Truth: A Valkyrie Saga Book 3

Chapter 15 - Complicated Future

I honestly didn't know how she did it. Life just kept throwing shit at Ray and she just kept gracefully moving through everything with only a couple of stumbles along the way. I was slowly getting more and more enraged by the week's events, and for all intents and purposes, I was only a bystander. Ray was not a bystander. Circumstance and these fucking royals kept pushing her into the spotlight and it was not okay. It was so far from okay that I was actually starting to feel sick to my stomach as the need to protect her continually grew stronger.

What Ray needed was a break. What she needed was a goddamn vacation that was thousands of miles away from these power-hungry assholes that were nipping at her heels for any sort of attention. Or rather maybe it was what I needed. I needed to steal her away and take her somewhere where she would be safe and we could be together. I didn't think I could get her to take a vacation right now, but maybe I could do something for her. Maybe I could give her just a moment of relaxation.

It was the very least that she deserved.

-Derik Risberg

What looked like the entire Oakland Shifter Pact was waiting for us outside of the clan house. Almost before our car had fully stopped, Renata opened the back door and ran straight towards Tony. As soon as Tony saw his newly found mate, he also broke into a run and they literally jumped into each other's arms and clung to each other with a fierce determination that I was a little envious of. The entire group of watching wolves started cheering and the entire scene radiated out so much happiness, joy, and hope that it gently washed away all lingering feelings of anger my very tiring morning had evoked. This moment was worth every single thing the royals had thrown at me today. Hell, this moment rebalanced the scales for a great many things that had happened over the last two weeks.

I had needed this moment.

And as much as I wanted to celebrate with the Oakland Pack, as much as my psyche could use the mental break and positive atmosphere, I just couldn't make myself get out of the car to go join them. I just kept seeing the way that Renata looked at me back in the training rings and thinking about how I was wholly inadequate to give her everything she deserves. The list of people that I felt a bone-deep need to protect and provide for was quickly growing and I was no longer one hundred percent positive that I was strong enough to be everything they needed.

I looked over at Elijah who was still waiting in the driver's seat and tried to convey just how overwhelmed and scared I was feeling. He studied my face for a moment and then reached over to squeeze my shoulder and I knew that he understood. Elijah would always understand and I knew that he would always be there to pick up my slack. He really was the best of us. I covered his hand with my own for a few moments and then retreated into the house under a heavy Cloak, leaving the guys to deal with the celebratory wolves.

I guessed that eventually, the party would move inside, so I ventured up the stairs to where I knew each of the guys had their own room. I hadn't ever been in any of their rooms and felt a little hesitant entering their personal space without their permission or company. But when I looked into the first door on the right and saw a space that was so obviously Max's, it was like I suddenly had a physical need to understand and further connect to my most compassionate guy.

I stepped into the middle of the room and slowly scanned the walls finding posters of colorful galaxies, infamous depictions of Einstein with his tongue sticking out, and what I think were blown-up images of cells or bacteria that were captured using a high-tech microscope. On the far wall there was a large, obviously often used desk with a desktop computer, and on his nightstand were two framed photographs. I sat on the edge of his bed and studied them. The first was an older photo of Max and Elijah as boys and both of them looked tired but happy as they wrapped one arm around each other's shoulders and the other was raised into the air. In the background was a breathtaking aerial view, like if they had just climbed a mountain and were celebrating their achievement. I smiled at the childlike joy etched on each of their faces and idly wondered who had taken the photo. Neither Elijah nor Max ever talked about their family or the clan that they grew up in.