60 Chapter 60
Asher
“Put Violet down,” Echo says.
“No.”
No, Fenris echoes.
My arms tighten around my limp mate, clutching her to my chest. I refuse to let her go. My lips. press against her temple, feeling how cool her skin is. Her breathing’s shallow. Her pulse is
weak.
The thought of letting her go–even for a moment–stabs through me like silver.
“Put. Her. Down, Echo orders, as if commanding the Lycan King is something she can do on a whim. “Your emotions are all over her right now. She doesn’t need your panic seeping into what little energy she has left.”
“No.”
Echo’s slitted eyes narrow further. “Do you want to kill her?”
Of course not. She’s the other half of my soul. The fated connection I’d denied is burning bright In my chest, rattled by the thought of losing her.
Losing a mate is hard, but the thought of losing Violet is… impossible. Dying would be preferable.
Echo sighs and stomps out of the room, shaking the camper with each step. A short while later, she’s back, with a soft white t–shirt. “Here. You can put this on her.”
Violet’s torn shirt is still on the floor, and shame washes through me at the evidence of my lack of control. Everything that happened between us had been perfect, transcendent–until it
wasn’t.
Pathetic fool. I should have held back. It was obvious a human couldn’t handle what we have between us.
She can handle it, Fenris insists. Something is wrong. It isn’t our bond. The Goddess would not allow it.
With the greatest reluctance, I lower Violet back onto the bed. Echo doesn’t waste time, pushing in beside me to slip the shirt over Violet’s head. She’s like a ragdoll, without even a hint. of resistance.
Even the scent of blueberries is faint, hard to pinpoint in the mix of other smells.
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“I need to stay with her.” My hands hover uselessly above Violet’s still form. “I need to fix this.”
“She’ll be fine. She needs rest more than anything. But you…” Echo frowns, smacking my hands away. “You have something else to do. Go put your clothes on.”
I want to snap at this strange enigma of a woman, but Violet holds her in great affection. If I hurt her…
The thought of Violet’s beautiful, grass–green eyes staring at me with accusation makes stomach quiver. It seems I’ve acquired many new fears today.
Deciding upon magnanimity, I ignore Echo’s audacity and grab my s on. The fabric feels restrictive, unwelcome against my skin.
my
off the floor, pulling it.
A strange emptiness gnaws at me–something beyond the paralyzing fear of losing Violet. My body feels different. Lighter. As if something coiled within me for years has loosened its grip.
Even Fenris’s presence feels… clearer, somehow.
“I’ll explain what’s happening to her when there’s time,” Echo says, not even glancing my way. “But there’s something more important you need to deal with right now.”
“Nothing is more important than her” The words tear from my throat in a feral snarl.
Echo doesn’t flinch. Doesn’t blink. Just stares at me with her uncanny eyes. Then she shakes her head with a sigh.
“Get outside and deal with who you brought here with your pointless display of dominance. Her voice drops to a hiss. “Or they’ll be breaking down my door, and I promise you don’t want that
“What are you talking about?”
“Your little tantrum summoned an audience. Your beta’s dealing with them right now, but you
need to deal with it,”
Ah.
I can feel it–the press of unfamiliar wolf energy against the periphery of my awareness. A pack. Territory holders. A presence I would have noticed immediately, if I wasn’t so focused on Violet.
I growl through clenched teeth.
*Indeed” Echo places her hand on Violet’s forehead. “The ambulance will be here soon, so take care of them before they scare off the EMTs. I’ve got Violet. Go be a king”
One more look at Violet, memorizing the curve of her cheek, the scatter of faint freckles across her hose, the slow rise and fall of her chest.
“I be right back,” I whisper to her. “I promise.”
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Echo sighs. “Just go.”
Outside, Wolf–Eye stands at the foot of the RV steps, his broad back a barrier between what’s mine and a semicircle of wolves–eight of them, various ranks within their pack, all bristling with restrained aggression.
Their alpha isn’t here, but the one might be their beta.
“Sir,” Wolf–Eye says, relief evident in his voice. “The Fiddleback Pack was concerned about our…
presence.”
I should be enraged, I should want to tear through these lesser wolves for daring to interrupt when my mate lies unconscious. Even Fenris should be clawing at my control, demanding blood
for this intrusion.
But Fenris remains by Violet, silent in my head, leaving it to me.
And I feel… contained. A strange lucidity courses through my veins where molten fury should be. I can still access my anger–it’s there, simmering beneath my skin–but it no longer threatens to consume me whole. The sensation is so alien I nearly stumble.
Wolf–Eye studies my face with a frown.
I give Wolf–Eye a curt nod, sidestepping him to face these interlopers directly. My shoulders. square, stance widening–the posture of a king who refuses to acknowledge any challenge as legitimate.
The moment they catch my scent, and the light dominance rolling through the air, their faces grow pale. Wolf–Eye’s presence should have been enough, but not all wolves are smart enought to recognize a Lycan. Especially when they’re weak.
“Where is your alpha?” My question cracks through the air.
The wolves shift uncomfortably, exchanging glances. This pack was clearly unprepared for a direct confrontation with the Lycan King. Their discomfortsaturates the air, the forced bravado of those who’ve stumbled into something far beyond their capabilities.
A female wolf steps forward from their ranks. Mid–thirties, compact build, with sharp features and calculating eyes. Not their alpha, but someone of authority.
“High Alpha.” She keeps her gaze fixed somewhere near my collar, avoiding direct eye contact. Smart. “I am Victoria, of the Fiddleback Pack.”
I incline my head. “Why are you here?”
Victoria squares her shoulders, her face grim. “Until we felt a surge of alpha dominance unlike anything we’ve experienced before. In human domain. Our protocols require investigation of unusual shifter activity, especially this close to human populations.”
My jaw tenses. “You do not recognize the authority of the Lycan Throne?”
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“We do,” she assures hastily. “We recognize your authority, High Alpha. We were just… unaware of your presence until now. I apologize for interrupting…” Her eyes flick to the camper. “Your pleasure.”
I can feel Wolf–Eye’s amusement behind me, though his face is likely impassive. It’s a sixth sense borne of years of friendship.
“Was my beta’s presence not enough for you?”
“My apologics, High Alpha. It is our first experience with Lycans in our territory”
I grimace. The reasoning is fair; packs like Fiddleback are small, based in rural areas. “Now you know. Now leave. My business here is my own.”
Victoria regards me for a moment, then clears her throat. “We mean no offense, High Alpha. The Fiddleback Pack would be honored to offer you hospitality during your stay in our territory.” She straightens her posture, schooling her features into a mask of deference. “Our compound has suitable accommodations for you and your entourage.”
A heavy hand smacks down on my shoulder. I don’t have to look; I already know Wolf–Eye’s grinning like a fool. He loves anything free; he calls it an occupational hazard, after helping with our pack finances for so many years.
“We’ll take you up on that generous offer,” he says, voice warm with charm.
A growl builds
in my chest. I’m not leaving Violet.
We need somewhere to stay, anyway, Wolf–Eye pack–links directly to me. His mental voice is pragmatic. And it means we can keep Evan away from her.
My shoulders relax. Yes, distance between the two would be ideal.
My gaze drifts beyond the confrontation. Evan stands by my car, arms folded across his chest, eyeing the wolves with suspicion. Jasper hovers beside him, nervously fiddling with his copper–wired glasses. Behind them sits a pile of our belongings–the collapsed tent, sleeping bags, some bags of unknown provisions. Everything already packed up and ready to move.
How long was I in that camper with Violet? Long enough for them to break down our entire
camp.
“Wolf–Eye, take Evan and Jasper to the compound. I will stay here.”
