Page 58 of Her Eternal Mate

It was a little too much to think about, overwhelming me. Vincent and Alexis were right in their own way. It was a victory. But at what cost?

Chapter 27

Alexis

“I better go after him,” I said, attending to the awkward silence left in the wake of Will leaving the room.

“You do that, mmhmm,” Maliha said.

“You know, Maliha, your tenacity today surprised me. I didn’t think you had it in you,” I said as I left the room in search of Will.

“I am learning so much about myself that I did not know,” Maliha said. “I am stronger than I think.”

“You sure are, girl,” I said, now outside the house, looking for Will. He was not in the commune square, even though everyone else was. They were still looking at the explosion’s aftermath on the horizon. The building was still burning, chunks falling off in flames, and the remnants of the structure that once towered above the clouds were now just a few feet off the ground.

In its own way, it made me feel satisfied. That place was where I had suffered my most humiliating defeat. And now that place was no more. Good fucking riddance.

Will was standing at the commune’s entrance, looking at the burning building, his hands in his pockets. There was a weight on him, I could tell.

“The town is safe, thanks to you,” I said, joining him at the entrance.

“It surely does not feel that way,” Will said bitterly. “I killed the soldiers.”

“Yes. And how is that any different from all the soldiers that all the werewolves killed in the past days? It’s the same. You did right. Do not feel depressed about it. There was no way you could save a mindless horde of hive-mind soldiers. Have you never seen a zombie movie?”

“I don’t like them. They’re about dead creatures eating alive creatures. It’s diminutive,” Will said.

“Yes. But in every zombie movie, the good guys win—life blossoms. Death is defeated. Tonight, you did the same. You saved thousands of innocent lives tonight. Why can’t you see that?”

“Because I did something stupid. I planted TNT all over that building without telling anyone. What was I thinking?”

“You’re the alpha. You have led us this far. There is no need to lose faith in yourself right now. I am so proud of you,” I said, hugging him from behind. Will held my hands in his hands, squeezing them to let me know he was being comforted. I felt his soft hair brushing against my face, closing my eyes against the comfort that came from his touch.

“I love you, Alexis,” Will said. “And despite that, I seem to throw you in dangerous situations. Take tonight. You should not have been there.”

“Will. Where is all this self-doubt coming from?” I let go of Will from behind and walked around, standing in front of him. I could see the reflection of the flaming building in his eyes.

“So much death and destruction,” Will whispered. “Am I the angel of death? Death follows me wherever I go. Am I cursed?”

“You are not cursed, and you’re not the angel of death. You are my mate. You are Wilhelm Grimm, the bravest man I know,” I said, unable to see him so distressed. I clasped my hands on his face and brought his face closer to mine, kissing him passionately.

Will put his arms around me, hugging me as he kissed me. I could feel his heartbeat slowing down the more we kissed, the longer we hugged.

Once we stopped, I looked into his eyes, no more seeing the burning building but just my reflection. “Come with me, my love. I have an amazing idea.”

***

Midnight at the docks hit differently. The cold blue moonlight lit up the surface of the water, making it shimmer. The boats all bobbed gently up and down with the low tide. Slowly, they made gentle sounds as they bumped into each other. The water hit the docks, creating a calming rhythm for anyone present to appreciate it.

Right now, it was just me and Will at the docks.

“What are we doing here, babe?” Will asked tiredly.

“What we should have done long ago,” I said, taking Will to where his boat was tied up. “We’re going on a mini-cruise—you and me. No planning. No preparation. Just you, me, and the open sea.”

“As much as I love the sentiment, you do realize that shit hits the fan whenever we leave this place,” Will said, touching his boat fondly, running his hand over the wood, and feeling the polish under his palms. I could see that he really wanted to be on that boat.

“What else can happen? We literally just killed all the soldiers that were in the town. I am sure nothing bad will happen for one night. Besides, think of it like baby steps. Trust Vince and the pack to tend to the town. We deserve a night off. Think of your fiancée.”

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