Page 217 of Knot Their Soldier: Part Three

It sapped all of our energy. We didn’t reach the same near-death state as we did during the final battle, but Knox’s eyes are half-lidded behind the steering wheel, and his movements are sluggish. He parks next to the other trucks, cutting the engine with a sigh of relief.

Home sweet fortress.

"You’re doing that thing again," Blaze says as he lifts me from the truck, dusting non-existent dirt from my shoulders.

I blink at him. He has a spray of blood dotted across his face that looks like freckles. It's sort of cute on Blaze. "What thing?"

"The one where your eyes go glassy and you pretend you’re fine so nobody can give you the heroic piggyback ride you so clearly need."

I snort before I can help it. "Nuh-uh, I am not trusting you to give me a piggyback ride again. Last time you made me an unwilling accomplice to a crime."

We start walking from the vehicle bay toward the central courtyard.

"Getting a snack is not a crime."

"You snuck us into the kitchens and stole a whole cake."

"You weren't complaining when we ate it sitting on the battlements watching the sunset."

He’s right. It was actually a charming date, spontaneous and chaotic because it involved Blaze, but also lovely and intimate.

"Okay, fine. That piggyback ride ended well, but I'm skeptical of a repeat performance."

He clutches his chest. "Cruel."

Shade appears on my other side and hands me my canteen without breaking stride. "Drink."

"Yes, Halley," Blaze whispers to me. "You must always listen to the terrifyingly hot voice of reason."

Shade doesn’t even look at him. "You can be quiet at any time, brat."

"I could," Blaze says, grin spreading. "I simply choose not to, because Halley needs enrichment."

I take a sip of water, then another, and glare at Blaze over the rim. "What am I? A pet?"

"You definitely are a cat," he says promptly. "Cute enough to get away with murder. Deeply suspicious of perfectly well-meaning, handsome Alphas. Loves napping in cozy places. Weirdly into biting."

Viper huffs out a laugh beside me, low and brief. "That's oddly accurate, pretty girl. He's got you figured out."

I lower the canteen. "You say that like you aren’t the ones weirdly into biting me."

Blaze points at me triumphantly. "Argumentative. Like a cat."

"Cats can't even talk!"

Knox glances back from where he’s walking a few paces ahead, his eyes settling on my face in that steady, assessing way of his. He never joins in on our childish banter, but he doesn't seem to mind it either. In fact, I think he secretly loves seeing his Pack relaxed enough to mess around.

"You did well today," he says.

Knox doesn’t dress praise up or hand it out to make someone feel better. If he says it, he means it. He keeps his eyes on me. "I’m proud of you, Omega."

Heat creeps up my neck from the praise. I’m grimy, tired, and one badly timed yawn away from falling down a flight of stairs, so naturally this is when my mate decides to say something that lands right in the center of my chest. When did our Prime Alpha get so good at making me swoon?

"I know," Blaze says solemnly. "Her tactical brilliance was almost as impressive as mine."

Viper scoffs. "I literally saw you bite a guy's ear off. For no reason. You could have easily incapacitated him with a single punch."

Blaze just shrugs.