Page 4 of His to Protect
“When did Gray kill yourgrandmother?”
Kaea’s expression became pained, andXavier’s bear chuffed within him, pacing from side to side, a clearsign the beast was not happy that he’d upset their mate.
“Three days before he tookyour dad,” Kaea sighed. “He had it planned. He waited until she wasalone and unprotected. Then he went into her house, our home, andhe killed her.”
Xavier nodded. “Sounds like thespineless bastard. He waited until I wasn’t here to challenge him,when I couldn’t be here to back him.”
Kaea moved a little beneath him, andXavier had to bite back a groan as his hips nestled a little closerto his.
“Do you—wait, am I naked?”Kaea asked incredulously, and Xavier couldn’t hold back agrin.
“That you are, my lovely.You were damp and dirty from being out in the forest and trying tokill me. I couldn’t very well pop you into bed like that, now couldI?”
Kaea frowned as he leaned slightly tothe side and looked at Xavier lying on top of him. “And you’renaked because…”
“I was in the shower.”Xavier shrugged. “Again, not somewhere where clothes arenecessarily all that helpful. I came out of the bathroom when youwoke up. Didn’t have time to go throw any clothes on.”
Kaea nodded, and a delicious red heatswept over the dark skin of his cheeks. “That makes sense, but youcould let me go, get up and throw some clothes on now that I nolonger want to hurt you, right?”
“But I like it where I am.Do I gotta?” Xavier had never pouted in his life, but he tried inthis moment just to have fun with his mate.
Kaea’s laughter was quick and genuine,and had Xavier’s heart doing strange somersaults inside him. “Yes,you do. Come on, it’s very distracting having you lying on top ofme.”
Xavier grinned, and knew it was justas wicked as he felt. “I love that you find me distracting, love,because the feeling is most definitely mutual.” Kaea’s eyesdarkened, and Xavier knew he liked that particular revelation.“But, you’re right. I’m hungry, and healing this gunshot wound Iseemed to have acquired recently has taken a lot ofenergy.”
Xavier pushed up from the bed, andgrinned when he watched Kaea’s gaze wander down his abdomen, butshot back to the puckered scar of the wound on his shoulder. “Crap.Did I apologize for shooting you?”
Xavier resettled the towel around hiships. “No, you did not, and that was very remiss of you. I’llexpect you to make that up to me very soon. Repeatedly.”
Kaea’s soft laughter followed him ashe stepped toward the back of the room where he’d put his bag. Hegrabbed a pair of sweats and pulled them on under the towel, thendropped it to the floor. He turned back toward the bed and laughedhimself when he saw Kaea up on his elbows as if to get a betterview.
“See something you mightlike, love?”
Kaea grinned at him, and Xavier couldhave sworn he felt his heart stutter in his chest. “Maybe, but I’mnot a man who gives all his secrets away when he’s just met a man.I prefer a slow build up to a quick flash that’s over too damnsoon.” Xavier scowled. “What’s put that look on yourface?”
“I don’t like to think ofyou with other men.” Xavier heard the possessiveness in his owntone, but wouldn’t apologize for it. He was a dominant Alpha bear,and one who did not play well with others. Kaea needed to know andunderstand that. “I don’t share. You’remine.”
Kaea arched a sardonic brow in hisdirection, and it irritated and aroused him at the same time.“Yours?” Xavier could practically feel the temperature in the roomfall. “I don’t remember ever being asked if I’d be yours, or evenif I wanted you. You presume too much.”
Xavier growled, his anger risingwithin him. “It’s not a presumption when I could feel your fuckingarousal just as sure as you could feel mine, Kaea.”
“It is if you think itmeansanythingeven close to what you are implying it does.” Kaea moved tosit up, and grimaced in pain, and just like that Xavier’s angerevaporated.
“Lie back.” His voice wasmore demand than anything else, so perhaps it hadn’t disappearedcompletely. “You were out for quite a while, and you’ve got a hellof a lump on the back of your head. You’re going to need to take iteasy for now.”
Kaea acquiesced with a sigh, but fromthe way his eyes flashed angrily in his direction. “Don’t take myneed to rest as a sign of weakness, Xavier.”
Fuck, he loved the sound of his nameon his mate’s lips.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,”Xavier murmured as he sat down beside him, and swept a caressinghand across his forehead, loving the soft warm feel of his skin.“Sleep. I’ll watch over you.”
Kaea’s gaze held his as sleep began totake him over, his eyelids drooping more and more, his breathevening out, but never letting his gaze slip of Xavier’s until hecould no longer keep his eyes open.
“You are mine, mate,”Xavier whispered, leaning closer to Kaea and taking his scent deepinside him, his bear practically rolling in the scent of the mandestined for them. “Mine to protect, mine to love, and mine tocherish.”
With that, he leaned forward andpressed a kiss to Kaea’s cheek, before moving to lie behind hismate. Xavier deserved a fucking sainthood for not taking advantageof the warm, naked male body pressed against him. He thoughtbriefly about getting something for Kaea to wear from the dufflebag he’d found hidden in the forest not far from where they’d met,but couldn’t bring himself to do it. Moving slowly so as not towake Kaea, Xavier tugged and rolled until he had his mate nestledtightly in his arms where he belonged.
“And that’s not somethinga man like me would ever forget or allow to slip through myfingers. Not. Ever. We will fight, mate, but we will love as well.I am especially looking forward to that last part.”
