We both looked at Aaron, then pulled him in as close as he could go.
“That’s not your responsibility,” Brandon said. “It’s something we’ll all have to work on.”
“Any insights you want to share, Doc?”
“I haven’t seen what happens, got nothing but small flashes, and there hasn’t been any for ages.”
“I expect you to discuss every detail of those flashes with my men in the morning.”
“In the morning.”
5
“This is not where you said you wanted me yesterday.”
I tried not to be hurt as Finn snapped the words at Aaron. We stood beside a tactical vehicle—basically, a four-wheel drive ute with a machine gun mounted in the tray. That wasn’t where we’d be sitting, though. Aaron wanted me in the middle of the back seat with Finn and Slade on either side, and Brandon in the front passenger seat.
“I took what you said under advisement,” Aaron said. “You’re in the back, protecting your mate.”
“Put Brandon and Slade with her.”
Her, I thought, not Jules, not Julie. My eyes were forced down as they began to sting.
“Gimme one of the bikes, and I’ll go on ahead.”
“Fucking give this cherry what he wants,” one of the soldiers said, edging forward. “Let him get his head ripped off by some weird arse monster or one of the murderous bastards. Give us a clear path to his grieving mate.”
When the soldier’s eyes flicked to me, his gaze was lecherous, but it was hard to tell if that was real or to provoke Finn. Either way, it worked.
“Don’t look at her.”
“Well, why don’t you take your place by her side and stop him from doing so,” Aaron said, stepping into Finn’s space. “Do you know what any of us would do to be in your shoes? Do you?” My head jerked up as I heard the slight waver in Aaron’s voice. It didn’t deter him as he shoved his finger into Finn’s chest. “You have the one thing we all want, Finn—a mate. And instead of cherishing every damn moment of that, you’re letting guilt make you its bitch, and a stupid one at that.” The other man watched Finn’s shoulders sag. “Your dads have been out here for years, Finn. It’s imperative we get them out, but there’s no urgency. We do this safe, and we do this smart.”
“But what I saw…”
“We all saw it, mate, and now we’re gonna do something about it. Trust us, trust my guys. There’s no one else I’d want to be walking into a motherfucking huge wolf’s den with. But if we’re gonna do this, someone needs to look after Jules. She’s the most precious. Something might happen to one of us, but she needs to make it back. Work with Brandon and Slade, and make that happen.”
My eyes took in every detail of the exchange, lingering particularly on the abrupt jerk of Aaron’s hands as he spoke to Finn.
That one is strong, my Tirian said as I felt the eerie sensation of her moving within me to peer out my eyes.
Yeah, I don’t feel like I know him all that well, and then this.
Some of your men are all dramatic declarations, a view of Slade and Jack popped into my mind, but others will wait for you to notice.
And I haven’t been noticing.
I have.
Aaron waited until Finn nodded in resignation, then clapped him on the shoulder, and turned to the others. “Everyone knows where they’re supposed to be. Hills, you keep to the middle of the pack, the rest of you, eyes peeled. We’ve got limited intel on what lives here from the mine crew. You’ll need your wits about you. No shooting indiscriminately, but if something looks hostile, take it out. Let’s go.”
And that was that. Everyone started to move—everyone but me. It was weird; I’d come to Sanctuary, found out I was this crazy powerful smoke wolf thing, and still, I was manoeuvred around by the men in my life. My teeth ground as a wave of resentment hit me and I glanced at the alien landscape with its purple trees. I had no experience here. I couldn’t handle a gun, and would have no idea how to cope with some strange creature if it attacked me, so I saw the wisdom in protecting me. I had the least useful skills.
“C’mon, princess,” Slade said, and for the first time, that
label stung. I was the princess, a burden to be argued over and managed, and it wasn’t something that sat well with me. “In you get,” he said as he opened the door, like I was a child. I followed the instructions dully.
“I’ll get in the front. Brandon can sit with Julie,” Finn said, moving to do exactly that. The other men all looked at me for confirmation, but I just got in the car and buckled up like a good little girl. I stared at the side of Finn’s face when the car started, hungrily taking in all of the details. I’d thought we’d resolved things, got things back on track when he’d cried in my arms, but it appeared I’d done little good. Finn was still torn apart by guilt and angry at the delays in atoning for it. All of a sudden, I felt a wave of love and reassurance. It was like being stroked by a velvet glove, the soft fibres brushing over all my sharp edges, encouraging them to relax and lay flat. I looked down and saw Brandon and Slade had taken my hands.