Silva and the others before I pass out,” he announces, looking at Enoch and the others like one of them is going to give him a look that fills him in on what’s going on.
“We can step out,” Ryker motions toward the door, and Nash looks from Ryker back to Enoch.
“I’ll come with you,” I tell Ryker, and I give Siah a quick peck before he helps me up from his lap. “I wanted to go check on Sorik and Vaughn,” I explain, and Ryker gives me a sweet smile and puts his hand out to me. He intertwines our fingers, and we both move for the door.
“We’re going to come check on Silva,” Valen and Bastien announce, coming with us.
“I’m going to come and check on the pack,” Torrez decides.
“We’re coming too,” Knox shouts out, and he, Sabin and Siah all rush to join us as we head out the door.
I smile and don’t blame them for wanting to leave behind the heaviness that permeates the air in this room right now. Everything that just happened was intense, and it seems like everyone could use a break. I realize in this moment that I want all of them as close as I can have them from here on out. No more solo missions to save anything or splitting up because it’s the only way. It’s us against whatever comes at us now, exactly as it should be.
As we make our way to where the injured are, I notice that, aside from Siah, I don’t spot any other lamia. We need to talk with Siah and Sorik soon about what happens now with what’s left of this nest. I have no idea how many lamia were killed in the fighting or exactly what’s going to happen now for any of the survivors. I don’t want to be responsible for their well-being, but I don’t want to leave them to the wolves, literally or figuratively, either. Siah said there were good lamia here that didn’t agree with Adriel and what he did, and they deserve to build a life somewhere they feel safe and protected now that he’s gone. And we need to figure out how to make that happen.
We walk into a long room where mattresses have been arranged neatly on the floor. Most of them are empty, but a few have sleeping shifters in them. Ryker kisses my hand, and then he veers off to go talk to Aydin and Evrin who are in chairs next to the bed Silva is in. I give Aydin and Evrin a wave, and they return it before turning to Ryker and listening to whatever it is he’s saying.
“I’m going to go speak with Alpha Volkov,” Torrez tells me, but I grab his hand when he moves to walk away.
“I’ll come with you,” I tell him. “I want to say thank you. We would have been screwed if they hadn’t agreed to fight with us.”
Torrez gives me a smile and then pulls me into his side. We spot Fedor standing in the middle of a group of shifters as he assigns tasks. It sounds like he’s making arrangements for patrols and the pack members who are almost done healing. Slowly shifters break away to go about doing what they’ve been told, and Fedor’s gaze lands on us.
“Torrez!” he greets boisterously, his face lit up with excitement. He stomps over to us and pulls Torrez in for a bone crushing hug and administers several back breaking man slaps. “How’s mated life treating you?” he asks and gives me a wide smile and a friendly nod.
“Couldn’t be better,” Torrez tells him as he straightens up, and I swear I hear every one of his vertebrae snapping back into place.
“I’ll say,” Fedor agrees. “I mean, what better honeymoon can there be than to battle side by side and then fuck all night while wearing the blood and ash of your enemies?” Fedor declares, and I try not to scrunch my face up at that very vivid and disturbing visual. I probably shouldn’t be shocked; this is the dude that thinks Brun would make a better mate than me. He’s obviously got a fuck ton of screws loose.
“Alpha, thank you for your help. We couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell him, and his smile grows impossibly wider. “If you or your pack ever need anything, I hope we’ll be the first call you make,” I offer.
“You know, now that you mention it, I would like