Chapter 436 Chapter 436
She looked around at the others standing near the fire, no one moved or spoke, they just stood there holding the children close and watched these men being marched by them. Emersyn didn’t need to ask if there were any softer feelings toward any of these men. There wasn’t, it was plain in their expressions how these men had treated them wrong. The men were clean and clearly well-fed, unlike everybody standing in soiled, ill-fitting clothing.
Aspyn turned and gripped her neck, squeezing it. She placed a hard childlike kiss on her cheek and Emersyn had never felt anything more right in her life than the love of her child. Her gaze flicked to the door when Calum came through it again. Her heart jumped up to lodge in her throat. It was him, the one that always came with Lindon. She scrambled up and stepped back, clutching Aspyn tight in her arms.
She turned to see Noah watching her, a questioning look on his face. She opened her mouth, but then couldn’t speak the words, terror had paralyzed it.
“Stay. Right. Here.” Noah said, in a low rumbling voice.
Emersyn watched with her eyes wide as he made fast work reaching the steps. At first, she thought he was going to grab the man and toss him in the shed, but he didn’t. Calum gave him a confused look and then his expression changed to surprise as Noah grabbed the man around the throat and lifted him right off the ground.
He stepped with a few long strides, carrying the man along with him until he was pressed up against the wall of the house.
There were gasps among the group, but no one, not one, moved to assist the man as he dangled there, struggling without the use of his hands to free himself. He tried to kick out at Noah, but the hold he had was too tight.
“Noah. Shit. Blair.” Calum jumped over the small deck and went over to him.
Emersyn heard the door slam, but couldn’t look away as Noah just stood there, like a giant statue holding the man that was struggling as the air was cut off from his lungs.
Calum grabbed his arm and was saying something Emersyn couldn’t hear. Blair appeared beside him on the other side, trying to put himself between Noah and the man.
Emersyn looked to see both Kobie and Blaise just standing there watching, not moving to help. Blaise looked amused. She spotted the woman, Penny, and moved over to her quickly. She trusted her to keep her daughter for a few more moments. “Can you watch her, please?” She nodded and put her arms out to take her.
Emersyn moved quickly over toward the men. She put her hand on Blair’s arm to move him out of the way. He did but kept his hand on the man’s leg trying to keep him up in the air. “Noah.” She stood beside him, making sure to keep clear of the man’s leg as he kicked out at him.
“Noah, let him go.” Calum’s voice was strained.
Emersyn placed her hand on Noah’s chest, she could feel his heart beating beneath it. He looked down at her, shock on his face that she was there. “He doesn’t deserve a quick release.” She said it softly and knew she was going to hell for saying such a thing, but it’s what she felt. “Release him to face his full due.”
The anger in his eyes changed that fast. He stepped back, pulling her along with him. Emersyn put her arms around her waist and hugged him as she glanced over her to see Blair and Calum picking the man up off the ground.
Blair looked over to Kobie, “grab him some water.”
She didn’t look to see if Kobie did or not, she lifted her chin and looked up to see Noah wasn’t taking his eyes off the man. “Thank you.” She said softly, “but he’s not worth changing you into what they are.”
He looked down at her now. Giving his head a slight shake, “there is no punishment that could be done to them that would come close to equaling all the lives they’ve ruined.”
A low rumble came from his chest and her cat was right there, alert, waiting. She swallowed to find her voice. “I know, but you’re better than that.”
“Am I?” His brows creased.
“You good now?” Blair came over to them.
Noah sucked in a breath and then looked down to see she was still against him, he stepped back and then turned to Blair.
“You have to stop losing it, bud, and scaring the crap out of me,” Blair smirked.
Calum came over and gave him a wary look. “I don’t know what you eat for your strength, but text it to me later.” He shook his head and then looked at Blair, “ready?”
A woman wearing nothing more than a t-shirt came over to Calum, she was holding a boy that couldn’t be more than two years old. Emersyn could see she was shivering. She grabbed Calum’s arm, “please don’t leave us here.” Her voice was shaking.
Emersyn smiled at her. “You look cold,” she undid her coat and took it off, “here.” She held it out to her. Taking it with a grateful look in her eyes, she slipped it over her son’s body. Before Emersyn could turn, Noah was holding his jacket out to her. Taking it, she smiled up at him and received an awkward smile back. Slipping her arms into it, she inhaled and was pleasantly surprised she could smell nothing but his scent.
Noah looked at Blair. “Let’s get this going.”
Blair blew out a breath and nodded, even though his expression said otherwise.
Noah turned back to her and touched her arm. “Go over with Aspyn,” he glanced in that direction, “we don’t know how well this is going to go over.”
Emersyn nodded.
Blair put his hand up before she could move. “Thanks again,” he turned his head and gave Noah a hard, but playful look, “for disarming the beast of fury once more.”
Emersyn smiled at that. She nodded and then turned and walked quickly back over to the woman. Aspyn leaned over into her arms as she reached them.
“Who are they?” Penny whispered.
“They’re with the Alliance,” Emersyn said softly and then pressed her nose into Aspyn’s neck and inhaled her scent. It was like a needed medicine to her.
“The Alliance,” Penny said and then moved closer to her. “Are they taking over the clan?”
Emersyn frowned and looked to see the horror on her face. “No, they’re here to free you from,” she motioned to the shed Blaise stood in front of, “them.”
“Really?”
Emersyn nodded, and then looked to the cabin to see Calum and Noah standing on the bottom step, Blair on the top. “Listen.”