Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Brooklyn

I 've never been to Bless's townhouse, but it's nice. It's multiple stories, at least three, from the looks of it. It was such a long drive, and I was so out of it that I don't know if we're technically in the city anymore. If we are, it's an area I'm completely unfamiliar with.

Being woken up in the middle of the night by Gunner and Maverick was jarring. I almost wish they'd let me sleep. It's nearing daybreak, and they still aren't here.

As soon as Bless and Stacia arrived at my apartment, they helped me pack the stuff Libby and I couldn't live without before loading it all into the back of Bless's truck.

Libby fussed as I woke her and carried her down to the vehicle, but luckily, she fell asleep in her car seat on the drive.

I've barely slept, and she's going to be bouncing off the walls as soon as she wakes up.

It's not just that this is a new environment.

Maverick and Gunner were around last night, so she's going to expect to see them. My bond with Gunner is intact, and that gives me comfort, but he's so far away that I can't pick out any specific thoughts or feelings.

I pace the floor bare near the living room, and Bless sighs heavily.

"This kind of thing takes time." She nods toward the room Libby is sleeping in. "You should get some rest."

"No, I can't." My head shakes violently. "What if he's hurt because of me?" I bring a hand up, covering my mouth.

I can't even handle the thought of it.

Noble is a good man. I'm not even upset that he works with Bless. She filled me in on the way over, and none of that seems to matter.

Not really.

He may have lied about a few specific details, but knowing he's been watching out for me and Libby?

It means the world to me.

It also makes a lot more sense on why he had a steady stream of female visitors.

Bless's core team is made up completely of women. She told me once that she's been burned one too many times by men.

It says a lot that she trusts Noble, Gunner, and Maverick.

And now Noble could be seriously hurt because of me.

My chest gets so tight, it's hard to breathe.

Bless stomps across the room, pulling me into her chest.

It's a nice hug. Her boobs are soft, and since she's taller than me, I pretty much end up face-planting into them.

She smells like honey and whiskey. It's not my favorite scent, but her alpha pheromones are comforting.

"Noble cares about you," she says, squeezing me tight. "He's not going to let a couple of punks take him out. I'm going to call Stacia's grandma in the morning. She'll come help with Libby. That way, you can get some real rest. She'll be happy to stay here in the house, so you don't need to panic about that."

"Thank you," I say, struggling to keep from bursting into tears. "I need to call my job and Lennox…"

"Your sister is fine. I'll arrange a call for you tomorrow. She's in New Jersey and majorly fucking pissed about it."

"New Jersey?" I ask, blinking repeatedly.

"She's safe. That's what counts. She can be angry about it, but at least she'll be alive to experience the emotion." Bless tugs me over to the couch. I take a seat, and she settles in at my side. "What would you give to go back in time?" She snorts. "To be as clueless as Lennox is to the reality of the world? Honestly, I don't think I was ever that naive. Growing up in my family…" She sighs, tossing an arm around my shoulder. "I was never allowed to be."

My heart aches for her.

I'm sure the pain I'm picking up on is hers.

It's unexpected.

Bless is always brave and stoic.

I hate knowing how much she had to suffer to become as resilient as she is now.

"We're all going to survive this if it's the last thing I do," she says, giving me a squeeze. "No more innocent people are going to suffer. We're going to let the assholes fight it out. Once they've killed each other off, we just pray the lesser of two evils comes out on top."

Wow.

That's a sobering thought.

It doesn't seem fair that this is the reality of the world we live in.

It doesn't help my nerves at all when a small team of a doctor and two nurses arrives.

My eyes cut to Bless as she returns to the living room. "Why are they here?" Panic claws at my chest, and the longer she takes to answer, the worse it gets. "What do you know?"

"Noble is alive." She swallows thickly, watching the team carry bags of supplies to a room here on the first floor. "He's beat to hell, but he'll live."

I curl in half.

My hands fly to my face as my head shakes.

I hate Avan.

His entire family is rotten.

Outside of Bless, I don't think the world would lose anything if they all disappeared.

"He's going to be fine," Bless says, more firmly this time. "But if you send yourself into early labor with all the stress you're under…" She comes over, patting my back. "He's an alpha. He's got an exceptionally hard head. Cry it out now, if you need to, but put on a brave face when you see him."

"Is it that bad?"

"He's probably going to need a few stitches, and he's got a concussion, but, no, it's not what I would consider bad. Not under the circumstances."

"Okay." I nod.

I need to get it together.

This isn't about me.

It's about what Noble needs.

It feels like I have an epic breakdown coming my way at some point, but I will not make things worse right now.

My emotions can wait until later.

I pull my shoulders back, shuddering out a heavy breath.

