Chapter 26

Larkin

Odhran's estate was grand and extravagant, yet compared to the Scottish Lycan king's home it seemed almost… modest in comparison.

We'd arrived at the royal family's home an hour before, and I'd been introduced to everyone I hadn't previously met.

I met Banner, the Scottish Lycan king who was regal and respectful. I met two of his sons, Caelan and Tavish, along with Cian, who was the general of the Guard—the army for the Lycans. I was happy to see Luna, Evie and Darragh again.

I met Romanian Lycans Ren and his brother Luca, who'd come from Eastern Europe with their mates, Mikalina, and Banner and Luna's daughter Ainslee.

I'd been introduced to so many different people that I'd felt a little too overwhelmed. Everyone was so nice, hedging around the fact they wanted to ask how I was, if I was okay, how I was acclimating to it all.

But they were respectful of me and the situation, and stayed on neutral "safe" topics.

But my discomfort at being in any type of crowd was obvious because Odhran had sensed it, ushering me away with a gentle hand on my waist as he led me outside.

And that was where I currently was, alone on the patio overlooking the gardens because I'd insisted Odhran go speak with Banner and the other males about the measures that needed to be taken on taking out the Assembly.

I stared out at the beautiful, lit garden, with the night-blooming flowers and remembered the flowers Luna had given me from that very garden.

I leaned against the stone wall on the patio right off the ballroom. At least that was what I called the room. It had an elaborate antler-and-crystal chandelier that hung from the center of the ceiling, and a massive banquet table sat underneath, the top covered with gleaming silver platters that had been filled with so many different kinds of food, I'd never seen such choices.

I glanced over my shoulder and saw the mated couples congregating with each other. They looked so happy, smiling and laughing, and here I was, unable to be surrounded by so many people because I felt suffocated, claustrophobic.

I could see Odhran off in the corner speaking with Banner and two other large males. I didn't miss how he kept glancing in my direction. Always my protector. Always making sure I was okay and comfortable.

After giving him a reassuring smile, I faced forward again and looked at the property. I could see dark shadows moving throughout the tree lines, knew that they were the guards who watched over the royal family. I looked down at the champagne glass I held, the liquid bubbly, the glass half filled because the flavor wasn't to my liking.

I heard the patio door open and glanced over my shoulder once more to see Luna stepping out, her long blond hair hanging loosely around her shoulders and almost down to her waist.

She was beautiful in an ethereal kind of way, with bright blue eyes and porcelain skin. Her daughter Ainslee took after her in that regard. They were both so kind, with personalities that put me at ease instantly.

Luna's brother Adryan had come by shortly before I stepped outside, a big hulking beast of a male with dark hair and bright blue eyes that was the complete opposite of his sister in every possible way.

He came across as an arrogant dick.

And yet he kept an arm around a dainty human female, one I instantly recognized as Kayla. As soon as she'd arrived with her mate and seen me, she'd covered her mouth with a hand, her eyes had gotten big and watery, and then she'd hugged me.

I remembered when I first met her back in that cell, how terrified she'd been, how she knew without a doubt her mate would come for her. I'd seen that reality in her eyes, and I felt this pleasure settle in me that they'd been reunited. I was genuinely happy she'd gotten out of the clutches of the Assembly.

I watched them for a few more seconds and felt a smile on my face. With everybody else Adryan had a stern, almost apathetic expression on his face. But I didn't miss the longing in his eyes every time he turned and looked at his female.

Luna came to stand beside me, but neither of us said anything for long moments as we both gazed over the grounds. I could've started small talk, told her how gorgeous her home was, how beautiful the dinner had been. But the silence was comfortable. Comforting. So I stayed quiet and she did the same.

Murmured voices from inside filtered out, and after a while she finally turned her attention to me. I could feel her gaze and glanced over at her, giving Luna a genuine smile.

"I've never seen him so happy." Were her first words.

I didn't have to ask what she meant to understand her meaning.

"He acts as if he's…" she paused and looked out at the garden, "…like he's finally alive." Her voice was soft with care.

It was said in a way that sounded motherly, filled with affection for Odhran. And it warmed me that she could see that he was in a much better place now.

