Unbound (The Captive #7)(58)

William shut the thought off and drew Tempest closer against his chest. He would do everything he could to get them both through this. He’d vowed to give her a better life than the one she’d known in Badwin. Now he wasn’t sure any of them would still be here next week.

Resting his hands flat against her belly, he drew her back so she fit snug against his chest. He planned to ask her to marry him when all of this was settled, but it may never be settled, and he didn’t want her to have any doubt about his feelings for her, or the integral part she played in his life. If something were to happen to them, she needed to know exactly how he felt about her.

This place wouldn’t be romantic, and he didn’t have a ring, but he would figure something out that would make it special for her.

“Gather what you need,” Daniel said to Max.

Max retreated back into the safe house. Aria opened her mouth to say something then closed it again. They waited until Max returned with a full quiver of arrows and a bow slung over his shoulder before heading outside, leaving the humans from the safe house behind.

“Braith,” Aria said and winced as if the name had torn her open anew.

Max steadied her when she briefly swayed on her feet. William resisted knocking her hand away when it rested over her heart again. For as long as he lived, he would never forget the image of his sister trying to tear her heart from her chest.

“Someone must stay with him,” she managed to croak out.

“I will,” Max offered.

William’s eyebrows shot up at this statement. They definitely got along better than they had in the beginning, but Max and Braith had never been close.

“You will need help,” Aria said. “Just in case.”

“You know how much I love a good fight, but I will stay with him too,” Timber offered. “Daniel and his brain will be needed here, to help guide and lead the humans.”

Daniel planted his staff into the ground and leaned against it. “Everyone wants me for my brains. What about my beauty?”

“Get better looking,” William said to him, and Daniel’s smile grew.

Aria smiled wider than he’d seen in over a week. He didn’t know what Max had done to her last night, but he almost hugged the guy. For the first time, he had hope that maybe his sister would get through all of this and be okay, even if Braith didn’t come back.

Then his gaze fell to Tempest and his hope deflated. No, Aria may be showing signs of life because she loved them all, but no one came back from that kind of loss. No matter how much he loved everyone gathered around him, he could not continue on without Tempest. He pulled her closer against him, a possessive rumble working its way through his chest as he kissed her temple. She turned to look at him, her doe eyes full of understanding as she rested her hand against his cheek.

Aria turned to Xavier. “I know you won’t want to stay with Braith—”

“I am not going with them to get Jack, Aria.”

Daniel didn’t look at all stunned by Xavier’s words, but Aria’s mouth dropped. “You must,” she said.

“They can detect someone else’s passing through the forest and know when someone is closing in on them. They read these woods better than I read the history scrolls. My duty is to you first.”

“And to Braith,” she protested.

Xavier clasped his hands before him. “No, it is to you. Braith knows that. I am to guard you, to defend you with my life. It is what I have chosen to do until the day I die.”

“But Braith will need a vampire to watch over him too.”

“There is nothing one vampire can do against Sabine’s troops that the humans can’t do.”

“They can’t carry him,” she protested.

“Timber can.”

“We’ve discussed it already and it has been decided,” Daniel said before Aria could argue with them further.

“What if I asked you to go?” Aria inquired of Xavier.

“You could command me to go and I would not. You are the one I protect. I couldn’t come with you when you left the cave before, but I will not leave you now,” Xavier replied.

“We’ll be fine,” Daniel said. “Xavier is right. We know these woods better than anyone, and it’s time for us to get going. We’re wasting time discussing this. Hopefully, I’ll be back with Jack by sundown tomorrow.”

William glanced between them and then to Xavier and Aria. The last thing he wanted was to leave Aria alone. She had Xavier here to watch over her, but she could decide to do something crazy in a split second. However, he didn’t want his brother and his friends out there alone.

Aria’s been good so far.

“I’ll go with them,” William said and Tempest stiffened in his arms.

“Then I’m coming with you,” Tempest said.

“We’ll move faster if it’s just us. We have more knowledge of the woods,” William said gently. “And I will move faster knowing you are safe here.”

“If I can climb a mountain in a blizzard, I can find my way through these woods. I’m not staying here without you. You can’t expect me to when you wouldn’t.”

She had him there, but the idea of her in those woods again made him consider changing his mind about offering to go with them.

“You both forget you were once human too, and would have felt secure doing this without a vampire as added protection,” Daniel said and looked sternly between him and Aria.