Ch. 118: Third

CHAPTER 118

Ally~

As it got later it became clear that Kyle and I were going to have to go home. And that meant, I’d have to tell my mom about what had happened. While she knew some of what we’d been dealing with - this was going to make her freak.

“I’ll be by in the morning?” Nick asks me after I tell him we’ve got to get going. 

“You better,” I smile at him.

Could I be more in love with this guy? Watching him study an old book, keeping an eye on him in the battlefield, it all got my heart thumping.

“I’m sorry about my mom out there,” Nick says suddenly after a beat of silence.

“I know,” I say, looking at him. “And you already know what I’m going to say, but I’m going to say it anyway - it’s not your fault.”

“If it comes to it, you know I’ll-” he begins, letting it trail off.

Every emotion crosses through me, and I see similar looks in his gaze. Pain at how I’ll likely never be accepted here. Anger at his parents for making him feel this way. Sadness for my Nick, my gorgeous, kind, intelligent mate, who feels like he needs to make an impossible choice. I don’t even go there in my mind. I could never let him choose between his family and us. But I couldn’t live without him. Not now.

“Should we risk waking the dreamer?” he lightens the mood, teasing as he gestures to Kyle asleep on a nearby couch.

“Ha, ha. You know he risked as much as you did out there,” I point out.

He turns to me very seriously and says, “I know.”

He goes over to him and carries him once again in another fireman's carry.

“Best let him keep recharging while I walk you to your car,” he says smiling again.

I twist my mouth for a moment thinking, “Okay, you’re probably right…”

I led us out of the packhouse. Most of the people are starting to slow down. Where they were running around before, they’re now walking in pairs and groups. Speaking in hushed tones. Some of them look at us brazenly, others try to sneak glances. But I know they’re all staring at the big bad witch. 

“Ally!” I hear when we step out the door.

It’s Mitchell. He’s got sweat slicked all over his bare torso. Likely from doing work out here with the other werewolves out cleaning things up.

“Mitchell, hey,” I start. “Thank you again for earlier - really.”

He nods and looks at Nick before lowering his head and heading inside himself.

We walked on towards where I’m pretty sure I parked the car.

“So… are we going to talk about what that was about?” Nick asks from my side.

“What ‘what’ was about?” I shoot back.

“You know what I’m talking about,” he grumbles.

I look over at him, side eying, and burst out chuckling.

“Are you serious? You’re jealous?” I giggle.

His face gets pink.

“Al,” he warns.

“Nick, you’ve got to be out of your mind,” I reach for his hand and hold it. “Mitchell let us out of the cells earlier. If it hadn’t been for him things could have gone very differently. Plus,” I stop dead in my tracks and wiggle my arm until he looks at me, “I can’t really see anyone but you. I don’t just love you. I’m so in love with you, sometimes I think my heart will just bust right out of my chest.”

I watch as this slow grin grows on his face, and the light returns into his eyes. He leans down and pulls me up toward him, pressing us together. Then he kisses me dizzy.

Between the heat all over and the tingling in every nerve, I nearly forgot my name. I certainly forget that we have Kyle with us, that is until he says something.

“Okay, this third wheel thing is literally crossing a line. I’m starting to think you both want me as your third, but I’m really a one guy, one girl kind of dude. No judgment, just not my thing,” he says slightly strained from being upside down.

I pull away a bit, but not before Nick pushes for one more peck, looking like he’s won the lottery.

“Hold on fae boy,” he says while swinging him back down to stand on his own.

“Did you have a good nap?” I tease.

“Yeah my dreams were getting oddly erotic though by the end,” he teases back.

I stick my tongue out at him.

“Ah yes, my glorious battle goddess and model student, that is a highly remarkable counterpoint,” Nick laughs, watching our interaction.

It’s hard to believe that earlier this day our very lives were at risk. That there were some people who will never leave this field after this afternoon.

We’re all much more solemn as we continue on to the car. The three of us are likely thinking about these people, about the battle, about the knowledge that this isn’t the end. My amulet warms for a moment like it’s confirming my thought.

They’ll be back. Maxine will be back. It still angers me to know she got away. And yes, they’ll likely be prepared for me next time. But I’ll be preparing too. 

Nick~

I wave my heart off as she drives back home. Home. A home without me. I would be her home someday. Right?

‘We’ve got the guard in the interrogation room. Ready to bother the Alpha now?’ Evan links me as I start the walk to the cells.

‘Yeah I got it, consider him on the way,’ I sent back.

After Ally and Kyle identified the guy Evan wanted to immediately interrogate. But one look exchanged between Ally and I - and we both knew that Jake deserved a few minutes of peace. Those minutes of course turned into hours. But every time I intended to let him know, I spotted Rachel and him on the bench in the distance, totally absorbed by whatever they were talking about, and I just couldn’t do it.

So I had suggested letting the guard, Peter, sweat it out a bit in a cell before interrogation. ‘Not the worst tactic,’ the Beta had said. 

But now it was time to pull that trigger. I did not envy Peter before, and I certainly didn’t now. Jake might just burn him alive without being asked a single question. 

‘I’ve got it. Ally worked it out with Kyle’s help. It was one of the guards down here. They let Sophie out. How do you want us to proceed?’ I sent him.

I made it down to the cellar floor and turned immediately left. Here there were two interrogation rooms put in by Jake’s great-great-great-great grandfather or somewhere about there. It was old. Well, nothing down on this floor was very nice. The cell bars were very sturdy, but other than being able to hold in a werebear or two, the place was wet. Dark. And not at all clean. The image of Ally being down here for even a moment flares my anger.

‘We will choose her,’ Asher said in my mind.

Like it was a choice. Like we hadn’t gone over and over this.

The door to the cellar slammed open and the thundering coming down the stairwell told me exactly who it was without my looking.

Jake came around the corner - hair sprouting, snout fully formed, little flames coming out from the top of his hair - and the look of it would have made me laugh under different circumstances.

“In there,” I said simply, pointing to the one closed door on the left.

He stormed past me right as the Beta opened the door.

“Evan, take your anger someplace else. NOW,” he ordered him as they both stepped aside, heads lowered, for their Alpha.

He looked at me and I knew it was my turn to get run ragged.

“Let’s go Ev,” I said, spinning on my heel.

He stomped the whole way up to the outer training field. I could practically hear the grumbling going on between him and his wolf. The darkened flashes of his eyes told me all I needed to know. He and his wolf were disagreeing about something. And whatever it was, was enough to make him risk not following procedures or his father’s orders.

“Evan!” I yell at him in an effort to get his focus on me. “Hit me.”