The Huntress and her Alpha

Chapter Twenty Four

Lip’s hand held mine loosely as we walked together, even though he was on my good side. Ever since doctor smith had released me he acted like I was fragile and I’d break if he touched me the wrong way.

Which meant he hadn’t touched me in the way I wanted him to since that very first time.

After we both calmed down and felt at ease being back together, I learned that they had held me in that cell for a two days. There was no scent for them to follow, they had no idea where I was or who has taken me. Apparently alpha Andrew had covered his tracks pretty thoroughly.

I squeezed his hand and laced my fingers through his holding on tightly. “I’m fine, Lip.”

“I know.” He forced a smile. “I failed you that day when he took you. It’s my job to take care of you.”

I shook my head. “It’s our job to take care of each other.”

“I just want you to know once I realized you were gone I couldn’t think straight. Sarah had to calm me down and Jack put himself in charge of sending out a search party. I wasn’t an alpha, I was a man who was losing it because his mate was taken.”

I smiled. “It’s selfish of me to say this, but I’m glad. I was so worried you wouldn’t notice I was gone. I couldn’t feel you because of whatever they gave me and I’ve never been able to talk to your mind. Which made me wonder if you’d know something was wrong.”

Lip looked at me and pulled me into his side. “I love you Max. Which means I’ll always know when something is wrong.”

I smiled and squeezed his hand gently as we walked in sync together. After a moment Lip cleared his throat. “So I was thinking… what would you say to us moving out of the pack house?”

“What? You love our suite. You just redid it to make it ours.” I laughed slightly but I could tell he was serious.

“I’ll keep my main office there to be with the pack when I’m working. But I just… hate that they took you from our room. I want to keep you safe and away from alphas like Andrew, not that I think there are others but you never know.”

“Where would we go?”

His smile knocked me breathless. “I’ve already drawn up the plans to build our own home. Right across from the pack house in the clearing of the trees that you love so much.”

He looked excited. Like he was ready to start a life outside his bachelor days inside that pack house with me. I wasn’t afraid of our room, but i knew I wouldn’t have to deal with anything like what had happened with Mike if we lived separately from where he did his business.

“Okay.” I nodded. “But I want to see these plans. And I want to have someone else decorate it all, but like with my approval.”

Lip laughed, pulling me into his side and kissing my temple. “Of course sweetheart. It’s our house, not just mine. I’ll show you first thing in the morning.”

I couldn’t help but feel like agreeing to building a house together was more official than accepting his marriage proposal. Because in a way it was. We were agreeing to a real life together, under one roof.

I was actually excited by the idea.

We stopped and I realized we were standing in the field he had brought me to for our very first date. He pulled me into his side and then we sat down on a blanket I barely registered as sitting in front of us. I leaned into his side and kissed his cheek.

“So is that what you wanted to talk about? Or did you want to lure me out here for that third date murder?”

He laughed and it was genuine. I missed his laugh, I missed the boy I had been getting to know. He was very serious and somber ever since he had brought me home. Maybe it was my injury or the fact that I had been taken.

Either way I needed him to talk to me.

He sighed and turned to face me, his arm wrapped around mine. He reached up and pushed my hair out of my face.

“Max. I know you’re not going to like this. But I can’t let Alpha Andrew or your father get away with taking you. I can’t sit here knowing they’re still out there planning another attack. Not when they planned to break our bond. When they planned to take you away from me.”

I nodded. “I know.”

“I’m not asking you to fight with me. I’m just telling you…. There will be a fight whether it comes to us or we go to them.”

I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. He was slow to respond, he kept his hold loose on me. I pulled back and glared at him. I grabbed his face in my hands.

“I am not a piece of glass, you can touch me the way you always have. I’m healing, faster now than a normal human would. So if you don’t kiss me properly I’ll find someone else who will.”

He raised an eyebrow and look at me. “Oh you will? And who did you have in mind?”

I smiled as he pulled me into his lap, my arms wrapping around his neck. I kissed his nose, then his cheek. “Mmhm. Not sure yet but I’m sure there’s a few wolves who would be willing.”

“They’d never defy their alpha.” He whispered, our lips inches away from each other.

I laughed. “I think I could make it worth their time.”

“Don’t you dare.” He growled. His hands tightened on my hips. “You’re mine.”

“Then kiss me like you mean it, alpha.”

He didn’t hold back this time as his mouth covered mine. He moved his hands to the small of my back, pulling me as tightly against his chest as I could. He opened his mouth, letting me inside and my entire body shivered from the sparks that we made.

I pulled away first, gasping for air. “That’s more like it.”

Lip laughed, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “I love you, so much Max Calloway.”

“Well i would hope so. Because I don’t plan on giving this ring back.”

