Chapter 352

Jackson lets out a sharp, impatient snarl, and Jesse laughs, giving me a little shove towards him. “All right, all right, I’m sorry, take him.”

I stumble forward a step into Jackson’s arms, where I’m wrapped up tight. “You’re being very indiscreet, you know,” I murmur, wrapping my arms as far as they’ll go around his waist. “People are going to figure out that you’re in love with the Shrimp.”

“Who cares,” he says, utterly dismissive. “They’ll still be scared of me. And you now, too.”

I lift my head to grin up at him and then push away, turning for Luca, who is waiting.

“That was really cool,” he whispers, folding me into his arms in turn. “I mean, I know it was violent but…I could feel it, Ari.” He shakes his head as he lowers it to mine. His wolf anxiously paces at the other end of our bond and mine crosses it to him, pressing herself warm to his side, pleased to be there and pleased that he’s open to us in this moment.

“I think you have magic, Luc,” I whisper. “I think…I think it’s more than just us.”

“I know,” he sighs, shaking his head. “And just when I thought I couldn’t get any cooler…”

I grin, looking up at him, very pleased to see him start to embrace this part of himself instead of being afraid of it. “We’ll figure it out, you know.”

“I know,” he whispers, nodding down at me.

“Okay, come on, it’s still an active battle,” Rafe says, snapping his fingers at me and Luca with a frown, one hand on his earpiece, clearly listening to some sort of report coming through. “Eyes on the horizon, kids.”

“Don’t call me kid, I’m older than you,” Luca murmurs, smirking at Rafe.

“Then act it,” Rafe bites back, giving Luca a little glare and turning away. But then Rafe turns back with a little frown. “Also, I’m still bigger than you so…fall in line, Grant.”

I smirk and roll my eyes as I look up at Luca. “Alpha bullshit? On the battlefield?”

“Where else?” he asks, smirking back at me.

“Here, eat something,” Jackson murmurs, stepping close and holding a granola bar out to me.

“What?” I ask, looking up at him.

He just growls deep in his chest.

I sigh, looking down at the wrapped food. “Jacks, I’m really not hungry –“

“You haven’t eaten a damn thing all day, Ariel,” he snarls, holding out the bar more insistently. “I’m going to watch you eat that. And then you’re going to drink water. And then you can blow up more helicopters. But not before.”

I wrinkle my nose and purse my lips as I look up at him, not liking being bossed like this. But he just raises an eyebrow and I take the granola bar, unwrapping it and taking a petulant bite.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, looking away towards the horizon for both of us and stroking his broad, heavy palm over my head as he does.

I sigh, standing between my mates, and likewise turn towards the horizon as I eat my snack.

The three of us stand just like that, vigilant, for hours.

The Atalaxians don’t send any more helicopters for our particular little set of troops, I guess figuring out that it’s a surprisingly well-defended position and a dead end. As dawn approaches, the assaults on the Atalaxian entrenchment slow and then stop. A huge number of trucks, tanks, and other miliary vehicles begin to cross the plain before us – clearly visible in the growing light.

“What…what does this mean?” I ask quietly, watching them.

“It means we won,” Jesse says softly at my side.

I look to him with wide eyes. “What?”

He nods to me, his face quite serious. “This was the second part of the plan – sending troops to occupy that land mass once the Atalaxians have retreated so they can’t re-take it. This means we pushed them back.”

I exhale in a long rush of air, turning back to the horizon. But with my relief comes exhaustion. “That’s good,” I whisper, nodding.

“Very good,” my cousin returns.

I glance over at him. “This was big, wasn’t it?” I ask, soft. “If we had lost this…”

Jesse glances at me from the corner of his eye. “If we had lost this,” he murmurs, “we’d have been swearing allegiance to a very different King today. And losing our titles, which doesn’t work for me.” He sighs, huffy, trying to make me smile. “I don’t do commoner.”

It works and I huff a laugh, shaking my head at him.

But Rafe’s barked order for us all to pack up and head back to the camp rings out around us and my cousin and I turn, walking with Jackson and Luca back to the waiting transport truck that will take us back.

Inside the truck I lean against Jackson’s side, my head on his shoulder, and nearly fall asleep. I would have, too, if I wasn’t bounced around every few seconds by another rock or pit passing beneath the wheels.

