Chapter 21: Chapter Twenty-One

Caroline Ryder

“Your freckles are out in full force this summer,” Liam whispered, his finger tracing a path down my nose and over my cheeks.

I scrunched up my nose at him and stuck out my tongue. He responded with a soft kiss.

“The sun is relentless,” I said, rolling over and pulling him with me.

His body was warm and slick with sweat, hovering just next to mine. I brushed back his thick, blond hair and grinned at him. “That’s what happens when you live in a makeshift war camp.”

Liam’s face turned serious. “I like your freckles,” he said softly. “They’re part of being a redhead.”

I playfully smacked his shoulder. “I’m not a redhead,” I protested. “I’m a redhead.”

“Is there a difference?” he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Absolutely,” I said, puffing out my chest. “Redhead is a much more dignified term.”

Liam raised an eyebrow. “Caroline,” he said, his voice filled with affection, “your hair is orange.”

I smacked him again. “It’s not! It’s a rich red.”

He laughed, leaning over to kiss my cheek. “You’re a carrot top.”

“More like a mermaid,” I corrected.

Liam tugged on one of my springy curls. “You’re perfect just the way you are—”

A distant scream interrupted us. It was strange enough to make us pause, but not alarming enough to make us jump out of bed. I sighed and caressed his face.

“My dad is on patrol this morning,” I said, pressing my lips to his. “He practically begged Vex to let him, even though he’s been working nonstop this past week.”

Liam’s hand moved to my hip. “I was so proud of you yesterday,” he said, planting a kiss on the mark he’d left on my neck.

“You volunteered to help the wolves out west. You offered your help before any of the pack elders.”

I blushed. “You would have done the same.”

“I would’ve,” he agreed, “but you were the one who stepped up.”

Another scream echoed through the air, and Liam’s hand froze on my waist. I frowned and propped myself up on my elbows. Liam sat up too, pulling me with him as we held our breaths.

“Do you think—?”

Suddenly, the screaming intensified. We jumped to our feet, pulling on our clothes in silence as we braced ourselves for whatever was coming. “Why hasn’t he howled?” I asked.

Liam looked at me, and a wave of fear washed over me. He didn’t need to say anything for me to understand what he was thinking.

There was only one reason why my father wouldn’t have alerted the pack to an attack: he was the first target.

I pulled on my boots and Liam did the same, taking a moment to squeeze my hand as the sounds of panic and chaos grew louder. Someone was definitely attacking the pack.

We both froze as Vex’s rallying cry cut through the air.

We dashed out of our tent, the smell of smoke hitting us immediately.

Liam’s eyes were wide as he pulled me along, starting us into a run. His medic pack bounced on his back and side, secured by only one strap over his shoulder.

We ran with ease; our daily training had built up our stamina.

It didn’t take long for us to find someone who needed help. Liam dropped to the ground beside the man, quickly assessing the bullet wound in his chest.

I helped as best as I could, my attention divided by the growing chaos around us.

I could see the flicker of a fire through the trees, and the smoke was growing thicker in the summer air.

Wolves were springing into action, doing their best to defend their pack. People were running around in a frenzy, trying to find their loved ones or get to their defensive positions.

“It’s going to be okay, buddy,” Liam was saying, his hands already slick with blood as he examined the wound.

He barked out a few orders, and I rummaged through his bag for the tools he needed.

I held the patient down as Liam tried to remove the bullet. I knew the moment the man stopped struggling that we had lost him.

I placed my hand on Liam’s shoulder and rested my forehead against his back. “It’s okay,” I whispered.

“Too close to the heart,” Liam murmured.

Gunfire erupted just to our left, and I pulled Liam up, slinging the pack over my shoulder as we ran.

We treated as many people as we could. Liam worked on the patients while I assisted or defended him.

This was our routine. He was a skilled healer, and I was the fighter. He was the one who put people back together, while I was the one who tore them apart.

The fires started to merge as the trees caught alight next; the summer’s dry air did nothing to quell the flames.

I turned just as Tyler Trip, the future alpha, sprinted past me. I saw a frantic worry in his eyes and felt a knot in my stomach. This attack was serious.

“Caroline!” I turned back to Liam. “I need clean bandages!”

I dug through the pack and handed him what he needed. The young girl’s skin was severely burned. She was trying to blink but her gaze was distant.

Liam cursed as his hands started shaking slightly. “Come on, Liam,” I encouraged, “you’ve got this.”