Lip laughed as he kissed my cheek. “I didn’t bring you out here just to talk. Someone told me you like to look at the stars.”

I nodded. “I do. Especially away from the lights.”

“This is my favorite spot. They said tonight is the clearest night we’ll have for a while.”

Lip laid back on the blanket, pulling me down with him. The sky was beautiful out here, something from a postcard. There were no words to describe how breath taking it was to lay here in Lip’s arms and stare at the beautiful stars in the sky. How perfectly content I never knew I could be, in silence with someone who had come to mean so much to me.

We had been strangers only a few months ago. Now I couldn’t see a future without him beside me. Maybe that’s what they meant by the moon goddess.

“Lip.” After a few moments I broke the comfortable silence we had been sharing.

“Yes my love.” His fingers were running lightly over my scalp and I nuzzled into his chest with my nose. I felt like a cat purring against him, but it felt so good.

“What exactly are you planning to do about alpha Andrew?”

He sighed. “I don’t know yet. Jack is patrolling his border, watching to see what he’s planning. Apparently your father has visited him twice now since you escaped. I have to talk about it with my warriors but I’m taking the fight to Andrew first.”

I sat up and looked down at him. “I know you said you won’t make me fight. But if I want to… fight with you, with our pack, you’ll let me right?”

Lip’s smile was beautiful, it lit up his entire face. His eyes were bright as he looked at me, pushing my hair over my shoulder and running his thumb along my jaw.

“You want to fight? With us?”

I took in a breath. “I told you, I love you. You’re my family now.” I laid my left hand against his chest. Lip ran his finger over the beautiful diamond ring. “If you’re taking the fight to Andrew’s pack first, then I will fight with you. He drugged me, chained me up, then promised to break our bond and force me into one with him. I want him to know he can’t break us.”

I leaned down and pressed my lips against his, smiling as he kissed me back. When I pulled away he nodded his head.

“It would be an honor to have you on our side, sweetheart.”

I rubbed my nose against his. “You should probably plan on marking me sooner rather than later.” I whispered against his lips as I climbed back onto his lap.

Lip laughed against my mouth, both of us not caring that we were out in the open. That anyone could find their way to this field and see everything that was happening between us.

“Soon, sweetheart.” He whispered softly, his hands traveling up under my sweater making me shiver. His fingers were cold against my skin, but then I laughed as he moved his hand between us, pushing aside my bra.

“Lip.” I pulled back and lifted my arms up. Lip helped me pull my shirt off, then his lips attached to the soft skin of my chest.

I gasped, my shoulder starting to hurt as I leaned on my hands that were flat against his chest.

Lip stopped his ministrations when he felt me wince. “Max.”

I sighed. “Holding myself up is making my shoulder sore.” I answered him before he could ask.

He smiled, then flipped us over with ease. My legs wrapped around his Jean clad waist and he pressed his lips against my neck. His teeth ran over my skin and for a moment I thought he was finally going to mark me.

Lip’s hand found it’s way under the waistband of my leggings, my back arching as I waited for what I knew he was about to do. I needed him to touch me. I needed him to show me how much he loved me with those hands of his.

“Alpha.” Someone’s voice broke through the haze of lust, just as he was about to push aside my underwear.

I gasped, Lip growled as whoever it was looking down at us. I laid there under him with only my bra and leggings on, which made Lip even more protective.

“What is it Connor?” Lip was angry we had been interrupted.

He sighed, avoiding my eyes as Lip helped me sit up and pull my sweater on over my shoulders. He was gentle as I hissed at the ache that was now forming in my injured shoulder. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d always feel a reminder of that bullet, even after it healed.

“I’m sorry to interrupt but Jack has been trying to reach you. You turned off your mind link and well…” he blew out a breath as Lip helped me to my feet.

Connor’s cheeks were bright red, he was more embarrassed to find us in this position than either Lip or I were. I couldn’t help but smile, knowing that when he found his mate he’d understand exactly how it felt to lose yourself in them.

“Spit it out.”

I had never heard Lip be so hard on any of his pack members. But I could feel his frustration between us being interrupted and knowing whatever Jack had found was pressing. He just needed Connor to speak in full sentences.

“There’s been another attack.”

Lip pushed his hand through his hair, even more agitated now. “Where? When? How bad?”

Connor winced. “Few hours now, according to Jack. And um. This time it’s pretty bad. They don’t know if she’ll survive.”

Lip nodded and grabbed my hand. “Okay. Let’s go. Take me to them.”

Connor looked at Lip, then to me and back again. “I’m not sure you want Max seeing this.”

“And why not? She’s your future Luna.”

He winced. “Because the person who was attacked. It was Sarah.”