Page 36 of The Kill

Threats apparently have no meaning for Seth as he lifts one narrow shoulder and drops it again, pursing his lips in contemplation.

“All the more reason I should go.”

His logic is faultless so I need to take a different tactic.

“What about me though? I can’t go. If you leave, too, I’ll be unprotected.” Playing the damsel in distress card, laying on the guilt like only a mother can, I wait to see if it has the desired effects.

“Lucian will be here,” he replies quickly, but when I look at him dubiously, he twists his mouth in irritation. “But he’s just a vampire. A wolf will get past him no problem.” Nodding, I agree with his assessment. “You need another wolf here.”

“I think I do.”

Reluctantly, he tips his head. “Fine. I’ll stay. If you promise you will, too.”

Clever boy. Seth scooches forward until his soft brown eyes peer up at me from only a couple of feet away.

“I can tell you like him. You’re only pretending that you’re not sure, and that you’re upset he’s doing all this, but deep down you know. Why not just admit it now before he leaves?”

Why not, indeed.

Because I’m mad at him for making plans without me? Because I’m afraid that in trying to save us he’ll ruin my life all over again – by dying? Much as I loathe to admit it, Seth’s right.

“Seth, can you leave me to think for a while?” I ask quietly, and he nods, shifting back to a lithe wolf without another word and slipping from the room.

In the peaceful silence of the library, I let my mind drift to thoughts of what I’d like my future to look like. I’m afraid to imagine Tyson in it. For so long, it’s just been Noah and me. He’s growing up so fast. It won’t be long until he’s off living his own life, heading off to alpha school under Blake’s patronage.

If I’m honest, in every vision, I see Tyson. He’s my mate after all. Living life without him already seems inconceivable; but, he’s a vampire now, too. Would we still have been fated for each other if we’d met after he was turned?

Maybe it doesn’t really matter.

The fates have decided he’s the one for me, and it feels like they got it right.

Maybe without constantly having to worry about being found, I could be happy.

For the first time in years, I’m still alone but with friends I can rely on. Max, Matt, and Raiden are taking care of Noah. Tyson’s right; he’s safe with them. If a vampire, a bear-wolf shifter, and a witch can’t protect him, neither can I; we’d be done for no matter what we do.

And Tyson?

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’d give his life for mine. And by going to this meeting, that might be exactly what he’s doing.

In the early hours, I creep up to bed without having seen Tyson for the rest of the day. But later that night, as has become his routine, Tyson stops by my door on his way down the hall. This time, I could swear he leans his forehead against my door. With something that sounds like a muttered apology and a deep breath, he moves away, his usually confident stride sounding weary.

That’s no way to go into battle, because that’s what this will be.

Slipping under the covers as dusk settles over the gnarled and twisted trees outside, my mind drifts back to Seth’s warning. If Tyson goes to face a pack of wolves and never comes back, is this the way I want to leave things? Absolutely not. Tomorrow, I need to make sure he drank enough blood.

Sighing, I twist and turn, the sheets tangling around my waist and between my legs as I drift fitfully in and out of sleep. Every time I close my eyes, I dream of how he pinned me down, except, in my visions, he doesn’t let me go. The slight scrape of his teeth along my neck and the thought of his thick cock rubbing against my clit have me practically purring as I dip my hand between my thighs, trying to relieve the ache there.

It’s getting too hard to be close to him and not act on these desires. I want him to feed again, but more than that, I want to experience all of him.

Maybe I just need to stop fighting fate.

A sense of calm washes over me as I let that thought sink in. Give myself to him. Let him claim me. Let him show me how good being mated to a man like him could be. Let him mark me and feed before he goes off to exact revenge on my behalf and rid us of the death sentence that’s been hanging over our heads.

If he’s willing to die for me, it seems like the least I could do. The fact that I’m desperate for the pleasure I know he’ll give me is just a nice perk.

In the morning, I’ll find Tyson and speak to him, tell him how much I want this to work – but that’s not going to happen if he’s dead. We need help. We can draft some reinforcements from the Steel pack, the council, whomever. I can convince him to wait until he has back-up to face Lee’s dad.

With a smile on my face, I snuggle down into my pillow and melt into the plush mattress underneath me. The stress I’ve been holding onto floats away, and my eyes fall closed.

---