Margo’s eyes widened, and I could see the questions beginning to bubble uplike a geyser about to erupt.
Before she could begin asking what I could only imagine would be an overwhelmingnumberof questions, the door to the lounge creaked open. The torchlight from the hallway illuminated the silhouette of a male, though Icouldn’ttell who until he began to speak.
“Quinn, are you in here?” Ezra said quietly as he slowly pushed open the door. “Are you coming to bed soon? I—”
Ezra paused after entering the room, the doorhaving swungopen at his touch. His gaze found Quinn first, closest to him, then flickered over to where weThorntierssat in the main lounge area.
At hearing his voice, Margo stood up swiftly, rounding thetableher siblings sat on and standing at the edge of the sofa. If I could barely make out his frame in the doorway, I imagined her view was even worse.
But there was no mistaking that voice.
“Ezra, what are you—” Teagan began askingat the samemoment Byn said,“We were just—”
The two looked at each other, their uncertainty about the situation written all over their faces. I could feel Byn’s panic risingslightly as the scene before him unfolded faster than he could control.
Seeing Teagan and Byn’s hesitation, Ezra’s gaze met mine.
Despite the spike of emotions coming from my husband, I still felt calm. I knew Margo needed this just as much as Ezra did.
I let Ezra see the certainty in my eyes as I slowly nodded to him. A small signal, telling him to go ahead.
This was between Ezra and Margo now.
He may not have beenblood toher, butI’dlearned the past few months that not all family had to be. Bloodwasn’twhat made another family to you.
Love was.
“Margo, I can explain, if you’ll let me,” Ezra said, taking a step farther into the room slowly, as if approaching a wild beast.
I watched as my own little sister began to shake.
I bit my lip to keep it from wobbling as her kneesbuckledand she made her descent, sliding to the floor.
My eyes began to water as Ezra, who must have known what was coming, wasthere in a second, catching her before she could bruisea knee.
And in the next heartbeat, I listened as Margo’s sobserrupted.
“It’s alright, I’m here,” Ezra said over and over as she clutched at him—her brother, her mentor, her friend.Tears streamed down her face endlessly, and her breathing had become ragged as she gulped downair inbetween her cries.
“I thought—I thought—” Margo stuttered betweensobs, unable to complete her sentence.
“I know, little wolf, I know.I’mso sorry,” Ezra murmured, resting his chin on top of her head and rocking the two of them back and forth gently.
Icouldn’ttell the difference anymore between my pain and Byn’s inside of me. I reached out and took his hand in mine anyway, giving a light squeeze to let him know I was there, though my eyes remained on the duo on the floor.
I’dalwaysbe there. However I could be.
As the moment stretched on, itseemed to becomeapparentthat Margo was having trouble calming down.
Ezra seemed to pickup onthat fact first and acted on it without a word to anybody else.
Right then, it was just him and his little sister in his eyes.
Ezra sunk all the way to the floor as he pulled back slightly, Margo resting in his lap. Her breathinghadn’tslowed—if anything, it had quickened.
It dawned on me then that I’d run into that before.
With Byn, just before battle.
