Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

William's eyes flicked back and forth, his mind immediately on high alert. Something was off. He couldn't sense anything off, but something must be wrong.

Chris called a morning meeting, which was already out of the ordinary, but it was the way his friend's voice had sounded. Almost cheerful. Chris was a lot of things, but cheerful in the morning was absolutely never one of them.

They were so close to the safe haven that William wondered if this wasn't just going to be a debriefing on how they were basically going to say, ‘Surprise, here's a female we didn't bring in through proper channels.'

He sat up, rubbing at his sleep-hazed eyes as if it would show what the hell the meeting was about. Liam and Bash were chatty but didn't appear to know anything. It was the tense silence between Chris and Alex that had William's stomach twisting into knots. They were usually the first to banter, Alex's cocky quips bouncing offChris's stoic exterior like a well-rehearsed routine. But now, the room was heavy with the weight of their unspoken words .

William threw off his blanket, padding over to the cracked mirror that hung on the concrete wall. His reflection stared back at him, eyes wide and searching. Had he missed something last night? He'd been so exhausted from their scavenging mission that he'd barely had the energy to scarf down MREs before collapsing into a fitful sleep. He never slept well when they ran out of real food.

A fitful night's sleep paired with Chris banging on the damn door, telling him and Bash that they were needed for a meeting didn't make for the best morning.Chris's deep voice had rolled through the door, ordering them to assemble in the communal area in five minutes. William had glanced at his watch to see if he was dreaming.

0530 hours.

Even the time had been off.

And now they were waiting for god only knew what because Chris had called the meeting and hadn't said a blasted word.

Chris stood by the wall covered in photos of past men who'd used this safe house. His arms were folded across his broad chest while Alex leaned against the far wall, the very picture of nonchalance. But William saw through the facade, noticing the way Alex's hands fidgeted behind his back, betraying his unease.

"All right, men," Chris began, his voice like granite. "I'm sure you're all wondering why I called this meeting." He didn't mince words, for which William was grateful. "Last night, we . . . encountered something."

William's blood ran cold. Encountered what? His mind raced. A rival faction? A new breed of creature? Chris and Alex had taken first watch, and nothing had seemed off when they'd woken him and Liam for second.

Chris continued, "It's complicated. But I need you all to trust me when I say that things are about to change." he scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "And more importantly, I think something has been going on for two weeks, with us all tiptoeing around it, hoping it would stop for the better of the unit."

"Why are you dancing around whatever must have happened?" William blurted out as worry over an announcement of a unit change coursed through him.

"As your leader, the betrayal falls on my shoulders. I've been entirely out of sorts since we decided we were the team to pick up a female and bring her to the safe haven."

Bash let out a heavy sigh, restless with the suspense, "Well, spit it out already!"

"Alex and I," Chris paused and glanced back toward Emma's door.

William's stomach dropped out from under him. They'd allowed something to happen to Emma. A strange fury toward his brothers in arms wrapped around William, coiling like a snake taking down prey.

"Fuck this is harder than I thought because it isn't just our business." Chris glanced at Alex who held his hands up in mock surrender. "Last night, Emma slept with Alex and I. I am so sorry if this came as a surprise to anyone," Chris continued. "I should have made sure everyone was in agreement before taking such a step." His voice was hoarse and thick with emotion. "We broke our agreement in a moment that I don't believe any of us would take back. A moment that may change our trajectory forward."

William's head spun, but he had so little time to process what was said.

"If we're bringing this up, I think I fell for her the moment she passed me Ranger's leash." Liam took his glasses off and rubbed the lenses—a clear tell he was nervous. "I've stolen kisses with her. It was impossible not to. She sees who I was before this shit started." Liam shrugged. "We agreed we wouldn't be with a woman who wouldn't want to be with all of us. I was worried that you all wouldn't agree when my heart was leaning closer and closer to hers every minute."

William wasn't shocked to hear Liam admit it. It was pretty damn evident whenever he looked at Emma. One of the main reasons William pushed away the way he felt was because of the way he saw her with Liam. It didn't seem like it would've been possible for her to feel for any one else.

Had this meeting just been to announce that Liam was leaving to take Emma the rest of the way, William would have been pissed, but he would've understood.

