Page 55 of The Married Alpha And His Arrow: Vol 1

No matter what his instincts were telling him and despite what he wanted, Chase was putting me first here. I knew it was hard for werewolves to be away from their mates. Chase had given me guards and had stayed at a distance. Now, he was pushing his wolf and himself back from marking when I told him to make me his. Chase respected me.

All those thoughts fell away when he entered me. I couldn’t control myself, and we went on for hours. Ted was NOT joking about werewolves' stamina. I even understood Haley and Eric fucking like bunnies. I’d climb Chase every five seconds if I could. I actually did. I was going to have to fix my room when we were done. Hell, I’d happily set up an account at a furniture store to experience this again and again.

We fell apart around two in the morning. Chase took us into the bathroom, and if I wasn’t so tired I’d have laughed at the triumphant look on his face that he’d picked the right door and ended up in my bathroom. I couldn’t help myself when I saw his backside. I needed to bite his ass, and I wanted to taste him.

After we each went down on each other again Chase turned off the shower. He grabbed a towel and dried off every inch of me with such care. He quickly dried off himself then picked me up and put me in bed. I could tell by the look on his face he was about to tell me about his situation.

A small part of me was surprised at my immediate reaction. I could feel it with my entire being. I didn’t want to know. I didn’t want this bubble of ours to break. I knew Haley thought of him as a good man. She said the situation wasn’t his fault anymore. That he’d made a mistake and he was trying to fix it. The respect he’d already shown me told me he was a good man. I had my own issues going on.

I might test out this whole telling Heath as my brother and not the Hood thing. Only because after thinking about it, Heath was right. I’d put up walls between us. I didn’t want him to feel that way. He was my brother and I loved him.

I knew Chase was surprised that I didn’t want him to tell me what was going on. I explained it the best I could. I could see the hesitation in his eyes. He agreed though, and I couldn’t stop my smile. Chase was again letting what I wanted to override his best judgement. I guess the War Goddess actually knew what she was doing giving Chase to me as my string. The terrifying part was I knew for a fact he could break my heart over and over; he could shatter it to a million pieces, but I could never hate him. My last thought after I kissed Chase good night was that Sally Quaid was the strongest woman alive.

*Dream/flashback Lexi is eight years old*

My dad sent me to my room after I’d open the front door. I heard arguing downstairs. Daddy sounded angry and Mommy was crying her heart out. I got out of bed and tiptoed to Heath’s room. I quickly opened his door and went over to his bed.

I sighed when I remembered Heath was at a sleepover at Noah’s house. I hid under his bed when I heard things breaking downstairs. I heard another voice yelling. I couldn’t make out what they were saying because I’d covered my ears and eventually I fell asleep under my brother's bed.

I woke with a start and hit my head on the board runners under Heath’s bed. I slowly remembered why I was in Heath’s room in the first place. I crawled out from under the bed. It wasn’t time for me to be up yet, and I wasn’t supposed to go downstairs. It was a rule, but I was really hungry.

I tiptoed back to the stairs. I avoided all the creaks in the floorboards along the way. This was not my first early morning snack run. Normally Heath would come with me; it was our little secret. I knew if he was here, he’d have been right beside me. I reached the bottom of the stairs. It was still dark, but I knew my way around.

I ran into something and tripped, falling to the ground. I put my arms out to catch myself. I couldn’t stop my scream as I felt my arm break. My hand had slipped when I hit something wet. Nothing happened when I screamed. No one came to help me. Did Mommy and Daddy not hear me?

I laid there sticky and whimpering. I finally managed to get up to go over to the light. I flipped the switch. When I turned around to see what I’d tripped over and screamed bloody murder. I had tripped over my dad. His face had been beaten badly, but I knew it was him. All his tattoos were there.

I ran to him screaming, “Daddy! Daddy, wake up!” I shook him but nothing happened. I screamed, “MOMMY! MOMMY WHERE ARE YOU?!” I saw lights flipping on in the other houses around outside. I’d woken up our neighbors, but I didn’t care.

I saw my mother’s shoe peeking out from around the couch in our living room. I ran over and screamed again, “MOMMY! MOMMY, WAKE UP! DADDY NEEDS HELP!” I came around the couch and I invented an octave with my next scream.

