Page 200 of The Delta's Rogue
“No.” Wesley shakes his head. “Thank you, but no,” he repeats. “If something happens to me…” He clears his throat, and his eyes follow that same trail once more before landing on Benjamin again. “If something happens to me, I need you to help teach my son how to be an alpha.”
Benjamin’s blue eyes widen and flick towards Sebastian and me. “But—”
“Sebastian will be far away. My dad is taking a position on the royal council, so his time will be split between Hawaii and Crescent Lake. I need someonehere, someone who knows our area and our lands, so my son can stay in Crescent Lake. There’s no one better I could think to ask.”
Benjamin exhales. “I don’t think it will come to that.”
“But if it does—”
“Then you have my word.”
Wesley claps him on the shoulder, then turns and strides away from us and towards the packhouse. Benjamin turns in the opposite direction, jogging towards his jeep so he can head back to Amber Forest.
Which leaves Sebastian and me alone.
As soon as Benjamin’s vehicle is out of sight, Sebastian tugs me against him. His hand wraps around my neck like a temporary choker. I expose my throat to him, submitting to him with the same ease I did all those years ago, before he knew who I truly was and what we were to each other. A satisfied growl of approval vibrates in his chest, and he lowers his lips to the mark he placed on my neck last night.
“Stay by my side as best you can. If you need something to anchor you, remember this.” He kisses my mark, and I shudder from the earth-shattering pleasure zooming through me from that singular kiss. “This is real. My mark is on your neck, your mark is on mine, and nothing can come between us.”
I nod, too overcome with emotion to utter any words in response.
He kisses my mark again, and I sigh. I relax into him, wrapping my arms around him to keep our bodies close together.
We hold each other for as long as we can.
His lips move from my neck to my mouth, where my lips match the speed and intensity of every kiss he gives me—slow and sweet, fast and heated, hard and unyielding. Each is different and better than the last. Each tells me more than any words ever could.
They end too soon.
He backs away from me. His shoulders rise and fall as he takes several unnecessarily deep breaths.
“It’s nearing sunset. We should join the others.”
“Promise me everything will be all right,” I demand before he can turn away from me.
His jaw ticks, and he gives me an almost imperceptible shake of his head. “I promise I will be with you until the very end. Whatever that may be.”
I take a deep breath. I hate that he doesn’t promise me what I asked for, but I understand why.
He can’t. None of us can promise that.
We head into the packhouse side by side and hand in hand. The others—Wesley, Reid, Maddie, Micah, Dominic, Riven, Rune, Landon, and Steele—wait for us there.
Harrison, Sebastian’s dad, is there too. Tall, broad-shouldered, and serious, he’s an older version of Wesley, with gray hair sprinkled amongst his dark brown strands and in his beard. Wesley and he stand shoulder to shoulder and stare out the window.
Sebastian joins them on their dad’s left. “Where’s Nolan?” Sebastian peers around his dad and Wesley to where Reid stands on Wesley’s right.
Wesley points towards the lakeshore. “He’s in place already.”
Across the large open field, seated on a blanket on the lakeshore, Cassandra leans against Nolan’s chest. She reads a book as he holds her and watches the sunset. Around them, various Crescent Lake pack members fly kites, fish off the dock, or meander the paths leading to various parts of the pack’s town.
It looks like a typical late spring evening on the lakeshore.
“Did I miss your speech?” Sebastian switches his attention to Wesley.
“The whole thing.” Reid glances at Wesley from the corner of his eye. “It was very rousing and heartfelt. Maybe if you ask nicely, he’ll reenact it for you.”
“Please, Wessy?” Sebastian widens his eyes, bats his lashes, and pushes his lower lip out into a wolf pup pout.