"Looks like Emma is quite popular around here." The corner of Bash's mouth turned up into something more genuine as he admitted, "And I have to say, her kisses make you feel like you're the most important person in the world." His voice was rough with emotion as if admitting this fact surprised even him, but there was no denying it. "When she looks at me, I don't feel like I'm the biggest fucking let down on the planet." He shrugged.

"It's the spoken honesty. The way she laughs at our jokes or smiles when we smile." Liam quipped, his hands anxiously moving as he spoke.

William's initial reaction to the revelation that Emma and the other men had been intimate without his knowledge was a quick pang of betrayal. He'd always prided himself on being true to his own moral compass, and the idea that they'd crossed this line without consulting him first rankled him.

His blue eyes clouded over, and his jaw clenched in barely restrained anger.

Chris either sensed or saw the discomfort in William's eyes. "William, I'm sorry. I should have talked to you first. I just . . ." He trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "It seemed we were all following suit and when Emma consented, it was just too heavy of a situation to turn back from. "

William took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "It's," he sighed, knowing he could never be upset with these men for following their heart, especially when his might be pointing in the same direction. "It's fine. I just wanted to get to know her better first." His voice was a whispered admission, but the honesty in his words hung heavy in the air.

Chris nodded, his eyes softening with understanding. "I get it, man. I really do." He clapped William on the back, a show of camaraderie and support. "We all just want what's best for her, you know? I think we danced around the idea of how we all felt because we felt things and thought it might be impossible."

William forced a half-smile, his gaze drifting to where Emma slept behind the door. He knew Chris was right. They were all in this together, and they needed each other if they were going to survive. And the one time he'd been supposed to protect her, he'd fucked up and ended needed Alex to fix his head.

Besides, he reminded himself, what right did he have to be jealous? They were all in this together, and protecting Emma was their top priority.

Chris cleared his throat, breaking the momentary silence. "So, here's the thing. I'm thinking we might need a vote."

"It sounds like we're all in agreement. We have a path forward with Emma if she'll have all five of us." Bash shrugged. "What's the vote?"

"What if we took Emma to the safe haven and then petitioned to stay with her? To make her our sole priority? I may be blinded by a really good time, but I don't think any of us want to see Emma taken away. Never mind knowing that other men would raise children with her."

"What Chris is trying to ask is, who has more than lust in mind when they think of Emma?" Alex pushed off the wall. "She knows the deal—our deal—and she didn't shy away."

Liam and Bash exchanged glances, eyebrows raised in surprise, while William felt a hot blush creep up his neck. Chris was a man of action, and the indecision etched into his face spoke volumes about the gravity of his words.

"Chris, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?" Liam asked, disbelief laced through his words.

The leader of the group ran a hand through his short hair, frustration evident in the motion. "I've given it some thought, and I can't shake the feeling that this might be our best shot at helping her and us. Leaving her with other men feels wrong. I'd always be wondering if she were okay or furious knowing someone else had become important to her, and I have a hunch we'd all be in the same damn sinking boat."

William's mind raced, trying to process the implications of Chris's words. He knew the rules, the impossibility that they would be deemed worthy of her. but the idea of sharing Emma with the other men not in this room?

William scoffed, his heart already soft for the female after just their time together as a group.

"I can't make a decision like that. Not until I know what I feel for her. It's fantastic you all know, but I'm not as caught up." The words came out before he even knew he thought them.

Chris nodded, uncrossing his arms and gesturing toward her door. "Will, I know this is a lot to take in, but hear me out. We all care about her. We'd do anything to keep her safe, right?"

One by one, the other men nodded their assent. Will included.

"Then let's do this, together," Chris continued, his voice firm and determined. "We'll find a way to make this work. We owe it to her, and to ourselves."

William looked into the resolute faces of his friends, and his own determination hardened. If this was what it took to save the woman they all cared for, to save their world, then he was in.

"All right, then," he said, extending his hand. "But can I talk to her first? Make sure she isn't getting stuck with some useless guy who she hasn't kissed?"

Though they all laughed, William wasn't kidding. He set his hand out, waiting for them to join him.

One by one, the other men clasped his hand in a firm grip, sealing their pact. They knew the road ahead would be fraught with challenges, but together, they would face them head on. Together, they would protect their chosen one, and fight side by side to save everything they held dear.

