29. Marshall

29

Marshall

Finn’s enraged growl reverberated through the house as I slammed the door to his room and locked it from the outside. His claws raked against the wood in frustration, and I knew he’d try to break it down if he thought it would accomplish anything.

“You better let me out, Marshall!” he bellowed, his voice raw with fury.

I leaned my forehead against the door for a moment, exhaustion creeping into my muscles. “Not until you calm down,” I said evenly, though I didn’t feel calm in the slightest.

“I am calm!” he snapped, punctuating the claim with another thud against the door.

“Like hell you are,” I muttered, more to myself than to him. Finn was too volatile right now, his fury at August only stoking my own. The house couldn’t take any more damage, and neither could we.

I pushed off the door and focused on the one thing that mattered more than my anger—Elisabed.

She sat slumped on the couch in her room where I’d placed her, her arms wrapped protectively around herself, tears streaking her pale cheeks. The sight of her like this twisted something deep in my chest.

“I’m taking you to the healer,” I said gruffly, kneeling before her. Her shoulder was a mess, blood seeping through the makeshift bandages I’d made. The gash wasn’t deep enough to be life-threatening, but it needed proper care—and soon.

Her gaze flicked to me, hollow and distant, before dropping back to the floor. She didn’t resist as I scooped her into my arms, holding her carefully to avoid jarring her injured shoulder.

The wind outside howled as I carried her through the settlement to the healer’s rooms. Every step felt heavier than the last, my mind replaying the scene in the forest over and over. Raol had taken her sister. August had lost control. And I...I’d failed to keep her safe.

Liora ushered us in without question. Her sharp eyes immediately zeroed in on Elisabed’s injury. “Sit,” she instructed.

I set Elisabed down gently near the fire and watched as Liora cleaned the wound efficiently, keeping her hands steady even as Elisabed winced.

“She’s lucky,” Liora murmured. “Another inch, and it could have torn through the muscle.”

Elisabed didn’t respond. She sat motionless, her gaze fixed on a point somewhere beyond the room.

“Will she heal fully?” I asked, my voice low.

“With proper care,” Liora said, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

I nodded, relief tempered by the lingering tension in my chest.

Once the wound was treated and bandaged, Liora straightened and turned to me. “I was going to send for you all tomorrow, but since you’re here...”

I frowned. “What is it?”

Liora glanced at Elisabed, who blinked in confusion, still caught in her haze of grief and pain.

“The blood test,” Liora said softly, her expression unreadable. “The one you requested after she arrived.”

My stomach sank. I’d nearly forgotten about it, the chaos of the last week pushing it from my mind.

“I have the results.” Liora hesitated, then looked at Elisabed directly. “Congratulations.”

Elisabed tilted her head at the healer’s words, confused.

“You’re pregnant,” Liora said.

The words hit the room like a thunderclap.

Elisabed’s head jerked up, her eyes wide and disbelieving. “What?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Liora’s expression softened. “It’s early—you’re just a few weeks along—but there’s no doubt.”

Elisabed’s hand trembled as she placed it over her stomach, her face a mixture of shock and confusion.

“Are you sure?” I asked, my voice rough.

Liora gave me a pointed look. “I don’t make mistakes about these things, Marshall.”

I turned to Elisabed, whose expression had frozen in stunned silence.

“Elisabed...” I started, not knowing how to finish.

She shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks again. “This wasn’t supposed to happen...not yet. Not now,” she said.

I crouched in front of her, resting my hands on her knees. “We’ll figure this out, Elisabed. We all will. It’s a lot, but we can do this together.”

“I don’t know if I can,” she whispered, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

“Of course you can,” I said. “You can do anything you set your mind to, Elisabed. You’re strong, and you’re capable—and you’re not alone in this.”

The walk back to the house was silent, the weight of the revelation hanging heavy between us. I brought her to my room, unable to bear the thought of leaving her alone tonight.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed. “Why did he take her?” she whispered, her voice cracking.

The question twisted something deep inside me.

