Endless

Resignation | Ryan

Ali left without even a glance back. Every step she took tore out my heart a little bit more. After she disappeared from sight, I sat up and let my head hang forward. I'd gotten so used to having her with me that losing her felt like the griffons had succeeded at drawing out my soul. I glanced toward Nick, who was still lying on the floor, eyes squeezed shut. His pain mirrored mine. Idly, almost moving on their own, his hands drifted up and patted his jacket.

"Are you okay?" I recognized my father's voice, but felt almost nothing. A mere twinge of resentment. Of course I wasn't fucking okay.

Someone cleared their throat, drawing everyone's attention. His eyes shone with some sort of secret. Aleria's eyes. The ache eating at my insides came back for round two.

I fought it back by letting my attention drift away from him to the huge pack of protectors around him. They were tense, powered up and waiting for one of us to make a wrong move. Worse, they chose not to hide the fact that they were ready for the kill, but their wariness made sense.

The battle had taken a severe toll on both griffon factions. With the full benefit of surprise, the protectors had fought through the battle with most of their number intact. I only felt two fiery life forces fading, but even those seemed to be bolstered by the others. No wonder they were so bold.

"I thank you for guarding over my daughter," the Chieftain said, snaring my gaze once more. "She is precious to me. To us."

I merely nodded. Much as I wanted to point out that this was about more than earning the protectors' favor, I knew the wise course was to shut up. The Chieftain would definitely be able to sense the roaring flood of feelings going through me at the mere mention of her, but he didn't know our relationship had gone beyond what he assumed. It would stay that way. The least I could do for Ali was to let her live the life she knew and trusted without complication.

The Chieftain smiled gently. "Are you a Firm man?"

"They both are," my father inserted, sparing me the discomfort of having to search for a diplomatic and safe answer. He tossed his hood back, revealing his shoulder-length golden locks and blue eyes. Dressed as he was, he looked like a grown-up skater boy. Only the highest ranking members of the Firm knew the powerhouse ex-Viking lurking beneath the exterior.

The Chieftain burst out laughing. "Tyr. It's been some time."

My jaw dropped. I'd thought only three griffons alive knew his Norse name. Him, me and Nick.

"Still as discrete as a fool, I see." My father went to him, face somber.

The Chieftain shrugged. "Why bother? Everyone with any sense can figure out who and what you are." He glanced at the corpses strewn throughout the room. "Having problems, I see."

My father's anger flared at the finely pointed insult. And shame. He hadn't wanted the Chieftain to see this, his greatest failure.

"Yes," my father said, jaw clenched.

The smile faded from the Chieftain's face. "I see." He sighed heavily and rubbed at his jaw. "Will it be all out war, then?"

"Yes."

"I see."

The protectors tensed as one. Some of them scowled at the ceiling.

"Get lighters," the Chieftain commanded.

Nick breathed soft laughter and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. A moment later, he lit it and inhaled. The Chieftain watched, entranced by Nick's blatant disregard for his own health. So did my father, his whole face slackened with surprise.

"What?" Nick demanded, blowing smoke out through his nostrils. "This is my house." He looked around the charring remains and another stab of his pain went through me. "What's left of it."

The Chieftain turned back to my father, gave him a nod, then left. The rest of his guards followed him out in silence. My father didn't show any outward signs of relief, but I could sense how much effort he put into mastering his emotions. I was probably the only griffon strong enough to experience this, though. With the Firm—and the whole world—tilting at the brink of disaster, those loyal to the Firm needed a strong leader.

My father focused on me. For the first time in my eternal life, I saw him vulnerable. He refused to show it, but it was still there, lurking beneath the surface. That was new. Part of me had always assumed my father was partially hewn of stone.

"I need you to take your place as Vice President," he said and walked out, disregarding the shocked stares coming from the rest of us. Typical of him, he didn't wait for me to say yes or no. He simply assumed I'd fall in with his wishes.

And damn him, he was right.

Poor Ryan. I always feel so sorry for the guys around here. But what did you think of Ryan's decision to rejoin the Firm? Let me know in the comments, and while you're still here, please don't forget to vote if you enjoyed this chapter!