“So this is what pack is,” Lilly said, her voice shaky.
“Pack is whatever we need it to be,” Jacque said quietly. “Sometimes it’s fighting together on a battlefield. Sometimes it’s holding each other when we fall apart.”
“Sometimes it’s kidnapping a lactation specialist,” Jen added.
Lilly couldn’t help but smile, remembering when Jacque had informed her of the high faes stunt to help Jen with her breastfeeding.
“Sometimes it’s reminding us who we are,” Sally whispered.
“Pack is the steady presence of those who love every part of you,” Peri said as she wiped a tear from her face. “The good, the bad, the broken, the unlovable.”
They sat in silence. Lilly soaked up the love she could feel from the four women around her. There would be more tears. There would be moments when she knew she would feel like she couldn’t breathe. There would be more pain. But she wouldn’t face any of it alone.
“This is why I created my children.” She heard the Great Luna’s voice in her mind. “The wolves represent what all of you are meant to be. The humans call it family. Fellowship, unity, a common purpose, a united front, a support system in time of pain, a light when everything around us is dark. We call it pack.”
Gerick’s warriors had all gone, leaving the general alone. He was always the last one out of the weapons’ room. He liked to check and make sure everything had been cleaned and stored properly, even if his soldiers had simply been sparring. The old warrior wanted to know everything was in its place the next time armaments were needed. It was, yet he lingered.
After a few moments of silence, Gerick grabbed a polishing rag and attacked an already shiny sword blade. He no longer bothered trying to convince himself he was simply going about his duties. He’d given up that lie a week ago after Myanin disappeared following Lilly’s defeat of Lysander. Now, Gerick could only wonder when he’d see her again. For days, to keep from pacing and worrying, he’d been doing everything he could to stay busy. Even so, he snapped at anyone who dared bother him. To say he’d been on edge was an understatement. His thoughts kept jumping to the worst-case scenario. What if something had happened to Myanin and Tenia? What if they’d been found out? He’d played out every possible scenario in his mind, and none of them had ended with her coming back to him.
All of a sudden, he felt her presence. It was unmistakable, as if the air had been sucked out of the room. He fought the urge to jump to his feet. Instead, while continuing to polish the blade, he let his eyes roam the room. Then he saw her, crouched behind a weapons’ rack. She was staring at him, but she made no move to approach.
The moments stretched into minutes. He wanted her to show herself on her own, but she’d been watching him long enough now that he was afraid she was going to leave again without saying a word. He needed to see her up close, to verify with his own eyes she was okay. Gerick needed to touch her, to hear her voice.
“Myanin,” he said finally, trying to keep the growl of frustration out of his voice. “Please, come out and speak with me.” His words sounded like an order and a plea at the same time. He didn’t care. All he knew was that he was certain he was going to lose his damn mind if he didn’t see her.
After what felt like an eternity, the djinn stepped from the shadows into the dimly lit room, the general having extinguished all the torches save two. Gerick preferred softer lighting, especially at the end of a day when he was trying to clear his mind. Myanin took three more steps. Though her approach was slow, the djinn didn’t run away, which was encouraging. When she was only a couple feet away, he clenched his fists at his sides to keep from reaching out and grabbing her to pull her to him. She was so damn beautiful. Myanin was tall, though less than his own six foot, four inches. She had long, thick, brown hair and bright green eyes. She was trim and fit. Her body was obviously that of a well-trained warrior. He could see the definition in her arms and through the fitted leggings she wore.
“I’ve been worried about you,” he said after checking her over and not finding any visible injuries.
“Why?” she asked, sounding honestly confused.
Gerick frowned. “Because you’re in a den of vipers who will turn on you simply if they don’t like you, let alone if they knew you weren’t actually on their side.”
“Oh,” she muttered as her eyes dropped to the ground, sounding a little disappointed. But he wasn’t finished.
“You’re my mate, Myanin. You’re the most precious thing in my world. Why wouldn’t I worry about you? You left without so much as a goodbye, and I haven’t heard a word from you in a week. Of course, I’m worried. I would be devastated if anything happened to you.”
Her eyes snapped back up to meet his. Yes, stubborn female. He stared into her stunning eyes. I would miss you. I would hurt if I lost you. I would mourn you. He wished she could hear his thoughts the way the wolf mates could. For some reason, he thought saying such intimate things into her mind might make him less vulnerable than if he said them out loud.
“We don’t even know one another,” she pointed out.
Gerick shrugged. “I
