Page 83 of Owning His Mate

She lets me lay her down and cover her up, which tells me how tired she is. I climb in beside her, holding her to me.

“Kye?”

“Yeah?”

“Whatever happens, I want you to know that these weeks with you have been the happiest of my life.”

A lump clogs my throat as the bond flares between us. “For me as well.” I kiss her temple. “Sleep.”

After a while, Apryle succumbs to her exhaustion, closing her eyes, her mouth slackening as her breathing evens out. I know I should sleep too, but I can’t. I am too wired, too desperate to protect the two people who mean everything to me.

So I lie there for hours, watching the steady rise and fall of Apryle’s chest.

I never thought I would have a family again, but this right here brings me a peace I never expected to experience. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know I will die to defend what I have at this moment.

As the sun peeks through the curtains, my eyes are gritty and tired. I rub at them, feeling groggy from the lack of sleep, but Apryle didn’t dream again, and that is all I care about.

Apryle stirs, bringing me out of my thoughts. I watch as her eyes flutter open and awareness throbs through our bond. The comfort I get from her presence inside my mind somewhat soothes me and my wolf, but he is just as on edge as I am. We both know things are going to come to a head, and when they do, we must be prepared.

Apryle’s smile as she takes me in is divine. She seems so fragile like this, even though she is the strongest person I have ever met. The resilience of my mate surprises me at every turn, and I admire that most about her.

“Morning,” I say quietly.

“Morning.”

“You slept better,” I remark, earning me a flick of her brow.

“You don’t look like you slept at all.”

There is no way in hell I could have laid down and gone to sleep, knowing there was a chance she could get dragged into another dream.

“I’m fine.” The skeptical raising of her brow tells me she doesn’t believe me.

“You need to sleep, Kye. You can’t run on fumes.”

I can’t, but sleeping is out of the question. “I love you for caring about me,” I tell her, trailing my fingers over her soft cheeks.

I love how she leans into my touch, and desire flares inside my belly.

“I’ll always care about you. You’re mine.”

The possessive way she says this has my wolf howling his approval. I want to own her, just as much as she owns me. “As long as you know you’re mine too.”

She presses a kiss to my mouth, and instantly my body relaxes in a way only she can make happen. I mirror her movements, my tongue seeking hers as I slide inside her mouth.

“Forever,” I promise.

I’m about to kiss her again when a sound catches my ears. I turn my head in the direction it’s coming from, trying to pinpoint what I’m hearing.

Archie.

I go to the door, grabbing a tee as I do and pulling it over my head. As I pull it open, he’s coming up the stairs. The only reason I’m not throwing him out of the house is that I know he wouldn’t barge in here unless it were serious.

“What’s going on?” I demand, my body wired.

I sense Apryle behind me, and even though I know Archie is no threat to her, I place myself in front of her.

“One of your old friends is here.” He says this to Apryle, and I glance over my shoulder at her.

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