12. Marshall

12

Marshall

The walk back to our rooms was steeped in tension, and none of us spoke aloud. Elisabed led the way, her back straight and her chin tipped up, but I could see the slight stiffness in her shoulders and the way her fingers twitched at her sides.

She tried to pretend she wasn’t affected by the stares in the dining hall or by the little scene with the barmaid, who had openly ogled us, but I’d seen her glance at the woman through dinner. Elisabed’s jaw had tightened, and she’d pushed the stew around her bowl a little more forcefully.

Her jealousy was adorable and gave me hope that our little plan would work out. My wolf loved how possessive she was over us, and she was getting stronger every single day.

We reached her door, and Elisabed pushed it open, stepping inside without looking back. I caught August’s eye as he paused at the threshold. He exhaled slowly, his usual calm demeanor giving little away.

“You did well today,” he complimented her, his voice soft enough that she might’ve missed it if she hadn’t turned to face him. “Your wolf is getting stronger.”

Her lips parted slightly, surprise flashing across her face as she bit her lip. “Thank you.”

It was a brief moment that shouldn’t have stirred anything in me, but it did. She looked so good like this, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed with delight. Fuck. I’ve never been good with words, always quiet, but if praise gets this reaction out of her, I’d become a poet just for her.

Finn ruined the peace and my train of thought by leaning against the doorframe, his smirk already tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So,” he drawled, glancing between August and me, “who’s staying with her tonight?”

Elisabed stiffened, her eyes darting to Finn before quickly looking away.

August frowned. “We don’t need to decide here,” he said, glancing at Elisabed as if she wasn’t already aware of the conversation. “She doesn’t need to—”

“She does need to decide,” I said sharply, crossing my arms. “If we’re all supposed to protect her, then she gets a say in how we handle it.”

Elisabed blinked, clearly caught off guard by my words. “Just draw a straw,” she muttered, her gaze darting between the three of us like she couldn’t pick which one she’d like to sleep with.

“Fine,” Finn said, straightening and searching for something we could use. When he was done, each of us pulled one.

I got the shortest.

Finn sighed dramatically, annoyance obvious in his expression. “The brute stays.” He stepped toward Elisabed, leaning in close enough that his breath stirred the loose strands of her hair. “Jealousy looks good on you, my little omega,” he murmured, his voice low and teasing.

Her breath hitched, her cheeks darkening, but she turned her face away, pretending his words hadn’t sunk their claws into her.

When Finn straightened, his smirk was sharper and more satisfied. He cast a parting glance at August and me before sauntering out the door. August followed him, his expression as calm as ever, though I caught the faintest edge of exasperation in his sigh.

And when the door clicked shut, Elisabed finally turned to face me, her eyes cautious but searching.

Until now, we’ve never had alone time, just the two of us, and I wasn’t sure what to say. I wasn’t even sure what I was feeling. The tension from the dinner still thrummed under my skin, but it wasn’t just that. Something about being alone with her, the way her presence filled the small room, made me feel off-balance. My wolf begged me to move closer to her, to throw her over my shoulder and take her to bed like a fucking caveman, but I ignored him. This wasn’t the right time for that.

I had made my decision the moment I drew the short straw.

I was going to tell her tonight.

Awkwardly, we both chose the same moment to speak.

“I’m not sure—” she started.

“There’s something you need to know—” I said.

We both stared at each other, and she laughed softly, her smile the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. “Go ahead.”

I exhaled and cleared my throat, running a hand through my hair. August wouldn’t be happy about this, but it wasn’t right to keep it from her much longer. She was only getting stronger every day. Her wolf would show up soon, there was no doubt about it. “This is something we probably should’ve told you from the start,” I said.

Her posture shifted, her body going rigid as she waited for me to continue.

“There’s a fight coming. A big one. One that will throw our world into chaos,” I said bluntly, the words heavier than I intended.

Her breath caught, her eyes widening as she stared at me. “ Chaos ? A fight? Against who?”

“Everyone,” I said. “The pact—the one that binds the council alphas together—is falling apart. The other alphas are power-hungry and more ruthless than ever, and they’re turning the council against each other. They’ve made their alliances and turned their backs on the original intent of the pact. The council is corrupted to the core. August, Finn, and I don’t trust the other alphas to make the right choices...so we’re going to break the pact.”

Her brow furrowed. “But I thought breaking the pact—”

“Comes with risks,” I finished her sentence. “Yes. It does. But it’s the only way to stop what’s coming. If we don’t act now, we’ll lose everything.”

She stared at me, her expression shifting between fear and understanding. “And what happens to you if you break it?”

I hesitated, thinking of the centuries of history behind the pact, the ancient magic that ran through the bonds everyone on the council had sworn to. The formation of the pact was folklore at this point, something every young wolf had been taught about. Elisabed already knew about the years of bloody war between rival wolf packs that destroyed our population. She already knew about the council founders, the strongest pack alphas who came together to pool their resources and stop the madness, creating the pact to ensure they could never betray each other.

It had saved our kind, but no one talked about the consequences. No one wanted to face that the council was corrupt because no one wanted to talk about what Elisabed was confronting head-on.

I swallowed and thought hard before admitting the truth. “Breaking it...it means madness. Those who pledged their loyalty are guaranteed to go feral, potentially affecting those in the proximity when it happens. We could be looking at hundreds of feral wolves all in one place, including us. But that’s why you’re here.”

Her lips parted slightly. I only caught a second of fear in her eyes before it turned to understanding, and her gaze dropped to the floor. “Because an omega’s purpose is to balance their alphas, which can keep you from losing yourselves.”

She was quicker than we gave her credit for.

“Exactly,” I said quietly, pulling the dagger from my belt and holding it out to her. “Take this. You should be able to protect yourself if you ever get separated from us.”

She hesitated only briefly before taking the dagger with a confident grip. She already knew how to use it—if the scars on Raol’s neck were anything to go by. Her fingers brushed against mine as she took it, and I felt a spark of electricity climbing up my arm.

“Keep it with you,” I said. “And don’t hesitate to use it if you need to. I’m assuming you know how to use it since you almost decapitated Raol.”

She choked on a surprised laugh and nodded, her grip tightening on the hilt. “Decapitated is not the word I’d use, but I might know a few things. Thank you for this.”

The words were simple, but the way she said them—soft, almost reverent—made something shift in my chest. August had been so scared the truth would terrify her and close her off, but she handled it with grace.

I didn’t trust myself to reply, so I guided her toward the bed. She settled into the blankets, patting the spot next to her as an invitation. I didn’t hesitate, lowering myself next to her as her body curled instinctively toward mine.

The room grew quiet as I wrapped my arms around her, her eyes filled with something akin to sadness, but before I could ask her about it, she closed the gap between us, pressing her lips softly against mine.

A growl rumbled on my chest, and I pulled her close as the kiss deepened. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. The world outside disappeared in that instant, and I felt the weight of everything lift off my shoulders for the first time. All that existed was her warm mouth and her soft body moving against mine.

When I pulled away, her breath was shaky, but her eyes were heated. She looked at me with an emotion I couldn’t quite read and slowly settled on the pillows, her breathing, slow and even as she drifted into sleep.