LIAM (The Rylee Adamson Epilogues, Book 2) (21 page)

Her eyes shot to mine. “You aren’t going to stop me?”

I leaned back and stared at the sky, as if the answers truly could be found there. “No. I understand the need to have space, and both Rylee and I have struggled to figure out how we fit into this new version of our world. So if you need to go, just promise me one thing.”

Her blue eyes were serious as they locked onto mine. “What’s that?”

I pulled her into a hug. “Come home to us, wolf cub. Always come home to us.”

With a sob, she hugged me. “Always. I will always come home.” And then she stood. “Tell Rylee . . . I don’t know what, that I’m sorry—”

I gave her a wink. “Don’t worry about Rylee. She knows, Pam. She’s always known you belonged with us.”

She sat there another minute, as if she didn’t quite want to leave either.

“The world is coming apart at the seams, Liam, I can feel it in my blood.” Her words were soft, barely flitting to me even with the short space between us.

I gave a slow nod. “I know. I can feel it too. There is more danger coming our way.”

She closed her eyes and a tear slipped from the corner of one. “That’s why I have to go. I have . . . to be strong enough. I can’t learn from anyone here.”

I smiled and tugged her to my side, giving her another hug. “You don’t have to explain it to me, little witch. I trust your instincts.”

She blinked up at me. “Thank you.”

Gently, she pushed my arm off from over her shoulders and she took a few steps back. Her throat bobbed and she sniffed a couple of times. With great care she lifted a hand to me, a final farewell.

With a tiny sob, she spun and ran from the yard, her bright blonde hair floating on the breeze behind her.

I swallowed down a sudden spurt of fear for the young witch. I wanted to tell her to stay, that whatever she was looking for was here. But I knew better, I’d seen it in Rylee, and I’d seen it in myself. The battle with Orion had changed us all, and in that change we all needed to figure out who we were now that the imminent destruction of the world was no longer at hand.

On her back and under the long cloak she wore I saw the outline of a sword handle. If the wind hadn’t caught her hair and pulled it away, I would never have even noticed it.

“Be safe, Pamela. And come home to us when you find what you’re looking for. When you finally realize you were already strong enough.”

Turning away, I walked back to the house. Inside, the tension was gone, the smell of sickness was fading. I stood in the kitchen and listened to those who were my pack.

Nigel was speaking to Belinda and Levi, his voice muffled through the walls, but here and there I picked up a word. Elementals. Power. Training. That was good. If he could help them with some training, they could be as much a part of keeping our pack together as Pamela, or Eve.

Through the house I walked, checking on everyone. Marcella and Zane were asleep in their crib, their hands clasped. I ran a hand over each of their heads, needing to just feel their soft skin for a moment. To know that they were safe. Healthy.

I backed out of the room and followed the sound of Mai’s heartbeat. She sat in what had been my office. It had been quickly converted into a bedroom. She lay on a mattress on the floor with the three triplets next to her. Well, to be fair, one was curled in her arms and the other two slept to either side.

“How are you doing, Mai?”

She nodded, and a sad smile crossed her lips. “Tired. Thirsty.”

I went and got a large pitcher of water and a glass from the kitchen and brought them back to her. She took the cup and downed the entire glass. I poured her another and she drank it halfway down. “Thanks.” She put the cup down on a side table set up next to the makeshift bed. “Did you really mean what you said, about me belonging? About being a part of your pack?”

I nodded. “Yes, I knew it within minutes of meeting you.”

Her eyelids fluttered as if clearing away sleep. “How?”

Crouching beside her, I reached out and touched Bam, as he was closest to me. “Is Mai your full name?”

She rolled her eyes. “How did you know it wasn’t?”

My ears twitched as Rylee stepped into the doorway behind me, listening. “What is your full name, Mai?”

“It’s stupid, I hate it.”

I laughed softly. “Tell me anyway.”

“Well.” Mai shifted in her spot so she was sitting up better. “I have to preface this. My mother broke tradition by giving me a four-letter name. But the word in ogre tradition means ‘life’s warrior’.”

She was stalling, but not for the reason I’d first thought. “So your name . . .”

Mai sighed. “Ma-il. Pronounced phonetically. But I was teased as ‘mail call’ all the time as you can imagine. Which is why I dropped the last letter.”

Rylee snorted. “People are shitty.”

Mai nodded. But I wasn’t done.

“Mai. Spell your name backwards for me.” I smiled, looking forward to Rylee and Mai seeing what I saw. Seeing just how serendipitous things were in our world.

