I scramble up, and Luc and Max look up at me, faces a little mystified.
“I want a better world.” The words tremble on my tongue, tasting dangerously like hope. “I want our children to have a better world. I want Nash to be able to go to school, and play with other kids. I don’t want my daughter to go through what we went through. I want to do it.”
My words are firm, and both alpha’s eyes widen a little. “Are you sure, love?” Luc asks.
Nodding, I reach for his hand. “Nobody ever changed the world by doing nothing, Luc.”
It sounds impressive, but fear still licks at my spine, pushing me to curl into a ball and hide away. But hiding won’t fix this.
“I want Bastien and Nik,” I say, and Max pushes himself up from the floor. “I’ll get them, love.”
Exiting the small room, I stop as the eyes of the Winter pack swing to me. Christian straightens and Harper jumps to her feet as the main door swings open and Nikolai and Bastien walk through.
“Excuse me,” I say. “I need a little more time to talk to my pack.”
Bastien smiles at me. “Your pack. It has a nice ring to it,” he whispers as he reaches me, his mouth dipping to catch mine in a brief kiss. Nikolai follows behind him, cupping my face as he searches my eyes.
My resolve falters a little. My bear alpha has the most to lose in this.
“Don’t do that,” he admonishes me. “Whatever you need, little bird.”
My chest feels like stone as we step into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table, I look around at my pack. My pack. Lucien, Max, Nikolai and Bastien.
With faltering words, I explain to Nik and Bastien the conversation we had with the Winter pack. Nikolai snarls when I get to the videos, but he falls silent when I set out the proposal to go on camera.
“What do you think?” The words are awkward.
Bastien sits back in his seat, a stunned look on his face. “I think… this could work.” I can almost see my brilliant beta pulling ideas together in his mind as he taps his fingers on the table.
“Ava, are you sure about this?” Leaning forward, he grips my hand in his, his gray eyes darker than I’ve ever seen them. “I will do whatever we need to do to make sure you’re safe. But are you certain you want to do this?”
“I’m sure,” I whisper. “I don’t want to be a prisoner anymore, Bastien.”
Swallowing hard, I stare down at the table. “Nik…,”
His voice rumbles from opposite me. “Look at me, little bird.”
Gradually, I lift up my face until his sapphire blues come into view. A sad smile plays on his face. “You think I don’t want you to be safe? You, and our children?”
Our.My heart clenches.
“I—,”
He shakes his head, cutting me off, and stands. My heart clenches but he circles around the table and kneels down on one leg next to my chair. His hand covers mine.
“Listen to me, little bird. I will doanythingto keep my family safe,” he grounds out, his eyes daring me to look away. “My family. Our pack, Nash,you. I want to give our son and kids a future. One where they don’t have to hide who they are.”
“If something goes wrong—,” I start.
“This was never going to be easy,” he shakes his head, his eyes emotional. “We have never had the chance to fight, little bird. Never even come close to it. But now…,” he inhales softly. “Now, this is our chance. I would have given anything for Emery to have lived a free life. And I will do anything,beanything, to give you that opportunity.”
My tears fall freely. “For Emery,” I promise him softly. “For Nash.”
He shakes his head. “For you, little bird. For all of you.”
I throw my arms around his neck, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “I love you.”
The words are choked, but Nikolai freezes anyway. They all do.
