Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Three
I awoke to the feeling of being jostled, ever so gently.
It wasn't a particularly sharp movement but it disturbed me from my sleep nonetheless. I attempted to curl up instinctively but something hot was restricting my ability to do so. I let out a groaning complaint as the world shifted, moving me out of my comfortable position.
"Stop..." I mumbled through a gummy fog, wriggling a little as I was moved into a different position against a gloriously hot chest with my legs spread. Heavy hands came beneath my butt and gently pushed me up, so far that my chin came to rest on a cloth-covered shoulder.
"Be still, Sunshine," Sebastian murmured comfortingly into my ear. I was tempted to open my eyes but decided against it when he gently maneuvered my arms around his neck beneath his shirt and bounced me into a more comfortably position before letting me rest against him.
With a single fluid motion, he rose and I swayed with his movements, lulled.
"Whuzappenin'?" I hoarsely croaked, nuzzling his neck as soft yellow light lit up my eyelids in abstract shades of pale red. "Babe, why are we getting up? What time is it?"
"It's past sunset. Just sleep, Beloved," he murmured, carrying me downstairs. I heard voices behind us but they were low so I couldn't really understand what was being said. I snuggled him, deciding to take his word for it and try to keep on sleeping.
At least until I heard a door open and the cold hit me.
My eyes popped open wide and I blinked blearily at the open front door, looking at the warmth of the house as we left it and its soft yellow lights behind, walking across the huge porch and down the stairs until Sebastian's boots crunched on the gravel.
Leo and, to my surprise, Jun followed us outside.
I was a little confused about what was happening until I remembered that I had an appointment with Doctor Einstein. I braced myself, prepared to feel Bash begin his whole wild-man running and jumping process, but instead of doing so he simply kept walking down the driveway at a normal pace. I wrapped my legs tighter around his waist, trying to soak up his heat as I studied Leo and Jun talking with each other about twenty paces away.
My view of them shifted as Sebastian turned to cut between two of many massive and symmetrically panted trees lining the path to his house. I stared at the dead trees devoid of leaves through the filter of my lashes, eyes half-lidded and sleepy, marveling at the snow.
Everything was glittery with frost.
"What are we doing?" I rasped when he stopped just long enough to snag something; a click and a thud followed the movement, and then to my absolute surprise he was carrying me into the same black RV he'd first used to transport me from my apartment in Michigan to his home. I looked around as he shut the door and moved into the plush interior of the amazing vehicle. "Baby--"
"Shhh," he shushed, and to my shock he turned around and carefully sat down on the bed, making sure my legs were no longer wrapped around his hips before lying flat and scooting across the dusty covers so I had room to move. I pulled back just enough to stare when he jerked the covers up and over the two of us, suffusing me with immediate heat.
He looked at me after getting settled in himself, hands going up beneath his own shirt as well as my own so he could hold my waist and stroke my skin with his burning thumbs. I blinked a few times, trying to get my bearings and figure out why we were taking the RV instead of running.
"Where are we going?" I quietly asked. "Why aren't we running?"
He his face took on an uncharacteristically soft expression.
"The cold," he explained, and I frowned. "It's snowing slightly and the temperature is fifteen degrees. Running in this sort of cold would put the windchill factor at about thirty below zero and you don't have an appropriate winter jacket since we haven't taken you shopping for one."
"Oh," I mumbled. "So that's why you're not going all John Carter tonight?"
He let out an unexpected bark of laughter that shook me to my bones.
"John Carter, eh?" he cackled, squeezing me. "I've never thought of our abilities like that, but I guess I can see the comparison."
"Obviously," I muttered. "You jump like a human flea and throw shit around like Hercules."
"And I'm betting you find that to be a turn on," Sebastian purred, big hands sliding down lower to squeeze my butt. "Before we rest, Beloved, I want you to bite me."
"Wait... now?"
"Yep."
I instantly leaned close to his shoulder and kissed him gently, working my way up to where I normally bit him. I licked his skin for a little bit, gently scraping the tips of my long teeth across his neck and taking pleasure in the shiver that went through his body. Goosebumps rose up.
I smiled as I peppered him with more kisses.
"You like that?" I huskily teased, and he let out a sour grumble. "It gave you goosebumps."
"It's... stimulating," he allowed, taking a deep breath. "Sadly, though, now is not the--oh... f--"
His curse turned into a deep groan as I bit him gently, puncturing his skin with my teeth and sinking up to my gums. I squeezed him tight as sweet liquid moonlight filled my mouth, rippling and scalding and nourishing my thirst. My skin prickled as my mouth filled slowly but surely.
Every swallow made me feel alive and energized.
I felt the bulge in his groin pulse and strain against his jeans as we held each other close, felt his breathing change and become heavier. I swallowed mouthful after mouthful until I was fully sated. Only once I couldn't drink anymore did I pull my teeth out of him and crush my tongue against the punctures in place of my hand. He grunted, shifting as I staunched the wounds.
