I nod. “Yeah. But once they're set up, they'll have to be tested against Willow's magic.” I inform them about the newly built traps that are meant to withstand Willow's power. If we're fighting the demons, we need traps strong enough to hold up against her blasts, since her magic fried some traps before.
“Yvonne and I will use a shield while Willow tests her magic on the traps,” Aurora says. “Rissa can be on standby in case the new traps don't work and we signal the demons instead.”
“We'll draw your blood when we return,” Willow says, and everyone proceeds to leave the training room.
I stand by the door, waiting for Willow.
“Hey. Thank you for sticking by my side throughout all of this,” she says with a sweet smile.
“It's not like you need me,” I chuckle, and Willow rolls her eyes at me.
“I do need you, Thane,” she sighs, stepping under the arm I've held out for her. Once she's securely under my arm, we follow the others out.
“Well, we did agree that we need each other,” I remind her as we near the front door of Elias's house. The others are already outside, so I slow down to have a moment with Willow.
“When we're done taking samples, I was hoping I could steal you away for a moment.”
“Another surprise?” she asks with a raised brow, and I chuckle.
“No more surprises. But we seem to be missing each other at night. Maybe we can have dinner together,” I suggest, and Willow nods eagerly.
“I'd like that.”
I press a kiss to her forehead, but it doesn't last as long as I'd like when Rissa calls her name, and she rushes off ahead of me. Sighing, I shove my hands into my pockets, hardly looking forward to an evening of setting up traps, but knowing that this must be done for the sake of protecting the pack and ridding our world of the demons.
I am the sub-alpha, after all. But I'm also a man with a heart that beats only for one woman.
Soon, when all of this is said and done, and Snehvolk is safe again, I plan on doing something special for Willow.
She'd been caged in when she was in Seward, and more caged in by the feeling of not belonging all her life.
She deserves to see the world, and I plan on showing it to her.
***
“Ow!” Brooks protests the moment the needle pierces his skin.
“Dude! Are you serious right now? Are you a baby?” I burst out laughing, and Brooks throws me a sideways, snide glance.
He winces as Rissa draws his blood into the attached tube, then mumbles under his breath, “I'm not a baby. I just don't like needles.”
“Says the guy who has claws and fights demons,” Dawson snorts.
“It's okay,” Rissa says gently as she pulls out the needle and presses a cotton ball to the prick on Brook's arm. “He's my baby.” Once she passes the sealed tube to Yvonne, she releases the tourniquet from his arm and holds it out to Willow.
“Wanna do Thane's?”
Willow takes the band without hesitation. “Sure.”
Rissa turns back to Brooks and leans in to kiss him, and Dawson makes a face at them.
“Ugh…you two need to get a room.”
“Oh, you wanted to stay to see me suffer. So now you gotta put up with this,” Brooks taunts, and Dawson rolls his eyes.
“Yvie, we should head home now. Emile's already asleep, and Gio is getting crabby,” Dawson tells his mate. Elias and Aurora had already left to go tend to the kids to give Elias's grandfather, Elder Silas, a break from babysitting.
“Er—” Yvonne turns to Willow. “I labeled these already. It's just Thane's left.”
