Page 11 of No Honor Amongst Shifters (It’s a Psychic World #9)

ALCOTT WAS FREE. IT was an odd sensation, but not any odder than having people see him and not yell at him for being a traitor.

It made him uncomfortable. Every time he left his room, he expected someone to come at him. Everyone was too busy getting ready for the fight, though. People were running around, packing their things and talking to their families. A lot of the clan members would be temporarily moving to other clans and supernatural groups in the area. Those who wanted to fight would be staying behind, but they’d know their families were safe. Hopefully, they’d reunite when the fight was over.

Alcott didn’t want to consider the alternative.

He had more to lose than he ever had before. Before, it had only been Misha—who, thankfully, would be staying at the house and wouldn’t be fighting. Alcott would have been hurt if he’d lost Damien, but Damien didn’t matter anymore.

Roslin did. Alcott wasn’t quite sure if they were together, but they both agreed that if they survived the fight, they would date and find out if they could be happy together. Part of him was still terrified at the thought of opening his heart to anyone after Damien, but he could see through the fear now. Roslin might hurt him, but he would never do so intentionally the way Damien had. He would never use Alcott or manipulate him.

He’d wanted Alcott when he was a prisoner and nothing more than a traitor. He still wanted him now that he was free. Alcott could only hope that the two of them would be able to build a life together after the fight.

Which meant they both had to survive it. He wasn’t sure they would, but thinking about what would be waiting for him once this mess was over made him want to fight harder. He had so much more to lose now.

After Damien, Alcott had thought his life was ruined. He’d believed he didn’t have a family or a clan anymore, and definitely not someone who loved him. He had no idea how it had happened, but he had all of that now. He would fight like hell to make sure he didn’t lose it.

Which was why he was standing in front of Elijah’s office door. The last time they’d had the opportunity to talk about something that wasn’t the coven or the cockatrices, Alcott had asked Elijah to allow him to leave once this was over. Elijah had said that Alcott didn’t have to, but Alcott hadn’t thought he’d be able to stay. He wanted another chance, but he had to talk to his leader. Elijah would decide whether or not Alcott should have it.

Alcot knocked and waited for Elijah to answer. It took him a few minutes, which Alcott didn’t think anything of until he opened the door and walked in to see that Gunther was there, too. Gunther’s cheeks were flushed, and his hair was messy, and Alcott didn’t have to ask to know what he and Elijah had been doing.

“Sorry to bother you,”

he said, glancing back at the door.

“I can come back later.”

Gunther waved Alcott in from the couch he was sitting on. Alcott had to resist the urge to laugh when he saw how hard Gunther was clutching the pillow strategically placed over his groin.

“What can we do for you?”

Elijah asked. He was much smoother than Gunther and acting as if nothing had happened.

Alcott swallowed and decided not to take a seat. He didn’t want to drag this out.

“I know that the last time we talked about it, I asked to be allowed to leave the clan once this was over.”

Elijah nodded.

“I remember. Have you changed your mind?”

Alcott wasn’t surprised that Elijah already knew.

“I have. I’m sure you knew I was going to.”

Elijah smiled.

“You don’t want to leave your brother behind. It was either staying or dragging Misha with you, and you wouldn’t do that to him.”

“I wouldn’t, but Misha can be stubborn when he wants to.”

“He’s not the only one. So, you want to stay.”

“I want to stay, and I want to fight for the clan. I know you don’t trust me, but I won’t turn against you. I have too much to lose. I understand how stupid I was when I believed Damien loved me, and I’m never falling for something like that again. I want to do everything I can to help the clan.”

“Fighting will be dangerous. I won’t deny I’m tempted to say yes because you know the coven better than anyone here, but do you really want to put yourself in danger that way?”

“Everyone else is, and I have to protect Misha.”

“And maybe a certain psychic?”

There was a teasing tone in Elijah’s words, which made it sound like they were friends. Alcott had always viewed Elijah with a bit of distance. Elijah had welcomed him and Misha into the clan, but Alcott had been too wary of him to give him a chance. Misha had become Elijah’s assistant and his friend, but Alcott had stayed away. His old leader had hurt him, and there was no way to know if Elijah would do the same.

He wouldn’t. He was willing to give Alcott a chance to prove himself, and Alcott wanted to do it. Even more, he wanted to protect Misha and Roslin.

“I’ll try to protect all of Olsen’s family,”

Alcott said, not ready to admit anything else.

Elijah nodded.

“All right. You can fight and protect the people you love, and you can stay with the clan once this is over. You’ll always have a home with us, Alcott. You just needed to realize that.”

Alcott was starting to.

