Shadow Witch

Chapter Ten

    "Not again," I groan while gripping the edge of the bed to try and pull myself out from under the bulky body wrapped around me.

    Ryhes doesn't budge, even when I claw at his forearm.

    I flail my legs under the sheets like a toddler. It just makes Ryhes throw his leg over my lower half, halting my range of motion. I grit my teeth and take a deep breath.    

    "Is this going to be an every day thing?" I ask looking up at the ceiling.

    He nuzzles his nose into my neck and without thought I turn my head to give him better access.

    "It depends."

    "On what?" My voice is breathy and every cell in my body is telling me to cuddle into him. 

    To pull him closer.

    "If you trying to leave is going to happen every morning."

    I choke out a laugh, "I can't help when I have to use the bathroom."

    "Are you going to try and leave again?"

    I roll my eyes, "No."

    He lifts his head and clear baby blues meet mine, "Are you sure?"

    "It was one time, and I thought you were asleep."

    He rolls to his back, taking his warmth with him. I stand from the bed and stretch my arms over my head waiting for my back to crack.

    It's something I do every morning, and something that wont change.

    His arm rests over his eyes again and I can't help but rake my eyes down his body. Especially because the sheet has fallen, exposing a very impressive muscular chest. I can feel my bladder about to explode but I can't seem to bring my feet to move.

    "Keep looking at me like that Summer and we'll never leave this room." I can hear the teasing lilt to his gruff voice.

    "Is that a bad thing?"

    Those are the wrong words to say and I only realize it when Ryhes kneels in front of me on the bed. He pulls my front flush to his so we're nose to nose. 

    "I don't know Summer, is it."

    I gulp and step back, he follows. He stands from the bed in just a pair of black boxer briefs and I lick my lips.

    "Summer."

    The way he growls my name is a warning, telling me to leave. Even though my body begs me to stay, I listen to my brain and turn for the bathroom. If I don't take care of business, I'm going to have an embarrassing mess to clean.

    I lean back against the door after closing it and take a deep breath. I know now why I never let myself be in a room too long with him, I always knew I could lose myself in him. 

    I stop and look at myself in the mirror, surprised to see I don't look half as bad as I thought I would after being drained so much.

    I do what I need to and crack the bathroom door open after washing my hands. Ryhes lays on the bed, fully spread out on his chest. His arms are crossed under his pillow and again I find myself staring. I never allowed myself the luxury of looking at him before, too afraid of what I might do. I'm sure if I dug deep enough that fear would still be there, but I can't go down that road.

    Not after I told him I was done running.

    I almost laugh out loud at myself.

    I never really thought of it as running away. If I found something that I could help with, I went to it without a thought, but thinking about it now? I can see that I was in fact running away. 

    "Summer?"

    Ryhes has turned his head to look over at me, forehead creased with worry.

    I walk towards the bed and kneel next to him, rubbing two fingers over the creases.

    "I'm sorry."

    "For what?"

    I trace a finger down his nose and across his cheek bone then down to his jaw.

    "For always running away."

    He sighs, "It's okay."

    I smile, "It's not and if I was you I would be beyond pissed off at me. Honestly, I don't know why you waited all this time Ryhes."

    He removes the arm closest to me from under his pillow and cups the back of my head, pulling me closer to him. He brushes his lips over mine before pulling away.

    "For me there is no choice of not waiting Summer. You're all there is for me, all there can be. We grow up knowing that someone out there belongs with us, completes us. Our parents and grandparents share stories of their Mates and how it feels. I knew if I tried to force you or rush you things would be harder then they had to be. I had waited my whole life, I was willing to wait a little longer if it made you comfortable."

    I reach up and cup his jaw with both my hands, rubbing my thumb across his scruff.

    "I don't reserve you."

    He growls, "Stop putting yourself down. I understand that you've had a hard life, but that doesn't mean you aren't worth being loved. You don't understand it now because you're just starting to come to terms with it, but we even each other out."

    "Is this where you say my bad traits then follow it up with good ones?"

    He laughs and removes his face from my hands to pull me down next to him. I lift his hand to intertwine our fingers before resting in on my chest.

    "Always the smart ass."

    "You were getting a little too serious, had to make sure my Alphahole was in there somewhere."

    "I can promise he hasn't gone far. I just want to be honest with you, tell you how I feel."

    I nod and look back up at the ceiling, even though I can feel him looking at me. 

    "Go ahead."

    "You said you didn't think you'd be a good Luna because you thought you had to play house. Do you think my mother is like that."

    I snort and shake my head.

    "Even though my dad stepped down from this pack, he still has the smaller one in Colorado he looks over. He may not be Alpha here but he is there, which means he still travel and mom stays behind to run the ship. I can guarantee you, she's worse then a drill sergeant."

    "Oh, I'm telling."

    He yanks on a curl, but chuckles. "She's probably the strongest woman I know besides you. Mom had it hard growing up, neither parent wanting her. She grew up before rules were set in place about using children as Omegas. She was at the bottom of the leadership, unwanted but too useful to get rid of."

    Sadness washes through me.

    "She was beaten and used and thrown away like trash. Dad had just taken over as Alpha and came to make sure the new laws were set in place. They weren't there, if he hadn't shown up when he did mom probably wouldn't have made it."

    I turn my head towards him to see he's staring blankly behind me, lost in this horrible story.

    "She was a fighter though, and she fought him every step of the way. At the end of the day she knew she loved him and they belonged together. He always said she didn't make it easy, but she made it worth it."

    "What if I don't?" I whisper the words, not liking being so vulnerable but knowing I have to open up and tell him how I'm really feeling.

    Finally his eyes meet mine, "It's already worth it Summer. I like that you don't back down from me and no matter how much s**t I give you about running into things head first it's something I really admire about you. We all have fears, things that should weigh us down and stop us, but yours don't. You're fierce in your protection of people, even ones you don't know. How could you not think you wouldn't be a good leader?"

    "I guess I never thought of it as being something like that."

    "That's because you don't do it for any other reason then to help. You see or hear about someone in need and you're gone. Off to make sure you can do whatever you can to save people you don't even know."

    I let out a breath and avert my eyes to the wall behind him.

    "I couldn't help my parents when they were attacked. They tied me to Sammy's back and forced him to leave, my father did the one things he promised to never do and used his Alpha command to make Sam go. I begged him not, to ripped out chunks of his hair trying to get him to stop, wanting him to turn around so I could protect them, but he wouldn't. Couldn't I guess."

    "The rogues that came were fast, but Sammy was much faster. You know that though."

    I pause and absentmindedly run my fingers through his lose hair, playing with the ends.

    "I knew after that, if I ever heard of someone who needed help I would be there. No one should die the way they did, torn to shreds protecting their home and family."

    It's only when Ryhes runs a finger down my cheek do I realize I'm crying, something I haven't done since that night years ago. Something I haven't been able to let myself do.