Chapter Sixty-Eight

Drake.

Drake fell backward onto the grassy field and looked up at the sky. His body hurt from that fight. He’d been so close to giving up when he felt her.

Waverly’s presence filled him like a ghost. Hearing her soft voice in the wind pushed him forward. He hadn’t come this far to give up. Seeing Nicole’s head fly off her shoulder made his entire day.

He’d never rejoiced in someone’s death, but this was long awaited for him.

Reid bent over Drake and blocked the sun. “You ready to go home? I know a woman who is worried sick about you.”

Drake took Reid’s outstretched hand, stood to his feet, and caught sight of Roderick several feet away. Roderick smiled through his charred face, and it made Drake laugh.

Of course, he would be the one to get stuck in a hole with silver all over him.

“I’m so ready to be home,” Drake said.

Reid looked around at the dead hellhounds. “You think we should leave them here? Or burn ‘em?”

“Can you imagine the news stories about these things if a human stumbles upon them?”

Reid laughed. “Yeah, insane zombie dogs killed in an abandoned field. Is it the start to the end?”

Drake patted his shoulder. “Thank you for coming to help. That red-head you killed would have destroyed me.”

“My pleasure,” he said. “I’m down to kill vampires any day of the week. No offense.”

“None taken,” Drake said. “Can you handle burning the hounds or do you want us to stay and help?”

“Go see Waverly. All three of them are worried sick about you.”

Drake thanked him and walked over to Roderick. “Looks like you were plucked from Hell with that face, Brother.”

Roderick rolled his eyes. “You think Sarah will still think I’m sexy?”

Drake cringed. “Do you want me to lie to you?”

Roderick looked at the road and then back at Drake. “You ready for this run home? I may have to stop and rest. I need more blood, hopefully, it’ll heal this monster of a face I have going right now.”

“Let’s get home then.”

He started back the way they came, following all the scents of the wolves and vampires that came and saved their lives. It felt like a longer run because he was going back with no expectations of being killed.

There wasn’t a huge elephant in the corner of the room of potential death. He was going back to see Waverly, and going home. He could finally get her back to her parents. Back to her internship and her life.

To deliver her back to her apartment in one piece made him feel like a hero for once. His heart raced the closer they made it to camp.

Roderick called out to him only a few miles away, and Drake reluctantly stopped.

He collapsed to all fours and laughed at himself. “God, this sucks.”

Drake walked over and patted the top of his head like a child. “Do you want me to carry you?”

Roderick gasped and sat back on his heels. “Seriously? You want me to arrive to sweep my mate off her feet with a burned face and be carried like a baby by his brother. I don’t think so,” he said. "I want to protect what little dignity I have left."

Drake watched as he stood up and took a deep breath. “I’m good. Let’s go.”

Drake raced through the trees toward the camp, the cabins came into view seconds later, and he nearly didn’t stop in time.

Rushing up the steps, he kicked open the door and saw Waverly sitting on the couch nursing a glass of what looked like Sprite.

She stood up and smiled. Drake rushed over to her, wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. He knew when Roderick made it in because everyone gasped.

His mother and Sarah both ran over to examine him, but Drake couldn’t let go of Waverly. “We’re going to be free now,” he whispered.

She kissed his neck. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I guess your vision was right,” Alistair said from the corner.

Drake pulled back and looked at Waverly. “Vision? What vision?”

She shrugged, a clueless look crossed her face and she laughed. “I’m not sure. I was in the kitchen and I fell back and had what I assumed was a vision of the fight. Reid kicked Nicole’s head off her shoulders.”

Drake stared at her, speechless, until Alistair cleared his throat in anticipation. “Did that happen?”

“Yes.”

Waverly bit her bottom lip and folded her arms over her chest. “Wow. So, I had a legit vision.”

“Witch,” Sarah said from the opposite side of the room.

“No,” his mother said, dropping her hands from cradling Roderick’s charred face. “It’s part of the mate bond. She’s been blessed.”

Waverly looked embarrassed for a brief moment, but then excitement flickered over her features. “Wow,” she whispered. “That’s …”

“Freaking awesome,” Sarah said.

Drake nodded in agreement. “I think so too,” he said, touching the side of her face.

Waverly wrapped her arms around him again and Drake held her close. He could hear Roderick whispering to Sarah behind him and his mother chimed in. “You need human blood, Roderick. We’re running low in the fridge, but you can have what’s left—,”

“Or you could drink off me.”

Waverly pulled back and looked at Sarah to judge if she was serious. Drake did the same. The silence in the room made him shift uncomfortably.

“Can we talk outside?” Roderick asked.

Sarah left the room with a blush on her cheeks and in a hurry.

“Well,” Waverly said once the door shut. “That is not what I was expecting.”

His mother clapped her hands in excitement. “I know, but I’m so happy about it. Both of my babies are with their mates—,”

“All of us are with our mates,” Waverly said.

“You’re right,” she said, reaching for Alistair’s hand. “Which is something we need to talk to you about.”

Drake draped his arm around Waverly’s shoulder and guided her to the couch. It felt so good for him to sit down that he didn’t want to get up.

“I’m going to live at the pack house,” she announced. “There is nothing for me at the old place. It’s paid for, however, so if you are interested in it, it’s yours.”

Drake was shocked. The house was huge and on lots of land. Not too far from the city. “Umm, well—,”

She waved him off. “We hardly have to talk about it right now, Son. I just wanted you to know, because when we leave, I’m not going back. Keep your father's things or throw them away. Sell them. I don’t care.”

He knew that was a huge step for her, but he admired her ability to let it go. She deserved to be with a man that would cherish her, and he could see it in Alistair’s eyes that he would.

“Thank you, Mother.”

She winked at him. “Since Roderick is … busy, do you want some blood? You look tired.”

“Let me get it,” Waverly said, getting up and walking into the kitchen.

Drake followed her and stopped beside the fridge. She handed him a bag of blood and smiled. He tore it with his teeth and sucked it dry.

Licking a drop from his bottom lip, he smiled over at Waverly’s intent stare. “Keep staring at me like that and I’ll drag you into the room.”

She chuckled. “I wouldn’t complain, but I will be honest. I want to go home.”

He pinched her chin and pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “As soon as everyone gets back, we thank them, we’re leaving. I’m ready to be home with you. We can go see your parents …”

“What are we going to tell them?” she asked.

“You got lost?” he suggested.

She gave him a deadpan look. “Hardly. How about I was kidnapped and I escaped.”

“As long as they don’t presume I’m the kidnapper, I don’t care what happens.”

Waverly leaned against the fridge. “We’re free, Drake. I can’t fathom a time before this. What was I doing with my life before you fell into it?”

Drake laughed. “Living a stress-free normal life.”

She wrapped her arm around his neck. “Yeah, well, it was overrated.”