ROSLIN WAS IN THE LIVING room with his family when Alcott walked in. For a second, he stared at him, his brain trying to make sense of what he was seeing. He was so used to Alcott being locked up in his bedroom that it would take some time for him to wrap his mind around the fact that Alcott was free now.

Roslin was glad that Elijah had decided that Alcott wouldn’t be a prisoner anymore. He’d been helping them as much as any of their other allies, if not more. He’d put his safety in jeopardy when he’d gone out to talk to the cockatrices. He’d been ready to accept any punishment Elijah would give him. He hadn’t protested once when he’d been locked up.

People might not have forgiven him, but for Roslin, that had never been a problem. He wanted to spend more time with Alcott, and Alcott being free made that easier.

Alcott looked hesitant, so Roslin waved him over. He was tempted to pull Alcott down on the couch next to him, but he could feel his brothers and their partners watching him. His mother was in the corner sitting in an armchair, and Roslin was sure that if he looked up, he’d find her staring at them.

He didn’t look up.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,”

Roslin said when Alcott moved closer.

“I was going back to my room, but I wanted to talk to you.”

He glanced around the room, and suddenly, everyone seemed to have something else to focus on. Roslin snorted when he saw Donahue grab the closest book and randomly open it. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Donahue read anything, let alone a book.

“We can go somewhere else to have more privacy,”

Roslin offered as he got up.

Alcott cleared his throat.

“Here is fine. I just wanted to tell you that Elijah agreed to let me fight for the clan. I won’t be staying back at the house.”

Roslin wasn’t surprised. He’d known Alcott still felt the need to redeem himself, and what better way to do it than by fighting for the clan? But it wasn’t only because Alcott still felt guilty. He wanted to protect his family, and Roslin could understand that.

He nodded. “I see.”

“I know you don’t like it.”

“I don’t, but I won’t try to stop you. I don’t like that my brothers will be fighting, too. If I could, I’d grab all the people I love and hide them somewhere, but unfortunately, I can’t do that.”

Alcott blinked.

“All the people you love?”

Roslin was not going to tell Alcott he loved him for the first time in front of his entire family, dammit. He didn’t have to say the words for Alcott to understand, though.

“All of them,”

he confirmed. He gently touched Alcott’s arm.

“I know you haven’t officially met my family, so let me introduce you.”

Alcott’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Roslin thought he was going to run. Luckily, Donahue was there, dropping his book like a hot potato and stepping between Alcott and Roslin.

“Hi, I’m Donahue, Roslin’s better-looking brother.”

Roslin pushed him aside and glared at him.

“Don’t be a dick. You’ll scare him off.”

“I think that if he wasn’t scared off by you and your attitude, he’s not going anywhere.”

“Boys,”

their mother said.

Roslin wasn’t surprised to see she was coming toward them. She’d been chomping at the bit to get to know Alcott, but Roslin had managed to hold her off with the excuse that Alcott was technically still a prisoner. He wasn’t anymore, so he was fair game.

“I’m Evangeline,”

she told Alcott when she reached him.

“Roslin’s mother. My husband Michael isn’t here at the moment, but I’ll introduce you to him soon.”

She caught one of Alcott’s hands and squeezed it between both of hers.

“It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”

Alcott’s eyes were wide as he glanced at Roslin. It was clear he didn’t know what to do or say. He’d have to learn because Roslin’s family was important to him. Besides, they were Alcott’s family now, too.

That was probably why he was freaking out.

“I can already tell he’s going to be Mom’s favorite,”

Donahue grumbled.

“It’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair is that we have to listen to you whining,”

Roslin teased.

Their mother threw her hands in the air.

“I can’t with you boys. Why don’t you get along?”

“You mean like when we were children?”

Donahue asked.

“You used to beat the shit out of each other. How is that getting along?”

Donahue gasped.

“You just said shit. Where’s the soap? We need to wash your mouth.”

Roslin wrapped an arm around Alcott’s shoulders and pulled him close. They watched Donahue and their mother bicker, and even though the fight was just around the corner, he’d never felt more at peace. Right now, his family was safe—all of the people he loved were safe. There was no way to know if they’d still have this once the fight was over, which meant they needed to savor the moment.

“So this is your family,”

Alcott said.

Roslin kissed his forehead.

“And yours. Remember that by being with me, you’re taking them on, too.”

Alcott wrinkled his nose.

“I can’t change my mind about you, right?”

Roslin beamed. He loved that Alcott was relaxed enough to tease him.

“Nope. No takebacks. You’re stuck with me, which means you’re stuck with them.”

“I don’t think that’s a bad thing,”

Alcott murmured.

He leaned harder against Roslin’s side, and everything in Roslin’s world was the way it should be.