Chapter 726

Jackson lets out a sharp, impatient snarl, and Jesse laughs, giving me a little shove towards him. "All right, all right, I'm sorry, take him."

I stumble forward a step into Jackson's arms, where I'm wrapped up tight. "You're being very indiscreet, you know," I murmur, wrapping my arms as far as they'll go around his waist. "People are going to figure out that you're in love with the Shrimp."

"Who cares," he says, utterly dismissive. "They'll still be scared of me. And you now, too."

I lift my head to grin up at him and then push away, turning for Luca, who is waiting.

"That was really cool," he whispers, folding me into his arms in turn. "I mean, I know it was violent but...I could feel it, Ari." He shakes his head as he lowers it to mine. His wolf anxiously paces at the other end of our bond and mine crosses it to him, pressing herself warm to his side, pleased to be there and pleased that he's open to us in this moment.

"I think you have magic, Luc," I whisper. "I think...I think it's more than just us."

"I know," he sighs, shaking his head. "And just when I thought I couldn't get any cooler..."

I grin, looking up at him, very pleased to see him start to embrace this part of himself instead of being afraid of it. "We'll figure it out, you know." "I know," he whispers, nodding down at me.

"Okay, come on, it's still an active battle," Rafe says, snapping his fingers at me and Luca with a frown, one hand on his earpiece, clearly listening to some sort of report coming through. "Eyes on the horizon, kids."

"Don't call me kid, I'm older than you," Luca murmurs, smirking at Rafe.

"Then act it," Rafe bites back, giving Luca a little glare and turning away. But then Rafe turns back with a little frown. "Also, I'm still bigger than you so...fall in line, Grant."

I smirk and roll my eyes as I look up at Luca. "Alpha bullshit? On the battlefield?"

“Where else?” he asks, smirking back at me.

"Here, eat something," Jackson murmurs, stepping close and holding a granola bar out to me.

"What?" I ask, looking up at him.

He just growls deep in his chest.

I sigh, looking down at the wrapped food. "Jacks, I'm really not hungry -"

"You haven't eaten a damn thing all day, Ariel," he snarls, holding out the bar more insistently. "I'm going to watch you eat that. And then you're going to drink water. And then you can blow up more helicopters. But not before."

I wrinkle my nose and purse my lips as I look up at him, not liking being bossed like this. But he just raises an eyebrow and I take the granola bar, unwrapping it and taking a petulant bite.

"Thank you," he murmurs, looking away towards the horizon for both of us and stroking his broad, heavy palm over my head as he does.

I sigh, standing between my mates, and likewise turn towards the horizon as I eat my snack.

The three of us stand just like that, vigilant, for hours.

et

The Atalaxians don't send any more helicopters for our particular little set of troops, I guess figuring out that it's a surprisingly well-defended position and a dead end. As dawn approaches, the assaults on the Atalaxian entrenchment slow and then stop. A huge number of trucks, tanks, and other miliary vehicles begin to cross the plain before us - clearly visible in the growing light.

"What...what does this mean?" I ask quietly, watching them.

"It means we won," Jesse says softly at my side.

I look to him with wide eyes. "What?"

He nods to me, his face quite serious. "This was the second part of the plan - sending troops to occupy that land mass once the Atalaxians have retreated so they can't re-take it. This means we pushed them back."

I exhale in a long rush of air, turning back to the horizon. But with my relief comes exhaustion. "That's good," I whisper, nodding.

"Very good," my cousin returns.

I glance over at him. "This was big, wasn't it?" I ask, soft. "If we had lost this..."

Jesse glances at me from the

net

corner of his eye. "If we had lost this," he murmurs, "we'd have been swearing allegiance to a very different King today. And losing our titles, which doesn't work for me." He sighs, huffy, trying to make me Smile. "I don't do commoner. noveldrama

It works and I huff a laugh, shaking my head at him.

"

But Rafe's barked order for us all to pack up and head back to the camp rings out around us and my cousin and I turn, walking with Jackson and Luca back to the waiting transport truck that will take us back.

Inside the truck I lean against Jackson's side, my head on his shoulder, and nearly fall asleep. I would have, too, if I wasn't bounced around every few seconds by another rock or pit passing beneath the wheels.

But when we arrive back at the camp, I'm glad I didn't, because I see my father standing there at the edge - clearly waiting for us.

And the sight of him fills me with hope, happiness, and a great sense of safety, as it always does.