He squeezed Nami’s hand.In the seat on the other side of her, baby Tahlia was already falling asleep in her carrier, which was strapped into the airplane seat.Nami looked at Beck, but he didn’t need their mate bond to know what she was thinking.
“Please don’t be angry, baby,” he whispered.“I’m not.”
“I was terrified about him!And poor Gillian!”
“And that’s exactly why we can’t tell people.Peyton has his reasons.If we’re to…fixthis situation so it’s permanently settled, we need to respect that he knows what he’s doing.He’s the Pack Alpha.”
“I don’t want you going over there,” she said, her voice tight.“I cain’t lose you, wolfman.”
He squeezed her hand again.“Badger said they’d probably leave me here.You heard him.”
“But if they ask you to go?”
He hated being in this spot but this wasn’t a simple problem with an easy solution.“I won’t say no if Peyton says he needs me over there.There’s too much at stake, and I swore an oath to do my job.This isn’t an unfriendly corporate takeover—this is ourlivesat risk, baby.”He tipped his head toward their sleeping daughter.“Herlife is potentially at risk.”
Nami grumbled but quieted and didn’t release his hand as the plane taxied to the end of the runway to prepare for takeoff.
No, Beck didn’t want to go on the mission.
But he absolutely would go if Peyton asked it of him.Thiswas the gig.Thiswas part of being an Enforcer.
Beck also knew Badger didn’t tell Nami everything he’d revealed to Beck.Badger had used his Prime to fill in some of the gaps for Beck that Nami had completely overlooked because she was simultaneously relieved Peyton was alive and well, and madder than a sack full of wet cats that she didn’t find out sooner.
If there was a chance of shifters being held hostage in the lab?
Well, even if it was only to go in and put them out of their misery, he’d do it.But if they could rescue people?Their kind?
Yeah, that was something he absolutely couldn’t say no to.Because he’d know if it was him stuck in there, he’d damned sure want someone to rescue or kill him.
Please don’t let them ask me to go.
Dawson Beckett of two years ago would’ve been begging Dewi and Peyton to book him on the next flight out to the UK to jump into the thick of this.
Although two years ago, Dewi likely would’ve been in the airplane seat next to him.
This older, married version of Beck, the one with the beautiful, perfect mate and the adorable baby daughter, wanted to stay close to home despite knowing that wasn’t the wisest tactical plan for the greater good of the entire pack.
“What else is going on, Beck?”she silently asked him through their mate bond.
He signed and laid his other hand over hers and gently squeezed.“There’salwaysstuff going on I can’t tell you about,” he whispered, then kissed her temple.“There’s stuff I don’t want to tell you, either, because there’s no reason for you to be worried about it.”
“Would you tell me if there is something for me to be worried about?”
“Absolutely.Without hesitation.”
She stared into his eyes.“I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this.Part of me is starting to think Ken has the right idea for us to up and move everyone to Idaho.”
He smiled.“That’s not how the world works, sweetheart.We can’t uproot everyone.Especially when they’re clueless.”
He knew he didn’t need to elaborate on what he meant.And a good chunk of Nami’s in-laws were clueless humans despite her little niece, Bebe, turning out to be a shifter.
And it looked like Bebe might not be the only one.
“Why not?Why can’t Badger, Dewi, and Duncan do that mojo on everyone to make them move and accept everything?”
“Because what happens when they get to Idaho?Is the pack supposed to stop being who they are and living their lives the way they do just so people aren’t exposed to who they are?There are still plenty of packmates who don’t even know they’re from shifter families, much less that shifters exist, because their family opted not to tell them.Would it be fair to everyone to uproot them and force them to leave Florida and all their friends to come live somewhere they likely don’t want to?”
She huffed.“No.”