I heard the click of a gun and spun around. A human woman stood a few feet away, her gun raised to her shoulder and her eyes dark as she focused on her scope.

Liam’s jacket bore the white cross of a medic, but I knew better than to expect it to grant him any immunity from this woman.

I stood and growled, my body trembling as I started to shift, moving in front of Liam to shield him while I stared the woman down.

She glared at me and clicked her gun again, trying to intimidate me.

I lunged as she fired, but her bullet missed me. I took her down quickly, ending her life with an efficiency that haunted me when I closed my eyes at night.

I turned around, my chest heaving as I focused on Liam.

He was hunched over his patient, his shoulders tense. I went back to him, scanning the forest for threats as I did.

I sat next to him and placed my hand on his back. “What do you need next?” My heart stopped when his body jerked forward. “Liam?”

I reached out, my hands finding his shoulders, and pulled back. My breath hitched as I took in the sight of the gash that ran from the middle of his chest to the base of his stomach.

“LIAM!” I cried out, my hands instinctively pressing against the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood.

I looked around, but whoever had done this was long gone. Liam’s eyes were fluttering, his mouth hanging open.

I gently laid him down, calling his name, trying to keep him with me. The wound was too large for my hands to cover, but I tried anyway.

Tears blurred my vision as I leaned over him. “What do I need to get?” I pleaded. “Tell me how to fix this.”

He tried to speak, but all that came out was a gurgle as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

I held his face in my hands, my teeth gritted in frustration as my tears fell. “Liam,” I said, my voice sharp. “Liam, you need to help me.”

His eyes were rolling, his body already weakened from the blood loss. “Fuck,” I muttered, letting go of him for a moment to rummage through his first aid kit.

He’d spent countless nights trying to teach me how to use the various tools in his pack. I’d always brushed him off, confident that he’d always be there to use them himself.

I cursed my past self for being so naive.

I unrolled a whole roll of gauze, pressing it against the gash and watching as it quickly soaked up the blood.

I picked up a clear plastic bag labeled ~PLASMA~. I’d seen him use it countless times.

My hands were shaking as I unpacked a tube and needle. “Dammit,” I muttered, struggling to find a vein.

On my tenth try, I got the needle in, attached the tube to the plasma bag, and lifted it so it could drip.

With my other hand, I applied more gauze to the wound, then started searching for his stitching kit.

I felt a hand on mine and looked up to see Han. His face and hair were covered in ash. He took the plasma bag from me and I turned my attention back to the pack.

I just needed to find his stitching kit. Then I could close the wound.

When I found it, my frustration grew. I couldn’t thread the needle; every time I thought I had it, the thread slipped away. I growled in frustration, my eyes filling with tears.

“Caroline,” Han said softly.

I waved him off, my heart pounding as I finally threaded the needle. “Hold him still,” I ordered.

“Caroline,” Han said again.

“What?” I snapped, pushing the gauze aside to look at the wound. The bleeding had slowed to a trickle. That had to be a good sign.

“He’s gone,” Han whispered. “It’s too late.”

“What?” I said, my voice barely a whisper. I looked up at Liam’s face. His eyes were glassy and open. His mouth was slack and blood was caked on the side of his face.

“He’s dead,” Han said, his voice breaking as he started to cry.

“No,” I murmured, “that doesn’t make sense.” I fell back, still holding the needle in one hand and the bloody gauze in the other.

“I put pressure on the wound, I gave him plasma so he wouldn’t go into shock, and I—I was going to stitch and—”

Han wrapped his arms around me as he cried. I stared at Liam, my mate, who had been working at my side just minutes ago.

How could he be gone so quickly when he had promised me forever?

“I’m so sorry, Caroline,” Han said, pulling back and holding my shoulders.

I reached up to my neck and felt my heart shrivel and die. Liam’s mark was gone. The subtle grooves his teeth had left in my neck were gone, as if they had never been there at all.

“No.”

***

My eyes snapped open and I sat up, a cold shiver running through me. My heart was racing and tears were streaming down my face as I shook off the remnants of the memory.

“Welcome back.” I jumped again at the sound of a voice, then felt a large, warm hand on my elbow. “You’re safe.”

I blinked and saw Grant sitting next to me. His eyes were shadowed with exhaustion.

It was night now; the sun had set. We were alone in Trip’s kitchen.

I realized I was lying on the kitchen table, a pillow under my head and a light sheet covering me.