She shrugged. “L-I-A-M.” Her jaw dropped as she spoke, her eyes widened to round saucers and she stared at me. “Holy shit.”

Behind me, Rylee sucked in a breath. “Holy shit indeed.”

I stood, satisfied that they both believed as I did that Mai belonged with us. “Good night, Mai. Sleep well and know that you do belong with us.”

I stepped back. Rylee leaned in. “And if you need help with the triplets tonight—”

“I’ll be fine,” she waved at us. “Go and rest. Tomorrow is soon enough to figure out a schedule.”

I took Rylee by the hand and led her to our bedroom, then through to the master bath. I flicked on the shower as hot as it would go, stripped and helped Rylee out of her clothes. I didn’t want sex, I just wanted to hold her.

“Liam, are you okay?” She touched a hand to my face, her eyes full of concern.

I stepped into the shower and tugged her in with me. The hot water sluiced over our skin, washing away the last two days. Washing away the last of the fears that had resided so deep in my heart I’d not even realized they’d been there.

I wrapped my arms around her and held her tight, skin to skin, heart to heart. “Yeah, I’m good now that I’m home. With you.”

We stood there together, just hanging onto each other, baptized anew in each other’s arms.

I pulled back a little so I could look in her eyes. They were clear, no residue of the uncertainty she’d had before. “You good?”

“I’m fucking amazing. You saved them, Liam, and our family is whole again.”

I drew in a slow breath and shook my head. “Not yet.”

She frowned. “What do you mean, not yet?”

I flicked the water off and grabbed two towels, tossing one to her.

“We need to talk about Pam.”

PAMELA

I ALL BUT RAN
from the backyard. Liam’s gentle understanding almost had me spilling my secrets to him. I want to tell him that I’d found someone to train me not only in the possible, but the impossible, too. But that I was afraid as well.

Not that I didn’t trust the one who was going to train me, but if I was wrong about him . . . I couldn’t bear the thought of him somehow using my family, of hurting them.

Still, I couldn’t deny that what he offered was far too tempting for me to just walk away from. I would train with him, learn all I could, and if he lied . . .

“If I lie to you, what then?”

I spun around to see the handsome man I’d met on my last run with Marco. He had jet-black hair and bright blue eyes, his smile was easy, and he had seemed kind. He wore clothes that reminded me somehow of Lark, the elemental who’d helped us face the demon horde.

Even with all those things, my instincts screamed at me to be cautious, that this man could destroy me if I was not very careful.

I made myself keep my face even, without emotion. I arched an eyebrow, thinking of Rylee. “You’ll pay dearly if you lie to me. You said you could tell me how to open the Veil, that I could bring Frank back.”

Frank, my first love, had died to save me. I could not forget his sacrifice, and I knew I had to do everything I could to give him a second chance. The way Liam had a second chance and had come back to Rylee.

The dark-haired man nodded, his lips downturned, but it was false in his concern over my words. The humor in his eyes offset the frown on his lips.

“Well, then let us work on bringing your Frank back. Did you bring the payment I require?”

From my back, I pulled out the sword that Lark had made for Rylee. A powerful weapon that could do things no weapon should be able to. Like slice through the Veil. But no matter how I’d used it, I had not been able to get it to slice the Veil as it had done for Rylee and Lark.

Which was why I needed the man in front of me.

I held the weapon for a moment, knowing that Rylee would be pissed as a housecat stuck in a rainstorm . . . but to learn what I needed to learn, I would betray her in this. I started to hand the sword over to him, then pulled it back at the last second.

“You can have it after you teach me what I want to know . . . Raven. You’ve seen it, and I will hold onto it until I’m satisfied with what I’ve learned.”

He laughed. “You’re smarter than the average witch, I’ll give you that. Especially considering your age. What are you, fifteen?”

I nodded, surprised that he guessed so close. Most people thought I was older.

He winked at me. “I bet you take after your father.”

I shrugged and put the sword away, strapping it to my back in a sheath patterned after Rylee’s. “I wouldn’t know, I never met him.”

“Well, then I think we should change that. Why don’t I introduce you to him?”

I couldn’t help the shake in my hands, and couldn’t keep my face from the race of emotions that whipped through me. “You know my father?”

Raven laughed, and put his hands on his hips. “I know him. Are you ready to meet him and learn all I have to teach you, little witch?”

I lifted my chin, knowing I was facing a man who could indeed teach me, or kill me depending on his mood.

But there was no way I was letting Frank rot. Not when I had a chance to bring him back.

I steeled myself, and took the plunge into the unknown.

“I’m ready.”