His words should terrify them. The last thing they want to consider is their beloved Alpha—and he is beloved, that brief moment of doubt be damned—with someone else's blood on his hands. Especially for their sake. Taking a life for any reason should be reprehensible, unforgivable.

But Miles hurt them first. Miles threatened the safety of their pack, their family, their baby. Miles almost killed Benji. There's no part of them that aches at the thought of Miles meeting his end at Corrigan's hand.

"Th-Thank you," they whimper into his neck, curling up in Alpha's strong arms, letting him carry them back to the cabin. Letting him protect them. Nowhere feels safe right now, not the woods, not even the cabin, nowhere except Corrigan's embrace. Nothing can ever hurt them here. They know that as long as he's near, they'll be safe.

Which just makes the fact that they ever doubted him hurt even more. If Miles could poison their mind so quickly, make them even consider turning on their Alpha and leaving the pack with just a few well-placed words, what else could he be capable of? How many could he manipulate to do his bidding? Has he been to the village? Has he asked around about them? Has he spoken to their father..?

"I'm so sorry, C-Corrigan..." Kurt's arms loop around his neck, holding on tightly. "I-If the pack is at risk b-because of me, I..."