“Ridiculous,” Grant muttered. “Not having a bed in the house.”

It took me a few moments to remember what had happened.

Ryan had come to challenge Trip. I was going to save him. Moray shot me. I tried to run after him but I fell. Grant and Han had removed the bullet from my thigh and then I passed out.

My left leg was numb and it took more effort than usual to push myself up onto my elbows. Grant didn’t try to stop me. “Who won?”

“Trip,” Grant said.

I felt a wave of relief. “Is he okay?”

Grant was silent, so I asked again. “He’s healing.”

My stomach dropped. I threw off the sheet, wincing at the sight of the large bandage strapped across my thigh and the bruised skin beneath it.

I tried to swing my legs over the side of the table, but Grant stopped me.

“You shouldn’t move yet,” he said, standing up to hand me a glass of water. “Moray shot you through a main artery. It was a bitch to heal, and you lost a lot of blood.

“I doubt that leg will even support a fifth of your weight right now.”

I gritted my teeth. “I need to see Tyler.”

“He’s asleep,” Grant said curtly. “He needs the rest.”

It took me a moment to gather my thoughts. Trip was okay; hurt but recovering. The same thing I needed to do.

I would see him in the morning. I would curl up next to him, and we would heal together.

“Thank you,” I said, my voice hoarse, as I accepted the glass of water. “For saving my life.”

“No problem, little sister,” he said, his voice devoid of humor. “You’re not the first of my siblings to get shot.”

I saw the pain in his eyes. I remembered watching Lux get shot on television.

“Hopefully, I’m the last,” I said, my voice hard.

“Amen,” he said, a faint smile on his face.

I gingerly lifted the edge of my bandage, earning a growl from Grant. “No infection,” he grumbled. “Keep it covered to stay that way.”

I eased back down, trying to shut my eyes. But the moment I did, images of Tyler battling Ryan and Liam’s lifeless body flooded my mind. “Dammit,” I muttered, rubbing my tired eyes.

“What were you dreaming about?” Grant asked, his tone light.

I let out a sigh. “The day my mate died,” I whispered. “The same day Tyler lost his. Our pack was attacked.

“Our dad was on lookout, but he didn’t signal. We were caught off guard by the attack that followed. Dad thought he saw your mom, but it was Lux. She was visiting Keegan at the time.”

Grant’s frown deepened, his arms crossing over his chest. “Lux told me a bit about that day. Her friend died in the fire.”

“Lots of people died that day,” I said, my voice tight. “Trip’s mate, Del. Our alpha, Vex. My mate… Liam.”

“I’m sorry,” Grant said, his voice a low rumble. I could see the pain in his eyes.

I shrugged. “It was the worst day of my life. The worst year of my life. Until Trip asked me to be his luna and I didn’t feel alone for the first time since Liam died.”

I took a deep breath. “I didn’t think I’d feel love again. I thought the Goddess was going to punish me for not protecting Liam better. But Trip proved me wrong.”

Grant leaned in. “You’re both stronger than you know… to survive that loss.”

“What about your mate?” I asked, trying to shift the focus. “What is she like?”

I remembered what he had told Moray about her. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

Grant’s smile was fleeting. “My mate is… unconventional.”

“How so?”

“She’s not a werewolf,” Grant said, a playful look in his eyes. “Not human either.”

I raised an eyebrow.

Grant couldn’t help but smile. “She’s… fiery.”

“I remember you told Mick that you don’t see her very often,” I said.

He nodded. “We’re both busy—”

“Can I meet her?” I asked.

Grant laughed. “I don’t think there’s anything she’d like more than to meet my family.”

A warmth spread through my chest and I extended my hand for him to take. “I’m proud to call you my brother, Grant,” I whispered.

“I wish I had known you sooner, so we could have shown you the love you were always searching for.”

Grant swallowed hard, his pale eyes welling up. “If I had known I had a little sister like you out there, I would’ve come around a lot sooner.

“I’m sorry, Caroline, for denying you out of spite for our father. I’ll always regret that I wasn’t there for you. And for Mick and Han.”

“Mick and Han could still use your help,” I murmured. “Mick was never much good at being the eldest, and Han can’t seem to find his direction in life.” I paused. “I need you too, Grant.”

“No,” he said softly, “you don’t. You’re the strongest of us, Caroline. The most well-rounded. You and Trip, you’ll be fine.”

