it.”
“Who are you?” Gareth demanded.
Zach went to where Gareth and Sean stood, then bent on one knee, head bowed. “I am Zachariah, leader of the Vampyri. I pledge our lives to the protection of your mate and his children.”
“Wait. What?” Sean looked down at Zach. “What do you mean?”
Zach stood, his hands behind his back, head bowed slightly. “We are your guardians, Omega. We shall let no harm come to you. My brethren are on their way to Lydon now and will make their pledge upon arriving.”
“What do you mean they’re on their way?” Gareth demanded.
“I have contacted them and told them that an Omega truly does live. They will meet us at your home and assume their spots, ensuring none may bring you harm.”
“How did you…? I mean, he shot you. I saw you die,” Deke spluttered.
Without turning his gaze away from Sean, Zach replied, “My power, my very life, comes from the Omega. When he arrived, I was healed by his presence. It’s that which makes us nearly immortal.”
“But when there wasn’t an Omega….”
Zach’s cheeks stained a bright red. “We were forced to take lives. I…. We dispensed justice on more than one criminal whose body was never recovered.” He peered at Sean. “I know this makes us unclean and unfit to serve, but—”
“But nothing,” Gareth said. “We all do what we need to in order to live. No one knows that better than the wolves of Lydon.”
“You can’t seriously be considering—” Sean started, but stopped when Gareth held up a hand.
“We’ll talk about it,” Gareth replied, but the tone let Deke know there would be no conversation.
“Alpha, what about the humans?”
Gareth smiled. “They were trying to move them somewhere else when we arrived. One of our men got the people to safety while the rest… dispensed justice.”
“The little girl?”
“Safe, I promise.” He turned to Quinn, who raised his head but remained at Deke’s side. “We also found Rupert’s family. They’re on the way to Lydon now.”
Rupert blew out a breath, obviously relieved. “Thank you, Alpha Supreme. I can’t wait to see them again.”
Quinn stood to face Gareth with a sharp nod but kept an iron grip on Deke’s hand.
“I have people outside waiting to cleanse this place. They’ll be sure the bodies can’t be found, and they’ll check to ensure no one is left behind.” Gareth stepped over to Deke and knelt beside him. He wrapped an arm around Deke’s shoulder. “Have you learned anything here?”
Deke looked up at Quinn, who stood beside him, his arm wrapped around his midsection as he stared at Klein’s body.
“Yes. My mate is the most important thing in my life, and if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.”
That drew a chuckle from Gareth. “Then you’ve learned the most important lesson of all. I’m sorry I tried to stop you from helping Quinn, and I regret my words. I do trust you, wholeheartedly. You’ve been good for Quinn, and he’s obviously been good for you.”
He was, and Deke wanted to get home so he could show Quinn how much he meant to Deke.
AS SOON as they were in the van, Deke rested against Quinn and fell asleep. Exhaustion was obvious—from the lines around his eyes to the way Gareth practically carried him to the vehicle. Quinn pulled Deke close, allowing him to rest his head on Quinn’s chest. He was amazed that Deke had even been able to shift, with as much weight as he’d lost.
“You okay?” Sean asked.
Quinn smiled at Sean even as he carded his fingers through Deke’s hair. “Fine. I’m just… I can’t believe I got him back.”
Quinn leaned in and inhaled Deke’s scent, letting it soothe him.
“I made you a promise,” Gareth said softly. “I will never break my word to you.”
No one could keep every promise. It wasn’t possible. Still, Quinn appreciated Gareth’s words. Turning, he caught Rupert staring at their guest, his eyes wide. Quinn could see why. Zach was impressive. Easily six and a half feet, with a shaved head and piercing black eyes, he was an amazing man. The fact he’d helped keep Deke safe? That was something Quinn could never repay.
Rupert turned to Gareth. “You swear to me my family is safe?”
“Yes. They’re both fine. By the time we get back to Lydon, they’ll be in a house, and Dani will be ensuring they’re both well taken care of.” He smiled at Rupert. “Your son is quite a little firecracker.”
“Judah is the most important thing