In the Midst of the Light
Twenty-Two
Valerio
Finally, I'm being wheeled out of the hospital. It's been a week since my sister, apparently, saved my life. I'm not sure how she was able to actually handle being in the operating room with Dr. Egelston, but I owe her everything because of it. Aemilia has even already started looking into going to med school. When she was visiting me a few days ago, she was telling me about the school she would be going to, even though she's still in the process of sending in her admittance exams. She'll get in though, and I couldn't be happier for my sister. As long as, when she graduates and begins her surgical internship, she works at a shifter hospital like the one I've been in, she can use her gift to save so many people. According to Lexie, everyone is a little shocked about Aemilia's decision, but it's the best way to use her gift, so everyone supports her.
What shocks me though is the fact that The Warlock hasn't made a single move, that we know of, this entire week. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop though. It's too quiet, and my wolf knows something is about to happen. I thought I was being paranoid, but when Dr. Egelston agreed I could go outside for a little while yesterday, I could feel it in the air.
Lexie has the packs on high alert, and has done a beautiful job handling them. The Warlock may not have made any moves against us, but Braelyn did by coming back for the other coven members. Unlike everyone else in The Warlock's coven, Braelyn doesn't wear that mask, and since her and Brianna look exactly alike, she was able to just walk right in and take them. It wasn't until Logan noticed someone moving around in the pool house did anyone even think something was happening. The packs are still in the backyard, but they had thought it was Brianna.
Logan put his life in danger trying to stop her, but just like with Lexie, Braelyn is too powerful for us to stop her. Braelyn was able to get the coven members out, but they're useless to The Warlock now since none of them have magic. I know Braelyn isn't as powerful as The Warlock, and by us not being able to stop her, I have a very bad feeling about what will happen when we finally do find The Warlock. How are we supposed to be able to stop him? And why the hell didn't I think to strip Braelyn of her own powers? I completely overlooked taking them away, and I think it's because she's still my cousin, and I still feel like I forced her into joining The Warlock.
The only relief I've experienced this week, other than Aemilia saving my life, is that Keegan still has the diamond. That diamond is the only thing that is slowing The Warlock down, and I intend to keep it that way. Uncle Septimus is still guarding Keegan, and even Dalton has started staying closer to him to make sure he's protected. I'm not sure how I feel about Dalton anymore. Lexie says he's changed since Brianna and him completed their mating, but he's still a douchebag who left Keegan by himself. I don't think I will ever like Dalton, but he's part of our family now, so there's not much I can do about it.
Lexie informed me Sophie, Gavin, and Uncle Luke took off with Pascale the day after my CSF leak, and all of them have closed their pack links. I don't blame any of them, I just wish they would check in with someone, anyone, so we know they're safe. Sophie herself caused Zombie major harm by ripping off his arm, and even though I know her Dad and Pascale will protect her, it's possible Zombie is watching their every move. As far as I know, Sophie also doesn't have full control of her magic yet.
"Are you ready?" Lexie asks me as she pulls the backpack strap up on her shoulder more.
I look over my shoulder to Ronald and Dr. Egelston. "You're sure it's safe for me to travel by magic?" I ask them as I look between them.
Dr. Egelston nods her head, and answers, "Yes, Your Majesty, but until your pain medicine wears off-"
I growl, turn my head back to Lexie, and say, "Yeah, I know." Ronald chuckles a little as I tell Lexie, "I'm ready."
She smiles at me, grabs my left hand, and as soon as we land on the stage, the packs lose their minds. Thank God my head doesn't hurt anymore. When I ordered my doctors to not tell anyone other than Lexie, Keegan and Dad about my second surgery, I didn't mean for them to not tell the packs. I just didn't want anyone knowing before Lexie was able to address them. As soon as I came through that surgery, and I woke up again, I explained that to Lexie. The packs now know about it, and they also know Aemilia had been the one to save me.
I smile at the packs, and don't even try to calm them down. Everyone who has came to visit me has told me that they've been restless all week while they waited to hear about me, or for my return. I let go of Lexie's hand, and wrap my left arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me. Dr. Egelston said I can shift in a day or two, once we know my head is fully healed, so I can heal my right shoulder, and I can't wait. As soon as I heal my shoulder, I can stop taking the pain meds.
And then I can fuck Lexie's brains out.
Lexie wraps her arms around my midsection, steps closer to me, and we both wait. When the packs simmer down about five minutes later, I tell them, "Thank you all for your support and patience this last week. It means a lot to me how often Lexie, or someone from the family, told me about your concerns. I want to let everyone know, that although I am on the mend, I am still recovering. For the time being, I can't use my magic, and I won't be able to shift for the next day or so." I pause as I look down to Lexie for a second, and then look back to the packs. "If no one has any important matters that need to be addressed right now, I would like to go rest." I pause again, and when no one say anything, I say, "Thank you again for all of your support, and I will come speak with you as soon as I have more energy."
