Page 145 of A Whisper in the Dark

Used to the display of aggression by now, Wren merely rolled his eyes. “You can’t keep putting this off. The longer you wait, the more likely the chance Isa makes an appearance before you can act.”

“Then I’ll melt his skin off again.” It was going to take a lot more than that to get Odin to leave this room.

Two weeks had passed and Hunter still hadn’t woken. The doctors weren’t overly concerned since the first few days they’d had him induced and later had explained his injuries had been serious, however, there was always the chance he wasn’t waking on purpose. That he didn’t want to wake.

That he wouldn’t.

Doctor Cher hadn’t said it in so many words, but it’d been clear that’s what she meant and she’d just been too afraid to say it out loud to the already antagonized Snow. She’d rattled off a ton of jargon, but the gist of it was Hunter had undergone severe trauma and due to that, he may be trying to protect himself by not waking up.

His physical injuries were healing nicely at least, and much faster than they’d hoped. Cher had tried a couple of new treatments that had sped up the healing process and most of his bones had already knit back together. The bruises were all but gone and now the only visible injuries were the stitches in his thigh and the gauze over where his bite scar had been.

Odin had ordered that fixed as well, wanting all traces of what Isa had done to him gone no matter what it took. He didn’t want Hunter to have any physical reminders of that experience. Now that they were finished with that procedure and it was healing—without a scar—they were finally able to relocate him back to the club. One more night at the hospital just to be certain, and tomorrow would finally be the day.

Yet Wren wanted Odin to leave him now?

“Faraway Mansion won’t be left vulnerable forever,” Wren tried again. It was just the two of them in the room, the puffing of the humidifier on the table next to Hunter the only sound between them. “His people are guarding it, but they don’t stand a chance against you. Word spread that Frost was badly injured and may or may not already be dead. Because of that, most of the Frost Brumal have collected there for answers. If we hit them now, while they’re all together, we can end this. It’d be better if we both went, of course, but I know you won’t risk leaving Thorn with just anyone.”

“I won’t risk leaving him with another Shout either,” Odin snapped, and this time Wren flinched.

He was quiet for a moment and then, “Do you really think that I’d try something just because he’s a Whisper? Do you think so low of me, Snow?”

Odin exhaled slowly, trying to release the ball of tension that had become a permanent fixture in his body these past few weeks, and forced himself to calm. “No, of course not. Logically, I know you would never, but—”

“Instincts, perhaps?” Wren suggested, already over his hurt feelings. “We’ve never gotten to witness the dynamics between a Shout and Whisper before. There’s supposedly a bond between you now. Do you think it’s imbedded behavior?”

“You make it sound like we’re animals.”

“I mean, technically, we are.” He held up a hand and began ticking off fingers. “We eat, sleep, fuck—”

“You were in the process of trying to convince me you weren’t a slave to being a Shout,” Odin drawled.

“At least you’re back to being sarcastic,” Wren said. “Does that mean you’re finally ready to listen to reason?”

His eyes narrowed. “No.”

He was lounging on the hospital bed with Hunter tucked against his side, easing heat into the unconscious Whisper in hopes to, if not rouse him, at least help him to feel safe. Odin wanted Hunter to know he was here, that he was being taken care of. That there was nothing to fear and that he could wake whenever he was ready.

But on the same token, his friend was right. He’d spent every day and night since rescuing Hunter holed up with him in the hospital, and because of that, it’d been up to the rest of the Snow and Hail Brumal to clean up the mess. With Isa Frost on the run, his people were in chaos.

“First still hasn’t been found either,” Wren told him.

Both First and Meg had gone missing at the same time, leading them to believe they were with Isa. That was one of the major reasons the Frost Brumal were in such a weakened state now, because they’d all but been abandoned by their boss and underboss. They were scrambling, which meant it was the perfect time for Odin to strike, and yet…

“You guys can handle it.” He didn’t want to leave. He’d left Hunter once before and look what had happened?

“First may not be there to hold the fort,” Wren argued, “but that doesn’t mean the rest of Isa’s capos are to be taken lightly. He hand-selected each and every one of them, trained them personally. And now they’ve gathered at the mansion to help hold down the fort for him. They’re simply biding their time until he returns. We need you, Odin.”

The capos, or captains of the soldiers, typically took their orders from either Isa or First. There was a good chance that First had fled after leaving a set of strict instructions. If they were holding out, it was likely that First had told them with no uncertainty that he and Isa would return soon.

“Frost can arrive any day,” Wren continued as if sensing Odin’s wavering thoughts. “We can’t wait any longer. I’d go myself, but with the numbers as they are…”

Not to mention his power wasn’t as useful in a fight as Odin’s was. Turning things to gold could get him many things, but since Wren needed physical contact in order to do it, there was no way for him to easily take on an army of soldiers with blasters. He’d be shot before he ever got close enough to make a dent.

“You’ve waited a decade to take back your family home. Are you going to let the opportunity to finally achieve that pass you by?”

If it was for Hunter? Yes.

Wren switched tactics. “Frost knows about him now. He won’t be safe, either because Frost’s jealousy will make him want to murder Hunter, or out of determination to take him from you anyway. Even weakened, Hunter’s blood can still provide him with a power boost, and after the abilities you displayed at that warehouse…”

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