Wen was looking at her hands like they belonged to someone else. “I didn’t even think about it. I just saw him grabbed and I...”
“You saved him,” I said quietly. “You saved our son.”
She looked up at me, and for the first time in days, there was no anger in her eyes. Just exhaustion and relief.
“I am sorry.” I admitted softly, completely honest. “So sorry. I should have told you what I suspected years ago. I was wrong. I was afraid and stupid and wrong.”
I sat on the edge of her bed carefully, Killian still in my lap. “I do not have a good reason for not telling you. Fear, maybe. Stupidity, definitely. I suspected but I was not certain, and Ithought if I told you, it would change things. I should have trusted you with the truth. I am sorry. Truly sorry.”
She was quiet for a moment, studying my face. Then she sighed. “We’ll talk about this later.”
“Whenever you want. Everything. I promise.”
“Mother Queen Sorcha is waking,” a healer announced from across the room.
We both turned to see my mother sitting up on her stretcher, looking groggy.
“What happened?” she asked, touching the back of her head and wincing.
“You were attacked,” I told her. “You are safe now.”
“Killian?” Her eyes went wide. “Is Killian...”
“Safe. Because of Wen.”
My mother looked at us, at Killian nestled between Wen and me, and her expression softened with relief. “Thank the gods.”
“Grandma!” Killian scrambled off my lap and climbed onto her stretcher to hug her. “You got hurt! Are you okay?”
“I am fine, sweet boy. Just a bump on the head.”
A healer finally convinced me to let them examine my leg. It was badly broken, and setting the bone involved a sickening crack that made Wen wince. Killian buried his face in my mother’s shoulder. I swallowed down a tonic to enhance my wolf’sabilities, and then the healing magic finally flowed through, warm and uncomfortable, knitting everything back together.
When it was done, I could put weight on it again without wanting to scream.
I moved back to Wen’s bedside. She was lying against the pillows, eyes already starting to close.
“Rest,” I said softly.
“Can’t. Too much to think about.”
“Think later. Rest now.”
Killian climbed back over to us, wedging himself between Wen and me on the chair. He was still trembling slightly, coming down from the terror.
“Are the bad men gone?” he asked quietly.
“Yes, pup. They cannot hurt you. And anyone who tries will answer to me.”
Wen’s hand found mine on top of the blanket. She did not pull away when I laced our fingers together.
“I’m still mad at you.”
“I know.”
“But you jumped through a window for Killian.”
“Worth it.”
