Page 80 of Into the Fire: After

Brooks and I each looped an arm around Taryn and ushered her without protest from the apartment.

Thirty-three

Brooks

Theeveningairwaschilly, but passing the night on the rooftop patio was still preferable to staying in the Maddox apartment downstairs. Taryn hadn’t set foot inside since the break-in, and even in the midst of our current strife I wouldn’t dream of asking her to now. So I’d gone down and fetched a handful of blankets and sweaters from said apartment to keep us at least somewhat comfortable.

Brea prodded her a little more, but Taryn gave her nothing. Her voice, once again, dried up. Eventually, our omega curled up on the sofa and fell asleep like she was perfectly at home on a scratchy outdoor couch in the crisp fall evening.

The slight breeze made my teary eyes ache.

I may’ve gone into physical medicine, but I’d done enough psych rotations to recognize increased risk-taking and self-destructive behavior when I saw it.

Our girl was struggling, and she refused to reach out to us.

If you gave me a broken bone, and I could set it. A snakebite got anti-venom. Stitches, IVs, transfusions, antibiotics. All useless on these mental wounds.

I'd never felt so useless in my life.

Lin

“Ifuckingyelledather, Caine.”

Guilt ate at me like a tapeworm, devouring me from the inside. Between that and the alphadrenaline after-effects, my hands shook enough that the ice rattled in my glass.

“You’re adjusting like she’s adjusting,” he answered with a soothing rub between my shoulder blades. “She’ll apologize, and so will you, and we’ll find a way forward.”

This wasn’t me. I didn’t lose my cool on someone I loved. I didn’t shout and make people jump between me and an omega like I was a threat to her. I didn’t make my omega flinch with hurtful words.

I tipped my glass back and relished the burn of whiskey in my throat.

Before she’d walked in, I’d chosen my words so carefully. Cool, even-keeled but candid. Sharing how upset and scared her choice made me, asking her to explain why she’d done what she did.

Then she’d walked in. My alpha, who’d been laying so quietly in wait I hadn’t realized he was even there, had pounced. She'dbe within her rights to never cross that threshold again. Any of them would. The thought of it slaughtered me.

“Fuck, I’m exhausted.” I scrubbed at my face with my palm. “I can’t lose her, Caine.”

He huffed a laugh, which surprised me enough to jog me from my self-pity. “She’s wearing our bites now. Come what may, she’s ours.”

I traced the ridges of her bite on my shoulder beneath my shirt. The full connection of the bond depended on proximity, but my mark would stay on her skin always, a primal tattoo. My claim to her, body and mind and soul. And hers on me.

My alpha was hurt and angry. Wild animals lashed out when they were hurt and angry. Brooks had told me I was always me, always whole, man and wolf, no matter the ratio. Maybe he was right.

Still, though, I had to get my house in order. Because what happened tonight? It wouldn’t happen again. I’d swear it to all four of them, on my own damn life.

Taryn

Thetreeshadhands.

The hands had fingers.

The fingers were knives.

The knives were sharp.

Sharp on my skin.

Sharp in my hair.