Fight With Me

Chapter 11

Alaric's POV

I ran into the room after Kaleb and MG and froze. Hope, in full wolf form, was shredding the man. The girls were still tied, but Kaleb and MG quickly untied them and helped them to their feet. They were exhausted. No food or water for thirty-six hours had left them barely able to move. Raf had already pulled the car up in front of the house as planned.

Josie tried to go back in, fighting against Kaleb, but I held her back. Finally, Hope emerged from the house, grabbing a jacket off one of the guys, still hobbling from the leg wound. She leapt into the car, and we sped off toward the hotel.

⸻

Hope's POV

I shifted back into human form as we drove. My leg still throbbed where the man had stabbed me, but it was healing. I tugged the jacket tight and finally exhaled. Josie immediately wrapped herself around me, sobbing into my neck. I held her, letting her cry, letting her know she was safe.

We stayed quiet the whole ride. None of us wanted to speak, not yet. My focus was on getting them out of there and home, far from where the Peryton could reform.

Back at the hotel, I grabbed Josie's arm as we headed upstairs. She followed me closely into the bathroom while I changed, slipping on her hoodie afterward. I bit my hand and filled a cup with blood to heal her bruises and scratches.

"Hey, Jo, I missed you," she said, standing and placing her hands on my neck, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw before resting her head against me.

"I missed you too," I whispered, handing her the cup. She drank carefully, and I watched her, relief washing through me. A moment of calm before we had to move again.

"Come on, Jo. We need to go," I murmured. She took my hand without protest, and we headed toward the car. I gave Lizzie the rest of the blood to heal her minor cuts.

Sitting in the car, Josie immediately curled against me, headphones on to fight car sickness. Her grip on my arm tightened as she fell asleep. I glanced at Lizzie in the middle row beside us, her posture stiff and her eyes downcast.

"What happened while I was gone?" I asked gently.

Lizzie exhaled and glanced briefly at me. "They didn't like how long it took. They thought if you could feel what we went through, you would move faster. But you didn't. They said Jo smelled like you. They think you and she have some kind of connection. Something about shared feelings and being able to communicate in your heads. I don't know. It was bad."

I blinked, unsure what to say. Lizzie sighed. "I'm sorry for being difficult. I'm not great with change. But you are good for her. Thank you. You were the only reason we didn't give up."

She leaned back against the window and closed her eyes, finally resting.

The drive was quiet, the kind of quiet that settles into your bones. Dr. Saltzman glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Want to tell me about you and my daughter?" he asked with a small smile.

I shrugged, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. "We really like each other. I asked her a couple of days ago."

He nodded knowingly. "I figured. She nearly fell apart when you didn't show fast enough."

We drove the rest of the way back in silence. "You make her happy, Hope," Dr. Saltzman said after a pause. "And you protect her. I just thank you."

"Always, Dr. Saltzman," I murmured.

⸻

Back at the School

It was around 4 a.m. I carried Josie to my room. She was still asleep, her body light and exhausted. Lizzie followed behind, quiet and wary.

"You can sleep in the spare bed, Lizzie," I said gently. "I know you don't want to leave her side."

"Thanks, Hope," she replied softly, easing onto the mattress.

I pulled back the covers around Josie. She subconsciously curled against me, arm tight around my stomach.

I turned off the bedside lamp and sank into bed, letting the quiet wash over me. For the first time in hours, maybe days, I felt safe. My girl was home.