8
Niko
“I’m worried about them,”I said with a sigh. Back in human form, my legs were sore and I was exhausted from everything that happened, but we were so close to the border with IndigoMountain.
“They’ll be okay,” David said, but he had some melancholy in hisvoicetoo.
“Hey. It’s not your fault about Delta,” I saidgently.
He sighed. “I know. But it doesn’t make it any lessawful.”
“His death wasn’t in vain,” I said, frowning. “It was the catalyst of those other Scarlet Ridge shifters realizing that something wasn’t quite right. I have the feeling there’s going to be some big changes in thatpacksoon.”
He grunted in acknowledgement. He wouldn’t admit it, but he looked as tired as I did. Despite that, he said, “If you’re tired, I can carry you. It’s not too far from here, but it’s alluphill.”
“I’m not some waif of an omega, you know,” I said, then smiled. “But… I won’t say no to beingcarried.”
With a wry glance, David scooped me up in his arms, never faltering. It reassured me to know that he would do anything for me and ourchild.
“Our child,” I murmured out loud. We hadn’t had much time to talk about it since everything happenedsofast.
“What about it?” David askedgently.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” I said. “But in a good way, you know? It feels like adream.”
He planted a soft kiss to my temple as he trekked up the hillside. “I know exactly what you mean. But back there during the battle, thinking about you and our child and ourfamily… That was what gave me the power to fight. Knowing I had to protect you was what turned the tides in ourfavor.”
I smiled and snuggled up tighter inhisarms.
As we got closer to Indigo Mountain territory, I noticed the scents surrounding us began to change. The wilderness here was more lush, and the air was rich with smells of prey andplants.
“We’re almost there,” David murmured. “But before we get there, you should know something. Out of all my friends, only one of them knew about your kidnapping.” He paused, suddenly lookingsomber.
“What’s wrong?” Iasked.
“I left to find you under… strange circumstances,” he said. “Gunner had just murdered one of our close friends, and I was about to kill him for revenge. That was when he told me you were stillalive.”
I gasped, feeling horrible. From the pain on David’s face, it was clear how much the incident had hurt him. I realized that what happened with Delta must have been a reminder of that time. “I’m sosorry.”
“Thanks.” He sighed. “I probably hurt my other friends by leaving the way I did. It wasamess.”
“David, I’m sure they’ll understand. They’re yourfriends.”
“I hope so,” hemumbled.
His breath began to get short as we reached the summit of a hill before it sprawled out into flat woodland. But as we reached the crest, he stopped. He smelled the air. Even in human form, I could smell something too - the scent of shifters I didn’t quite recognize, and some that I did. It awakened an old, nostalgic part of me. My heartraced.
“David,” I murmured. “I smell someone I know. Putmedown.”
He did so. Then a line of figures appeared ahead of us in the trees. I grasped David’s arm and held mybreath.
We came closer. Then, all at once, the people seemed to shout David’s name in excitement. They barrelled towards us. David grasped my hand firmly,reassuringly.
“Holy shit, David, isthatyou?”
“Youcameback!”
“Who's this with you? Isthathim?”
