down the hall, tohr sat in a chair across from the hospital bed wrath had been laid out in. it was probably time to go.

had been a while ago.

for god's sake, even the queen had fallen asleep next to her mate on the bed.

guess it was a good thing beth didn't mind his kibitzing. then again, they had come to an accord years ago, proving just what a godzilla marathon would do for a relationship.

over in the corner, on a huge round orvis bed the color of oatmeal, george stretched out of the curl he'd been in and glanced up at his master. getting no response, he put his head down and sighed.

"he's gonna be okay," tohr said.

the dog's ears pricked and he gave two thumps of his feathered tail.

"yup. i promise."

taking a cue from the canine, tohr repositioned himself, and then rubbed his eyes. man, he was exhausted. all he wanted to do was dog-bed it like george and sleep for a day.

the problem was, even though the drama was over, his adrenal gland still piped up every time he thought of that bullet. two inches to the right and it would have hit the jugular, turning wrath's light out for good. in fact, according to doc jane and manny, where that lead had been lodged by pure chance had been the only "safe" place - assuming the guy was with someone who could, oh, say, do a tracheotomy in a moving van with nothing but a section of hollow tubing and a black dagger.

jesus christ... what a night.

and thank the scribe virgin for that angel. without lassiter showing up to drive? he shuddered -

"waiting for godot?"

tohr's eyes snapped over to the bed. the king's lids were low but open, his mouth cracked in a half smile.

emotion came on thick and quick, flooding tohr's neurotransmitters, stealing his voice from him.

and wrath seemed to understand. opening his free hand, he beckoned, even though he couldn't lift up his arm.

tohr's feet felt sloppy as he stood up and approached the bed. as soon as he was in range, he knelt by his king and took that big palm, turned it over... and kissed the gigantic black diamond that flashed on wrath's finger.

then, like a pussy, he laid his head down on the ring, on his brother's knuckles.

all could have been lost tonight. if wrath had not lived... everything would have changed.

as the king squeezed his hand back, tohr thought about wellsie's dying, and felt nothing but fresh dread. to realize that there were as yet others to lose was not reassuring in the slightest. if anything, it made the churning, ambient anxiety in his gut swirl faster.

you'd think after his shellan's passing he'd be exempt from the grief pool.

instead, it appeared that he just had a deeper bottom to look forward to.

"thank you," wrath whispered hoarsely. "for saving my life."

tohr lifted his head and shook it. "it wasn't just me."

"it was a lot you. i owe you, brother mine."

"you'd have done the same."

that patented autocratic tone came out: "i. owe. you."

"so buy me a sam some night and we'll call it evens."

"you're saying my life is only worth six bucks?"

"you vastly underestimate how much i love a good longneck - " a big blond dog head shoved its way under his armpit. glancing down, he said, "see? i told you he'd be all right."

wrath laughed a little, then grimaced as if things hurt. "hey, big man..."

tohr moved out of the way so master and canine could reconnect... then ended up scooping the ninety-pound bale of hay-colored fur up and settling it next to the king.

wrath positively beamed as he looked back and forth between his shellan, who was asleep, and his animal, who was ready to be his nurse.

"i'm glad that's our last meeting," tohr blurted.

"yeah, i like to go out with a bang - "

"i can't let you do shit like this anymore. you realize that, don't you." tohr stared down at the king's forearms, tracing those ritualistic tattoos that spelled out his lineage. "you need to be alive at the end of every night, my lord. the rules are different for you."

"look, i've been shot at before - "

"and it's not happening again. not on my watch."

"what the hell is that supposed to mean? you going to chain me in the basement?"

"if that's what it takes."

wrath's brows dropped low, and his voice grew stronger. "you can be a real prick, you know that."

"it's not a matter of personality. and it's obvious or you wouldn't be getting your panties in a wad."

"i'm not wearing any." the king cracked another smile. "i'm naked under here."

