33. Elisabed

33

Elisabed

The fire in the hearth crackled softly. The scene should have been comforting, but the illusion of comfort and warmth was ruined by Finn being perched near the door like a predator ready to pounce and Marshall standing by the window, his arms crossed over his chest, staring at nothing.

I was tucked under a heavy blanket on the couch, trying to appreciate the warmth instead of focusing on the stifling tension between my alphas.

“You’re too reckless,” Marshall muttered to Finn. “First attacking the humans, then August, and now trying to take Elisabed out of here without thinking of the consequences.”

Finn’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “Oh, forgive me for wanting to get her away from all this chaos. It’s not like I was doing it for her safety or anything.”

“Safety? Dragging her out in the middle of the night, injured and exhausted, is your idea of safety ?” Marshall snapped, his usual restraint cracking under the pressure.

I closed my eyes for a moment, the pounding in my head growing worse with every word they exchanged. The urge to step in, to stop them before it escalated, warred with the deep exhaustion weighing me down.

“And what’s your brilliant plan, Marshall?” Finn shot back, rising to his feet. “Wait here while August does something stupid and gets himself killed? Pretend we don’t have a war brewing because you can’t make a decision without consulting your precious strategy?”

Marshall’s head snapped toward Finn, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “You think I don’t know how bad things are? You think I don’t want to fix it? He’s my brother as much as he is yours, and you—”

“Stop it, for fuck’s sake! You’re so damn annoying.” My voice broke through the rising storm, louder than I intended, but it worked. Both of them froze, turning to look at me, their expressions shifting from anger to something softer—guilt, maybe.

Marshall cleared his throat.

“August went after Raol,” he said after a moment, his tone quieter now but no less tense. “Alone. He didn’t tell us because he knew we’d try to stop him.”

Finn’s jaw clenched. “And you’re just now telling me this?”

“I only just found out,” Marshall replied, his gaze steady but edged with frustration. I could understand. Finn went from wanting to abandon the other two alphas to lashing out in worry over August.

Their voices began to rise again, but I wasn’t about to let it spiral.

“You two are going to tear each other apart while the people we care about are out there, suffering,” I said firmly, standing despite the dull ache in my body. The blanket slipped from my shoulders, but I didn’t care.

Marshall took a step toward me, his expression softening. “Elisabed, you should sit—”

“No,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “I don’t need to sit. I need you both to listen.”

Finn crossed his arms, but the fire in his eyes had dimmed slightly. “We’re listening.”

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “I need you two to stop fighting. Right now, you’re all I have. You’re all this baby has. And if you keep tearing into each other like this, we’ll lose everything before we even have a chance to fight for it.”

Marshall’s eyes flickered to my middle, and Finn’s shoulders sagged ever so slightly.

“I need you,” I continued, my voice trembling with the weight of my words. “Not just to protect me, but to find my sister. To find August. And to figure out how we’ll survive all of this together. Because I can’t do it alone. I don’t want to do it alone.”

Finn shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. “Elisabed...”

“I care about you both,” I said, cutting him off. “I care about all three of you, even when you make me want to scream. I need you to see that we’re stronger together. Not just for this baby or me, but for all of us.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, their gazes locked on me as if they were seeing me for the first time.

“And when this is over,” I added, my voice softer now, “I want us to go home. Together. I want us to find a way to make this work, to be a family. But none of that will happen if we can’t hold it together long enough to get through this.”

Marshall was the first to speak, his voice low and steady. “You’re right.” He looked at Finn, his expression grim but sincere. “I’ve been so focused on the big picture that I’ve lost sight of what’s right in front of me. Of who’s right in front of me.”

Finn sighed heavily. “Yeah. She’s right. I’ve been an ass, too. We all have.”

“Thank you,” I said.

“I don’t like that he went after Raol alone,” Marshall said after a moment. “It’s reckless, even for him. Raol doesn’t just act alone. Many men are loyal to him and would do anything to keep him in power.”

Finn snorted. “Including playing dirty. Raol’s always been good at that.” He glanced at me, his gaze softening. “August might be smart, but he can’t fight an ambush. Not without backup.”

I stayed quiet, my heart pounding at the thought of August facing Raol—or worse, Raol’s pack—alone. He was capable, but he wasn’t invincible.

“So we go after him,” I said, breaking the silence. “We find him before Raol does.”

Finn raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the serious conversation. “And here I thought I was the take-charge type.”

Marshall ignored him, his focus entirely on me. “It’s not that simple, Elisabed. Raol has resources, and we don’t know exactly where August went. If we just charge in blind—”

“We’ll lose him,” Finn finished, his smirk fading. “Or worse.”

“Then what do we do?” I asked, my frustration bubbling to the surface. “We can’t just sit here while he’s out there.”

Marshall’s jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “We need information. If Raol’s involved, he’ll have left a trail—subtle, but it’s there. Raol likes to send messages, reminders of his power.”

Finn leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You think one of the outpost scouts might have seen something?” he asked.

Marshall nodded. “Exactly. Raol’s pack has a network, and August would have been careful not to leave too obvious a trail, but someone might’ve noticed movement—either August’s or Raol’s people.”

“Let’s go check with them, then,” Finn muttered, standing abruptly.

“Finn, wait.” Marshall’s voice stopped him mid-stride. “Let’s work out how best to approach this.”

Finn grunted and mumbled something under his breath as he sat back down.

“We don’t have time to gather our packs for a search, so we’ll split up,” Marshall said. “Finn, you head west toward the main roads—if August ran into trouble, it might’ve been there. I’ll head east toward the river. Raol’s pack uses that area to avoid patrols.”

“And me?” I asked, bracing myself for the answer.

Marshall’s lips pressed into a firm line as he spoke. “You stay here, Elisabed. You’ve been through enough, and you’re in no condition to be running after us. Especially not now.”

I stiffened, already knowing what was coming. “No.”

Marshall blinked, clearly not expecting my refusal. “Elisabed, this isn’t a discussion. It’s not safe—”

“I don’t care if it’s safe,” I interrupted, my voice steady despite the emotions churning inside me. “I’m going. If you try to leave me behind, I’ll just find a way to go after you alone.”

Finn tilted his head, his expression torn between concern and exasperation. “You’re stubborn, I’ll give you that. But this isn’t just about you, Elisabed.”

“And I’m not just sitting here, waiting for you to come back or not come back,” I shot back. “I’ve already lost too much. I won’t stay behind while the people I care about put themselves in danger. I can’t.”

Marshall’s jaw clenched, his frustration evident, but he didn’t interrupt.

I softened my tone, trying to appeal to them. “If I go with you, you can keep an eye on me. Protect me. But if you leave me here, I’ll go anyway. Alone. And then you won’t know where I am or what might happen to me.”

Finn closed his eyes and exhaled, irritated. “She’s got us there.”

Marshall glared at him before turning his attention back to me. “You’re not making this easy.”

“I’m not trying to,” I said firmly. “I’m trying to help.”

Marshall sighed. “Fine. New plan. We’ll head east together first, but you do exactly as we say. No wandering off, no taking risks. If things get dangerous, you let us handle it. Understood?”

“Understood,” I said quickly.

I followed them out, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and determination. Despite the risks, I knew this was the right choice. I couldn’t sit idly by while my alphas faced danger alone. We were stronger together—no matter what lay ahead.