My mother’s throat was slit from ear to ear. I ran and grabbed a dish towel from the kitchen. I ignored the pounding on the door and the screams for me to open up were blurs to me. I couldn’t open the door right now. Mommy needed help.

I ran back and held the towel on my mom’s wound. I ignored the pain in my arm, it was going numb anyway. I cried, “Mommy please! Mommy don’t leave me! HELP ME! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE! HEATH! HEATH! HELP ME!”

I heard the door being broken down. I heard strangled sobs, saying my mother’s name. “Allison. Oh, Allison.” It was Noah’s mom, Denise. I heard Noah’s dad, Edgar, say my dad's name, “James? Oh GOD! JAMES! WE NEED THE HEALER! GET THEM HERE NOW!”

I heard my brother yelling, “LET ME GO! SHE CALLED FOR ME! LEXI IS IN THERE! GET OFF OF ME!” I heard a punch and then my brother barreled inside. I heard what must have been him hitting his knees.

Denise touched my shoulder, “Lexi, give me the towel.” I shook my head, tears pouring down my face, “No…. no… mommy always says you have to keep pressure on wounds. I have to keep the pressure on it.” Denise cried, “Sweetie, she’s gone.” I shook my head, “No…. NO! I just have to keep pressure on it. I’m sorry mommy! I shouldn’t have come down for a snack. I’ll be good! Just don’t go mommy!”

Denise was sobbing, “Sweetie, this isn’t your fault. We will find who did this. Lexi, the healers are here. Let them look at your mom.” I shook my head. They would be like her. They would give up. They wouldn’t keep the pressure on the wound.

I felt Heath’s hand on my back, “Lexi, I need you to come with me.” I shook my head, “No, I’m not going. They won’t keep the pressure on the wound. Mommy says you have to keep pressure on cuts.” Heath whispered, “Lex, please.” I cried, “I’m going to wake up. I want to wake up! Mommy will fix me breakfast and Daddy will tease me and call me his little girl with an appetite of a herd of lions.”

Our healer said, “You have a bump on your head. Can I look at it, please? Your arm is broken, and we need to set it.” I yelled, “NO! You have to help Mommy and Daddy!” I felt a prick in my arm, and then I was weightless.

My eyes snapped open. Heath was sitting by my side. I was in the hospital in our Shroud. I looked around asking, “Where’s mom and dad? What happened? Why am I here?” I reached up and rubbed my head. It hurt. I looked down at the cast on my arm. When did I break my arm?

Heath cautiously asked, “Lex, what do you remember?” I frowned, “Remember about….” I trailed off. Tears formed in my eyes. I looked at Heath, “Don’t say they are gone, Heath please. Don’t say they are gone.” Heath rubbed my arm, “It’s just us now, Lex.” Heath held onto me as I cried my heart out.

Edgar spoke, “Lexi, we need to know what happened. What do you know?” I replied, “I don’t…” Denise interrupted, “It’s alright. Just tell us what happened after Heath left for our house.” I rubbed my head, “We ate dinner. I was about to pick out a movie when the doorbell rang. I ran to answer it, but daddy put me behind him when I opened it. He told me to go upstairs.”

Edgar asked, “Who was at the door?” I closed my eyes. I saw a Hooded figure, but I couldn’t make out his face. I looked up startled, “I don't know, I can’t remember.” Denise spoke harshly, “That’s enough, Edgar. She said she can’t remember.” Edgar sighed, “Do you remember anything else? What happened to your head?”

Tears filled my eyes. Heath shouted, “Get out! You’re upsetting her!” I cried, “I should’ve helped them! I’m so sorry, Heath.” Heath grabbed me, “You couldn’t have done anything.” I cried, “I snuck into your room because they were yelling. I forgot you weren’t there. Everyone was so mad. I heard things breaking so I hid under your bed, and I fell asleep. I forgot where I was when I woke up and hit my head when I tried to sit up. I wasn’t supposed to get up for a snack, but I was really hungry.”

Denise cooed, “Oh, sweetie.” I looked at Heath, “I tripped over dad, that’s how I broke my arm. I tried to help them; I really did. I kept pressure on Mommy’s cut. I did!” Heath was crying, “I know you did, Lex. It’s not your fault.” I cried as Heath hugged me.

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