Lorelei caught a tiny grin on Saul’s face before he hid it beneath another display of indifference. “It means Lorelei is tall like you. Shrimp are tiny animals, Ava.”
A chuckle sounded from outside the door. “Got it.”
The door opened a crack. A tall woman with long sleek brown hair poked her head inside. The scent was most certainly bear, mixed with a bit of wolf. Or the wolf scent was clinging to the woman’s clothes. Lorelei couldn’t tell for sure.
“I’ll help her with the hair, our Vraka has requested your presence downstairs.”
“Thank you,” Saul said. He put the brush on the counter and touched Lorelei’s shoulder again, sending tingles through her body that she shouldn’t take comfort in feeling…but she did.
A small part of her welcomed the intimacy. The closeness and desire she felt toward Saul. Even though it broke her heart a little more each time it happened.
“I’ll be close if you need me. This is Ava. You are safe with her.”
Lorelei nodded. Words wouldn’t form. Everything she thought to say choked in the back of her throat before forming into a coherent thought.
He left the bathroom and Ava stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
“Let’s see if we can get through the rest of your hair, okay. Then get you dressed so you feel more comfortable. Maybe eat something. Sleep a little?”
Still no words. Just tears.
These strangers were all being so kind.
“Please,” she finally managed.
8
Saul
Everyone was spread out through the living area and the kitchen. Saul went to stand next to Kann.
“Saul, how is she?” Col asked.
“Confused. Sad. But holding it together admirably. She has huge chunks of memory missing. She can’t remember most of the past year. She doesn’t remember going through the portal either.”
Several small gasps and sympathetic noises came from the women in the room. The males attempted to hide their shock and succeeded only slightly better than the females.
“She is Lorelei Ka’Lagh, queen of La’Tar and I need to tell you that she is my soul match, she is grieving still for her loss. For her, she remembers nothing of the past year. For her—” His voice broke at the thought of what she was feeling. The pain and horror he’d gone through when Lissa had passed so many years ago. There was nothing worse.
Naomi speaks up. “For her it’s only a few days. The newly forming bond between you is starting to change how she remembers things already. She’s getting pieces back.”
Saul nodded. It did seem like she remembered more. She claimed to remember slices of yesterday. She’d admitted that she remembered him. Remembered some of what they’d spoken of.
“Rivian Ka’Lagh is here,” Kann said, speaking next. “This is what needs to be addressed first though. Lorelei is safe here. We will all protect her, but if Rivian is coming for her, it will be war.” Kann held his son tighter, the one he’d named Tuvik after his father. “Until Rivian is dealt with, our children will not be safe.”
“No one will be safe,” Saul said, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. He’d lost family once to the monster Rivian and he couldn’t help but look around the room and feel the anxiety of the past climbing onto his heart like a great mountain and pressing it down until it felt as though it would erupt from the pressure.
“I am familiar with the Ka’Lagh feud.” Col’s voice was softer full of sadness. “It was bloody and took many casualties. I’m sorry for your loss, my friend.”
Saul met Col’s gaze and bowed his head respectfully. He was more grateful in this moment to be a part of this tribe than at any time during the past year.
The Ka’Lagh only fought their own. Only lions. They were vicious and cruel, but they had never fought outside their tribes. And no other tribe had stepped in on Reylea to help.
Ever.
“So are you going to kill this guy?” Katherine asked from her seat across the room. She bounced her arms, also holding one of Naomi or Penny’s infant children. Saul couldn’t tell which.
He checked the room again, counting all seven babies. They were all here. They were all safe. All the women were here too. No one was missing.
He shouldn’t be this anxious. He was a hardened warrior, but having Rivian here and Lorelei here and all the infants. His mind was spinning constantly. He continued to count the infants.
The women. The tribe. It settled him a little.
“You know at some point the town is going to catch on that we aren’t really answering to the law. The body count is getting awfully large,” Tara said.
“Connie knows,” Tor said. “She covers for us with the sheriff along with—” He stopped himself and put a fisted hand over his heart.
Saul and every other male in the room echoed Tor’s show of respect for the fallen man. Matthew Hatcher had been a deputy in the sheriff’s department, turned by Raish into a wolf. He’d been learning how to be a wolf and a man. And he’d been an enormous asset to the Tribe, but he had passed in the fire and fight that had destroyed the MCC and nearly killed half their number.
If it hadn’t been for the protected secret bunker most of them would’ve lost their mates that night.
“Matthew was a brave man and he died protecting this tribe. His memory will forever be honored.” Col’s voice broke through the silence of the room, with a sincerity that struck Saul deep in his gut. “These males have fought and killed on Reylea. They will bring pain to Mystery. We do not know how many more are with them and no action will be taken until we know if more innocents are being held captive. Your Lorelei may not be their only victim.”
Saul met Col’s gaze again.
He’d not considered that Lorelei wasn’t the only victim. He knew they were traveling in small groups—not as one pride. This was a new land. Were they scouting? Or had they known they were here?
“Are they skirting Mystery because they know you’re here, Vraka?” Owen spoke this time. “Or any of us perhaps?”
“What about the boys?” Katherine’s tone pitched and rolled like wind in a blizzard. “What if that’s why we haven’t seen them in a few days?”
Knox put an arm around his mate and squeezed. “They are young, but they are strong. They will be fine.”
“You don’t know that.” Katherine snuggled against her mate’s shoulder. “What if they’re hunting them?”
Col rubbed his chin and then ran his hands through his long hair. “The Ka’lagh never bothered wolves before.”
“That was before.” The tone of Katherine’s voice dropped almost to a whisper. “You said these people were vicious and cruel and murdered people. They’ve been here a year and they’ve not been surrounded by other lion tribes. Just by people.”
“I will not send any of you out to find the boys. They will have to make it back to the cabin on their own. We don’t know how many are out there. How spread out they are. How adapted they are to technology. The younglings are our first priority and then the females.” Col made sure to make eye contact with each of the tribe individually.