His Savage Devotion

Chapter 4

Taryn

I stared at the ring on my finger while Gavin kissed my face all over. My heart swelled with love as I pictured our future. Our kids would have my blonde hair and his gorgeous eyes. We would stand together as Alpha and Luna of the Half Moon pack and raise our pups as future Alphas and Lunas. I caught Gavin staring at me, with tears in his eyes. "Are you happy, baby?" he whispered when I raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I have never, in my entire life, been happier than I am right now. You are my chosen mate, Gavin Thompson. I choose you in this life and in every life." I swore to him, meaning every word. "You don't want to wait and see if you have a fated mate?" He asked me hesitantly. I could see the nervousness on his face. "What? No. Fated mates are so rare, and I don't care about fate or not. I love you. I choose you". We stayed nestled together until the nurse came to tell us that visiting hours were over. Gavin tried protesting, but the nurse put her foot down. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but if you want her to go home tomorrow she needs all the rest she can get tonight. Come back tomorrow night, and we'll have her discharged and ready to go." After one last kiss, Gavin left, and I was alone with my thoughts.

There was a flurry of commotion outside my door. I looked up just as the nurses were wheeling a gurney past my room. Through the open door I caught a whiff of the most amazing scent. It was like a cedar and tobacco candle, and it made my mouth water a little. We should go see who that was Stella spoke to me for the first time in days. What? No, that's super weird. That's a complete stranger, we're not gonna go poke around their room I grumbled back. Taryn, seriously, we should go. I have a feeling that we need to meet whoever they just wheeled in here. I sighed and thought back to my conversation with Selene "Trust her" she had said. Maybe Stella was right, I mused to myself. I wrapped myself in a robe and found some slippers under the bed. I followed the scent down the hallway, stopping just outside the door to the room next to mine.

Stella

I paced, impatiently in Taryn's head. I need to know who was in that room. Something primal and deep inside me was pulling my towards it and I needed my human to just open the damn door. If I wasn't exhausted from the wolfsbane I would push forward and open the door myself but since that wasn't an option...Taryn, if you don't open that damn door I will lose my mind. I felt her roll her eyes at me. Stella, haven't you heard the expression 'you catch more flies with honey than vinegar"? I snorted at her Why would I want flies? They're a nuisance. I want to know who is on the other side of that door. Did the wolfbane ruin your hearing?

Taryn snapped at me, The doctor is still in there. I stopped my pacing for a second and listened, she was right. Fine. We'll come back in an hour. Taryn sighed at me and shuffled back to our room. You're a pain in my ass. I chuckled softly at that, trying to disguise my worry. I have seen this play before, and I didn't like the ending. Before I could stop it, memories started playing in my head of Juliet, my human counterpart over a hundred years ago. I was a young, stubborn wolf and Juliet was a young, spirited woman. I felt blessed to be paired with the daughter of a strong, powerful Alpha because that meant Juliet would be a Luna one day. I flashed back to our first run together, with our chosen mates, Koa and his wolf, Arrax. We didn't think anything could ruin our happiness. Until we met Everette and his wolf, Angelus. Stella? Are you ok? I can feel your anxiety. Taryn's concerned voice cut through my bitter memories. I made up my mind right then and there. Taryn would not suffer the same fate as Juliet. I couldn't, and wouldn't, fail again. I would do my duty and protect her. Everything is fine, Taryn. We should sleep. It wasn't more than 3 minutes before we both succumbed to our exhaustion.

Taryn

I slept fitfully, my mind plauged with visions of war and a young woman with curly red hair. I finally gave up on sleep at 3 am. I could feel Stella still snoozing peacefully in the back of my mind, which was a blessing. She took the brunt of the wolfsbane and was really the only reason I survived it. How could I have possibly been exposed to wolfsbane? I mused to myself, feeling the answer was hidden somewhere in the dreams I had been having lately. I stretched my a bit, trying to get blood flowing to my stiff muscles. Might as well go for a walk, I reasoned, finding my robe and slippers once more.

The Alpha hospital was dark and mostly deserted. Stella was still asleep in my mind, curled into a ball with her tail tucked under her chin. She only slept like that when she was worried about something. I was so preoccupied thinking about what was bothering Stella that I didn't realize where I was until I smelled something woodsy and masculine. Stella immediately perked up. Taryn it's time. Open the door. I took a deep breath, unable to shake the feeling that whoever was behind this door would change my life forever.

I pushed open the door and gasped as I was surrounded by the smell of cedar and smoke. Lying in the bed was a bear of a man. Course, black hair lay across his forehead and I could make out his muscular frame from under the blanket. MATE Stella howled in my head. Mate she panted Taryn, he's our mate. I took a steadying breath Are you sure, Stella? My wolf snorted in disdain, Of course I'm sure. I walked closer to the edge of his bed and trailed my finger down his arm. Touching him felt like touching an electric fence in a pleasurable sort of way. Why won't he wake up I asked Stella, trusting her to know the answer. Wolfsbane. I can smell it she snarled, ready to find and kill the person who hurt our mate. What are the odds of us both being poisoned by wolfsbane? I kept running my hand down his arm, finding the tingling sensation soothing. Don't you recognize him? Stella asked like I should know who he is. No, should I? I shot back. Taryn, he's the man from our dream. I sstumbled back at the revelation. She was right. He was the man we had seen protecting his pack. He's strong Stella preened, obviously proud of him. Calm down, girl. You don't even know him. I chuckled at my wolf's willingness to show her belly to this complete stranger. Don't care. He's our mate. He's ours. I smiled at her possessiveness. My goddess given mate. I never thought I'd find him. I thought Gavin was the best I'd ever find. Ice suddenly filled my veins as I stared at the ring on my left hand. s**t. I'd forgotten about Gavin.