Reclaiming Her Heart

Chapter 23 - Dom Talk

Jadea

The day Adam gave me with my pack had been very much needed and healing. We spent a lot of it in the living room, just

talking and catching up. We played games. We went outside for some fresh air and some interactive exercises. Though, they were very mindful of my current state. When my time with them came to a close, I was very loath to give them up. However, it wasn't fair to keep them from their mates and their own lives. In time, I would re-join them. In time, I would be re-integrated back into normal pack life and I wouldn't feel so alone. A new normal would settle over us, and I looked forward to that day, praying it would come sooner rather than later.

"We will come and visit," Briar assured, taking me into a giant hug. During our time, she had told me how they'd found out they were pregnant shortly after losing me. It had been something they clung onto during their darkest months while they learned to live without me. It had given everyone in the pack something to look forward to and focus on. I was glad there had been something bright during their darkest days.

"I swore it was going to be a boy," Derrick said earlier that day, grinning down at his mate, who was safely tucked under his arm. Surprisingly, despite being six months pregnant, Briar was hardly showing.

"But it was a girl," she smirked up at him. "You are so screwed."

"What are you talking about?" Garret budged in, forcing himself between the couple, an arm draping around each of them. Briar and Derrick were unamused, but took it in stride. My beta did this all the time to them. "We are all going to be screwed!"

This declaration made us all laugh, though it was true. This would be the first baby born into our pack. I knew she would be doted upon by everyone and spoiled rotten.

Coming back to the present, Garret stepped up next. "You aren't going to be able to keep us away that easily," he ribbed, pulling me into a fierce hug. "You two kids better behave, cause I'm going to be dropping in randomly to check up on you."

"Then, you better be prepared to see things you don't want to see," Adam clapped back, smirking. "It won't be our fault if you get scarred for life."

Garret's brows furrowed as he thought better about his declaration. "On second thought--

"You're going to be so tired of us, you'll be begging us to leave," Blade chortled, interrupting Garret pushing the beta out of the way to get to me.

"I highly doubt that," I snorted, taking him into a giant hug.

Once they were gone, Adam and I were alone.

I couldn't say why I was nervous, but I was.

"C'mon. Let's do dinner," he said, motioning towards the kitchen. As we passed by the large island, he pulled out one of the stools and told me to sit. I obeyed, annoyingly enough. That was one thing I hated: being told what to do.

Silence settled over us as he started to cook. "What are you hoping to gain out of our time together this month?" I asked abruptly, hating the silence. Usually Doms had their own goals as well. We hadn't spoken about them in our early morning conversation.

Adam took a deep breath before replying evenly, "I just want to be close to you, Jadea. To earn your trust again. To reclaim my fears of losing you and not be blinded by the need to hover or control you to the point of being toxic. I need to accept what I cannot change and understand there will always be a risk of losing you—or anyone close to us—because of who you are. Because of your position in the council, and what our pack does in order to get the bad guys. To help with some of these fears, I will allow you to run the perimeter without me, and I will give you one full hour without me present, both physically or within your mind. If I fail at any of these, you will be given the opportunity to do something by yourself. It could be on or off the compound. Though, if it is off the compound, I may ask you to take someone else with you. Like Garret. Even if they keep their distance. Just ... Someone nearby in case if something goes wrong."

Interesting. He wasn't like most other men I was used to dealing with. Fate had chosen well when making my mate, I thought to myself. "Does it bother you? My position as a councilor?"

Adam paused, considering the question carefully. "I knew there would be some danger associated with the position. You hadn't minced your words or the possible dangers that would come with the position. I mean, we had been tossed into a war the moment you were silently given the position by Constance after the Leviathan ordeal."

"But?" I prompted, knowing there was more.

"I didn't ever think the enemy would have struck you so out in the open. And with such precision to pull off the abduction like they did. It has made me a bit more ... Paranoid. It all happened so quickly. It's going to take me a while to accept this hit was a one-off kind of thing. Something that usually doesn't happen. I don't know how I will be able to let you go back out on the stage—either in the mortal or immortal realm—without fearing for your life."

I could feel his very real fear. He was right, though, the hit that was taken out on me was unusual. It had been done out of desperation. It had been risky. "Well, the good part is, we don't have to worry about that for a while."

I wasn't sure how we would handle the mortal side of the media and news. I was sure there was raw video evidence I had been shot in the head. I wasn't sure what the team had done in the aftermath, what had been said or not. Especially since a body had never been recovered. But, that wasn't something we had to figure out right now.

"What about our scenes?" I shifted the conversation yet again. "How often should we do them?"

"I was thinking two to three times a week," he easily supplied. "That would give us time to do our pre-scene exercises, the scene itself and then the post-scene decompression and assessment. Plus, it would allow me a day or two every week to visit Aidan and Anika. And would give you time with those from your pack." We had touched upon this earlier, when we spoke to the pack. They readily agreed.

As much as I wanted to do more scenes, to do a more rigorous and intense schedule so I could move on faster, I knew this schedule was more realistic.

And the month was just a very loose schedule. Just because we agreed on one month of this, didn't mean we couldn't extend it if there was a need for it.