A tear slipped down my cheek. Grant took my hand in both of his and squeezed. His tears fell as he smiled at me.

I smiled back, and we sat in silence, acknowledging each other as family and grateful we were both safe.

***

When I woke up the next morning, Grant was asleep beside me, his tall frame hunched over in the uncomfortable chair.

I had barely opened my eyes for a minute when my parents burst in. Grant was on his feet in an instant, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“Caroline,” my father called out, his voice sharp.

My mother reached for me, and I collapsed into her, breathing in her familiar scent. “You’re okay,” I murmured, the fear from the day before resurfacing.

“Your brothers and father got me out before… Oh, Goddess, Caroline. Were you going back there for me?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

She brushed my hair away from my face. Her hands were rough from all the time she spent in her garden. “I’m so thankful you’re okay.”

My mother let go of me and turned to Grant who was now standing, his head slightly bowed. He looked uncomfortable, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

“My brother saved me,” I told her. “It’s because of Grant that I’m alive.”

My mother put a hand to her throat. “You’re Rick’s son,” she murmured. “I always knew… Always guessed…”

Grant lifted his head, and my mother gasped, no doubt seeing the resemblance between Grant and Han.

“I’ll go,” Grant said, his voice a low rumble.

“No,” my mother said sharply, stepping in before my father or I could. Grant froze, watching as my mother approached him.

She took his hand, and to my surprise, he let her. “You saved my daughter,” she whispered. “You are the child of my mate. These things make you my son. They make me your family.”

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Grant.”

Grant’s wide eyes met mine over my mother’s shoulder and I smiled as he slowly returned her hug.

She settled into the embrace and rubbed his back. I saw his mouth fall open and his eyes glaze over.

When she pulled away, she placed her hand on Grant’s face, not caring about the mask he wore or the act that kept everyone else at a distance.

“I’ll make you breakfast,” she whispered to him, then turned to smile at me.

Grant choked up when she moved away. He looked down and cleared his throat, trying to hide how deeply she had touched him.

I looked at my father, who was watching Grant and my mother with tears in his eyes.

They had both underestimated my mother, not realizing the depth of love and kindness she was capable of showing.

I watched her with pride, knowing that strength wasn’t always about physical prowess or bravery, but sometimes, it was about how open you let your heart be to others.

Grant and our father helped me up, half-carrying me when my leg gave out.

They led me to Trip’s room. The room he was supposed to share with Del. The room he’d been avoiding since he got here.

All that was in the room was a mattress on the floor, and he was sprawled out in the middle of it. His body was slick with sweat, working hard to heal itself.

Jackie was there, right by his side. The peacemaker stood up when I walked in.

“He’s getting better,” she told me. For the first time, I looked her in the eye and didn’t feel that gut-wrenching punch. “I’m glad to see you’re doing better too.”

I managed a smile. “Thanks, Jackie.”

She nodded and left the room, with Grant and our dad trailing behind her.

I took a deep breath as I hobbled over to the mattress, lowering myself onto it as gently as I could with my injured leg.

I muttered a curse under my breath as Trip began to stir. “It’s okay,” I whispered, “you can go back to sleep.”

But he opened his eyes right away. “Caroline,” he said.

I put my hand on his. “It’s okay, Tyler, I’m here.”

“You’re okay,” he mumbled, his eyes unfocused.

I looked over his body, taking in the multitude of injuries. He looked like he’d been attacked by a bear. Emotion clogged my throat.

“I was so scared.”

I wiped away a tear. “Me too.”

Trip leaned back against the pillow. “I beat Ryan.”

I hesitated. “Is he dead?”

Trip shook his head, and I felt a mix of relief and fear. “I couldn’t do that to him,” he admitted. “I couldn’t just…take his life. He was my best friend.”

Slowly, I curled up next to him, being careful not to touch his bruised skin or jostle any of his injuries.

He seemed to relax as I lay down, and his breathing slowed a bit. I felt the same calm he did; the same moment of tranquility.

“Thank God it’s over,” I mumbled, closing my eyes. As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt a knot of dread in my stomach, like I’d just jinxed us.

“It’s not over,” Trip said after a few minutes. “It’s not over until I kill Moray for what he’s done. For what he did to you.”

My stomach clenched.

“It’s not over until I make sure there are no more of Ryan’s loyalists in this pack. Until I know that he’s settled somewhere far away.”

I shivered.

“It’s not over,” he said again, pressing a kiss to my hair, “but it will be soon.”