Aftermath

A Talon Pack Short Story

Author Note: Aftermath is a Talon Pack short story that centers around Ryder and Leah from Mated in Mist (Talon Pack Book 3). Leah almost lost everything during the battle for their people and now it’s up to Ryder to make sure they don’t lose the little they have left. In terms of a timeline, the events take place directly after the next to last chapter in Wolf Betrayed (Talon Pack Book t).

The wards hadn’t fallen, and yet, Ryder was sure he’d lost years of his life. He held Leah in his arms, her body cold to the touch, as he ran as fast as he could toward his home. He knew he should probably wait for Walker, but Leah had said she wanted to be home, and he’d be damned if he refused her. Especially now.

She’d saved them all.

Again.

And now, she could die if he didn’t get her warm; if he didn’t find a way to make the mating bond feed her more energy. This had happened once before, of course, and that time, it had taken almost everything he had for Ryder to keep Leah alive.

He’d be damned if he lost her this time.

As soon as he got to the house, he held Leah close, used his palm print to get inside, and rushed to the bathroom and the giant tub they had for Leah to soak in nightly. She was a water witch and needed baths and swims to keep her powers replenished.

He just hated that she needed it tonight, but she’d just about drained everything she had inside in order to save the Pack.

Instead of bothering to take off any of their clothes, he shuffled them both to the large, sunken tub and turned on the water to full blast and all the way to hot. Normally, it didn’t matter to Leah what kind of water she soaked in, as long as it was clean, but she was so damn cold, he knew the heat was needed right now.

He slid his hands through her hair and kissed her forehead. “Wake up, my witch. I need you to wake up.”

Leah tilted her head back and blinked up at Ryder as she came awake. “Ryder,” she breathed, a smile forming on her face. “You’re wearing your clothes in the bath.”

His heartbeat steadily began to slow from the thudding pulse that had threatened to deafen him since the moment she’d fallen into his arms on the battlefield. 

“You scared the shit out of me, Leah. Don’t do that again. You got me? I don’t think I can take it.”

She looked confused for a second at the tone of his voice before her eyes went dark, memories of what had happened coming back to her.

She turned in his arms so she knelt in front of him. With a flick of her wrist, a small wave of water reached out and turned off the taps to the bath. He would forever be in awe of her power, but right then, it scared the hell out of him because he knew she would use it all if she could.

To protect those she loved.

When she cupped his face, his wolf pushed at him, needing her touch, needing to know she was his.

“I can’t promise that, Ryder. You know that.”

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath through his nose so he could control his emotions. His wolf had always been closer to the edge than others’, a little darker, a little harder to control, and seeing his mate’s life in jeopardy just made it that much harder for him to rein in it.

“I can’t watch you almost die again,” he whispered, his voice a growl.

She ran her hand through his hair, and he leaned into her touch. “You won’t. I knew how much I had left in my reserves, and I trusted you to know how to help me get out of the line of fire when I could no longer stand.” She paused. “I couldn’t stand back and watch my people die because of ignorance. Every single able witch in this Pack helped, and because I was the strongest, I was the one out front. The one using what I could to take down that helicopter and then later to keep the wards up. I knew you wouldn’t let me falter. I knew you’d be my anchor in the storm. You’re my wolf, Ryder, my everything. I trusted you to guide me when I had nothing left.”

He opened his eyes then, knowing his wolf was showing. Her words undid him, but of course, she knew that. Just like he knew his growl earlier had done the same to her.

“I love you.”

Her eyes brightened. “I love you, too. And thank you for bringing me to our bathtub. I know you could have waited for Walker, but he should be with the wolves that truly need his Healing powers. And I know you could have taken us to our small lake, but then I wouldn’t be able to do this.” She rocked against him, and he growled.

“You’re healing, witch. Don’t play around.” He gripped her hips, his cock hard and pressing against the seam of his fly. His jeans were wet, clinging to his skin, and he knew this was going to get uncomfortable quickly.

She leaned down, the long cascade of her wet hair draping both of them. “You’re a wolf, darling. You like to play.” She leaned up and cupped her breasts over her wet shirt. “You know what this much healing energy at once does to me. You can feel it in the bond.” She slowly stripped her shirt off her head, tossing the wet garment on the tile floor next to the tub. When she took off her bra, he let out a growl, his fingertips digging hard into her hips.

“Temptress.”

“I’m your witch,” she said, her hands on her breasts. “Make love to me, Ryder. Hold me and make me believe it’s just the two of us right now. I don’t want to think about the world outside; about what’s to come. I only want to think of you. You and me. Can you do that? Can you make me forget, if only for a moment?”

Ryder straightened so he was sitting up with Leah seated directly over his cock. Though they both wore jeans, he could feel the heat of her through their clothing and the water.

“Always, my witch. Always.”

He tangled his fingers in her hair and brought his lips to hers. Taking off their clothing was tricky, but that’s why he had claws, and she had magic.

And as they made love in their tub, her healing energy wrapped around them both, bringing them even closer than before.

He’d almost lost her once, twice, and now once more.

Ryder would be damned if he lost his witch again.