Page 127 of Blood Fist

“Rations are sparse, but we’ll be fine if we can hunt,” Osmond continued, crossing his arms over his chest. “Most of the wounds are superficial, but one or two could take a turn for the worse. If we had Iylah…” he trailed off, glancing over his shoulder towards the fire.

“It wouldn’t make a damn difference,” Ridan snapped, rubbing his eyes. “Halm will see them through.”

Osmond was quiet for a long moment. “You have a lot of confidence in a woman you hardly know.”

Brune bristled. That was bold for someone who wasn’t born of the Stone Blade, either. Osmond hadn’t seen Halm stand up to her chief to save Schok. She was willing to face a life of being clanless just because it was the right thing to do.

“Halm is Stone Blade,” Ridan declared pointedly, his eyes boring into Osmond.

The alpha bore the stare for a moment before flinching, exposing his neck in submission. “And Stone Blade don’t fail,” he whispered in response.

Ridan nodded, moving towards where the wounded were gathered. He glanced up when Jonenand Corric joined them. “Once it’s light, we need to meet up with Gustall’s sentries. Find out why they failed.” Osmond agreed, limping along with him as they planned.

“Find Smithe. If he isn’t injured, have him and Shesto ride out. We need to find out where the bulk of Kaledonea’s army is and get a head around their numbers.”

Osmond left to give Ridan’s orders. When he disappeared, they moved into the light of the big fire. Those who were awake looked up when they walked by. Some called a greeting, others looked up with dull eyes.

Corric was covered in blood, but none of it looked like his own. Jonen didn’t look much better. His shirt was ripped, and his curls were lying flat against his head. He was hovering close to Corric, one arm wrapped around his waist possessively. Corric didn’t seem to mind, leaning into his alpha. They looked older than their years, eyes haunted.

Instinctively, the packmates gravitated towards each other. They needed each other. With the attack, and the destruction of their nests and den, it was a miracle they were able to stand upright at all. It was clear in the way Jonen’s eyes shifted between them that his alpha wanted to bundle his pack’s omegas up somewhere safe.

It was a sentiment Brune shared. Only the knowledge that Ridan was strong, and that he had a job to do as chief, kept him from carting him off. Hide him away somewhere safe, covered in his scent. It was a fight for his instincts, one he was rapidly beginning to lose now that the heat of battle was dissipating.

Before he could say anything, the group was enveloped in the thick scent of burnt bread. Sehleh raced towards them, tears in her eyes as she pulled the three into a hug.

“My pups,” she sobbed, coating them in her scent as she laid kisses on their dirty cheeks.

“Mom!” Jonen gasped; face scrunched up under her affection. “You’re supposed to be with Henroen’s mate on the way to Strong Leg!”

She ignored his question, stepping back to look them over. Corric leaned into her affection, purring as she stroked his hair from his face and worried at the blood on his clothes. It wasn’t until she’d looked them all over that she finally answered.

“I’m Stone Blade too,” she reminded them, eyes glittering. “And someone has to make sure you boys take care of yourselves.” Her eyes narrowed on Ridan. He tried to slip away, but she was faster, snagging his arm so she could drag him into the light to look at his wound. “Ridan, why haven’t you taken care of this?”

He grumbled, shoulders by his ears as she chastised him. Sehleh stroked his hair back, sighing softly. “You have so many of your parent’s wonderful qualities.” She smacked him upside the head. “Andallof their terrible ones! Go get yourself seen to!”

Brune held back a chuckle as Ridan slinked away, muttering about bossy betas. Sehleh watched him leave before turning her attention to Brune.

“And you,” she said before getting on tiptoes to pull him into a crushing hug. Surprised, Brune flailed for a moment, unsure what to do with his hands before her comforting scent drew him in. With a contented sigh, he hugged her back.

Sehleh stroked his back. “I was so worried about you pups.”

He blinked, standing back to look at her in surprise. “No one has ever called me a pup before.”

She smiled sadly, tweaking his nose. “You’ll be my pup, then. My big pup.”

Brune had never been a pup. His earliest memories were not of fond chastising or of hugs. No one had ever ruffled his hair or made sure he was warm enough. He wasn’t told stories to help him fall asleep. Parents were a foreign concept to him. He knew he had them at some point, and maybe on the nights when he was most curious, he would try to picture them. Wonder if he looked like them or if they loved him. But he never missed them. Not really.

But when Sehleh looked at him like that, the way a parent should, something twisted in his heart. A bitter injustice he didn’t know he had inside him. Why didn’t he have those things?

And as quickly as it came, it was gone. Because Brune might not have had those things before, but he did now. And in some ways, it was better. There was no obligation here. No innate sense of familiarity that drew them together. This was his pack. One that, against all odds, chose him. A pack that looked past his past, his flaws, his inadequacy, and opened their arms anyway.

“Thank you,” he croaked, hugging her back just as tightly as she hugged him.

“Sweet boy,” she cooed. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

With food warming their bellies and a fire chasing away the chill from the morning, it was only a matter of personal discipline keeping their eyes open. Ridan felt every muscle in his body. He was familiar with the ache of a fight. Of the stinging pain from an injury. But this was different. There was a heaviness in his chest he couldn’t quite place, a sense of responsibility that only grew with every passing moment.

It dragged on him. Tugged at his mind when hisbody begged for sleep. He stared into the fire with half lidded eyes and relished the way they burned.