As the packs clap and cheer again, Lexie curls her fingers, and then we're in our bedroom. I sigh happily, drop my arm from around her, and go to lay down on our bed. I start to kick my shoes off, which Lexie helps with, and after Lexie climbs into bed next to me, a peaceful sleep consumes me.
I'm not sure how long I've been asleep for. I know it's been a while because my back is sore from laying in one position for so long. Dr. Egelston said that although my head will be fine, the amount of trauma, and the multiple surgeries, will take a toll on me. She told me to rest as much as I can, but when you're a Guild Leader, that's easier said than done.
I've always wanted to be able to sleep in, and apparently with everything I've been through, I'm actually able to do it now. As my eyes slowly open, the first thing I notice is that the sun is halfway in the sky. The second thing I notice is that I'm naked, and Lexie is kissing down my chest.
"Stranger danger," I chuckle, my voice thick with sleep.
Lexie looks up at me as she laughs and continues to kiss across my chest. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," she purrs.
I smile down at her, tuck my left arm under my head, and tell her, "I know you will." When she starts going lower, I bring my left arm out and put my hand on her shoulder. "We can't Lexie. Not until I can shift and heal my shoulder."
She purses her lips at me as she raises an eyebrow. "Your shoulder doesn't have to slow us down," she continues to purr.
The fire in her eyes, and the way she's laying across me, has me weak. Since we mated, we've never gone this long without having sex, and by the way she is silently begging me, I know she's in need. Her heat is starting to fill the room, and my cock responds to it.
I bite my bottom lip, close my eyes, and reply, "But I won't be able to do everything I want to do to you."
Lexie chuckles at me, and the smell of her heat intensifies. She starts kissing on me again, and says between kisses, "Then save it for later, Valerio." She stops kissing me so she can positions herself further down the bed, then she grabs me. She looks at me a little nervously, and says, "Unless you don't want it?"
I raise an eyebrow at her, and then lift my hips a little, forcing her hand around me to glide down. "I need you just as much as you need me, Lexie." I pause, and then smile sadly at her. "I just won't be able to please you like I want."
She smiles at me, and then without even saying anything, she closes her mouth over my length. I grunt as she goes all the way down. Lexie mouth feels like warm velvet, and the way she runs her tongue from the base all the way to my tip has me on the verge of cuming already. My breathing is already labored, making me feel ridiculous with how quickly this is going to be over. I feel like this is really close to how quickly our first time together went.
I put my left hand on the back of her head, grab a fistful of her hair, and force her to come back up. When her sweet mouth disconnects from around me, a popping sound fills the room, making me groan.
She locks eyes with me as I shake my head, and I try to regain some molecule of control as I let go of her hair. "I'm so close already," I breath as she bites her bottom lip. "If you keep going, even for another second, this will be over."
The devilish smile she gives me is the only warning I get before she leans back over and takes me all the way into her mouth. I moan loudly, embarrassing myself. My hand goes back to the back of her head as I thrust my hips up, and then I'm throbbing harshly into the soft tissues of her throat. Her lips around me tighten as she starts sucking, acting as if I'm a straw and she hasn't had anything to drink in days.
When I'm done losing myself, Lexie continues to suck on me, only turning it more gentle. Her head starts moving up and down, and soon I'm even harder. Once Lexie is satisfied with my engorged size, she slowly lifts her head as she twirls her tongue around me. When her lips are just around the tip, she creates a vacuum for a second before snapping her head up.
As she looks at me, she licks her lips and moves to straddle me. While she positions herself, I pinch her nipple, causing her to hiss and moan. God, I've missed that sound so much. I pinch a little harder, desperate to hear her moan again, as she directs me to her core as she responds to my touch.
With her on top of me, I hungrily look at her. During the week, when she wasn't busy and was able to come visit me, we were rarely left alone. Almost always, someone from the family came with her, or if she was actually able to come by herself one of my many doctors was in the room with us, so I couldn't really stare at her like I am now. If I had been able to, this might have happened.
Lexie slowly fills herself, and the feeling is almost as intense as when I claimed her. I put my left hand on her hip as she moans, lift my hips from the bed slightly, and swivel them, trying to bury myself as deep as I can go. Lexie's head falls back as she continues to moan, and the sight before me takes my breath away. I move my hand from her hip, and start skimming across her stomach, traveling north to cup her breast. As my hand forms around it, Lexie brings her head back up and smiles at me.
"You're so beautiful," I whisper as my eyes rake over every inch of her. When my eyes get back to hers, a bright blush flames her cheeks.
