corner, going to kneel in front of the First Female. “I need you to hold Shya, while I make sure all is well. Sit back and hold the baby,” he told her.
She looked up at him in a way that said she knew exactly what he was doing and wasn’t fooled one bit, but she did take Shya into her arms, cuddling the little girl close to her chest. Standing, Baxter nodded to Ary and watched the curandera rush from the room to take care of the wounded.
Within the next hour more trucks came in with more wounded Shadow Shifters, some already dead.
* * *
When Kalina thought she would go out of her mind, and Shya had fallen asleep in her lap, she stood. With a resigned sigh and no knowledge of exactly how much time had passed, she laid Shya in the cradle that had been brought down for her. As she stood, still fighting back the tears of dread, a hand touched her shoulder. Tears fell as she exhaled slowly, her entire body filling with warmth at his touch.
“ Meu companheiro, ” he said in his deep voice and Kalina’s shoulders began to shake. “Don’t. Please don’t cry,” Rome said, turning Kalina to face him.
She fell into his embrace, holding onto him so tightly she thought she might actually break him, or her arms, in the process. “I was so afraid,” she whispered into his shirt. “So afraid for you and for everyone.”
He rubbed his hands down the back of her head, then cupped her face and tilted her head back until she stared up at him. “I am safe and I am here. I love you,” he told her, letting one hand slip down to rub over her protruding belly.
Kalina nodded. “You are safe and I love you.”
* * *
“Rome’s called a meeting in half an hour,” Eli said after he and Nivea had walked from their truck to the room one of the guard’s had directed them to. It was sparsely decorated with just a bed, one table, and one chair, but the bathroom had a shower and they were told their clothes had been brought down here. “We have just enough time to grab a quick shower, stop by the infirmary to check on Ezra, and then get to the meeting on time.”
He continued to talk, not sure why it was so imperative to keep moving. Especially when he knew Nivea had come in and sat on the edge of the bed, remaining very quiet.
“Jax called me on the e-band to say that Ezra’s already in surgery. Ary’s working on him,” he said while pulling clothes from one of the bins that had been labeled with his name. “I want to get down there as soon as possible.”
Nivea still didn’t speak.
“He also said your sisters were doing well,” Eli continued. “I asked about your mother too.”
“Stop,” she said softly. “Just stop.”
Eli did. He turned to face her and wanted to hit something, curse, or simply collapse at how sullen and helpless she looked at that very moment. Instead, he summoned the strength to go to her, sitting on the bed beside her and wrapping one arm around her.
“It’s done,” he said. “We can’t go back and change it. We tried to stop it, but it’s done.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. Eli didn’t look at her but he could smell them, salty and sad, and something clenched inside his chest tightly.
“They’re dying,” she told him. “I saw Pete die. That white lion took him down.” Her breath hitched and more tears fell. “We couldn’t stop it.”
“No,” Eli took her. “We couldn’t.”
“What will happen now?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I really don’t know the answer to that question, Nivea.”
Then Eli moved and he lifted Nivea onto his lap, wrapping one strong arm around her waist, using his other to lift her face and cup her cheek. “All I know right here and right now is that I love you more than life itself. And I don’t ever want to lose you, not in battle, not because of some disagreement or lack of communication. I just want you, always.”
She looked at him through eyes blurred by tears, human eyes that had
She looked up at him in a way that said she knew exactly what he was doing and wasn’t fooled one bit, but she did take Shya into her arms, cuddling the little girl close to her chest. Standing, Baxter nodded to Ary and watched the curandera rush from the room to take care of the wounded.
Within the next hour more trucks came in with more wounded Shadow Shifters, some already dead.
* * *
When Kalina thought she would go out of her mind, and Shya had fallen asleep in her lap, she stood. With a resigned sigh and no knowledge of exactly how much time had passed, she laid Shya in the cradle that had been brought down for her. As she stood, still fighting back the tears of dread, a hand touched her shoulder. Tears fell as she exhaled slowly, her entire body filling with warmth at his touch.
“ Meu companheiro, ” he said in his deep voice and Kalina’s shoulders began to shake. “Don’t. Please don’t cry,” Rome said, turning Kalina to face him.
She fell into his embrace, holding onto him so tightly she thought she might actually break him, or her arms, in the process. “I was so afraid,” she whispered into his shirt. “So afraid for you and for everyone.”
He rubbed his hands down the back of her head, then cupped her face and tilted her head back until she stared up at him. “I am safe and I am here. I love you,” he told her, letting one hand slip down to rub over her protruding belly.
Kalina nodded. “You are safe and I love you.”
* * *
“Rome’s called a meeting in half an hour,” Eli said after he and Nivea had walked from their truck to the room one of the guard’s had directed them to. It was sparsely decorated with just a bed, one table, and one chair, but the bathroom had a shower and they were told their clothes had been brought down here. “We have just enough time to grab a quick shower, stop by the infirmary to check on Ezra, and then get to the meeting on time.”
He continued to talk, not sure why it was so imperative to keep moving. Especially when he knew Nivea had come in and sat on the edge of the bed, remaining very quiet.
“Jax called me on the e-band to say that Ezra’s already in surgery. Ary’s working on him,” he said while pulling clothes from one of the bins that had been labeled with his name. “I want to get down there as soon as possible.”
Nivea still didn’t speak.
“He also said your sisters were doing well,” Eli continued. “I asked about your mother too.”
“Stop,” she said softly. “Just stop.”
Eli did. He turned to face her and wanted to hit something, curse, or simply collapse at how sullen and helpless she looked at that very moment. Instead, he summoned the strength to go to her, sitting on the bed beside her and wrapping one arm around her.
“It’s done,” he said. “We can’t go back and change it. We tried to stop it, but it’s done.”
Tears streamed from her eyes. Eli didn’t look at her but he could smell them, salty and sad, and something clenched inside his chest tightly.
“They’re dying,” she told him. “I saw Pete die. That white lion took him down.” Her breath hitched and more tears fell. “We couldn’t stop it.”
“No,” Eli took her. “We couldn’t.”
“What will happen now?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I really don’t know the answer to that question, Nivea.”
Then Eli moved and he lifted Nivea onto his lap, wrapping one strong arm around her waist, using his other to lift her face and cup her cheek. “All I know right here and right now is that I love you more than life itself. And I don’t ever want to lose you, not in battle, not because of some disagreement or lack of communication. I just want you, always.”
She looked at him through eyes blurred by tears, human eyes that had
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