Ruth didn’t answer. She just stood there, pale and still, her breath visibly shallow.
“What did he say?” she asked at last, her voice thin.
“Jesse? He’s one of Karl’s pack.” Though Leon had no idea why Jesse would be the first thing on Karl’s mind right now.
Ruth turned away, but not before Leon had seen the wetness in her eyes. This pack was officially weird. Karl seemed to be asleep, or passed out, so he relaxed his grip on his wrists and sat back in his chair. He needed to think about what came next and how to navigate it.
Michael had stepped back from letting Karl die, but that didn’t guarantee he’d let them walk away. Leon sat back in the chair and began running scenarios, mentally reviewing what he’d overheard about patrol patterns and where he’d thought the outer perimeter was weakest.
Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him. He fell asleep, dreaming of Luna chewing him out for leaving the coffee machine on, which felt fair, and woke with a crick in his neck and his skin prickling with unease.
Rubbing his hands over his face, he looked around the room, empty except for him and Karl. He guessed Ruth and her helpers had left to get some sleep themselves.
That was a more welcome idea than the next one that came to him—they’d cleared out because Michael might be about to burn the cabin down. That way, he’d be rid of the unwanted intruders but have plausible deniability if anyone came searching.Terrible accident, couldn’t be helped. So sorry we couldn’t save them.
Deciding to ignore that idea until he smelled gasoline, he stretched, rolled his shoulders, then leaned forward to check on Karl. He froze when he saw Karl’s eyes were open.
“Karl?”
Karl blinked, slowly turning his head. “Hey,” he rasped.
“You want some water?”
There was a pause before Karl nodded. He looked like hell, his eyes bruised and unfocused, his pulse still rabbiting beneath thin skin. Leon slid a hand behind his shoulders and lifted him gently, holding the mug to his lips. Most of the water spilled, but Karl managed a few sips.
Leon laid him back against the pillows just as the door opened.
He leaned in quickly, his mouth close to Karl’s ear. “We’re mates,” he breathed, damning himself for not informing Karl of his plan when they’d been alone.
Karl blinked slowly. His gaze slid back to Leon, confused at first, then softening. His lips parted like he might speak, but no words came, just the easing of a faint crease between his brows.
Leon saw it and relaxed a fraction.Good. He got it.
Before he could say anything more, Ruth was on them. She gave Karl some pills and coaxed more water into him. Karl was out again before she’d even finished tucking the blanket around him.
“Thank you,” Leon said. He meant it. Whatever he thought of this pack, she’d done everything she could for Karl as soon as Michael allowed her. That had to count for something.
She nodded brusquely. But as she laid a hand briefly on Karl’s shoulder, her expression changed to a gentle, aching tenderness. Not for long. When she turned back to him, her face was hard again.
“Are you really a prince?”
“My sister’s the queen,” he said, raising his chin and flipping back his hair in a way that he hoped looked regal. She seemed lessthan awe-struck, but at least she hadn’t noticed he’d sidestepped the question.
“You’ll need to give him more antibiotics in six hours,” she said, as she headed for the door.
Yup, definitely not awe-struck.
When the door clicked shut behind her, Leon let out a breath. He looked at Karl—pale, sleeping,alive—and without thinking, leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his temple.
He didn’t know why. It had just felt right. Like it had when he’d decided to tell Michael they were mates.
Michael. Shit. Leon needed to get his head together and work out what to do next.
He missed Karl’s calm assessment and tactical ability more than he’d ever admit. Leon was used to being the sharpest one in the room, not to wanting someone else beside him.
This was up to him now. And something told him Michael wasn’t planning to send them off with snacks and a fond goodbye.
Chapter Twenty-one
