Heart's Desire

Chapter 27 - Kit

Happiness blossoms in my chest like a cherry tree bursting into bloom, so perfect and beautiful I can't contain the feeling, and tears slip down my face.

Monty wipes them away with the pad of his thumb. "Hey, no crying now. I wanna see you smile. You're my honeyed sunshine, Kit."

"You're my everything," I whisper in reply.

"Yeah," he sighs, settling back against the pillow. "That's what I'm afraid of. We can talk about it later, though. For now, this is enough."

He pulls me a little closer, and kisses the top of my head.

I'm not quite sure what he means, but I carry the happy feeling with me into sleep.

~ ☾ ~

The next time I wake up, I'm not confused at all. Strong arms trap me in a soft embrace, and a leg like a tree trunk half-crushes my lower body, but I'm not afraid. Sunlight spills in through the window, and I recognize the guest room in Sasha's house.

Monty stirs and lifts himself a little.

"Sorry, Kit," he mumbles. "I'm squishing you."

"It's okay," I say, still snuggled against his warmth. "I like it when you squish me."

His cheeks darken with color, and he coughs.

"We best get up. I think I smell breakfast cooking."

He rises and pulls on a pair of loose cotton sweatpants. I follow and press myself against his back, my arms looped about his waist.

"You'll complete the bond with me, won't you, Monty?" I ask. "You'll take me as your own?"

He turns and I see him swallow. "Even if now were the time for that, it's not something to do lightly, Kit. We both need to be ready, in our hearts and minds, and I don't think I am. For now, it's enough to know we're Mates, even if we aren't Mated yet."

"Sasha was lucky she wasn't, I suppose," I murmur. "Do you think Jake was really her Mate?"

"I don't know," he replies quietly. "I don't know how she could've mistaken the feeling, now that I've felt it for myself. Maybe Mom and Dad can help clear that up. They know more about Wolf lore than anyone, aside from Dane, and he learned it all from them, anyways."

He finishes dressing, and I get dressed as well, and follow him downstairs.

When I came in search of the Hunters, a Mate was the last thing I expected to find, and I still can't believe that I can call this great, gorgeous man my own.

He saved me, and every day he teaches me how to heal. And despite what I told him, I'd jump in front of another bullet – or a dart – for him in a heartbeat, if it meant I could keep him just one minute more.

~ ☾ ~

Monty is right, and breakfast is ready when we join the others in the dining area.

The table is laden with pancakes, sausages, bacon, toast, hash browns, and chopped fruit. Alpha Dane and his family sit around it, along with Freya. I recognize Mrs. Hunter as well, though she looks much cleaner and healthier than she did the last time I saw her.

An older man I haven't seen before stands at the stove. He has a slender build, very dark skin, and short gray hair, and he smiles broadly at the sight of us.

"There's my big, gentle hero," he exclaims, giving Monty a hug with a spatula still in one hand. "How are you this morning, my son?"

"Much better," Monty replies, patting his father's shoulder. He's a full foot taller than the older man. "What about you? You should be gettin' breakfast served to you in bed, not cooking it for everyone else."