She was silent, and there was a second when I could see the empathy reflected back in her blue eyes. I felt my throat tighten, my emotions rising up.

Although I appreciated her sympathy, I didn't want anyone to feel sorry for me. I wasn't the only one who'd gone through atrocities and trauma. And I didn't want to be defined by that. As if she realized what I was thinking, she nodded slowly.

"I won't say what I really want to because I can see on your face you're carving out a new path for yourself. And I want that for you. I may not know you, but I want that for you, Larkin. But I am sorry. I'm sorry so much of your life was taken from you. I'm sorry you didn't have a voice in the matter. But you'll never have to be alone again. Not only do you have Odhran… you have all of us, too."

She glanced into the home, where everyone was talking and laughing, enjoying each other's company.

"Every single one of those males and females in there has your back. You have their undying support."

I was all choked up, because she said the perfect thing at the perfect time. She straightened and nodded, turning back toward the guests.

"Thank you again for coming over with Evie and Darragh, and for all the wonderful things you brought."

"Honey, you are so welcome." She gave me that motherly smile I was really growing to love. "I'll give you a moment to yourself, or take all the time you need. No one will pressure or rush you. We are just so glad you're here and you and Odhran have been reunited."

She turned to head back inside. Before she entered, I said, "Thank you again. You have no idea how much your words… how much everything means to me."

She didn't say anything but she did give me a smile, and then she was inside, a rush of noise coming out onto the patio until she closed the door, muffling it once more.

I glanced at Odhran and saw he had his hawk eyes trained on me, a silent question asking if I was okay. I gave him another reassuring smile. I knew he'd storm right out here and make sure I was okay himself.

I saw his shoulders visibly relax. I knew he'd been worried about bringing me here tonight, but I didn't want to be considered fragile. I was stronger than that.

I brushed away a tear I hadn't known had fallen until it was sliding down my cheek, glanced once more at the night-blooming flowers, and then headed inside.

After telling him I was going to make a detour to the restroom to freshen up, and assuring him I didn't need an escort, he gave me a kiss on the center of my forehead, and I left.

I wandered around the first floor, looking at some of the Scottish heritage decor before giving up on trying to find someone who could point me in the right direction of the bathroom. As I made my way up to the first level, there was a rhythmic sound coming from down the hallway.

I should have minded my own business, but I found myself moving toward it. The hallway was wide with plush carpeting under my feet, pictures hanging on either side of the walls, some of them landscaped paintings, but the majority of them family portraits and pictures of young children.

I stopped a few feet from one of the opened doors at the end of the hall just as a frazzled-looking young woman came out wearing servant attire and looking annoyed as hell.

She clutched a stack of towels in her arms, and she'd only gotten a foot from the entrance before another towel was hurtled out of the bedroom and landed in the center of the hallway.

I looked between the pieces of cloth and her, seeing that she was on the verge of tears, but then I saw that morph into anger. With one more annoyed look over her shoulder into the bedroom, she huffed out and walked over to the towel to pick it up, then moved past me.

The scent of her inner wolf was right there at the surface, and with a tight-lipped but friendly smile, she left the hall.

Freshening up now forgotten, I found myself moving toward the open doorway even though I kept telling myself curiosity killed the cat.

When I heard the deep rumble of a male speaking under his breath, I froze right before I got to the entrance.

"You fooking left me. Left me."

He sounded panicked… fearful. I heard him pacing, and judging by the heavy sounds of him moving back and forth, he was big.

"Ye left when I needed ye the most." He exhaled raggedly, still pacing.

I moved closer, about to step into view of the open doorway, when a gentle hand touched my shoulder, startling me so I spun around.

Odhran stood right behind me, his brows lowered and a look of concentration on his face as he stared at the doorway.

"Lass," he rumbled out, low. "It's no' safe for ye tae be here."

I looked over my shoulder just as the male within the room stopped pacing. He heard us, knew we were there. The air chilled, became thick and tense and suffocating with aggression.

Odhran had my hand in his a second later and pulled me forward, making sure to keep my body in front of his.

