The Huntress and her Alpha

Chapter Twenty Three

“Max. Please open your eyes.”

Lip’s deep voice broke through the darkness. I felt his strong arms cradling me against him. I wanted to open my eyes, I wanted to tell him I was sorry, to say I loved him one more time. To see those hazel eyes so full of everything I never thought i deserved.

But the pain was hot and soared through me. It cut through all logical thinking and I couldn’t open my eyes. I felt him lift me, my legs were draped over his arms. He walked slowly, as if he was afraid to jostle the wound that wasn’t healing.

“Silver.” I whispered softly.

“Max.” Lip’s voice broke as he said my name.

I forced my body to listen and I opened my eyes. His hazel eyes were bloodshot and puffy. He had been crying. He had stubble around his jaw and he looked like he hasn’t slept in days. I moved slowly, reaching out and touching his cheek. The sparks were more comforting in that moment than they ever had been before.

“Silver bullet.” I said again, trying to make him understand.

“I’m going to make it better.” He whispered softly, pressing his lips to mine. I breathed him in, if this was the last kiss he ever gave me, I wanted it to be the best one yet.

“I love you.” I whispered against his mouth. “So much.”

“I love you too.” He was crying again. “Stay with me, Max. I promised I’d find you. I found you, you can’t leave me yet. Stay with me, please. Keep those beautiful eyes open for me. We’re almost home.”

“Home.” My body was slowly giving up. I shivered against his hold and then my eyes rolled shut. I passed out again just as Lip crossed the border and took me home.

——

My shoulder was on fire but I opened my eyes and felt panicked. I searched for Lip. When I found him sitting behind me, holding me against his chest, I started to calm down. Then I realized we weren’t in the infirmary. We were in our room.

“Max. What’s wrong? I can feel your panic.” His deep voice vibrated through his chest into mine and I held tightly onto him.

Tears started to fall as I felt the familiar pull to him. I buried my face in his neck, his fingers running lightly over my back, careful to avoid my injured shoulder. I breathed him in, realizing just how close I had almost come to losing him.

“Max. Hey sweetheart.” He pulled my face away, using his thumb to wipe my tears. “Talk to me.”

I struggled in a breath. “It was all a trap. Andrew is working with my father and he promised him…” my lip wobbled as I remembered everything. “He promised him he’d break our bond. He said he’d take me away from you and hand your head over to my father.”

More tears fell as Lip hugged me tightly to him. His even breathing calmed the anxiety that tried to pull me under. I closed my eyes and focused on the sound of his heartbeat to anchor me here to this room with him.

“He’ll never touch you again.” Lip all but growled the words. “No wonder you wouldn’t calm down until I laid in bed holding you.”

“I was so scared I’d lose you. I love you so much, Lip. It isn’t just the bond, but it’s you. You’re sweet and kind. You’ve become my best friend and you challenge me and push me to be better. You laugh at my stupid jokes and you listen to me even about the dumbest things. Yes I love your body, I love feeling you against me. But I love you. Completely. He wanted to take you away from me. It didn’t matter if he broke our bond, because I know I’m in love with you. But when he talked about killing you, I couldn’t handle that.”

The words were rushed and full of emotion. Lip held me tighter, his lips pressing against my forehead. “Never. That will never happen. You’re stuck with me, sweetheart.”

“How long was I gone?” I asked softly as his fingers ran lightly across my back. I wasn’t moving off him until I had to. I just wanted to be in his arms after spending however long I did in that cell.

Lip took in a deep breath. “Two very long days.”

I looked up at him. “You shaved.” I ran my hand along his chin. “I remember bits and pieces of being carried. You were hairy and looked… tired.”

“It was only two days, forty eight hours, but it felt like a lifetime without you. You weren’t here when I was finished my meetings and something just felt wrong. I knew right away you didn’t leave on your own, but i couldn’t smell you. I went crazy. Ask Jack. It’s the worst he’s ever seen me.”

I ran my thumb along his bottom lip. Then he leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been more careful. Or I don’t know told you Andrew gave me the creeps.”

“No.” Lip’s voice was hard and made me jump. He waited until my eyes found his. “This is not your fault, this will never be your fault. You were drugged and taken from your own bedroom. There is no world, no scenario that plays out, that would ever convince me this is your fault, Max Calloway. So don’t apologize for anything.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I just wanted you. The entire time I was there I kept wishing for a way to call for you the way you and the other wolves can.”

Lip pressed his lips against my temple, wiping away my tears as they fell slowly. “I felt you, Max. I will always feel you.”

