Page 59 of The Wolf Slayer

Blake opened his mouth to say something, but Lyliann cut him off.

“She’s fine, you know how she is. She’s having trouble letting go of her home. She knows it’s the right thing to do, but she was so excited to give birth there. She had the crib, and everything set up. It’s hard on her.”

“I’ll send Michael to her, she needs him.” Blake looked down straight into Niev’s eyes and caressed her cheeks with his thumb. “How are you?”

“I’m good.” But she could see in his eyes that he knew she wasn’t telling him the whole truth.

“Would you like to go on a little stroll?”

“I’d follow you to the end of the world.”

“We might not make it quite that far tonight.” He chuckled, took her hand in his, and started walking out the back. When they were far enough away from the house, he asked, “What is on your mind?”

She wasn’t sure where to start. There had been so much on her mind lately. “You were right, you know? I’m not like them.”

She paused and he stayed silent, giving her the space to explain herself on her own terms.

“I’ll never be able to be like them. Your mother and Lyliann are so worried about all of you, but they seem content with waiting at home and just having food prepared in case one of you shows up hungry. All I can think about is running to you and fighting by your side.”

She didn’t tell him about her willingness to endanger her unborn child in order to save him. She felt horrible for feeling that way. She loved the baby, but she knew she wouldn’t survive losing Blake. It seemed like a horrible thing for a mother to think, and she was afraid of his reaction.

“I can’t just sit in the house and do nothing. I tried. I rested, I sat down and ate, not even allowed to set the table or help clean.”

“They want the best for you.” He wasn’t accusing her of anything and didn’t seem upset about her words.

“I know and I understand their worries. I wish I could be like them, but I can’t just sit and do nothing. I know what I’m capable of. I want to help, and I know I can.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned toward her. His gorgeous brown eyes looked down at her with a warm smile on his face. He cupped her cheek with his hand and took a strand of her hair in his other, twisting it as he admired her. He had the most amazing talent to make her feel special and loved. She got on her tiptoes and laid her arms around his neck pulling herself closer to him. He leaned forward and kissed her. His warm, full lips pressed against hers as he picked her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist. The warm feeling she always felt around him spread through her body and all her worries disappeared into thin air. Nothing was more important than being with him in that moment.

He gently freed himself from her and set her back on the ground. “You’re the strongest, most amazing woman I know. And knowing you, you thought about how you could help all day long, didn’t you?”

She nodded while biting her lip, unsure of how he would react to her proposal.

He grinned and pulled her lip from between her teeth. “Don’t be shy, beautiful. Tell me.”

She took a deep breath and prepared herself for her idea to be shattered. “Do you think it’s possible for me to assist Christa? I would be willing to learn from her and I could help without anyone having to worry about me.”

His grin turned into a proud smile. “I think that might work, but first you should talk to my father about it. If he approves, you can ask Christa. He signs off on all assignments within the pack. He needs to know who takes care of what.” He took her face in his hands again. “I’m proud of you.”

Leaning forward, he kissed her again. This time she could feel his pride for her radiating through the kiss into her own body.

“I’ve put you through so much over the past few days and you’ve been nothing but supportive toward me and my family. Even after I put you in danger you stayed by my side and saved my life. You’ve done so much for me, and I’ve given you so little in return. We barely had time to spend with each other and to truly get to know one another. Nevertheless, you changed my life and the way I feel. You’re easing a pain that I’ve carried deep within me for most of my life and I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you.”

Tears started to run down her cheeks as she listened to his words. He had no idea how much he’d changed her life for the better. Even with everything going on around them, she’d never felt this loved in her entire life. She finally seemed to belong somewhere, and that somewhere was by his side. He wiped her tears away and pulled her into a tight hug. Burying her face in his chest, she enjoyed their moment to the fullest.

“You’ve completely changed my life. The last few years I’ve searched for somewhere I would belong, and you finally gave me that,” she confessed. “I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life. Now, I know I belong with you.”

“We belong to each other.”

She sighed as she thought about her future with him and remembered that she still had to be accepted by his pack if they wanted to live here together.

He loosened his hug and lifted her chin so he could see her face. “What else is on your mind?”

“I think I’ll have trouble being accepted by the pack. I’m afraid that you will be singled out for having me as your wife, and the child for having me as their mother.”

“You’re the bravest person I’ve ever met, and our child will proudly announce to everyone that you’re their mother. A mother that fought a wolf to save my life. A mother that has healing blood pulsing through her veins, and a mother that would fight anyone and anything to protect her family, no matter how scary the monster is. Our child will fall asleep feeling safe because their warrior mother and their wolf father will be there protecting them.”

She couldn’t hide her smirk. He’d done it again–he’d made her feel special and with just a few words, her worries had vanished. “Thank you, I needed that.” She gently caressed his cheek. As she looked at him, she noticed that he looked exhausted, wearing dark rings underneath his eyes. “How are you? How are your wounds? Did you even get any rest last night?”

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