“That’s between him and Lyra,” Simon said. “I’m sure he’d be happy to talk about it, if he ever wakes up.”

“Don’t you dare make light of this,” Jaden growled, stepping closer to Simon. “This is Lyra’s life.”

“It is. And last I checked, you didn’t run it.” Simon was starting to bristle, and Lyra worried that in seconds she could have a full-blown fight on her hands. Both men had been pushed too far recently. And they both wanted very different things from her, which she had no idea how to reconcile.

Lyra sighed, the weariness and depression she’d just emerged from threatening to return and settle back around her like an old coat.

“Don’t. Don’t fight on my account,” Lyra said. “This is something I’ve got to think through. Which means neither one of you is going to be satisfied right now.” She looked at Jaden, who turned his attention back to her with a warning glint in his eye. It was amazing how quickly his calm strength had deserted him in the face of her old life. She knew he felt threatened. But right this second, she had more pressing concerns than assuaging his fears.

“I want to see my father,” she said.

He nodded, though his eyes were troubled. “I’ll come with you,” he said.

Lyra shook her head gently. “I need to see him alone.”

She saw the hurt and hated that she’d caused it. But there were things she needed to say to her father in private, in case he never awakened. Things she only wanted him to hear.

“Simon, let me show you to a room for the night. You look exhausted,” Lily was saying as she led Simon away. He sounded grateful when he accepted, though he cast a long, searching look over his shoulder toward Lyra.

“I’ll be up if you want to talk,” he said.

“As will I,” Jaden said. And despite the anger she could feel radiating off him, he leaned in and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips before turning and walking away, leaving in the direction Ty had gone. It had been meant as reassurance… and as a show of possession to the assembled.

Only Jaden, she thought ruefully, could make her feel flattered and pissed off at the same time.

Then she was alone, left to ascend the stairs in silence toward what she knew could be another good-bye. She didn’t know exactly what she was going to do… she’d been honest about that. But what she knew in her heart, and what she dreaded telling Jaden, was that no matter what, the pack was her family, they were in trouble…

… and if they needed her, she would answer their call.

Chapter TWENTY-FIVE

YOU’VE GOT TO RELAX, Jaden. She’s not going anywhere tonight.”

Jaden turned to glare at Ty, stopping in his tracks from where he’d been pacing in Lily’s parlor. He’d been incredibly happy in this room not two hours ago. Now, he thought his head might burst into flames.

“She’s going to help him. Them. Miserable creatures, too timid to speak their minds and far too invested in playing follow the leader. How can she help them?”

Ty leaned back on the couch, his silver eyes intent and unblinking. “You’re right, in a way… but so was she when she said you still don’t really understand the way a pack works. As monarchial as we are, there’s a lot more open dissent among vampires than you’ll ever find among wolves. They work as a unit, live as a unit. And ever since the humans hunted them nearly into the ground, they’re very invested in protecting what they have. That includes not allowing their women to mate with men who can’t give them children, and who might just take it upon themselves to either drain the pack of blood or drain a bunch of humans and then blame the wolves.”

“It’s bullshit,” Jaden snapped. He hated it when Ty gave him one of his reasonable lectures. He was never in the mood. And Ty never cared.

“I didn’t say it wasn’t. Probably it made more sense a few centuries ago, when packs were smaller and a lot more exposed to danger. More vulnerable. So they need some better leaders who are willing to change things.”

Jaden glowered. “Like Lyra, you mean.”

“Sure. Sounds like many of them recognize it, even if they’re not willing to openly advocate for it. That’s a flaw in their system, Jaden, but one that can be corrected with time and encouragement.”

“And my woman risking her life.”

That broke Ty’s calm façade a little. “Yes,” he said solemnly. “And that. But you can’t make the decision for her.”

“The hell I can’t.”

Ty snorted. “I’m going to bet Lyra would have a different opinion on that.”

