Chapter 501: Time to go

Viola turned to the she-wolf. "You’re leaving Silver? What... about Gilbert?" She asked, having hoped the two of them would end up together.

Laila frowned, a small glare flashing in her eyes. "What about him? There’s nothing between us, and now that my uncle isn’t trying to control my life anymore, I can go back to flying."

It was already becoming obvious to Laila that she wasn’t meant to end up with just one man, and she had started to accept that reality. She had resolved to live with it and carry on with her life as she had been doing in the past, convincing herself that she was simply too good for one man. It was a belief she had planted firmly in her heart to help her cope with the constant rejections she had faced, starting with her uncle.

"You two still haven’t talked?" Viola questioned, since from everything she’d observed of the doctor, it certainly seemed like he wanted Laila.

"There’s nothing to talk about, since he doesn’t want me, and I don’t chase after people who don’t want me. Let’s not keep the men waiting any longer."

Soon they finished up and made their way downstairs to where the men were ready and waiting, though only Gilbert and Kenny were actually in the living room, since Sebastian was still busy in the kitchen making a racket opening and closing cabinets.

Before Viola could even wonder what he was up to, her husband walked over to her with a bowl of prepared oatmeal and fruit, took her hand, pulled her down to sit on the couch, and scooped up a spoonful, blowing on it before bringing it to her mouth.

"You are not skipping lunch and dinner entirely. Eat this before we leave. Once we’re back, we’re all having a feast, but for now you’re eating for two and I don’t want the baby wearing you out. There you go, open up," he coaxed, and Viola had no choice but to part her lips and take the spoonful.

As she swallowed and he brought another spoonful to her mouth, she looked into his caring eyes and felt that she couldn’t wait to have that vacation with him, where she knew both their minds would be at ease and their only worry would be the little one in her womb. She took the oats, chewing and swallowing as she watched him, his face still carrying the haggard exhaustion of the past few days.

Ruling a pack this big while dealing with enemies lurking in the shadows was the kind of trouble she hadn’t realized could drain a person so completely. She couldn’t help but realize how much of their lives had been consumed by chaos. They both needed a very long break after this, she thought to herself.

When Viola emptied the bowl, he reached out and caressed her cheek, his thumb running along the side of her lip as he whispered, "Try not to get hurt, okay?"

Viola nodded. "I won’t. And don’t get hurt either, or get shot. I can’t cure you of that bullet anymore..." That was her biggest fear, for Nick was the mastermind behind the creation of those deadly bullets, and she was the only one who could remove them, but she had lost that ability now. It had been at the back of her mind this whole time, and saying it out loud only made the worry feel more real.

"That’s why we have the plan," he assured her, but his words didn’t ease her worry, and she pursed her lips. "Even so..."

"I will be careful, my darling. Let’s go." He interlocked their fingers and stood up, pulling her up from the couch as everyone began to grab their weapons from the large box in the middle of the living room.

Sebastian handed his wife one of the snipers along with a pack of bullets. "Don’t be tempted to shift into your wolf form, as we can’t reveal our scent to them." He tucked two daggers into the belt of her suit, making sure she had everything she needed before his expression softened. "Keep the daggers just in case. I love you," he whispered, bending down to kiss her forehead, his lips lingering there.

Viola closed her eyes, feeling his lips against her forehead and feeling loved as she whispered back, "I love you too."

While Sebastian and Viola remained wrapped up in their moment, everyone else continued preparing for the battle, with Ken fastening his mate’s bullet belt. Gilbert and Laila, however, stood awkwardly beside each other, neither seeming to know what to do. When Gilbert finally made a move as though he was about to help her with her weapons, Laila shot him a dark glare.

"Don’t even think about it."

The doctor cleared his throat and pretended he was reaching for extra bullets as he said, "I wasn’t about to touch you. Just reaching for more bullets." He lied through his teeth. It was time he courted his mate, but by the Moon, he had no idea how to court a bold she-wolf like Laila who had already put him on her list of discarded males and wanted nothing to do with him, for he had been a spinless person, afraid to lose his family.

Gilbert watched her fasten everything herself while the other males had done it for their women, and he looked away, tucking more bullets into his bag, just in case she would need it there.

Laila turned to look at him from the corner of her eye, noticing how he kept carrying too much and how the weapon belt around his waist wasn’t fastened properly. She reached out and fastened it behind him properly to hold the weapons he carried before he got himself killed.

Did the doctor even know how to fight? She wondered as he jerked at her touch, and she told him to stay still. She’d never seen him fight before. Though he had the body for it and looked like he could strangle a person with just one hand, she hadn’t seen him in action. She wondered if they should ditch him before he killed himself and put her through grief because of their bond.

"Shouldn’t you be treating patients rather than going into a pack battle, Rodrigo?" Laila asked, and the doc laughed throaty at her words, turning his broad shoulder to look at her.

"Is that worry I hear, Serrano? Are you worried about me?" he teased, the thought that she was worried about him delighting and making his wolf waggle his tail.

Laila let go of his belt, rolling her eyes. "You wish. I don’t want your inexperience to slow us down."

She didn’t even know why she was worrying about the idiot. He would do just fine with all those bullets he had packed, as though he were going out to fight the Supernatural World War.

"Time to go!" came Sebastian’s words, holding his wife’s gun in one hand and her hand in the other as they all began to leave the penthouse to meet with the others outside.