ENDURING {Sequel to Everlasting}

Chapter 39 - A

Time seemed to kind of drag at first, but the more time I spent with Hardin the quicker the days happen to go by. Considering my leg and bruising, we agreed to not have another date until I'm healed. Though it doesn't stop him from doing romantic gestures, meaningful things that slowly but surely turn our strange friendliness into something more.

Something that I find myself wanting, something I'm willing to burn the world to protect.

"It doesn't hurt, I promise." I say, but my huge shit eating grin says otherwise.

Hardin just grunts and closes his eyes. Figuring it's a signal, I gently grasp the edge of the wax and peel it off his skin. He doesn't flinch, but I know from his sudden glare that it hurts.

"My eyebrows were fine-"

"I haven't touched your eyebrows, just the hair around." I say, handing him the small mirror as I pull off the small strip of pink wax from above his other eyebrow.

His skin barely tints pink, showing pretty much zero signs of irritation despite the hair being ripped at the root. That's wolf genes for you, I wish I still healed like that.

"I don't have a unibrow." Hardin declares with that unruly scowl, it's clear that he's a little offended to see me grabbing the wooden stick again from the pot of heated wax.

"I'm doing the underneath, shut up bitching." I mutter, smirking slightly as I flick his eyelid shut and apply the wax neatly underneath his eyebrow.

I repeat the process of letting it harden and pulling it off, doing the same with the other eyebrow. Knowing he isn't going to allow me to start picking and prodding at him, I set the wax melter aside begrudgingly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask him after a moment of silence.

Hardin dismisses his phone and raises his head, staring directly into my eyes with those silver orbs. My heart does a little dance, a feeling of ease settling over me as I simply gaze at him.

"Last time we put a lot of things before our relationship, including the pack and training. I should have gone on those holidays with you, maybe if we had spent more time together away from the pack actually enjoying our time together...the past five years wouldn't have been spent alone." Hardin says.

Deep down part of me knows he's right. We didn't often spent time alone, not without all the pressure of the pack following us. But that's also pack life, everyday Alpha duties.

"Maybe, but I would change nothing. From the beginning to now, we've both changed so much and I'm kind of proud of us...I mean, we're here right?" I say quietly with a slight shrug.

Hardin stares at me with this strange look in his eyes, smiling the faintest of smiles.

"Yeah." Hardin whispers, his voice thick.

Desire his answer being so vague, I know that that single word means a lot to him, and to me. He doesn't always like to talk about his feelings and struggles that we've faced, but I always know from the sound of his voice, or the look in his eyes. Like now, he's proud, and happy, and relieved that I haven't changed my mind about him.

Hardin heads off to say goodbye to certain members of the pack, informing them all of the change in authority which will only be temporary. While he does that, I say goodbye to the few people that still like me.

I suppose they've kind of always been here from the beginning.

"Being in a pack really does you more harm than good." Winter comments with a small laugh, giving me a warm hug.