"Are we making a new plan for arrival then?" Liam's lips twisted into a grin when Ranger trotted out, his eyes quickly looking up to Emma standing just outside the door.

They released their grip, and William made his way toward Emma, his heart pounding in his chest. He wasn't sure what he would say, but he owed it to her, and to himself, to try.

"Morning," he stopped before her, trying to understand how he could be so awkward when the others had a natural coolness about them.

"Morning," she said softly, surprising him as her arms wrapped around him. "Is everything all right?"

William swallowed the lump in his throat, not trying to run from the way her hug enveloped him in joy. "Yeah, uh, I just . . . I wanted to talk to you."

She nodded and moved back into the room, inviting him to join her. He hesitated for a moment, then sank down onto the tattered blanket, their thighs touching ever so slightly. The electricity between them was palpable, and he swallowed the lump in his throat.

"What's on your mind, Will?" she asked, her voice full of concern. "I'm so sorry about last night. I understand what happened was done without the consent of your unit."

He took a deep breath, the scent of her shampoo filling his senses. "I . . . I wanted to... " He trailed off, at a loss for words. How could he possibly convey the whirlwind of emotions raging inside him?

Emma placed a reassuring hand on his knee. "Everything feels a bit upside down then, doesn't it?"

Her touch sent a shiver up his spine, and he found the courage to speak. "I wanted to talk to you about how you might feel about me."

Her cheeks flushed, and she looked down at her hands. "Will, I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you, or make you think you aren't amazing, because you are. It's just the situation, and the danger, and..."

He placed a finger on her lips, stopping her apology. "No, Emma, it's fine. I get it. I just . . .I wish I could have had that with you, too. I want to know you like that, you know?"

"I sort of thought you were the one I'd have a crush on most of all when we met." She smiled. "Charming and boyish good looks and a kind heart—you're like the boy next door I always dreamed of falling in love with."

William's hand hovered over hers, her warm skin sending waves of need coursing through him. He leaned in closer, his heart pounding in anticipation as he brushed her hair back from her face and touched his lips to hers.

The softness of her skin against his sent shivers down his spine. It was gentle at first, a delicate brush of their lips that turned into something more intense as he deepened the kiss. He could taste the sweetness of the strawberry lip balm she wore, mixed with what his mind told him she would taste like—like hope and courage and all the things he craved in this desolate world.

His hands found their way to the small of her back, pulling her closer while she wrapped hers around him, their hearts beating in sync. They were a mix of desperation and longing as they explored each other's mouths, tongues dancing in a perfect rhythm. It was as if they were two lost souls finding solace in each other's embrace after years of being alone. Their kiss intensified, their breathing heavy and ragged as they clung to one another for support.

Emma's fingers tangled in his hair, tugging gently on the strands as she pulled him closer still. Her body pressed against his with an urgency that surprised even him. Her touch was electric, zapping through him like a bolt of lightning, awakening desires he thought he could easily push away.

She moaned softly into his mouth, needing more from him than just this kiss. Their tongues tangled together hungrily until they finally broke apart, panting heavily.

"I promise you," she whispered, tracing his jawline with trembling fingers before trailing them down to his neck. "While I can't say I'm accustomed to feelings for this many men at once, my lack of time with you was due to nothing more than the others' more forward approach."

William pulled back slightly to look at her flushed face with wonderment and hunger etched on every line of it. "Emma," he murmured huskily before claiming her lips once again—harder this time with an urgency that spoke volumes about how much he needed this connection with someone else amidst all the surrounding chaos.

"I've been waiting for this moment for so long," he whispered. "I was so busy making certain you were safe and then feeling like a loser for getting injured that I didn't dare to think you might be interested."

"I have no idea how I could find myself so hopelessly ready to be surrounded by five of the most amazing men I've ever met, but I am, and I'm not afraid to say a part of me doesn't want to get to the safe haven. Not if it means losing even one of you."

William pulled her close, kissing her forehead gently. "We'll find a way to be together, I promise. The six of us, we'll figure it out."

He'd never been a man of action the way Chris and Bash were, but for Emma? For a chance to see what love could be like with a woman who was brave and kind? William was willing to step out of his comfort zone for that.

"Hey Chris," he stood up, a smile spreading across his lips. "We've gotta make a new plan for when we get to D.C."