No! His fire exploded in the face of an attacker but it didn’t change a thing. With speed and surprising force the wolf was on his love, on her, on Veti with blade swung and off and away before Thad could do much of anything. She was carrying her newly found pack mate in her wolf form and a second later she was falling as the woman he first fell so deeply for. No! Thad didn’t follow the escaping assassin. He didn’t notice the other’s behind. The only thing he saw was the cascading red hair and the caught breathes of Veti. He leapt to her side.

He was down on his knees beside her wrapping his arms around her, to lean her over onto him. “Veti, Veti, I’m here. I got you. “ He pulled her away from the dead wolf’s body. He felt her resistance, he knew she had some strong connection to this one she only recently meant but he wanted her to let it go. She had to let her go. Where was that door now? Where was Daisy to take this dead thing away? 

His hands were wet.There was more than one’s blood. No! He ripped his tie off, the one Siya picked, and rubbed it quickly over the fur and blood of the dead body of the werewolf. Watching Veti the entire time he pulled the silk over the last life of the once strong once powerful beast. Thad brought it up and kissed it. Then he pressed the soaked fabric onto Veti’s chest. “Breath love. Small puffs, like that smoke you want in quick rings. Let the last of Aislinn flow into you. We’ll carry her. We’ll keep her with us. This is her power, her will, going into you, closing the cut. Breath. Shallow. Slow.” 

Thad pressed his tie filled with the last energy of Aislinn against her. He kissed the cloth again mixing his spit with the edges to seal it against her. He wanted her air to stay inside, no holes, no leaks. No. Not his Veti. With his fingers and lips he sealed the energy of a long line of werewolves into the chest of a new, clanless wonderful she wolf. No one deserved the history of Hoyle’s more than his Veti. Thad was sure. And he knew no one could carry it better than she. 

With the bandage in place Thad reached again around Veti. “Let me carry you, love. Let me hold you.” He smiled to her and added quickly, “I know what you're thinking,. You want me of course, but calm yourself and wait.” No! He would not let her go. He kissed her quickly as he lifted her. “I am yours you know so we can save it.” 

Thad glanced back to the rest of the group. Where are they going? Is the gate still an option or are the reasons for that now past? Holding Veti he let his eyes turn to Atticus. Alright head man that we’ve followed into more than one death trap, Thad seemed to say with his eyes, where now?