"thanks for that picture."

"you know, technically you can't order me to do shit."

wrath was right; you didn't tell the leader of the race a good goddamn thing. but as tohr met the male's blind eyes, he wasn't talking to the ruler of them all; he was talking to his brother.

"until xcor is neutralized, we're not taking any risks with you - "

"if there's a council meeting, i'm going. period."

"there won't be. not unless we want there to be - and right now? nobody needs you anywhere but here."

"fucking hell! i'm the king - " as beth frowned in her sleep, he calmed his voice out. "can we talk about this later?"

"no reason to. we're done on the subject - and every one of the brothers is behind me on this."

tohr did not look away as he got hit with a glare that, in spite of those eyes being blind, was strong enough to burn a hole in the back of his skull.

"wrath," he said roughly, "look at what's next to you. do you want to leave her on her own? you want her to have to mourn you? fuck all of us - what about your beth?"

it was a low-down dirty to play the shellan card, but any weapon in a fight....

wrath cursed and closed his eyes.

and tohr knew he'd won when the male turned his face into beth's hair and breathed in deeply, as if he were smelling her shampoo.

"are we in accord," tohr demanded.

"fuck you," the king murmured against his beloved.

"good, i'm glad that's settled."

after a moment, wrath looked over again. "did they get the bullet out of my neck?"

"they did. all we need is the rifle that goes with it." tohr gave george's boxy head a stroking. "and it's got to be the band of bastards' - xcor's the only one who would try something like that."

"we need to find where they live."

"they're cagey. smart. it's going to take a miracle."

"then start praying, my brother. start praying."

tohr replayed the attack in his mind yet again. the brazenness was off the chain - and suggested xcor was capable of just about anything.

"i'm going to kill him," he said in a low voice.

"xcor?" when he nodded, wrath said, "i think you're going to have to get in line for the job - assuming we can tie him to the shooter. the good news is that as head of the b.o.b., he can be held accountable for his fighters' actions - so as long as one of his soldiers was at the trigger of that rifle, we can nail him."

as tohr thought shit over, that grinding in his gut tightened to an unbearable level. "you said you owed me a favor - well, this is what i want. i want xcor's death to be at my hands and no one else's."

"tohr..." when he just stared straight ahead, wrath shrugged. "i can't give him to you until we have proof."

"but you can stipulate that if he is responsible, he's mine."

"fine. he's all yours - if we have proof."

tohr thought about the expressions on the faces of the brothers out in the hall. "you need to make it official."

"oh, come on, if i say - "

"you know what they're like. any one of them crosses paths with that shithead and they'll peel him like a grape. right now that male's got more targets on the back of his ass than a shooting range. besides, a proclamation won't take long."

wrath's lids closed briefly. "okay, okay... stop arguing the point and go get a witness."

tohr went over and stuck his head out of the room - and as luck would have it, the first person he saw... was john matthew.

the kid was parked by the recovery room across the way, butt on the floor next to a worried blaylock, hands on his head like there was a fire alarm going off in his skull.

except he snapped right to and signed, is wrath still all right?

"yeah." tohr glanced down the corridor as blay murmured a prayer of thanks. "he's going to be fine."

you looking for someone?

"i need a witness - "

i'll do it.

tohr shot up his brows. "okay. thanks."

as john matthew got to his feet, a loud crack sounded out, like his back was playing diy chiropractor. and when he limped over, tohr realized the kid had been injured.

"you have doc jane take a look at that?"

john bent down and lifted the pant leg of the scrubs he had on. his calf was wrapped in white gauze.

"bullet or blade?" tohr asked.

bullet. and yes, they kept it as well.

"good. how'd you fare, blay?"

"just a surface wound on my arm."

that it? tohr thought. because the fucker looked a little hollow - then again, it had been a long night and day for everyone.

"i'm glad, son. we'll be right back."

"i'm not going anywhere."

as john came over to the wide-open door, tohr stepped aside, and then followed him in.

