CHAPTER 7

RIVER

Ipulled back from her and sat up, more than a little hurt but trying my hardest not to show it. She followed, lifting herself up too.

I needed to know more, even though I had no right to be upset at her. She thought I was a cold-hearted killer. And even though we had established I wasn't, I had let her down. I had lied to her over and over again. Kept so much from her. Treated her as weak, even if that was never my intention.

Of course she moved on. Of course she found one of her own people.

I was stupid to think otherwise.

Maybe I shouldn't have pushed her so soon. Shouldn't have tried to make a move again.

It was just that seeing her here, in this spot that I had kept coming back to while she was gone, kept imagining her in—it was even better than I ever could have pictured in my head. Seeing her basking in the glorious light that filled the clearing as the blossoms floated around her. She just looked so perfect and I had missed her so much and it all just felt so right, having her back. I couldn't help myself.

I'd wanted to kiss her again—properly kiss her—since the first day she came back. That tiny peck in the driveway wasn't enough. And every day for the last few days I'd been imagining kissing her again.

Seeing her back, seeing her slot back into her place by my side, it was everything I wanted. Everything I'd hoped for these past torturous months. And I didn't want to waste the opportunity to show her how much I still loved her.

That wasn't my intention in bringing her here though; making out with her. I just wanted to show her a place I knew she would love. I just wanted to bring her some peace and joy and give us a moment alone to reconnect.

She seemed so happy and content.

And it was everything to me. Seeing her smile like that.

Seeing her expression now though, I was cursing myself for ruining a beautiful moment. For assuming that we'd pick up where we left off.

I'd give her all the time in the world.

Yet I couldn't stop myself from asking, "Is it the hunter friend? The one that's the leader's son?"

She swallowed. "Yes. How did you—"

"You didn't talk about him much. You skimmed over him when you spoke about your new friends."

"I'm so sorry," she pleaded.

Before I could say anything else, Zander's voice filled my head and I knew Vee would be looking at my glazed eyes.

Riv, we have a bit of a …. uh … situation at the packhouse.

He sounded breathless. Like he was running or something.

I visibly stiffened.

What sort of situation?

A Knight situation.

There was a moment of silence before he added, Not a friendly one.

"Fuck."

"What is it?" Vee's voice rang through the clearing, grounding me back to the real world where she looked at me expectantly and with eyes full of concern.

"One of your hunter friends seems to be terrorising the pack house." I tried not to sound too harsh as I bit the words out. My frustration wasn't at her, not in the slightest. It was solely directed at the poorly timed interruption during an important conversation. And my wolf wasn't taking it well. Not when my pack was in danger.And especially not when he just found out our girl was with somebody else.

Her beautiful eyes squinted in confused concern as she sat up straighter and then stood up abruptly, clearly ready to see the person from her new life. The life she had without me.

Once again, I tried to school the pain in my expression as I began packing up the contents of the picnic. But I knew I failed. She was always pretty good at reading me.

My heart was constricting and my pulse was racing as I pulled out every trick in the book to keep my wolf down and my anger at bay while we made the walk back to the car as quickly as possible and I sped back to the house.

We were silent as the forest trees flashed by and I knew her enough to know she was deep in her mind, overthinking and worrying about every possible scenario as I wordlessly did the same.

But my silence was also a result of the strain on my composure and the effort it took to keep myself and the beast within me calm.

I didn't know what to think about any of it. But I understood. I understood where she was coming from and my role in causing this drift between us. It had been plaguing me for months, the guilt so bad I thought it would consume me.

At least now with her back, I could breathe again. Knowing she at least didn't hate me. That's all I could ask for.

I'd do what I could to show her how much I loved her andtry win back her trust.

I just didn't know what would be waiting for us at the pack house. What we would walk into.

And I hoped and prayed with every fibre of my being that she didn't push me away with this reminder of her new life in her orbit again.

That she still gave me a chance.

Stepping out of the car, I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing.

I looked between the tall, dark-haired male—an annoyingly good-looking fallen angel clad in black—and Zander, who was pinned to a tree with multiple daggers, his face contorted in blind rage. Axel was just about to get in on the action, striding towards the hunter with an infuriated look and a stiff gait.

When my sweep of the rest of the pack came back clear and we locked eyes, the Knight looked at me with amusement at the state he'd left my Beta in and the reaction it pulled from me. That was until he saw the hand I held out in front of Vee, keeping her slightly behind me in a protective stance I just couldn't help.

My Vee. Mine to protect.

That's what my body language screamed at him, even when my mouth said nothing—it didn't need to.

His gaze turned to one of pure hatred before he looked at Vee.

"Did he touch you?" he addressed her, and my wolf wanted to rip his throat out for the tone he used, like she was his. "I'll castrate the fucking dog," he gritted out.

His words were cold and gravelly, but they didn't need to be loud to get his message across. I could see his valour in the way he held himself, from his stance to his schooled expression, despite his heated words. I knew he could kill with little effort. It was what he trained his whole life to do. To kill me and my kind.

He began to stalk towards me, dagger out and another one palmed and ready. Zander ripped out of his hold against the tree just as Axel began running towards our uninvited visitor, both their features morphing as they began to shift into their wolf forms, ready to protect their Alpha.

"Enough!" I growled, the full force of my Alpha authority behind my words. It stopped my wolves dead in their tracks, mid shift—but not the hunter.

My second and third returned to their human forms as the Knight continued forward towards me.

Vee stepped between her friend and me. "Griff. Stop." Her voice was strained but strong.

He halted. Like her words were enough to be his undoing. Like they were his gravity.

Griff.

So this was the guy. He'd come for her. Put himself in the middle of a literal pack of wolves without any backup. For her.

The jealousy and guilt that I had not done that for her hit me like a tonne of bricks. That I had not followed her—fought for her—when she had left me.

She turned to look at Zander, assessing him for any injuries. But he was fine. And no one else seemed like they were hurt. She looked at me then, eyes pleading. "Can you give us a minute, Riv?"

"Of course." I forced my voice to sound sure and calm and then turned to the others. "This is one of Vee's friends. No one touches him. He's our guest."

The words were hard to say. But they were true. There was going to be a lot more Knights around here soon and we had to learn not to kill each other if we were going to put down our mutual threat—no matter how much I didn't want this guy around.

He seemed pleased by the statement, but more so by the begrudging that he must have read on my face and between my words.

Then he smiled at me. A mocking, haughty smile that I wanted to punch right off his smug face. But I was the Alpha, I needed to remain collected and not let this dick get to me. Especially for Vee's sake.

Zander growled and pelted the daggers at the floor, piercing the dirt with the force of his animosity. Axel looked at me with unblinking eyes as he registered what I was saying. He was often my emissary, used to playing the diplomat between packs, so he immediately mastered his expression and nodded at me in understanding. He'd be my biggest aid in this treaty, and I'd make sure to utilise his talents for peacekeeping.

I knew this would be hard for my pack, letting the enemy in. But as much as this guy would piss us off, he wasn't the enemy. Not right now anyway. Even if he was the main obstacle standing between me and Vee.

So I ushered my wolves that had gathered to watch the spectacle inside.

The gapping stares and raised brows did not surprise me.

It was unusual for them to see a Knight. But also to see Zander bested by someone. He wouldn't take the hit to his pride well, that was for sure.

I hoped I could take the hit to mine.