Page 96 of Blade's Battle
She wanted to promise, but she couldn’t even do that. She couldn’t say anything at the moment.
Blade tucked her into his side. “I didn’t take Damien’s offer,” he said in a deep, comforting voice. “I walked away. Couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of having a future, of being happy again. Two weeks later, Callen tracked me and hauled my ass back to his pack. He told me I was part of the pack and no one walks away without a good reason. So, I told him what happened, told him I wasn’t the type of shifter the pack should invest in. I never told anyone else, including Damien.”
“What did Callen do at that point?”
“He punched me.”
“What?”
“Then he said, and I’m quoting him because I’ll never forget that moment. ‘You messed up, and shifters died. It’s tragic, but it’s also not something you can fix. Now you’re running because you feel sorry for yourself. Keep feeling sorry for yourself, and I’ll keep punching until you get it through your thick head that you have a pack that needs you now, here, among the living.’”
“Wow. I’m not sure if that’s cold-hearted or profound, or both. It’s so. . .”
“Callen?” he finished.
“I guess that’s the best way to describe it. But I can’t say he’s wrong.”
“He was right, though I wasn’t so sure at the time. And Callen really packs a punch. Marcus used to punch me when I didn’t listen to him. Except he was one to give a sucker punch. Callen looks a shifter in the eyes and you still don’t expect it to hurt as much as it does. The point is, I suddenly didn’t feel quite so alone.
“When we returned, Damien never asked where I’d been or why I’d left. Never even asked why I was a lone wolf. Callen told Damien I was good for the pack, and that was all Damien needed to hear. Trust between brothers. That convinced me to stay. I realized it was time to give life a try again. Even so, sometimes I still question if I deserve to be with Damien’s pack.”
“Of course, you deserve it! You’re one of them. Anyone can see that. They care about you.”
“They care about you too. Human or not, you are one of us now.”
“I’m not scared of being with the pack. I like them, I really do. But there’s a lot to think about. There are people after me, and it’s not fair bringing that danger to your pack. I’ve done enough of that.”
“What do you mean?”
“This virus—”
“The virus has nothing to do with you. You were working on a project meant to help shifters, and the WSSO stole your work and twisted it into something evil. So, no more of this nonsense about you being responsible. Understood?”
She rested her head against him, but couldn’t answer.
“Look at me, Angel.”
She did.
“You’re only one person. A fantastic, smart, witty, deliciously sexy one, but still just one person. You can’t take on the weight of the world. You did everything you could to save Kurt, but it wasn’t meant to be. Just like what happened with my pack. I would have given my life for them, but sometimes life has other plans.
“And now the WSSO looms over all of us with a viral nuke. I’ve done my time as a lone wolf. It’s not a life you want, believe me. You need others in your life, as much as I do. And it’s going to take more than one person to take down the WSSO. You’re part of a team now, a family, and that means leaning on us when you need us, and even when you don’t. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
She knew exactly what he was saying. The pack would still be there for her even when he wasn’t. He didn’t want her to be alone, to isolate herself as he had done. That wasn’t something she wanted either, which is why she had to work harder than ever. She didn’t want the pack unless she could have him too.
God, she loved this shifter. This brave, selfless shifter who would protect her until the day he died. Even if she found a way to prevent him from going feral, could she really leave him behind?
A sense of horrendous loss swept through her, worse than when she had lost Kurt. Maybe she was being selfish, but she wanted Blade in her life. She really did love him.
His mouth captured hers, pulling her into a warmth and security that was all Blade. For the first time in a long time, she felt a door inside close on Kurt and her past. As she relaxed in Blade’s arms, his body enveloping her, Anna knew this was her future. Blade was hers and she was his.
* * *
BLADE
The way Anna poured herself into that kiss as if she was his everything, took his breath away. Her hand slid further under his shirt. Her fingers were like ice. He needed to get her inside, by the fire he had started.
He lifted her into his arms and headed up the steps. As he set her down on the red and tan Persian rug in front of the fireplace, her feet planted squarely between his, he kissed the top of her head.
