He really had to find a way to keep it together.
“He took on Dad all by himself.” He could hear the awe in Theo’s voice.
“Azriel did?” Az was Mister Brains, not Mister Brawn.
“To protect his mate. Actually, he saved all of us. Tristan is in an uproar because the pack didn’t allow him, as Alpha, join in the fight. Az was practically dead before we got there, but it looks as if he’s going to survive thanks to his mate’s powers. Anyway, it’s a long story. We could have used you, my brother.”
Michael closed his eyes around the lump that had formed in his throat. That was pretty standard. He was always letting his family down when it counted the most.
Opening them, he tried for nonchalance. “Sorry, I’m here on Tristan’s orders looking for Angel. Didn’t find her, but I found my beautiful mate instead.”
“Really? That’s great. When are you bringing her home?”
“Soon. I just have a few things to finish up here first.”
Like finding out what they’d given her to make her itchy and feverish and killing the bastard who had raped her. Then he’d bring her home and keep her in his room until she was sure of him. Or something like that. He’d figure it out when he got there.
“What did you need Az for?”
No point in telling Theo and getting him worked up. “I’ll handle it on my own.
When he wakes up tell him good work on holding off Dad.”
Damn, Michael needed to get home and fast.
“It’s just a temporary fix, big brother. Some other things have happened. I can explain when you get here, but we’ve had a bit of an inside look into Dad’s operation through Dad’s own brain—”
Michael interrupted. “Theo, what?”
“I know it sounds odd. I promise to give you the rundown when you get here, but right now it looks like even if we can get control of the magic situation, find ourselves a witch who will work against Dad, and get someone to tell us what Dad is planning, we’re still going to lose.”
That was a blunt statement from his younger brother. In all their years fighting their father no one had ever said that. Not ever.
“Why do you say that?”
Things must really be dire. Michael tapped his foot on the floor, nervous energy pressing on his insides. He wanted to go, needed to go, and couldn’t.
“Because Dad has hundreds of wolves, maybe more. Just from sheer power of numbers there is very little chance we can ever win this. We may have to make some kind of arrangement.”
“What do you mean?” Michael could hardly get the words out.
Theo was silent for a few seconds. “We might have to split up, hide our mates, leave here.”
“Tell Tristan I’ll be home as soon as I can.”
There really wasn’t anymore to say. He hung up the phone. When he turned around, he was shocked to see Scarlett standing right behind him. He’d been so preoccupied with his conversation he hadn’t even heard her approach.
“What happened?”
That was right. She couldn’t hear the other half of the conversation. She wasn’t enhanced in her hearing.
“I just got some really bad news from my brother.” He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly exhausted. “I was hoping one of my other brothers could help me figure out what is in the vitamin concoction they’re giving you, but he’s out of commission for a while.”
Scarlett wrapped her arms around her body in a protective gesture. “Is he okay?”
He nodded. “He’ll be fine. He got into a one-on-one battle with my father, not something he should have done. Somehow he survived. That’s really an accomplishment.”
“I’m glad to hear it, that he’ll be fine, not that he had the fight.”
“Thank you.”
She was pretty. He reached out to run his hand down her perky nose. She smiled, but her eyes looked wary.
“I’m sorry I yelled while I was on the phone. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. Do you think there is something in the vitamins making me sick or something?”
As if to illustrate his worry, she scratched her arm.
“Maybe.”
“What do you think it is?”
He shook his head. “The only way to find out is to go see your pack wielder—a term I have never heard before in two hundred years—and take a look at it.”
“He’s very secretive.”
“Is he a wolf?”
“No.” She coughed. “But he’s magical.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart, he’ll tell us what we want to know.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“In this arena, I’m completely confident in my ability to get the job done.” In other ways, he was not and that she needed to hear about.
He continued. “Scarlett…”
“Yes?”
“Here’s the deal. My brother just told me we are likely to lose the war against my father. If that happens we will either have to hide or,” it was so hard to say the words. “Or I may die and the truth of our mating is that you will feel compelled to follow me to the other side.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Oh.”
“So if you want to get out of our mating—and this wielder person can do that—I wouldn’t blame you for running away.”
Although it might kill him. He’d understand. It was cruel to tie her to him without giving her all the facts. Right now, he’d defeated Cole and he took care of her. In no way should she be forced to have a future with him without knowing what she was getting into.
“I thought that part of this whole mating deal was that the universe picked the person who was supposed to stand by you for life.”
He nodded. “That’s right.”
“I’m not strong. I’m not brave. I’m always going to be flawed because I don’t have a wolf. But I’m loyal to a fault and I’d like to stand with you on this journey. Even if it means I hide behind your back half the time.”
“Really?” He tried to ignore the choked sound of his voce. “You mean that?”
“I do.”
In two steps he was next to her. Picking her up off the ground he held her close to him, hugging her as tight as he dared without hurting her or making her injuries act up.
“I’ve been alone such a long time.” He had to get control of his emotions before they overwhelmed him and his wolf, usually so calm and steady, was not helping him. “You are brave. Most people couldn’t have survived what you did here. You’re not broken.
Don’t ever say that again. If I am nothing else, I’m strong. I’ll be strong for both of us if you need it. But you’re stronger than me in most of the ways that really count.”
He had to put her down before he gave into the urge pulsating through his veins to lie her down on the bed and make love to her until they both couldn’t see straight. Besides, he was two seconds away from blubbering and then she’d think that not only was she mated to a shifter almost guaranteed to get her killed, but that he was also a wimp.
Men might get to be emotional and touchy-feely these days, but when he was raised you didn’t do that.
With a sigh, he put her back on her feet. She looked up at him as she scratched at her left her hand with her right one. Damn, he had to get control of himself. Scarlett needed his attention right now.
“Come on, let’s go see this pack wielder.”
Hand in hand, they walked from the room into the hallway. Turning down the stairs, he stopped abruptly. The thirty-some-odd wolves he’d left downstairs stood lined up in the front hallway of Cole’s house.
He raised an eyebrow to stare at Todd. “What’s going on?”
“I did what you said. I told them what a pack is supposed to be like.”
Okay. He glanced at Scarlett and she raised her shoulders in a shrug. It seemed as if she was as confused as he was.