asks. “Your pack won’t want to interfere.”

“You know just as well as I do that Orion’s wolves will want war. Better to face them now than wait until they’re stronger and prepared.”

“Are you serious?” Ember says, her lips parted in surprise.

“Orion can’t stay in power. We worked too hard to become allies with your pack again. Zephyr agrees, as Cashel. We just have to find the right way to do it,” I say.

“I didn’t realize.” Ember breaks off her words with a yawn.

“It’s getting late. We should head back, babe,” Marigold says. “We can go back over our notes and make a list.”

Jasper nods absently, still lost in his own head.

Jasper and Marigold both hug Ember and she squeezes them back. My heart is full.

Cedar retreats to the secondary bedroom until it’s only Ember and I standing in the little living room .

“How are you doing there?” I ask softly.

She lets me wrap her in my arms, her chin tucking to her chest as she leans into me. “I can’t believe I’m here. I thought it was over. Seriously, I had lost hope.”

“No,” I murmur, gathering her up.

“You almost died.”

“Nah, it would take way more than that to take me out. Remember, you even tried to kill me and it didn’t stick. They didn’t stand a chance.”

“Onyx,” she says sharply, and I drop my playful smile. “I can’t go through that again. Seeing you unconscious and bleeding. It was the worst moment of my life.”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It looked worse than it was.” She probably knows I’m lying, but I don’t know what else to say to make it better. It wasn’t a great moment for me, and I definitely thought I wasn’t going to make it out of there alive.

“Don’t ever-” she starts to say.

“Come for you?” I interject. “Try to save you? Follow you?”

She scowls at me and pushes away, but I keep a hold of her waist so she can’t move far.

“I’d go through all of it again for you.” Her eyes widen and her mouth opens to argue. “It wouldn’t be my first choice. If I could help you by taking a little vacation or maybe save you by getting a massage, that would be much nicer.”

Gurgling laughter bursts out of her, and she wipes at her tears with the back of her hand .

“But don’t think for a second I wouldn’t do absolutely anything necessary to protect you.” My voice drops, threatening all kinds of dark things.

“I’d do the same for you,” she whispers. “In fact, I’m already planning several scenarios that involve torture for the men who hurt you.”

“There’s my beautiful, bloodthirsty girl,” I say before lowering my head to kiss her. She tangles her fingers in my shirt, kissing back with the ferocity I love in her. We break apart just long enough for her to pull my shirt over my head.

She shoves me backward and we stumble toward the master bedroom. Finally, I have her alone in a proper bed, and this time she won’t disappear in the night.

This isn’t a distraction, it’s devotion.

The door clicks shut and I press her back against it hard enough her emerald hair falls across her face. She lets out a low laugh. I tuck it behind her ear tenderly, running my fingers over the shell of her ear. She tips her head toward my touch.

“Be my mate,” I say simply. No teasing, no speeches, just my heart laid out before her.

Her hand rests against my chest and her fingers tap while she picks her words. “I’m not a safe person to be with.”

Grabbing her wrist, I move her hand to the scar across the bottom of my ribs. “I can take it. We already established that.”

Her expression darkens. “I am going to reclaim my pack and be Alpha. ”

“Okay,” I say immediately.

“Onyx,” she says slowly, “it’s what I have to do. And if you are my mate, you’d be Alpha too.”

It’s not a surprise. That’s how it works for every pack. Yet, it hadn’t crossed my mind that becoming Ember’s mate would mean I became Alpha when she did. I’ve never wanted leadership or power.

Before, I thought she'd give up her position, but I know her better now. Looking into her determined gaze, I know she will make it happen. Nothing could stop her.

So do I want her still, if it means becoming an Alpha?

Yes.

Without a doubt.

“I’m sure Slate can give me a few pointers,” I say, dipping my head to brush my lips against her cheek.

“Seriously, Onyx, I need you to be completely sure.”

I fix her with an unflinching stare. “Yes. I will be your partner and mate, even if it means learning to be an Alpha.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, her gaze softening and mouth parting. “Really?”

“I’ll be your trophy mate,” I say with a snicker. “Every strong Alpha needs someone pretty on their arm.”

She slaps my chest, but her smile widens, her dimple visible. “I’m trusting that you are completely sure. Because I can’t have you hold me back from my position. ”

“Ember, I would never hold you back.”

“Okay,” she says. When I don’t react, she repeats, “Okay, I’ll be your mate.”

Her words don’t sink in. Did she just accept? Is this happening?

“Onyx, did I break you?” she asks, tilting her head and pursing her lips.

“Wow,” I say, “I thought I would have to beg for at least a week before you gave in.”

“Are we going to make this official?” she asks, a nervous edge to her voice.

“I want to mark you and you mark me. But it can wait until you’re ready,” I say, my hands brushing down her ribs and waist before moving to her hands. Clasping both of her hands in mine, I pull them above her head, like when we first kissed.

“No, I don’t want to wait. We should face this together, as mates in every way. And then my pack can’t question you or treat you like that again.”

“Like you’d let them get away with that,” I murmur, admiring the way she’s stretched out. Her back arches, her head tipping back against the door.

“Are you ready to become a Granite Ridge wolf?” she asks softly, as if that revelation would change my mind.

“I guess we will have dual citizenship, because it goes both ways, my little hummingbird.” My words are nonsense, but I can’t help but poke fun.

“Mmm, I like that idea. When I claim my position, I’ll need help from your pack to clean house and rebuild the pack’s structure. Make it healthy. ”

“Jasper will be thrilled,” I say.

“Stop talking about my brother,” she teases. “Stop talking about everything. I need to make you my mate like I need air.”

“Yes, Alpha,” I say a split second before our lips crash together.