Especially not if he was going to keep them safe.
“No,” Kaja said, offering me a tentative smile. “Nothing like that.”
She looked at Reyna, but my bestie tilted her head toward me as she widened her eyes at her sister.
Reyna took a deep breath and then spoke in a rush. “I don’t know how to be anything else besides a shield, and since all of the other shields perished…”
My brow furrowed as I tried to tease out exactly what she wanted.
“We want to offer to be shields for the new high mages,” Kaja explained. “Our family has always had the honor of—”
“All of you?” A strangled noise left my throat. As I looked at the Harvest alpha heirs, my heart dropped into my stomach. We were about to go into battle. If the blood mages hurt any one of the high mages…
My heart clenched with the thought of losing any one of them.
“No. Let’s ask for volunteers. Let’s—”
Fiona reached out and put her hand on mine. “We come from the longest line of shields this school has ever seen. There has never been a council of high mages without a Harvest shield. It is the greatest honor our family can have aside from being alpha.”
A tear trailed down my cheek, but I nodded. Who was I to keep them from such an honor? It was not my choice. If this is what they wanted … I needed to support it.
“I … I’m sure they would be honored to have you, I just don’t want anything to happen to you girls.” My voice cracked.
Fiona pulled a dagger from its sheath behind her back and snarled. “Just let one of those bloodsuckerstryto get the drop on me.” She blew on her knife, and flames licked the edges.
Oh, Fiona.I loved her so much.
Nell stood, smoothing her hair. “Dibs onanyof the high mages except that douchebag, Julian.”
We all snickered.
“Well,someonehas to keep his ass alive,” Fiona growled. “I’ll take the douchebag.”
Rue grinned. “Aww, taking one for the team! Thanks, sis.”
“I’ll take the girl,” Mele said, still not looking up from her book.
Jane didn’t deserve a shield, in my opinion, but I was working on turning a new leaf with my fellow councilman, so this was a good start.
I frowned. “There are only four high mages in need of shields.” I counted the girls. Rue, Kaja, Mele, Nell, Fiona and Reyna made six.
Reyna and Kaja shared a look. Then Kaja reached out and touched my arm. “We know how much you love the Midnight brothers, and we wouldn’t want anything to happen to Rage…” She paused, and my mind went wild.
Holy crap! What if I died and took out the freaking king and all of his brothers? The wolves would be left in utter chaos.
“Reyna and I would like to be your shields, and you can let the other brothers go,” Kaja said.
Tears welled in my eyes.
“Well, I don’t want to loseyoueither,” I cried, pulling her in for a hug. She grabbed for Reyna, and then we were enmeshed in a group hug.
“Of course not. But the boys aren’t nearly as badass as we are. Imagine an all-female shield squad.” Fiona’s words were muffled into my shoulder.
“Oh mage. Don’t ever say ‘female shield squad’ again, or I’ll disown you,” Reyna grumbled.
We all broke apart, laughing.
It was such a kind,generousoffer, but I didn’t know if I even liked the whole shield thing. Yet, at the same time, until Rage and I had kids and they were trained in spirit magic … there was no one else besides me to hold this magic.