"You don't have to do that," he muttered. "It'll be healed in a few moments."
I shook my head and kept my mouth and tongue on his wounds, gentle but firm, until they closed. Only once he was no longer bleeding did I lick his tender flesh clean and wipe my mouth using his collar. He raised an eyebrow at that, but I ignored it and cuddled him.
"I know I don't have to, but I will always want to," I sighed. "I love you, Babe."
"I love you, too," he rumbled, leaning down and kissing my forehead as one powerful leg wrapped around both of mine. "Anyway, Leo's gonna drive us to Rogar's clinic so we can check up on the condition of your arm. If there aren't any problems, we'll have the cast taken off."
"Thank God," I sighed, giving him a winning smile. "It's itchy as hell."
He looked at me for a long time, gaze drifting back and forth. I heard the engine of the vehicle come to life and then there was a jolt that rocked us gently, but we didn't break eye contact even though the movement was clear and obvious. All I could focus on were those handsome eyes.
"I'll be good to you," he suddenly uttered, and I blinked. "I'll be a proper husband, Aerin."
"Okay?" I asked, concerned. "I know you will."
"I mean it. I'll provide you with a happy life and memories you can treasure," he continued, swallowing. "A home where you and our pack can live happily for the rest of our days. I'll do my best every single night to prevent... anything... from happening to you, ever again."
His eyes glazed over and he clenched his jaw, irises flashing bright yellow.
"Are you okay?" I demanded, frowning, but he only nodded at me and I watched as the bright hue faded back to a dark coal black, no longer smoldering.
"Your arm," he growled, gripping the cast with tentative fingers. "I did it. I still see that moment in my head whenever I look at that cast. The looks on your face before, during, and after. You say it is not my fault, and in a sense you are correct... but I was still the one who delivered the blow."
I didn't stop to think or question my actions when I leaned close and kissed him, tightening my arms around his neck. Even with the cast on I held him... not like it was too hard to bend it after all the abuse it had been through these last few weeks.
I was actually kind of amazed it hadn't fallen off on its own.
It wasn't until I heard a strange gurgle and felt him shift that I paused.
"What the heck was that?" I asked, staring at his twisted and somewhat pained expression. "Are you hungry?"
"The opposite," he huffed without opening his eyes. "I have stomach cramps."
My brows jerked up. "I didn't know werewolves could get stomach cramps."
Sebastian opened one eye and tried to bare his fangs at me, but failed.
"It happens," he grumbled. "Very, very occasionally."
"Really? Because in my experience you guys never get sick. Any kind of sick. Like ever."
Sebastian squeezed his arms around me a little bit tighter and winced before muttering, "we can still get sick if we eat too much Chinese food. Or the wrong kind of food. Or too much sodium."
"Did you?" I asked, startled and when he reluctantly nodded I asked, "when?"
"While you were sleeping," he muttered. "You were buried in my shirt and I didn't want to wake you so I simply moved and had Diana bring me plates of food. It was Chinese and I ate too much of it. Greasy foods aren't good for our digestive systems... same goes for chocolate."
"And certain herbs, which happen to be in Chinese food," I said lowly, instantly touching his belly. "What did you eat? And how much?"
"Seven plates of chicken Lo Mein with fried beef teriyaki strips on sticks," he muttered, then scowled and added, "as well as three plates of orange chicken and broccoli with rice."
I made a face, mentally calculating the calories.
"No wonder your stomach is messed up," I murmured, raising my good arm out of his very loose neck hole and carding my fingers through his hair. "Sorry, big guy. Next time I'll be awake to make sure you don't go overboard on Chinese. Would some tums help?"
Sebastian closed his eyes and leaned into my caressing fingers. "You're not funny."
I smirked and flicked him gently on the ear. "I'm hilarious and you know you love me."
"Indeed I do," he reluctantly grumbled. "You're damn lucky I do, too."
"Yeah, I know," I sighed. "I wish I could help you, though. Stomachaches are no fun."
"It's okay," Sebastian grunted. "Just... this is good."
I curiously scratched his head and blinked when he made a pleased noise. "This is good?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," I chimed, and kept stroking my fingers through his hair. Maybe he'd still be miserable for a couple of hours, but I knew instinctively that he'd be considerably less miserable as long as he had me lying right here beside him, sharing a shirt. I fisted my hand in his hair after a while and closed my own eyes, still obnoxiously tired and completely lulled by the vehicle's movements.
Every bump was somehow muted and oh so soothing.
I drifted for a time, here and there, settling down into the strangeness of my own waking dreams... until suddenly there was movement and I was immediately much colder. I shifted, breathing in deep as reality descended down upon me.
"Babe?" I called, but instead of getting an answer I was lifted up Bridal style. I opened my eyes to see that he was carrying me down the steps, keeping me close to his chest. I peered around and recognized the empty parking lot of Rogar's private clinic. The streetlights were on and buzzing and I rubbed my eyes as cold snow landed on my face and hair.
