“And I can help,” Rachel said. “I literally turned the wraith’s hand to glass.”
Elias blinked as something seemed to click internally. He glanced at me with one eyebrow raised.
“That was her? The day the wraith tried to take Emma?” he asked.
“I’m right here,” Rachel growled. “And yes.”
Elias went quiet for a long moment as he looked at his sister, something akin to pride spreading across his face.
“Impressive,” he admitted with a smirk.
The compliment seemed to surprise Rachel, and she took a small step back. “Thanks,” she murmured.
Elias thought for another long moment, assessing the pros and cons of letting Rachel come along. I prayed that Elias would see reason and tell Rachel to go home, but I could already see in his eyes that it wasn’t going to happen.
“All right,” Elias said. “You’ll have some guys with you. Hopefully, we can get in and out without the wraith knowing we’re there, but if anything happens, you’ll have to keep the wraith preoccupied. But be careful, okay?”
“I think I can do that,” Rachel said with a smirk.
“No,” I said.
Elias glanced at me with narrowed eyes and ushered me to the side once more. “I’ve made my decision, so you’re going to have to accept it. She can help, and she could be the difference between us getting Emma out alive and all of us dying.”
“She’s pregnant,” I said desperately.
“She can still help,” he countered. “And her being pregnant doesn’t make her an invalid or a swooning damsel.”
“What happens if she crumbles under the pressure?” I asked. “Or gets herself into trouble, and then we’re having to rescue both of them.”
“She was the one who stopped the wraith from going after you and Emma the first time.” Elias folded his arms as he regarded me. “It doesn’t sound like she crumbled under pressure there.” He gave me an exasperated look. “Come on, Sam. You know she’s strong and that she can hold her own. You can’t use that as an excuse because you’re worried about her.”
I let out a low growl but didn’t respond, because I knew he was right, even if I hated it.
“You can’t hold her back for your own selfish reasons forever,” Elias said. “Or you’re going to push her away for good.” His lip tilted upward, some of his humor bobbing briefly to the surface. “Besides, she’s a Thorn. If she wants to help, there’s nothing you can do to stop her.”
My jaw tightened as my wolf thrashed in irritation. He hated this more than I did. But I knew that Elias wasn’t going to back down, not about this. Which meant the only way to protect Rachel was to stay by her side.
“I’m going to keep her safe,” I said.
“‘Safe’ doesn’t mean ‘stuck at home,’” Elias said. “You and Amelia have trained her for this.”
“I know,” I admitted. “I just don’t want her hurt.”
“I know you don’t,” Elias said. “But you can’t keep her locked in the house, either.”
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair as I glanced over at her. Elias was right. I couldn’t keep her cooped up just for my own safety. It wasn’t fair to her. But it went against every fiber of my being. After a deep breath, I nodded.
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t get hurt,” I promised.
“Good.” Elias nodded. “Because that’s what mates do. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
The way he said it took me by surprise. Not the words themselves, but the implication behind them. He was telling me that he was all right with Rachel and me, that he was going to accept it as long as that was what we both wanted, regardless of his own feelings about it.
“Thanks,” I said.
Elias gave a short, curt nod as he glanced to one side. “Go talk to her.”
I nodded, extracting myself from the conversation and moving to where Rachel stood off to one side, waiting. She eyed me cautiously, her shoulders rigid as she waited for me to speak.