I twitch inside of her, causing her to bite on her bottom lip as she hums, and then she starts grinding on me. I let go of her breast, move my hand up more, and start to circle my mark with my finger, making sure to not touch it so I'm teasing her. Lexie moves her head, exposing my mark more as she tries to get me to touch it fully.
Her thrusts against me start to become more demanding. When she switches from grinding on me to bouncing, I drive myself deeper each time she comes down. By the fifth time, her walls start to get tighter. As she comes back down again, I thrust harder than what I have been, and put two fingers on my mark, sending both of us over the edge in a wave of bliss that has us shouting the others name.
"You're not nervous, are you?" Keegan asks before we step out the back door.
I swallow as I look at him on my right. I take a deep breath, turn back to look out across the patio, and tell him, "I connected to my wolf when I was five. I wasn't nervous, nor scared then, simply because my Dad and Uncle spent a great deal of time talking to me before I did it." I take a deep breath. "But this is different. If my head hasn't healed enough, then shifting can be dangerous. So, yeah, I'm a little nervous."
Out of the corner of my eye I see Keegan look at me. "But Dr. Egelston said if you wait a day or two then it should be fine, right?"
I nod my head. "That's what she said."
"It's been two days since you got home," Keegan points out, "so you should be fine."
I take another deep breath. "Lets hope," I reply as I feel Lexie walk into the room. I turn to look at her, and the shorts and tank top she's wearing makes me want to get this shift over with so I can return the kindness she's been giving me.
She blushes a little as I look her up and down while she walks to me. The sway of her hips makes it really hard to not get a boner right now. She smiles as she comes to my left side, grabs my hand, and asks, "You ready?"
I force myself to look back out to the patio, and then swallow again. I wanted to do this shift in private, but Dubois informed me that the packs want to witness it. After everything the packs have been through since they arrived, I can't deny them this. If this shift doesn't go according to plan, they would know about it straight away anyways, they might as well see it for themselves and save Lexie the hardship of telling them.
Apparently, ever since Lexie order Dubois to not leave in front of everyone, the packs have been treating her differently. Lexie and I walked the sea of tents together yesterday, and each Regional Alpha talked to her before they did me. The immense amount of pride I have towards her for embracing who she is now was so strong yesterday that her and I had to come back inside so I could taste her.
"Valerio?" Lexie says when I don't answer her.
I lick my lips as I look back down to her. I want to shift, but what if my head isn't healed enough? It's been a week and three days since the diamond forced Lexie and I away from it. I've had two surgeries on my brain, one on my shoulder, and had an endless barrage of tests ran on me. Shifting should be the easy part, yet I'm even more scared now than when I had my CFS leak.
I take another deep breath, look out to the patio, and force myself to nod my head. Keegan takes a step forwards and opens the back door. He smiles at me as he motions with his hand to go outside. I grip Lexie's hand tighter, take another deep breath, and then pull Lexie and I outside. Before we've even made it all the way around the swimming pool, some of the wolves see us coming, and quickly get the others attention.
By the time we're coming through the back gate, every wolf has quieted down and is looking at us. I navigate the two of us through the packs, eventually coming to the stair to the stage. Refusing to let go of her hand until I have to, I pull Lexie up with me. As we walk to the center of the stage towards Dr. Egelston, the packs gather around it, and all of their faces look how I'm feeling.
Nervous and worried.
Dr. Egelston smiles at me as she bows, and then pulls something from her back pocket. She steps up to me, giving the packs her back, and uses a small flashlight to examine my eyes. I blink a few times as she switches eyes, and then swallow as she takes a step back.
"Pupil response is normal, Your Majesty," she informs me with a smile. She nods her head as she looks at Lexie for a second, and then says to me, "You can shift whenever you're ready."
I swallow as Lexie and I take a deep breath. "Thank you, Dr. Egelston," I tell her.
She gives me an odd look, and replies, "Don't thank me, thank your sister."
I smirk at her as she walks to the stairs. As she takes a place next to Aemilia's side, I look down to Lexie. I kiss her, let go of her hand, and put my hand on the back of her head, and then pull her closer to me.
You're going to be fine, she promises me privately as we continue to kiss.
I pull away from her, smile as much as I can, and then kiss her forehead. "I love you," I tell her, just in case something happens and I can't.
She smiles at me, puts her hand on my cheek, and replies, "I love you too," before taking a few steps back.
I keep my eyes on her as I take a deep breath. I don't know if the packs can tell how nervous I am, and I think this is the only time that I don't care if they know. I take another calming breath, look at the packs for a second, and then back to Lexie. I close my eyes, swallow, and then shift.
Thanks for reading!
~Stefanie