"how you doing, son?" wrath asked as the kid approached him and bent down to kiss his ring.

as john signed, tohr translated, "he says just fine. he says... if it would not offend, he has something he and blay need you to know?"

"yeah, sure. g'head."

"he says... he was with... qhuinn at the house... after you were shot, before the brotherhood arrived.... qhuinn went out alone.... ah, blay spoke with the guy a little while ago. blay said that... qhuinn told him he'd engaged with... xcor... so that - wait, john, slow down. thanks... okay, engaged with xcor... so that you could get free in the van - "

beth stirred, her eyes opening, her brows tightening as if she were catching the drift of the conversation.

"are you serious?" the king blurted.

"he took on... xcor... one-on-one - " holy shit, tohr thought. he'd heard the kid had gone out there, but that was it.

wrath whistled under his breath. "that's a male of worth, right there."

"wait, john, let me catch up. one-on-one... so that xcor, who was waiting to attack the van, was neutralized.... he - john, that is - wants to know if there is some kind of official recognition that... you can give qhuinn? something to recognize... his above-and-beyond... service? and p.s.," tohr spoke for himself, "me, personally? i'm so on board with that."

wrath stayed quiet for a moment. "i'm sorry, let me get this straight. qhuinn went out after the brothers arrived, right?"

tohr got back with the translating. "john says no. it was on his own, unguarded, unprotected before they came. qhuinn said... he had to do what he could to make sure you were okay."

"that dumb-ass idiot."

"hero is more like it," beth said abruptly.

"leelan, you wake." wrath became instantly focused on his mate. "i didn't want to disturb you."

"believe me, just hearing your voice is heaven... you can wake me up with it anytime." she kissed his mouth softly. "welcome back."

both tohr and john got busy looking at the floor as tender words were exchanged.

then the king came back online. "qhuinn shouldn't have done that."

"i agree," tohr muttered.

the king focused on john. "yeah, all right. we'll do something for him. i don't know what... but that kind of shit is epic. stupid, but epic."

"why don't you make him a brother," beth interjected.

in the silence that followed, wrath's mouth dropped open, and it was a join-the-club reaction - tohr's jaw did likewise, and so did john's.

"what?" the queen said. "doesn't he deserve it? hasn't he always been there for everyone? and he's lost all his family - yes, he lives here, but sometimes i get the impression that he feels like he doesn't belong. what better way of thanking him and telling him he does? i know no one doubts his strength in the field."

wrath cleared his throat. "well, according to the old laws - "

"fuck the old laws. you're the king - you can do anything you want."

more pin-drop silence swept in, clearing out even the sounds of the hvac system blowing warm air through the ceiling vents.

"what do you think, tohr?" the king asked.

as tohr glanced at john, he was struck by how much he wanted to bestow the honor on the closest thing to a son he had. but qhuinn was the one they were talking about.

"i think... yeah, i think it could be a good idea," he heard himself say. "qhuinn should be claimed, and the brothers respect him - shit, tonight isn't the only time he's shined. he's a stellar fighter, but more than that, he's calmed down tremendously in the last year. so, yeah, i think he could handle the responsibility now, which is not something i might have said at any other time."

"okay, i'll consider it, leelan. it's a wonderful suggestion." the king glanced back at tohr. "now, about that favor. approach me, brother mine, and render thy form unto your knees - we have two witnesses now, which is even better."

as tohr complied and grasped the royal hand, wrath proclaimed in the old language, "tohrment, son of hharm, are you prepared to have proscribed unto you, and you alone, the death of xcor, son of an unknown sire, said demise to occur by your hands and your hands only in retaliation for a mortal affront against me this previous night - if said affront can be proven to be due to xcor's direct or indirect order?"

placing his free hand over his beating heart, he said gravely, "i am so prepared, my lord."