"You're not built for this kind of world," Bless says, giving me a kind smile. "And that's not a bad thing. They should be back soon. Once the doctor patches him up, you can stick by his side. It's another reason I'll feel better with Beatrice around. Libby shouldn't see him. Not for a couple of days."

"Beatrice is Stacia's grandmother?" I ask, swiping at my eyes.

"Exactly." Bless stands. "Now, cry if you need to. I'm going to help them set up."

I nod as she disappears back down the hallway.

My eyes won't stop leaking, but I'm no longer panic-stricken.

I'm pissed .

Noble has treated me and Liberty with kindness and respect since our very first meeting.

I want Avan to pay for everything he's done. I really think his only goal in life is to hurt people so he can succeed.

The first thing I hear is the door being thrown open. A few seconds later, Nova bolts into the living room with another dog I don't recognize. That must be Haze, Gunner's dog. He's big, too, but he's a bit shorter than Nova, with a thinner face.

I hop up and stand frozen, watching the hallway to see who comes in next.

The dogs run over, scenting me.

Haze seems especially obsessed with smelling me, but I bet that's because Gunner and I bonded.

My scent naturally holds hints of his now.

Nova doesn't like being left out, and she bumps my hand until I absently pet her. Haze and I haven't officially met, but he rubs his back against my thigh until I run my fingers through his long fur.

Gunner comes around the corner first. He's in one piece, but I knew he was from the bond. His shoulders bounce as he studies me, like maybe he released the breath he was holding.

He smiles softly and approaches. "I see you met Haze. I'm shocked. He's generally indifferent to new people."

"We bonded. He must smell you in my scent." My head tilts. "Where's Noble?"

"Right here, Mama," Noble's cracked voice fills the air, and my knees get weak.

I'm unprepared for how bad he looks as Maverick helps him around the corner. His lower lip is busted, and there's dark shadowing under both his eyes. The left side of his face is swollen, and he has dried blood staining his neck.

He looks terrible, and I know it can't feel great, but he's alive.

I trip over one of the dogs as I stagger forward.

Noble is in a hoodie and jeans, but Maverick and Gunner are in full tactical gear, like the police, or the military, wear.

Noble tugs his arm off Maverick's shoulder as I stop in front of him.

My heart races as he grabs my hips, pushing me up against the wall. He wobbles a bit, but Maverick grabs Noble's side, helping to keep him upright.

"Are you okay?" My gaze falls to the floor. That was a stupid question. "Will you be?"

"I'm good." Noble's fingers land on my jaw as he tilts my face up to his. He bends, brushing his lips over mine. I try to be gentle and considerate of his injuries, but he shoves his tongue into my mouth, devouring me. The taste of his blood is present as a reminder that he's not in great shape. He pulls back all too soon, and the look on his face makes me nervous. "You bonded."

"Yeah," I agree. "If I had known?—"

He growls as his hand wraps around my throat. His fingers give a solid squeeze as he shoves my back against the wall.

I stare up at him as he studies my face, but even when he applies firmer pressure, it's more comforting than scary. My cheek nuzzles against his forearm as I blink up at him, trying to find the words to apologize for upsetting him.

"Congratulations," he rasps, rubbing his thumb over my jaw before pushing his lips to mine.

My fingers dig into the material of his hoodie as I let him guide the kiss. He moves to sucking on my lower lip, and in an instant, his teeth dig into my skin.

I gasp.

Gunner growls. "What the fuck?"

"I probably should have seen that coming," Maverick mutters.

Something clicks in my mind, and it's clear I could reject the bond if I wanted to.

A denied claim is agony for the alpha.

I'd never do that to Noble.

My soul or consciousness accepts the link, and Noble's electric scent floods my mind.

His tongue swipes over the bite to clean and seal it.

I gently pull back to breathe, and he chuckles.

"Being beat to hell was definitely worth it, just for that." He grins, but he's covering for how terrible he feels.

It's clear by how his physical pain radiates in our newly formed link.

"The doctor is here, and you need to see her now," I whisper as he moves his hand to cradle my cheek. "We have all the time in the world to settle into our bond, but right now, we need to make sure you're okay."

Noble bends, pecking a final kiss on my lips.

Gunner's frustration pulses in the bond, and I'll comfort him too. Right after we verify that Noble will be okay.

"Come on, man," Maverick says, clasping Noble on the shoulder. "She's going to feel better once the doctor tells her you'll be fine."

"I will," I agree.

"Where's the shortstack?" Noble asks over his shoulder as Maverick drags him along. "Did she like my gift?"

I smile, nodding. "She loved it."

"It's time to make sure Dustin didn't scramble your brain," Gunner growls.

Oh yeah, he's definitely going to need some reassurance.