But when we arrive back at the camp, I’m glad I didn’t, because I see my father standing there at the edge – clearly waiting for us.

And the sight of him fills me with hope, happiness, and a great sense of safety, as it always does.

Jackson has to pull me back into my seat when I try to jump up before the truck even stops. I scowl at him but he just smirks at me.

As soon as the truck pulls to a stop, though, he lets me go and I move swiftly for the back. Something in the back of my mind registers all of the other Cadets likewise sitting still as I pass them, and jump down from the back of the vehicle, and stride right for my father, who wraps me up in a tight hug.

I burst instantly into tears, tired and overwhelmed and finally feeling safe enough to do it. Dad tucks my head against his chest though and turns away with me, not letting my schoolmates see.

“All right, trouble,” he murmurs, his voice low and sad to see me this way. “It’s all right.”

Footsteps approach and I sense my mates as well as my brother and cousin. When they’re close, dad turns me gently away and we all walk to the large tent before us – the one set up for dad and Uncle Roger for rest as well as meetings.

As soon as we step inside dad scoops me up into his arms, one beneath my knee and the other behind my back. He walks me steadily to the back of the tent to a lonely little cot away from the action. He sits down there with me in his lap, holding me close to his chest. I glance over at the rest of the room where I see my boys mingling, talking with Roger and some other aids, Luca and Jackson glancing over at me every few moments.

But I sigh, exhausted, and close my eyes, resting my head against my dad.

He lets me sit in peace for a long moment, just holding me tight, and the quiet does wonders for my poor beaten soul.

I mean, being here in my dad’s arms doesn’t fix anything but I just…I mean, I love my dad. It’s impossible to not feel better, warmer, safer when he’s around.

“We’re so proud of you, Ariel,” dad murmurs, taking my cap off my head and setting it gently on the bed before pressing a kiss to my braided hair. “So terribly proud.”

I nod, knowing he means it.

“I don’t think you know how important it was, what you did,” he continues, his voice soft, his words just for me. “We weren’t expecting them to attack that part of the line – it’s why we put you there. Strategically, it was a bad choice for them – unless they had something planned which we didn’t see. That must have been it.”

“I think they were going for me,” I say quietly. “I don’t know how they’d know it, but I think they knew I was there.”

“We’re considering that,” dad replies, and I feel him nodding. “Which is…disturbing, in its own right. But either way, my dear, what you did was…incredible. Had they broken through the line there, we’d have had to completely re-route our forces, give up the attack. And considering that the Cadets weren’t trained enough to hold the spot –“

“You need to teach them to shoot straight, dad,” I say, lifting my head and giving him a dubious look. “Those helicopters were well within range, I can’t believe they missed –“

Dad’s face bursts into his handsome smile as he looks down at me. “Not everyone’s a sharp-shooter like you.”

“Well then they should be,” I say, screwing up my face with doubt. “That was…embarrassing.”

“Luckily they had you to make up for it,” dad says, resting his forehead against mine. “You’re not taking me seriously enough, Ariel. You were a huge part of this victory tonight. What you can do…”

“I know,” I say quietly, nodding and letting my eyes drift shut again. “We have to think about putting me in a more strategic place.”

“Trust me, darling, we are,” dad says, tightening his arms around me and allowing me to rest my head against his chest. “But tomorrow. We’ll do that tomorrow. You rest now.”

I take a deep breath, listening to the slow and steady sound of his heartbeat, willing myself to relax.

But I know I can’t.

Not without knowing.

“Dad?” I whisper.

“Don’t, trouble,” he says, his voice heavy with grief. “Don’t ask me now. Just rest.”

But I shake my head. “I have to know. Is he…”

My dad sighs and puts a hand on my cheek and I open my eyes, looking up into his. But I know his answer before he gives it.

“I’m sorry, Ariel,” my dad says, his face drawn. “We lost him a few hours ago. I’m sorry, darling, but he died.”

My lip starts to tremble as I try so hard to be strong, as my eyes fill with tears.

“It’s all right, sweetheart,” dad murmurs, gathering me close to him, tucking my face against his warmth. “Let it out. It’s okay.”

I obey my father, wrapping my hand in his shirt as I sob my heart out, missing my friend, devastated that I’ll never hear him laugh again.

That he died for me.

My father holds me tight for what feels like hours, rocking me like a child, while I’m swept away with grief.