“Because he’s a monster,” I said, my jaw tightening. “To him, she’s a commodity. A tool to hurt you. He won’t harm her badly, not if he wants to maintain her...value.”

Elisabed flinched at the word, her tears spilling over.

“That’s why we’re doing this,” I continued, my voice quieter now. “Me, August, Finn—we’re fighting to end this. The selling, the slavery, the exploitation of omegas. It’s why we turned on the council. It’s the reason we’re willing to risk everything.”

“Then fight now,” she pleaded, her voice rising in desperation. “Declare war and end it now!”

I exhaled slowly, my frustration simmering beneath the surface. “It’s not that simple,” I said. “We don’t have the numbers or the resources. If we move too soon, we’ll lose—and no one will be left to stop them.”

Her shoulders slumped, the weight of my words crushing her hope. “Who made you so detached?” she whispered into her hands, and the statement pierced through my heart like a killing blow.

How could I begin to explain to her the strict household I grew up in, the expectations to be the alpha my people needed, the lessons my father taught me that I still held onto. I couldn’t find the words to answer her question. I didn’t use humor to deflect like Finn or shut off and isolate myself like August. I wanted to be clear and direct with her, but for the first time in my life, I had no idea how to do that.

Elisabed looked up from her hands after my prolonged silence. “I’m sorry, Marshall. That wasn’t fair of me to say,” she said, dejected and exhausted.

“No,” I answered immediately. I couldn’t let her blame herself when she didn’t do anything wrong. “You’re right. Someone did make me like this.”

Her eyes widened at my honesty.

“My father, he came from a long line of pack alphas. He taught me everything I know to become the alpha our people needed. That cold logic was the only way to deal with things. That emotional attachments only cloud your judgment. He didn’t have bad intentions, but I’m starting to realize he was wrong about a lot of things.”

“Not everyone is 100% right or 100% wrong. I’m sure he’s proud of what you’ve accomplished here,” she said, only taking a moment to process my words. She was quick like that, taking in information and analyzing it in seconds.

I spoke before I convinced myself to keep the truth hidden. “I wouldn’t know. He forced me to challenge him for the alpha position. A challenge to the death.”

This time she gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. I didn’t know if I did the right thing, revealing such upsetting details about my past when she was already distressed, but something told me she deserved to know. She was carrying our pup. She deserved to know who I really was.

“Oh, Marshall,” She breathed out and gently pressed a warm hand to my cheek. Her touch was different from what I expected – soft, careful, like she was handling something fragile, not a detached alpha who killed his own father for power.

“No one should have to do that, but you carried out his final wishes. Maybe it’s time to let go of that and be more than what your father expected of you.”

I let her words settle over me, each one like a slow, steady breath that loosened the tightness in my chest.

“I don’t think I know how to be more than that,” I muttered, more to myself than her.

She didn’t hesitate. “You already are, and I need that side of you, the side that’s protected and cared for me, right now. Not the powerful alpha, but my mate.”

Her confidence in me hit me harder than any challenge I’d ever faced. I cleared my throat, unsure if I was going to say the right thing, but knowing I had to try. “I swear to you, we’ll get her back, Elisabed.”

She didn’t respond, her eyes widening and filling with tears. As her head bowed and sobs wracked her small frame, I panicked, thinking I had said the wrong thing. But just as I was about to close off again, she threw herself into my arms and thanked me.

I held her, unsure how to comfort her. My presence wasn’t enough—not this time. I had to give her more. Eventually, her sobs subsided, replaced by the sound of her uneven breathing.

“It won’t stop,” she finally murmured. “The images. The sounds. I—” Her voice broke, and she covered her face with her hands.

My hand hesitated in the air before settling gently on her knee. “What do you need?” I asked softly.

“Stay with me,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Distract me. Please.”

Her tear-streaked face turned toward me, her eyes wide and desperate. I knew what she was asking—what she wanted.

I leaned closer, my hand moving to cup her cheek. “Are you sure?”

She nodded, her breath hitching, and grabbed me by the shirt.

I didn’t wait for more.