Jaden resumed pacing, his hair hanging in his face. “Tynan, Lyra is not bloody William Wallace of the Wolves, okay? She’s not going to go leaping in there with her face painted blue howling about freedom. She’s got a decision to make about whether to head back into that hornet’s nest and do what she set out to do in the first place. But it’s different now. She’s got to worry about the Ptolemy, who have their fingers in this for sure. She’s got to worry about her psycho cousin, and that little shit Simon, who I don’t trust as far as I can throw, and she’s got to worry about—”

“You,” Ty supplied, taking a sip from a glass of bright red liquid that sat by his hand. He cocked his head at Jaden, giving him the appearance of a quizzical cat. “Tell me something, Jaden. You love this woman.”

“Yes,” Jaden said, and the truth of it reverberated through the deepest reaches of his soul. “With everything I’ve got.”

“And you trained her, from what you told me, for just this thing, right?”

“I did.”

“And were you confident in her ability before you were both tossed out on your ears?”

“Absolutely,” Jaden said, not sure where this was going.

“Then why have you got your knickers in a twist so badly? If she decides to go back, with you, I’m assuming, then nothing has changed except maybe you’ll have a few more wolves on your list you want to beat the piss out of. If you know she can do it, then just… support her. Take it from a guy who’s married to the descendant of a demon queen. Lily’s got me beat in the scariness department, and I’ve made my peace with it.”

The truth came tumbling out before Jaden could think better of it.

“But what if she doesn’t love me? What if she gets hurt, or bloody dies, and just slips away from me? I can’t lose her, Ty. Even if she never thinks of me as anything but a soft place to land, an acceptable fallback position, I can’t. Because I love her… too much.”

Ty’s hawkish features softened with understanding, and Jaden felt the knots he was tied up in loosen, just a bit.

“Have you said any of this to her? Hell, never mind, of course you haven’t. Has she ever told you she loves you?”

“No,” Jaden said, stopping to shove his fingers through his hair. “Not yet. I’ve thought she might say something once or twice… but no. She cares, at least, or she wouldn’t have finished the bond.”

Ty’s eyebrows raised. “Finished it? I didn’t know there was more to be done.”

“It was only half done before. Just on her end. I had to bite her… you know… among other things. But she’s the one who knew how to do it. And she’s the one who asked to seal it.” He smiled, feeling like an idiot, ranting one minute, blushing like a schoolboy the next. Thankfully, Ty didn’t press him for details.

“It was her idea to bind herself to you for the rest of her life, and you’re worried she doesn’t love you,” Ty said blandly.

“Well, I… yeah,” Jaden replied, beginning to feel more than a little foolish.

“I’d like you to think about that for a minute, dumbass, and then get back to me on how well it makes sense.”

“But what if she—”

“Honestly, Jaden, Lyra chose you. The first time, and the second time. She could have left. She could have told you to piss off. Instead, this woman who you have described to me as a prickly pain in the ass has thrown herself at you and demanded to be taken as your life mate. And you’re worried she feels nothing.”

Jaden paused. “I’ve been a fool.”

Ty sighed, but his smile was affectionate. “Yeah, but I went through it not that long ago. Just be careful not to hang on too tight, Jaden. You wouldn’t have fallen in love with her if she weren’t strong. So let her be. She’ll need you by her, whatever she decides.”

Relief washed through Jaden, a cool and soothing balm to a soul that was ragged-edged with nerves and worry. Ty was right. He knew Ty was right. The truth had been there in Lyra’s eye for a while now, not to mention in her voice, in the way she touched him. Still, he wanted to hear her say it. As soon as she felt comfortable doing it. And he planned to spend a lifetime—lifetimes now, thanks to the bite he’d given her—making her so. They had time, if they could get through this mess with the Thorn.

Jaden sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “But what if this is some kind of trap for her? What if the Ptolemy are waiting with Eric? I know her father’s in some sort of coma, but this whole thing doesn’t feel right. Too abrupt, too odd.”

Ty frowned. “You don’t believe Simon? Isn’t he a friend of Lyra’s?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know. The little bugger has a thing for her, and she doesn’t see it. Or she just ignores it.”

“That’s a separate issue,” Ty said. “Try to remember that. And I can already tell that Lyra isn’t the sort of woman who would get this far with you and then change her mind. Wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Yeah,” Jaden said. Something about Simon and his story was niggling at him, though he couldn’t put his finger on what. Probably some stupid little thing. He’d go wait for Lyra, and then maybe his head would be clear enough to recall.