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A collective gasp rippled through the room.
“What’s the catch?” I snarled.
“No catch. The best form of protection is for you to be ready and able to defend yourself. That’s where Carbon comes in.”
Holding my eyes, Bulletproof tilted his head asking for permission to approach the arsenal. I nodded warily, bracing myself for a potential attack. He picked up one of the knives by the leather wrapped handle.
Still holding my gaze, the VP placed the exposed blade into the flesh of his palm then wrapped his fist purposefully around the metal.
Snarls of concern immediately erupted from Whiskey and Buzz. They exploded into the room but Silver held up his hand and they stopped on the threshold, bodies shaking with the need to get to their mate.
Slowly, my eyes slid from the VP’s calm gaze to his fist, clenched around the weapon.
It sizzled as smoke began to seep from his skin and the stench of burning flesh filled the room. First his fist, then his arm, then his whole body began to tremble with the effort of holding onto the weapon.
What the fuck was he waiting for?
My eyes flew back to meet his own.
Sweat gathered on his brow as Bulletproof arched an eyebrow. Once again, the crazy bastard was asking for my permission. The man had to be in excruciating pain but all I could see on his face was stoic determination as he waited for the truth to drill home.
I was suddenly struck with the knowledge that Bulletproof would bear this burden and far more, if it meant my people felt safe in his presence.
“Drop it,” I commanded, voice thick with concern for this wolf. One who had willingly mutilated himself just to make a point. And what did it say about me that such a gruesome demonstration worked?
With a small sigh, he turned his palm over and let the blade fall to the ground. For an awful moment it hung suspended in the air—greedily suckled up to his burned flesh—before it fell to the floor with a clatter.
The group behind me bristled, pushing forward to rush the weapons, but I held up a hand and they froze. “Youngest first.”
Though his eyes were glazed with pain, Bulletproof nodded his approval. With a grumble, Whiskey and Buzz returned to their post outside the door, their bodies calm now that their mate wasn’t threatened.
It didn’t take long for the precious cachet to be distributed.
My charges approached thoughtfully, picking one or two pieces and either tucking them straight into their clothing or scampering away to hide them for safekeeping. Viola picked carefully from the remaining items and I did the same. Pleased to find a serrated monster with a holster to wrap around my waist, I then chose a couple of smaller ones to compliment the main deterrent.
For that was all the weapons were. A deterrent. However, the VP was right. I could feel the change in the room. For the first time in a long, long while, my people had been given a sliver of a chance. And for that, I owed him.
“Thank you.”
He offered me a sardonic wave and left, hopefully to tend his wound.
“I’m pretty sure you wolves are bat shit crazy,” I grumbled, eyeing the now grinning Silver like he’d grown two heads.
He kicked off the wall and stalked slowly toward me. His wolf riding his every move and causing heat to pool deep in my belly as his eyes blazed with dark admiration.
“Takes crazy to know crazy, Sasha,” he purred. “Weapons look good on you, kitten. If you decide to stick it to Grimm, just make sure you holler first so I can watch.”
“Don’t like your alpha much?” I chuckled. The dry sound was cut off by a hitch of breath as the wolf reached up and fiddled with a lock of hair hanging down the side of my face.
“Oh, no. Grimm’s one of my best friends,” Silver smirked, eyes flashing with mischief. “That’s why it’ll be fun to see you hand him his ass when you challenge him.”
“What makes you think I’ll come out on top in that sort of a challenge?” I breathed.
My heart raced at Silver’s proximity even as he filled my head with images of challenging his vicious alpha—in and out of the bedroom.
“With you, Sasha? I don’t think, I know you’ll come out on top. And then, we’ll all win.”
He stepped back, breaking the spell. His flirty look vanished as his eyes flicked to take in the occupants settling about the space. “You guys okay in here for a while? I need to check on the supplies Popcorn is rustling up for you.”
