16. Elisabed

16

Elisabed

The scent of blood still filled the air as we surveyed the carnage. My body ached from my unexpected shift, and my mind was still hazy, swimming with adrenaline and instinct.

How did I do that? Was my wolf finally back?

Finn was muttering something under his breath as he crouched to wipe the blood off his hands, but the words barely registered.

I shifted my focus to August, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might snap.

His carefully maintained calm was gone for the first time since I’d met him.

“What were you thinking?” August’s voice wasn’t raised, but it didn’t need to be—the steel in his tone made my stomach twist.

Finn straightened, meeting August’s glare with his usual nonchalance. “I was thinking they were going to hurt her.” He gestured toward me without even looking. “So I handled it.”

“Handled it by tearing into them like a feral pup?” August echoed, his voice sharpening. “We’re trying to stay unnoticed, Finn, not leave a trail of blood and death behind us!”

Finn rolled his eyes. “Oh, forgive me for reacting when our omega was in danger. Maybe next time, I’ll stop to ask for permission before saving her life.”

My heart sank as the fight I feared began brewing.

“You didn’t save her!” August’s voice rose, his control fraying. “You endangered her. Do you have any idea what happens now? The scent of blood, the bodies—they’ll find this. Humans aren’t stupid, Finn. They’ll follow the trail, and it will lead right to us.”

“She was in danger,” Finn snapped. “And what were you doing? Standing there and hesitating, like you always do when it comes to humans.”

August clenched his fists, his entire body trembling with suppressed fury. He stepped closer to Finn, and the tension between them spiked, the air crackling with the threat of violence.

Finn’s smirk twisted into something darker as he leaned closer. “You hate this because you’re too soft on humans. You can’t even stomach the sight of their blood because it reminds you of what you did.”

The words hit August like a physical blow. His breath hitched as his control slipped.

“Stop it,” I said, my voice firm as I stepped between them.

Both of them froze, their attention snapping to me as if they’d forgotten I was there. I met August’s gaze first, his gold eyes flickering back to gray as he fought to pull himself together. Then I turned to Finn, his smirk faltering under the weight of my glare.

“What’s done is done,” I said, keeping my voice steady despite my pounding heart. “We can’t afford to fight amongst ourselves, not now. Not with everything at stake.”

The tension eased, just barely, as August stepped back with a sharp exhale. His gaze softened slightly when it landed on me.

“We don’t have time for this,” said Marshall firmly, looking at the bodies on the ground. “We need to clean this up. Now.”

“I can help,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Three pairs of eyes snapped to me, each one filled with a different kind of intensity.

“No.” August’s response was immediate and final.

“You’re not touching them,” Marshall added, his tone firm but softer than August’s. “You just shifted for the first time in a long time. You deserve rest.”

Finn smirked, though there was no real humor in it. “We’ll handle it, little omega. Listen to Marshall.”

They moved quickly, working in grim silence, but August lingered, his presence drawing me in despite the chaos around us. The bite of winter air did little to cool the heat building beneath my skin as he took a hesitant step toward me, his expression torn between frustration and something achingly tender.

“Are you hurt?” he murmured, his voice low and rough. They had all looked me over already, but his voice was desperate, as if he didn’t believe his own eyes. “Are you okay?”

I gave a small nod, and his shoulders slumped. The tension in his body began to ease, taking all his energy with it.

“I’m okay, August. I’m safe,” I said, stepping closer. “I promise you, I’m okay.”

Everything else faded away for a moment—the blood, the bodies, the anger. It was just the two of us, standing in the aftermath, trying to hold onto something that felt steady.

“You shouldn’t have been put in this position,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We didn’t want your shift to happen like this.”

“None of us deserved this,” I answered quietly, reaching for his arm. “But I don’t regret it.”

August cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin gently. “I should have protected you from it,” he said as I leaned further into his touch.

His scent wrapped around me, calming and intoxicating all at once, grounding me in a way that nothing else could.

“August,” I whispered, his name a fragile thing on my lips.

His gaze locked onto mine, intense and unyielding. “You’re more important than you realize, Elisabed. To all of us.”

I wanted to believe him, but the words lodged in my throat, unspoken. Instead, I rose on my toes, my hands brushing against his chest as I pressed my lips to his.

The kiss was soft at first, tentative and searching, but I sank into it when he didn’t pull away, letting the world around us fade. His hand slid to the back of my neck, tilting my head as he deepened the kiss, his control unraveling just enough to let me feel the fire simmering beneath his calm exterior.

When we finally broke apart, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my skin.

“You have no idea what you’re doing to me,” he murmured, his voice raw.

I smiled softly, brushing my fingers against his jaw. “I think I have some idea.”

He huffed a quiet laugh, pulling me closer. For the first time since the fight, the tension in my chest eased, and my wolf fully settled.

The spell broke, and the world came rushing back in. Finn was watching us, his expression unreadable, while Marshall stood a few paces away, his arms crossed as he surveyed the scene. They’d already cleared the bodies.

Without another word, we gathered our things and set off, the forest swallowing us whole as we put as much distance as possible between ourselves and the clearing.

The road ahead was quiet; the only sounds were the rustle of leaves and the soft crunch of our boots against the dirt. The tension lingered, unspoken but heavy, and I could feel the weight of their emotions pressing down on me.

Finn had fallen behind, his usual swagger subdued, while August walked ahead, his posture rigid and unyielding. Marshall stayed close to me, his presence steady and grounding, but even he seemed more guarded than usual.

“Are you okay?” Marshall asked quietly, his voice breaking the silence.

I nodded, though I wasn’t sure if it was true. “I’ll be fine.”

He studied me for a moment, his gaze searching. “You shifted. You were incredible back there.”

I glanced up at him, surprised.

“You protected your pack,” he said. “That’s more than most would have done.”

The words warmed something deep inside me, even as the reality of what I’d done lingered like a shadow.

“I didn’t think,” I admitted. “I just...reacted.”

He smiled, a rare and fleeting expression. “Sometimes, that’s the best thing you can do.”

We walked silently for a while longer, the tension slowly easing.

As the miles passed, new possibilities opened up before me. I could still shift—despite what my old pack had told me.

I’d also learned something about myself. I would always have a primal and unrelenting need to protect those who I cared for. I’d risked my life to protect my sister, and I’d done it again for these alphas.

They were mine—and I’d do whatever it took to keep them safe.