“Mrs. Alpha,” Anders said, sitting on one of the bar stools.
Finn watched color stain Jessa’s cheek. Her green gaze met his, the warmth waiting for him drawing him close. “Suits me,” he murmured.
Hollis stumbled into the kitchen then. “I smell coffee.” Jessa poured him a cup, putting it into Hollis’s hands before he knew it. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He looked weak, obviously the sickness took far longer to recover from than the change. “What’s the plan? Who’s taking Oscar? And Jessa? What did I miss?”
Finn glared at Hollis. It would be nice to make it through breakfast before talk of the Others and reinforcements came into play.
“You’ve got to get them out of here, Finn,” Anders said. “Last night was hard on us all.”
Jessa paused mid-stir. “What happened last night? I thought it was safe?”
Finn nodded. “It is, for now.”
“The Others caught a scent trail,” Dante explained, still staring into his coffee. “Won’t take them long to find us.”
“We can’t keep running.” Mal’s anger was evident. “I’m tired of this shit. I’m tired of always being on the move, looking over my shoulder.”
Finn watched Jessa’s reaction. She frowned, mixing the pancake batter with renewed vigor.
“I won’t put them in harm’s way.” Finn kept his voice low, but the threat was real. “I know you want to fight, Mal, but I won’t risk Oscar and Jessa.”
“So we wait?” Mal glanced at Oscar. “Until they get him—”
“They won’t.” Jessa set the bowl on the counter and took Oscar from his arms.
Finn stepped closer, sliding an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. “They won’t,” he said against her ear.
Mal held his hands up. “You can’t be serious?”
“Jesus, Mal, enough,” Dant
e snapped.
“You think sparing her the truth will change it? Cara? Phillip and Annie? Brown’s family?” His rage was barely in check. “Mine?”
“So the plan is to scare the shit out of her?” Anders asked.
“She should be scared,” Mal argued. “But we shouldn’t be. We’re stronger than they are. We can take them down—one by one if we have to. This waiting for them has to fucking stop.”
“Enough.” The word tore from Finn’s lips, more growled than spoken.
Silence.
But Mal’s words hung there, choking Finn. They would come for Oscar. Or Jessa. Could he expect them to keep running? That was no life for any of them. He stared at her, wanting to run, to hide her away someplace safe. What was safe? Where could he take them that the Others wouldn’t eventually find?
Jessa bounced Oscar in her arms, her green eyes seeking his as she crossed the room to sit before the fire. Oscar’s fist tangled in her hair, pulling her focus back to his son. While his heart thundered in his chest, her graceful movements revealed none of her fear. She was brave but fragile—in need of protection. His protection. And his pack.
The wolf wanted to fight, to stand their ground. But he’d spent too much time avoiding his wolf and the instincts that drove him. Turning that off would be a challenge. His hand slid up, grasping the silver medallion he’d worn for almost ten years. It had been his compass, warning him when he teetered too close to his wild side. If he was going forward with this, entertaining Mal’s idea, he had no business wearing it.
He paced the room, glaring at Mal, looking to Dante and Anders for some insight. How did they feel? He was their alpha, but this was too big a decision to make on his own.
Hollis carried a newly made bottle to Jessa, offering it to her without a sound.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling up at Hollis.
Finn studied her, the curve of her smile as she lay Oscar on her knees, speaking to him in a soft, adoring tone. Nothing could happen to them—he had to make sure of that. “How many?” Finn asked.
“Small group.” Mal shrugged. “Cyrus wasn’t with them.”