Page 122 of Alpha's Redemption

Kalen curses when they both choose paper this time.

“You're just going to have to choose, Macey. John or me? Which one is marking you?” Kalen says as they look at me expectantly. My lips part as I glance between them.

“So, who’s it going to be?” John asks.

“Me!” comes a voice I never thought I would hear again. Kalen and John turn toward the door where the voice came from and so do I, to see Tatum walk up to the door. He’s drenched and naked, and I have no idea how he got here, but there he is and I’m in disbelief.

“And you better say yes because neither of their dusty old lips are touching my mate!” Tatum says, stepping into the cabin.

Emotion chokes me and makes me speechless, and my body is moving toward him long before my brain comprehends it. I crash into him and my arms wrap around his neck as my legs circle his waist. Tatum stumbles back, clinging to me, his fingers tangling in my hair as he grips me like I’m his life jacket.

“I'm here now. I'm so sorry,” Tatum whispers, kissing my face before tugging my head back, but I can't even form words, stunned he’s here.

“I choose you, Macey. You are far more than I deserve, but I won’t let them mark you,” Tatum whispers, his eyes going to my neck and Carter's mark on it. He glances at the bed where Carter's body lies, then swallows and turns back to face me.

Tatum sweeps my hair over my shoulder that’s caked in blood and Goddess knows what else before he snarls and sinks his teeth into my neck. Pain ripples through me as his teeth slice through my flesh, tearing Carter's mark to pieces and forcing Tatum’s in its place.

The tingles start out slow as I feel the bond start sewing its way through me, ridding me of Carter's essence and replacing it with his. It burns like acid, but the pain is excruciating bliss as he sinks deeper before his canines hit bone. I feel his saliva move through my veins, feel his soul binding itself to mine and forcing mine to stay.

A sob escapes me and tears slip down my face as I turn my face into his neck. His bond strengthens me, allowing my canines to extend. Not an ounce of hesitation runs through me as I sink them into his neck, and fireworks explode in my head. Tingles make my skin vibrate as our souls entwine and bleed into each other when the bond snaps into place.

Tatum gasps, pulling his teeth from my neck. Gently, he runs his tongue along his mark, sealing it just as I pull my teeth from his. He presses his forehead against mine.

“Let's go home,” he whispers, and I nod. Immense relief slivers through every atom in my body.

I can go home.

And I can go home to Taylor with the man I love as my mate.

ChapterFifty-Five

Everly

Hours Later

All night I panicked. I felt useless, sick with worry and guilt that I was just sitting here waiting for them to return. I knew I would have just gotten in the way or become a constant worry for Valen and sometimes, you need to sit back and allow someone else to take over.

But for me, that’s easier said than done. However, Valen had proven to me that he could be relied on. Even when we didn't see eye to eye, he still showed up and still kept his promises.

And this time was no different. Valen said he would bring Macey home, and he did. Earlier in the night, not long after Valen left, Zoe couldn't bear being home alone and Ava felt unsafe at home with just Zoe; or maybe it was her guilt about what happened to Zoe that she struggled to be alone with her, I don't know; I was just relieved to have them here.

So my room in the maternity ward had turned into a drop-in center. We sought comfort from each other's presence. Zoe had some warriors bring in blow-up mattresses for the kids to sleep on and the nurses had also found two extra beds and brought them in.

Macey had caused quite a fuss when she got here. She refused to be checked over until she saw Taylor.

Valen, Tatum, and Marcus almost immediately went off to deal with pack dramas, council members, and officials, and Ava had gone home with Dad and Kalen. After they all left, I felt wired and overly emotional.

Maybe it’s because of everything that’s gone on recently, or perhaps it’s my fluctuating hormones from having the girls, but as I look around the room, I’m brought back to the day I met these two women—two women who became my sisters.

Macey lies beside me in the hospital bed, an IV in her hand, while she holds one of my girls with Taylor tucked against her side, asleep. Zoe sits by my feet, holding my other daughter, while I breastfeed the third one in my arms.

Zoe, feeling my gaze on her, looks over at me, placing my daughter over her shoulder to burp her.

“Don't you start. You cry, we all freaking cry,” she chuckles with a sniffle. Shaking her head, she glances at Casey and Valarian asleep on the blow-up mattress in the room's corner.

She turns back to me and smiles sadly, then stares off at Macey, who’s watching us. Zoe's guilt is clear on her face; she feels terrible Macey killed her mate for her—for all of us.

“Man, this is like a dose of déjà vu,” Macey mutters, and it’s clear she’s thinking the same thing as me.

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