I smiled against his chest as we settled back down into the bed together. “What happened? After I got shot?”

“Jack found you and mind linked me. I shifted and ran all the way to where he held you, bleeding in his arms. I took you and I wanted to run back here but we had to be careful. The bullet didn’t go all the way through and I didn’t want to cause more damage by jarring you around.”

I nodded. “It doesn’t hurt as much anymore.”

“Because doctor Smith fixed you up and I forced her to let me bring you here to our room. You were so distraught I couldn’t leave you in that bed. Then when I laid you down you clung to my shirt so I climbed into bed. It wasn’t until you laid on my chest that you finally settled and fell asleep.”

I looked up at him and he leaned down, bring his lips to mine. It was the sweetest kiss I thought I’d never get again. His hand cupped my cheek, his mouth moved with mine slowly. God he tasted like home. He was my home.

He was so gentle, like he was afraid I’d break if he pushed too hard into the kiss. It was so different and so sweet from the breathless kisses we had shared before.

Lip wiped away a tear that fell down my cheek with his thumb. “Max.”

I nodded my head, his voice was full of pain. “I know. I have to choose. I thought it was clear that I chose you.”

“Apparently not to your father. Do you think we should tell him alpha Andrew plans on double crossing him? Maybe he’ll start a war with him instead of us.”

“I’m so tired.” I whispered, not caring about any of this. I was back in Lip’s arms, I never wanted to leave. I looked up into his eyes and answered his question. “I’ll tell Travis. He can deal with my father.”

Lip nodded and kissed my forehead. “Sleep love, I’m sure you’re still sore.”

“I want you to mark me.” The words were muffled against his shirt but I knew he heard me. He went stiff, his arms loosened their hold on me.

“Max?”

“If I was marked you would’ve found me faster. I might not have panicked about the idea of him breaking the bond. He said it would be easier because I wasn’t marked.” I touched his cheek and felt the sparks reassure me that our bond was still there. “This isn’t me being pressured or anything. This is me telling you I want to spend my life with you, as your mate. I want you to mark me.”

Lip’s smile was slow to appear but it took up his entire face. Happiness filled his eyes as he stared into mine, making sure this moment was real.

“I’ll mark you on one condition.” He whispered, his body telling me a different story. He brushed my hair off my shoulder, his eyes landing on that damn spot. I shivered in anticipation, but he didn’t move.

“Anything.”

He leaned in close. “Well two conditions.” He placed a kiss on my neck. I shivered from the heat of his mouth. “First we wait until you’re healed. I want to mark you properly. The way I’ve imagined doing so many nights now.”

I nodded, my heart dropping slightly when I realized it wouldn’t happen tonight. “Okay.”

“And second.” He pulled back and his hazel eyes lit up, black specs swimming inside them. He smiled crookedly and I watched as he moved his hand over the blanket and opened the nightstand drawer.

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop myself.

He pulled his hand towards us, holding a beautiful diamond ring. It was old, the most beautiful vintage diamond ring I had ever seen. The band was made of pure gold, twisting together where an old mine cut diamond sat in the center of it. My eyes went wide and my mouth fell open.

“Marry me.” He whispered softly. Tears filled my eyes, I was never sold on the idea of marriage, Lip knew that from our countless conversations about it. But I knew inside my soul, I wanted to spend my life with Lip.

I looked up into his eyes. “Only if you promise me a long engagement.”

He sighed. “That’s fair.”

I nodded my head. “Then yes, I’ll marry you.”

He slipped the vintage ring onto my left hand and kissed me. It fit perfectly, it was gorgeous and everything I never imagined I’d want in a ring. If I had ever taken the time to imagine getting engaged.

“This was my mother’s ring. My uncle kept it for me, he knew whoever I ended up with deserved the ring that had once belonged to the first woman who loved me. She would’ve loved you, Max.”

I kissed him softly. “I wish she was here. How does it fit me perfectly?”

Lip blushed, one of my favorite traits of his. “I had it sized when you agreed to move into my room. I know you’re hesitant about marriage but I just. I’ve wanted to ask you so many times and if you want a long engagement I can live with that. You’re my mate, I’ll never want anyone else. As long as you wear my mark and my ring, I’ll die a happy man.”

“I love you.” I whispered softly against his mouth. I curled back up in his arms and Lip closed his eyes. I settled into his chest, staring at the gorgeous ring that symbolized this strong man’s love for me.

How I got so lucky, I’ll never understand.