wrath looked at his mate. "elizabeth, blooded daughter of the black dagger brother darius, mated of myself, your king,

do you hereby agree to witness my grant should i deign to bequeath it on this matter to this male, carrying forth the representation of this moment unto all others, placing also your mark upon parchment to commemorate this proclamation?" when she answered affirmatively, he regarded john. "tehrror, blooded son of the black dagger brother darius, also known by the names john and matthew, do you hereby agree to witness my grant should i deign to bequeath it on this matter to this male, carrying forth the representation of this moment unto all others, placing also your mark upon parchment to commemorate this proclamation?"

tohr translated from asl. "yes, my lord, he does."

"then by the power held sure and true by myself through mine father, i hereby command you, tohrment, son of hharm, to go forth and perform the now royal duty of retribution on my behalf - if it is so supported by requisite proof - returning in future with the body of xcor, son of an unknown sire, unto me as a service to your king and your race. your pledge is a credit to your bloodline, past, present, and future."

once more, tohrment bent to the ring that had been worn by generations of wrath's lineage. "i am, in this and all things, yours to command, my heart and body seeking only to obey your sole authority."

when he lifted his eyes, wrath was smiling. "i know you'll bring that bastard home."

"you got it, my lord."

"now get the fuck out of here. the three of us need some goddamn sleep."

various good-byes were exchanged, and then tohr and john were out in the corridor in an awkward silence. blay had since fallen asleep outside that other recovery room, but he wasn't resting - there was a deep frown on his face, like he was brooding even in the midst of his rem.

a tap on his forearm had tohr focusing on john.

thank you, the kid signed.

"for what?"

supporting qhuinn.

tohr shrugged. "only makes sense. shit, the number of times that guy's thrown himself into battle with all guns blazing? he deserves it - and that brotherhood nomination stuff shouldn't be about bloodline, but merit."

do you think wrath will do it?

"i don't know - it's complicated. lot of history to deal with - the old laws would have to be reworded. i'm sure the king will do something for him - "

down the corridor, no'one stepped out of a doorway, as if she had been drawn by the sound of his voice.

the instant he saw her, he lost his train of thought, everything he had locking on her robed figure. fucking hell... he was too raw to be around her, too hungry for life-affirming contact, too disinclined to make good decisions.

god help them both, but if he walked down to her, he was going to take her.

out of the corner of his eye, he saw that john was signing something.

it took every ounce of self-control to force his head toward the kid.

she was so worried about you. she's been waiting out here with us - she thought you had been injured.

"oh... well, shit."

she loves you.

okay, well, didn't that make him want to crap in his pants. "nah, she's just... you know, a compassionate person."

john cleared his throat, even though his hands were doing the talking. i guess i didn't know that you guys were this serious.

thinking of how upset the kid had been, tohr waved away the comment. "no, i mean, it's no big deal. honest. i know who i love - and who i belong with."

except that brush-off didn't feel right, not on his tongue, not to his ears... not to the center of his chest.

i'm sorry about... you know, losing it before, john signed. it's just... wellsie's the only mother i had, and... i don't know. the idea of you with someone else makes me want to throw up - even though that's not fair.

tohr shook his head and dropped his voice. "don't you ever apologize for caring about our female. and as for the love thing, i gotta say it again. in spite of what it looks like from the outside, i will love one and only one female for the rest of my life. no matter what i do, who i'm with, or how things appear, you can take that shit to the bank, son. we clear?"

john's rough embrace was difficult to bear - because letting down the kid had been a killer, and it was tough not to worry about doing it again in some way.

it was also hard because tohr's convictions were heartfelt and honest... as well as wellsie's doom. weren't they.

god, was he ever going to find a way out of this mess?

as that panicky thought occurred to him, he shifted his eyes and looked down the way to no'one's slight, still form.

behind her, lassiter stepped out and just stared back at him, the disappointment in the guy's face so apparent, it was clear he'd somehow heard what had been said.

maybe all of it.