The door opened, and they entered, one after the other, August closingranks.
Last night, I hadn’t noticed the violet shadows beneath his eyes or his ashen complexion. I wanted to tell him to go home and rest, but Eric stepped in front of him and started speaking to me, saying what a spectacular fight Liam and I had led, and then Derek mentioned how I’d go down in the Hall of Fame of Boulder Wolves, which made me wonder if my pack had an actual Hall of Fame. And then Frank, placing his hand on Evelyn’s shoulder, said that my courage changed the course of packhistory.
Even though tears were probably out of character for the warrior they were painting me as, emotion rose andoverflowed.
Evelyn knitted her warm fingers through my chilledones.
“We are so proud of you, Ness. You will forever have our gratitude,” Frankadded.
I swiped my palm against my wet cheek just as another knock sounded. The person didn’t ask to be allowedinside.
He just bargedin.
This was so like Liam that it made me smile. He walked over to my bed, winding through the picket fence of elders. For a moment, he didn’t say anything, neither out loud nor in mymind.
Could he still speak into my mind, or was that bond brokentoo?
He cleared his throat. “Could you all give me a moment with the girl who saved mylife?”
The girl who’d saved his life . . .“I didn’t save your life,Liam.”
He didn’t answer, but his jawworked.
The elders patted my arm before leaving. Frank kissed my cheek, and then he tugged on Evelyn’shand.
“I will be back this afternoon. Or earlier if you need me,” shesaid.
After she left, Liam said, “You too,Watt.”
August stiffened. Even though no tether connected us anymore, I could feel his reticence at leaving me alone in a room with myex.
“I’ll go get us some coffees,” he finallysaid.
I nodded. “I’d likethat.”
Rigidly, he walked to thedoor.
When the door snicked shut, Liam said, “I can’t believe you bither!”
I winced from the shrillness of his voice but then squared my shoulders. “It got you what youwanted.”
“You died, Ness! You.Died!”
“I know. I was there,” I saiddrily.
He shook his head, not appreciating my morbid humor. His shoulders seemed broader, his arms ropier. Even his height seemed to have changed. Although his face was unscathed, I couldn’t help but wonder what his abdomen looked like. Had he healed, or was his stomach crisscrossed withscars?
After heaving a sigh, he dropped onto the foot of my bed and ran his hands through his hair. A wayward lock fell into his amber eyes. He shoved it away, but it just tumbled backdown.
“How are you doing?” Iasked.
He grunted. “How do you think I’m doing? You died,” he repeated. The morning sun slanting through the blinds made his eyes seem shinier, as though he were about tocry.
I captured the hand with which he was wringing the scratchy bedsheet. “You didn’t think I’d let you become the only living legend?” I fit a smile onto my lips and winked. “Way neater than being a deadone.”
He grunted, but his fingers softened in mygrip.
My smile grew, but so did the ache in my face, so I leveled my lips. “I’m getting inducted into the Boulder Hall of Fameapparently.”
