Page 119 of Unforgivable

"Rhet," I manage to eke out his one-syllable name this time.

"Lyri," he says with relief. I feel an odd tickle on my forehead then hear the sound of a kiss. I try to open my eyes again, but everything in my face is slightly numb.

"Don't try to move, yet, Pretty. You're banged up, and Roberta gave you some shit that would knock out Rocky." Rhet sounds strangled. Is he worried about the drugs? I kin1da wonder if Thjis could have given them to me four months ago. That may have been nice.

"She's good to go, now," I hear a soft, feminine voice.

"I'm not moving her until she's absolutely in the clear, understand?" Rhet snarls. Shh, Blue-eyes.

"Sunshine," I mumble, eyes flickering.

"Fine, Angel. He's fine. Taken down with a fucking poison dart, but his body already fought it off an hour ago."

"Poison?" I mouth soundlessly. It's against wolf law to carry biological weapons. Only the... people... carry those, and they live far, far away from here.

"Yea. Liam must have been desperate." Rhet sounds darkly vicious, and I wince at the thought of Liam... desperate.

"Sleep, my angel. We won't leave your side." I hear the sound of a kiss again before darkness claims me.

---

Rhet

I press my lips to her warm skin, thankful that she's alive, just exhausted from stress and her injuries, according to Roberta. Ezra is awake but slumped in the easy-chair as if life has been drained out of him.

"What happened, Ez?" I ask him when I know that Lyri is sleeping again.

"Cal Jensen was there. I'm so stupid," he says tiredly. "I forgot that he could imitate the scream of a fucking mountain lion. He shot me before I had the chance to react."

"I'm just glad it's poison, nothing else." The terror I lived in for a couple of hours today, not knowing if my brother and female were OK... Goddess, never again.

Ezra nods, miserable. "He wanted me to know that Lyri was hurting. Otherwise, he would have just killed me. That sick fuck. Where is he, Rhet? Tell me you and Thjis got the fucker locked up."

"Carmichael and Thjis are searching now. They found Liam in the barn. Demon turned him into pudding. I'm going to give that fucking horse of our brother's the best oats from now on. Maybe we should get a couple more Appaloosas."

Ezra nods. Watery green eyes lift and look at our female. "She was almost raped again, Rhet. How can this shit be happening?"

"We know why," I tell him in a hushed whisper. "She is who she is, Ez. She pulls males to her like moths to the flame." We failed her. This should have never happened.

"What do we do?"

"We need to cement our place by her side. Tabitha has the right idea. We need to pledge ourselves at the next Mating Moon, and hope that the goddess blesses us."

"All of us?" he asks me.

"She wouldn't accept anything less."

Hope fills his eyes. "When is the next Moon?"

"Sunday is Full. The next Blue isn't until Mid-May," I tell him.

He scowls, "He'll be back before then. Can we hide her for two weeks from him?"

I scoff, "not likely. Would you let Lyri live on with three males at their home? No, we need to be prepared for a showdown on MayDay."

We fall silent at the sound of hurried footsteps. I inhale, trying to scent the wolf approaching, but everything smells of cleaner and medication layered over injury, illness, and grief in the clinic.

Luna Gloria bustles around the corner. Her grey hair is pulled back tight from her face, her cane held tightly in her hands. I knew she didn't need that thing. Worry lines crease the corners of her eyes, and her mouth is held tight.

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