Lake could feel the frustration, the barest hint but she had been so tuned in, waiting for a sign from him, that she still caught it. It was the first thing besides pain to register in hours. âI want to be able to shut up and listen whenever you tell me to do something. I wish I could. I know that would give you more confidence as Alpha. Maybe itâs because I was born into this but I canâtâŠ.I donât know how to shut up and listen when it means you might never come back to me.â They were such heavy words for only remembering a quarter of her time with him. If she remembered it all, sheâd be fucked, so gone and desperate that she would never leave his side. The pups were still the most important thing. She had to take care of them above all else. When more of his weigh sagged against her she held him up with ease, wrapping him in a strong hug so she didnât have to see the disappointment written on his face. If he died in the battle, at least she would never have to see that look on his face again - the one where he realized the Lake he had fallen in love with was gone, replaced with a hollow shell. Not wolf, not human, not mother, not mate. She felt like a patchwork excuse for a person. âWe can stay out here as long as you need to.â
It was strange hearing this Lake talk about how she couldnât lose him, when only a few weeks ago sheâd held nothing but contempt and disgust for him and what he was. It was almost enough to let him believe that his Lake was the one standing there, not the Government controlled one heâd been with for weeks now. Except his Lake would have taken the win, she would have griped at him for being selfish and stupid and putting himself at so much risk. At least if he died through all of this, if he didnât make it out, Lake wouldnât have the years and years worth of memories to try to forget. âI love you and the pups so much, Lake. Thereâs nothing in this world that could stop me from coming back to you guys,â he said earnestly, the words the only real truth he seemed to know anymore. Miles had survived an insane amount of things over his lifetime - this would be no different. He was thankful when she helped support his weight some, hating how weak and pathetic he felt in front of her but knowing out of anyone in the world, she was the one he could trust the most while he was in this state. âSo until the moon then?â he asked with a small laugh. He knew it was an impossibility, but he dreaded the idea of having to go back inside any time soon. Not with everything still hurting the way it did and not when heâd much rather be holding on to his mate outside in the fresh air.













