I can do to turn back the clock. All I have is the knowledge that my brother has found me, and I’m no longer being held captive in my own mind. I want to make this right if we ever get out of here. I have a lot of paranormals to apologize to.”
“One step at a time.” It’s all I can offer him. I doubt others will be forgiving of him. With his help, shifters were murdered in the Quivakond Pack. By his hands or not, he was part of it. That’s not easily looked over. I’m willing to work with him to get him through this, though. Be with him as he fights the battles which are sure to come his way. He’s not innocent. At some point, he’s going to have to atone for his mistakes. “Caiden?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re okay and you’re back to your old self.” Or as close to it as he can be, although I’m not going to say that part. At this point, I’ll take what I can get of my brother. Not the one who was out there trying to kill shifters. The brother I remember and love.
“I am, too. I have to wonder if we’re ever going to get out of here.”
“We will.” I say it with more certainty than I feel. If what Realdo said is true, no one is going to find us in here since my internal compass with Whit won’t work. It would be by sheer luck that they’re able to. No. I mentally shake that thought away. I have to focus on getting out of here. Not what will happen if we don’t.
“How’s Irus?” Caid asks.
I smile. We’re in this horrible situation, but Irus is a bright spot in my life, just as Whit and the pack are. “I just saw him actually. I took my mate over to meet him.”
“Is he doing okay?”
“I think as good as he ever was. He misses Mom and Dad. He likes his comfort zone. I haven’t been around as much as I should have been, but I plan to change that.”
“Irus was always a loner.”
“Yeah, but he doesn’t have to be.”
“No, not with you in his life.” Caid closes his eyes again and a small smile lifts the corners of his lips. “Now, tell me about Whitlock.”
I can’t help but smile again. With my legs tucked under me, I tell Caiden about the male I love with all my heart. Caid never cared that I was bisexual. Neither did our parents. I was grateful to have their love and support. I wish I had it for longer.
When we get out of here, I’m going to hug Whit and hold on to him for the rest of my life. I’m not naïve enough to think there won’t be more dangers out there, but Whit is the male who will be by my side through every moment of my life. As long as he forgives me for offering myself up as a trade for the child.
26
Whitlock
Somehow, I find myself standing in my bedroom at the pack house with the team around me and the little boy clutching to me as if I’m the only thing keeping him from imminent death. How did I get here?
“We brought you after we took care of the other survivors we found,” Thay says in my mind. “We knew your room was soundproofed, so it was safe for all of us to come here. Plus, no one would think anything of feeling magic since you use it more often now.”
I nod. “Good idea.”
Looking down, the boy with the rusty-colored hair peers up at me. I finally get a good look at his eyes. They are a beautiful green. Almost the emerald of shifters but brighter.
“Please don’t take me back to Realdo,” he says aloud as his bottom lip begins to tremble.
Crouching down, I hold his upper arms gently and look him in the eyes. “Hey, no one will ever bring you back to him again. You’re safe now, okay? We won’t let anything happen to you.”
The boy looks around the room at the other males. Every single one of them is massive and muscular, covered in black tactical gear, some splattered with blood. No, the full team isn’t here but most of them are. I’m sure the others are getting whoever they rescued settled at Hayden’s Home.
“Thay, can you clean the blood away from everyone,” I ask with my mind. “I’m going to clean up the child.”