I waited until we were a good distance down the hall before I asked, "Who was that?" Odhran glanced at me once, his hand tightening around mine. But we kept moving.

"That's Lennox, one of the triplets of Banner and Luna." He paused and lifted his free hand to run it over his mouth. "He was with us when we infiltrated and raided the Assembly facility in Vermont. He was wounded, and it was shortly after that, when he started to heal, that his…" I could see his eyes flash blue. "His wolf is gone."

I didn't understand what he meant. "His wolf is gone? I don't understand."

"You know how a Lycan male houses an inner beast?"

I nodded. "I know, so I don't understand how his wolf could just be… gone."

"No one is sure what happened, but assuming it's from the trauma, his wolf has retreated far into the recesses of Lennox and hasn't emerged. As you can imagine, it's uncomfortable and frightening, and Lennox has grown angry and destructive because of it."

"Will his wolf eventually come back?" I understood how Lennox felt, to an extent. To have something so integral and a part of your entire life just ripped away…

"I donna know, lass. I hope so. It's a verra terrifying idea of no' having my inner animal. It's almost as painful as no' having ye."

I squeezed his hand in return but otherwise stayed silent and let him lead me down the stairs to the front doors where Banner, Luna, and Adryan and his mate stood. I could hear the other guests still in the ballroom.

Once we reached the landing, Luna stopped speaking with Banner and glanced my way, a smile on her face. Adryan had an arm wrapped around Kayla, his voice low as he spoke with Banner. I wasn't focused on their conversation, but I did pick up that they were talking about the Assembly.

Once we were close enough to everyone, Odhran wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me snugly against the side of his body.

"I think it's time for us to leave. It's been an eventful day."

Maybe a feminist would have scoffed that a male was speaking for them, but Odhran knew me well enough to understand that I was overwhelmed. I was ready to go home.

So I was thankful he took the initiative for tonight.

Banner gestured Odhran over, and when he was talking with the king and Adryan, I thanked Luna again for her hospitality.

She waved it off and smiled before saying, "You're welcome here anytime. All the time. I love having a houseful of people. It fills in the empty spaces of loneliness."

I loved that analogy and told her so. She glanced at Banner, and then up the stairs, where I could hear that rhythmic sound again. She sighed, and I knew it came from Lennox's room. Clearly one of her sons was going through a difficult time and was so very lost.

"I'm sorry," I murmured softly, and when she looked back at me, I could see in her eyes she was fully aware of what I was talking about. Her smile was sad and she nodded.

"He's going through a tough time. I brought in one of the Lycan counselors, hoping to help Lennox, but…" She shrugged. "He doesn't want to see or speak with anyone. He's angry all the time, and his wolf…" She sighed. "I can understand why." She held her hands out in an act of supplication.

Although I wasn't a mother myself, I could see in her eyes she felt her child's pain as if it were her own.

But her mention of a counselor did perk my interest, and I could see on her face she was desperate to change the subject and steer away from Lennox. "Someone was speaking with him?"

"Yes, we have a counselor in the community—only one, unfortunately. She's come over and tried to talk to him, help him work through his anger and frustration, but he's stubborn, just like his father." There was a ghost of a smile on her face and she glanced at her mate. "I wish we had more options, but of course we can't bring in anyone from the human world. It's just not safe or realistic. They wouldn't know the inner workings of our kind, of the Otherworld."

I thought about speaking with someone about what had happened to me. But although it seemed like a strange concept, a little frightening to be so open and honest with a stranger, baring yourself in the most raw way that you became even more vulnerable, I wondered if it would help me in some way?

And I was pretty sure she saw that curiosity on my face, because a moment later she walked toward the small decorative table in the foyer, bent over to scribble something down on a pad, and then she was back, holding the slip of paper out to me.

I glanced down at the name and number she'd written and felt something shift in my chest. It felt like… hope.

Bronwyn Mikonovich, PhD

"She's wonderful and she understands."

I glanced up at Luna and could see in her eyes what she meant by that. She'd gone through her own trauma and knew how it felt, and how to work through it.

My heart was racing and I felt a strange kind of anxiety. Odhran was by me a second later asking if I was okay.

I stared at him and smiled before saying, "I will be."