The Red Wolf's Daughter (Book 3 Part 2: The Making of the Siran)

Chapter 35

Rhett was outside of the tent when we went through the opening, and he looked at us with clothes for Reece in his hands. His face was a mask, but for some reason, I could tell that he was wary of Reece being near us, especially near Caroline.

Reece grew tense and let go of my hand. He pressed his lips into a thin and looked between Rhett and I before he shifted on his feet and cleared his throat. "Rhett," he said, his voice barely above a whisper while he nodded in greeting.

"Reece," he greeted before he cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "How are you?"

Reece shrugged with a small grimace on his face, biting the inside of his lip. "I have been better," he admitted before he cleared his throat and rubbed his wrists with a pained expression on his face. "And yourself?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and Rhett nodded.

"Same," he replied, "I have been better." He cleared his throat before he raised the clothes. "I have some clothes for you to change into since Cooper had beaten your ass..." He looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow while he looked at me. "Even though you don't look like it," he noted.

Reece pressed his lips into a thin line and gestured toward me. "That would be because of her," he said and cleared his throat while he shifted on his feet, becoming nervous. "She has stuff that helped heal my wounds."

Rhett looked at me before he looked at Reece. He slowly nodded and didn't say a word while he looked at me again with something in his eyes that I didn't understand and didn't like.

I pressed my lips into a thin line and raised an eyebrow, trying but failing to keep the annoyance off of my face. "What?" I asked while I cocked my head and studied him, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shrugged and bit back a small smirk before he looked at Reece. "Do you want to go ahead and see where you are staying for tonight?" he asked, and Reece hesitated before he looked at me and then at him.

"You'll be fine, Reece," I said and shook my head, knowing full well why Reece was hesitating, and Reece instantly looked at me with wide eyes.

I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet while I looked between the two men before I looked at Reece. "Like I said, Cooper will stay away from you unless he wants my foot up his ass or become doused in a fire that he will not be able to put out."

Reece bit back a small smirk and dipped his head closer to his chest. Relief filled his eyes, and he cleared his throat before he shifted on his feet. "Thank you, Ky," he said softly before he cleared his throat again.

"Of course," I said with a quick nod and offered him a tight smile.

"So, what are you going to be doing while I get Reece settled in his new tent, Ky?" Rhett asked, and I looked at him. He dipped his head closer to his chest while he stared at me, and I couldn't help but feel a little unnerved while I bit the inside of my lip.

What did he know..?

Caroline didn't say a word while she looked between us. Her eyes were wide and filled with curiosity while she stared at us, not knowing what was going on and why I was looking at Rhett like that.

Rhett cleared his throat and dipped his head closer to his chest, ignoring Caroline's curious glances. "Well?" he asked and raised an eyebrow while he stared at me. "What is your plan, Kyler?"

I pursed my lips in annoyance before I shrugged and cleared my throat. "Either train or find some more information about what happened and how they got in," I said, ignoring Reece's little shift of nervousness.

Rhett looked at Reece, and I had a feeling that he caught Reece's little shift as well. He opened his mouth to say something while he raised an eyebrow in question. "I-"

"I suggest you don't ask, Rhett," I said, interrupting him with a small shake of my head, and both men instantly looked at me. "Not right here nor right now. It's not safe."

Rhett turned to look at me and raised his eyebrow in question higher. "What do you mean?" he asked while he cocked his head and studied me. "What do you mean by saying that it is not safe, Kyler Rose?"

I smiled sadly and shook my head before I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet. "I don't know," I replied, "I can feel it. It doesn't feel safe to discuss this out here."

A look of understanding flashed through Rhett's eyes, and I had a feeling that he knew what I meant, even though I didn't. "Keep listening to your gut," he said softly, biting back a small smile. "It'll help you in the long run."

I pressed my lips into a thin line, feeling relieved, and I couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't going to push me. "I will," I promised while I nodded and looked at Reece. "Get cleaned up, but keep it hidden for now. If someone tries to start something because of it, then come find me, and I will deal with them. Understood?"

Reece bit back a small satisfied smile and slowly nodded. Relief and nervousness filled his eyes, and I had a feeling that he was grateful that I would do something and make sure that he stayed out of trouble and stayed safe.

"I will help make sure that you stay safe, as well," Rhett said with a slow nod, and Reece looked at him before he slowly nodded, looking very grateful. He cleared his throat and handed the clothes to Reece, and Reece slowly took them from him. "It might be best if you did change before we get you settled into your new tent," he said. "You are on the outskirts of this, but no one will bother you."

"Of course," Reece said. He looked at me. "Are you placed near me?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

I shrugged and grimaced. "I'm rooming with Caroline at the moment. I am not sure how far that tent is to the one you are put in, so I can't say."

"It's on the other side of the grounds," Rhett said, and we looked at him. He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. "Cooper wanted to keep him as far away from her as possible."

Reece furrowed his brows and cocked his head while he pressed his lips into a thin line. He looked between the two of us before he fully looked at me. "Wh-"

"It's something that we can't discuss just yet," I said, interrupting him with a shake of my head. "It will be fine later," I said before I moved a hand across my face, biting back a small sigh. "We'll work on that in a bit."

Reece pressed his lips into a thin line, and a look of pain flashed across his face. He didn't say a word while he slowly nodded, and I could tell that he didn't like it but trusted me enough to make sure that I would keep that slight promise.

"We'll still make sure that your transition is still smooth," Rhett said, and we looked at him. He glanced at me before he looked at Reece. "Now, come on and let's get finished and get you settled in. I am sure that Ky has other stuff that she needs to take care of. Are the others free as well?" He raised an eyebrow in question while he looked at me.

I nodded in confirmation. "They are. I am going to need to check on them and see what Cooper wants done."

"But you aren't going to talk to Cooper, right?" Reece asked teasingly while he smirked, and I bit back a small snort and nodded.

"I'm not, not yet," I said because the anger seemed to appear a little while I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes. "I don't think I will be able to deal with him for a bit."

Reece nodded and pressed his lips into a thin line. Worry filled his eyes while he studied me, and I pressed my lips into a thin line, biting the inside of my lip.

"Be careful," Rhett warned, and I looked at him. He dipped his head closer to his chest while he stared at me. "Don't be too much of a pain in the ass, ok?" He raised an eyebrow in question, and I pressed my lips into a thinner line and nodded.

"I'll try not to," I said before I smirked and dipped my head closer to my chest. Mischief filled my eyes, and Rhett bit back a small chuckle while his eyes flashed a little because I knew that he saw my mother in me. "But I can't make any promises that I know that I will break." I cleared my throat and looked at Caroline, offering her a tight smile. "Come on, Caroline, let's go see if we can't make ourselves useful."

And with that, we left both Rhett and Reece alone, and I couldn't help but pray that no one would try to harm Reece because of something his father did.

He was only a boy...