“Of all the things I’d missed out on.That I’d only just found you, and already, I’d lost you.”He let out a shuddery breath—that was what had hurt.
Those split seconds hadn’t been filled with pain or fear, but of loss.
Of regret.
It was probably why he was telling her this now.Why wait?
He’d just been spared, the Mother was on his side.
Trip’s too.
She nudged him with her heavy head, then rested her jaw on his shoulder.
He grinned, amused by her.She knew none of the rules, had no clue she’d just broken so many protocols with that one gesture, and he loved her more for that.
Things would never be easy for them, not with her position in the human world, a position that now bridged into Pantera society, but that didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered but what they had as a unit.
Hell, even Shawn.
As complicated as his presence was in their life, Ryan would have no regrets, wistful ‘what ifs’ or not.
How could he?
They had El.If having El meant having a fourth wheel, then hell, he already had two others to deal with.He was used to there being a crowd.
A sudden scent permeated the air, and he frowned at it.He half sat up, then grunted as pain speared through his belly.
He didn’t even want to know what injuries he’d had, and was just aware that adrenaline had been the only reason he hadn’t been knocked flat on his ass.
Well, adrenaline and the burning need to get closer to his mate, to make sure she was safe, too.Without those firing him, urging him on, he’d have just let himself float away to the next life.
She gave him a reason to be, he realized.They’d always said that a mate did that.Without them, there was just a blank space waiting for them to fill it.
He’d just never realized the truth of that until now.
The door opened and Shawn popped his head around it.When he saw the Panther, he frowned but stepped inside.
Ryan jolted as the weird scent neared, and he realized his senses were fucked up because he could smell dog as well as the explosives used to detonate the bomb, the fire and ash loading the atmosphere, and the burning flesh of his people who had perished in the blast.
His heart stuttered at the thought, but he brushed it aside.
He had to remain stoic.Emotions couldn’t get in the way of the aftermath of the blast.
Feelings could come after.
Pain could, too.
He had time for neither at the moment.
Seeing the other man at Shawn’s back, he half-sat up again.Well, tried to.
El growled as he moved, and he chuckled a little, but headed back down to a more comfortable position.
“What’s going on, Shawn?”
The other man, El’s other mate, murmured, “This guy says he’s Wolf.”
