Duncan shook his head. “No. Tamsin loves Dewi, but the weight of her grief is immense. She is only now finally beginning to truly process it in a healthy way instead of suppressing it. Badger and I sadly have experience surviving that kind of grief. I’m not saying Dewi’s experience with grief isn’t valid, or is less intense than ours, but mourning parents isn’t the same as mourning a bonded mate. And Dewi was right that westilldon’t understand what happened with Malyah being able to throw off Dewi’s Prime orders. Meaning we don’t know how effective Dewi’s abilities might be in regards to helping Tamsin through this.
“There is also the point that yes, Dewi is pregnant. And we honestly don’t know if trying to filter the crushing grief Tamsin is dealing with would harm Dewi’s baby or not. Neither Badger nor I will take that risk and let Dewi have more than intermittent exposure to that. Not until Tamsin’s stronger.”
Duncan shifted position, his arms crossed over his chest. “This wasn’t the ideal decision but, overall, I agree it was the correct decision. We have two babies safely back with their moms, the bad guys will get theirs, no one had their throat ripped out or was unexpectedly run through a woodchipper and, hopefully, none of the video footage of the chase will end up on the news.”
He shrugged. “So, that’s my opinion. If Peyton asks, that’s what I’ll tell him, too. If I was Pack Alpha, I wouldn’t issue any sanctions in this situation and likely would have made the same decision to send Dewi and Joaquin in the first place.” He looked to Badger, who nodded.
“I wouldn’t sanction her, either,” Badger said. “And likewise I woulda opted to send her and Joaquin. It was a fast-movin’, fluid situation, and it had to be handled. No one got hurt what didn’t deserve it, and the babies are all safely home.”
“If I’d gone,” Beck gritted, “we wouldn’tbein this situation at all, and Dewi wouldn’t have had to do it.”
“No,” Joaquin said. “For all we know, Hannah might have been hurt or killed by her father if we hadn’t recovered her as quickly as we did. If you’d gone with me instead of Dewi, westillwouldn’t have Hannah back, and we’d be forced to restrain Emily’s father to keep him from going out and making the situation worse. Or Catarina or Eduardo’s mother would have called the cops, CPS would have gotten involved, and then it would have been a mess. And westillwould have been in a holding pattern because weneededa Prime.”
Dewi wheeled on him. “Then why thehelldid you just rat me out when keeping your goddamned mouth shut was a totally free and available option?”
He pointed at Duncan and Badger. “Because I’m not going to lie about this, Dewi! They would have asked me if that was the whole story, and then sensed me trying to cover for you, and then Primed me to tell them anyway! Either now or later! I worked hard enough to get off Nami’s shit list. I’mdamnedsure not going to get myself put on Duncan’s or Badger’s!”
Badger cackled. “Smart lad.”
“And, guess what?” Dewi said, planting her hands on what she remembered was the approximate location of her hips. “If I recall correctly, I’m also the expanded pack council Alpha, am I not? Meaning, honestly?I’mthe babe with the power here.”
Ken softly snorted, and the slight smile curving his lips warmed her heart.
It was a callback to one of his favorite movies and Dewi loved that she was finally,finallygetting the hang of connecting with her geeky grazer mate—outside of bed—in a meaningful way that nourished his soul.
Beck glared at all of them. “I know it feels like it happened a couple of years ago in our time, but was itnotjust a few weeks ago Ken was terrified Dewi was going to impale herself brushing her teeth, or poke her eye out eating with a spork, and secretly called Peyton to ask him to haul her out to Idaho for a thorough full-body bubble wrapping until her baby turns twenty-one?”
Oh, that’s right, she thought.
Ken still had to weigh in.
And while Dewi was the expanded pack council Alpha, Ken was still her mate.
Andnothingoverruled what the two of them felt for each other.
Ken set the ridiculously mint green helmet on the patio table and let out a sigh as everyone awaited his decision.
“The babies are safe,” he eventually said. “Emily won’t have to worry about Henry again. I am also painfully aware that I willalwaysfeel tempted to err too far over the line on the side of being cautious, because I didn’t grow up in the Targhee Pack, and overly cautious was my default risk profile before I met Dewi.”
He met Dewi’s gaze again. “Do I like it? No. But if I was the one there with Dewi instead of Joaquin, I honestly can’t say I would have stopped her, either. Being too cautious in this case could have easily resulted in harm to either or both of those babies.”
Badger patted Beck on the shoulder. “Boyo, we know ye care. We know yer protective. How can ye not be? Sometimes, decisions aren’t gonna go yer way.” He hooked a thumb toward Duncan. “Jes like we canna have Duncan go back to his previous and highly effective method of kneecappin’ people as a form of behavior modification in the way he wants.”
Duncan smiled and snapped his fingers. “Dammit.”
“I helpedCLEAN UP THEIR BLOOD!” Beck roared, shocking them all into silence. “My tears dripped into the soapy water I used while on my hands and knees helping scrub Charlie and Chelsea’s blood and guts off their living room floor!” He threw a deadly glare at Duncan. “Whileyoucouldn’t bebotheredto deal with reality and fucked off into the wilderness,Iwas standing guard over Dewi’s bassinet in the hospital praying first that she’d live, and then that I could be the one to put a bullet between the eyes of whoever it was who’d hurt her. Because. I.Failed.”
Oh, shit.
Dewi had never seen Beck like this before.
Ever.
Dewi heard the sliders open behind them but her full focus was now on Beck and she stepped forward, keeping her voice soft. “Beck—”
“When you were born, I swore apersonaloath to Charlie Bleacke to protect his miracle baby girl. And then Isworeon theirgraves, Dewi! Ipromisedthem with every tear I shed and with every drop of blood I scrubbed and with every scoop of dirt Ipersonallyshoveled to fill their graves. And every second I was on my knee with my throat exposed to Peyton and swearing allegiance to him as Pack Alpha, Iswore. I promised to protect you and keep you safe. Every night I stood watch outside your room and every minute I stood guard at your school. My liferevolvedaround protecting you, because Isworeto Charlie Bleacke to protect you! Not just as my Pack Alpha, but as my friend. And I swore over their graves to help find and kill the monster who did it. And I miserably failed on the second part.”
He pointed at Ken. “Hekilled Endquist and kept a promise I couldn’t. Not complaining he did it, because you know I’m glad he did, but Ifailed. And you seem bound and goddamneddeterminedto makesureI fail to keep my first oath, too!”