It was freezing outside, and I hated it.
"We're almost there," Sebastian grunted, hastening across the frost-covered pavement. "Don't worry."
"I'm not worried," I mumbled, shaking my head. "I'm just tired. And cold. I'll be happy when this is over."
"You're not the only one," Leo called from somewhere behind us, "but don't worry, once we get your arm checked out we'll be heading back home and we can all go back to sleep."
"I've heard you all puppy piling together," Jun quietly noted, and I twisted to peer around Sebastian's shoulder, taking in the sight of the Korean man with his hand shoved into the front of his hoodie pockets, face barely visible behind the fringe of his dark hair. "After the weddings and honeymoons are all finally over, do you think we could have some more Wolf Time?"
"You bet your tail we're going to," Sebastian immediately growled, hands tightening on me. "I fully intend to have us pack pile in the converted library for the next few months after the shit storms we've been through lately."
As he spoke, he pushed open the glass door to the clinic and carried me into the carpeted walkway towards another door. I swallowed when we passed through it, catching sight of the empty reception desk and somewhat dim waiting room full of empty chairs.
The television in the corner of the room was off.
The place looked closed.
"Rogar, we're here," Sebastian said in low, calm tone, not raising his voice. "Come out."
"Oh!" a distant voice exclaimed, sounding far too chipper and jolly. "Bashy-Boy!"
There was a clatter and one of the doors to the examination rooms down the long hall flew open, revealing the chubby dark-eyed werewolf doctor with his happy smile and white lab coat. I watched as he hurried toward us, clothes fluttering, and reached out to touch me.
"Hi, Dr. Einstein," I greeted as he poked and prodded my cast. "Missed your goodbye to everyone after Christmas."
"Ah, well, I'm not good with goodbyes," he chuckled, giving me a bright grin. "I'm more partial to hellos! Speaking of which, Hello, Aerin! You're looking much better than when I last saw you!"
"Dude, I'm getting married tomorrow," I laughed, and he nodded delightedly. "Of course I am!"
"Yes, yes, I received an invitation and I fully intend to come!" he yammered, turning and leading the way down the hall. Sebastian followed without prompting. "Come along, I'll take a look at your arm now, the machine is already prepped, but you must tell me--how is young Louise?"
"She's managing, thanks to you and the others," Sebastian cut in, momentarily glancing down at me with his thick brows furrowed. "I invited the Nereid twins and Samael to our wedding but I haven't received any word back from them. Did they tell you what they intended?"
"No, they're quite the reclusive bunch," Rogar chuckled, and I winced as a flash of bright fluorescent light hit my eyes as I was carried into the room with the X-ray. Sebastian set me down on the cushioned table-like thing beneath the massive machine but growled and bared his fangs when he was ushered away by the jolly doctor, who paused. "Oh, hush, you know being in here isn't allowed. You can wait out in the hall."
"I want to--"
"Yes, yes, I know, he's your mate," Rogar sighed, swatting him until he fled the room. "Shoo! He needs an x-ray and I don't want you breathing down my neck!"
I stared in awe when the door was slammed in Sebastian's face. "You're the only person who's ever been able to do stuff like that and not been mauled by him, I think."
"Only because I'm the one who patches him up and gives him occasional guidance," Rogar merrily explained, giving me a highly amused look. "He likes me too much to maul me."
"Really?" I asked, and he nodded even as he picked up a huge blue blanket and carried it over to where I was lying. I winced as he set it across my whole body, including my face, since the thing was heavy and felt like it had some sort of metal inside it. "What the heck is this?"
"Protection," he told me. "You're a vampire, remember?"
"Oh... right," I said, startled. "X-rays. Ultraviolet. Duh."
"Mmmhm, right you are!" he agreed, and I heard footsteps as he over to the computer and starting the machine up. "Hold still now!"
I did exactly as he told me to do, just focusing on my breathing.
I hate hospitals, I mentally complained. Here's hoping I don't get hurt again for a while.
"I remember the night you came in here with that broken arm," Rogar suddenly said, breaking me out of my thoughts. I was more taken aback by his somber tone than his words. "I don't think I've ever seen someone look so sad. When I saw your hair... well... I'm sorry it happened."
A wash of cold pain went through me at the memories. "Yeah... me too."
"Have you spoken to Louise about it?" the doctor asked, cautious and careful. "At length?"
"No, not yet, a lot's been going on," I admitted, trying my hardest not to fidget. "Plus, she's sort of locked in the isolation room for her own safety at the moment. Finding time to talk with her has been hard since she actually wants to be left alone, according to everyone else."
"So... who have you been talking to?" he demanded, a little more sharply. "Who have you been working through your issues with, if not her?"
I remained silent, since I didn't have an answer.
Truth be told, I hadn't been working through them. I'd just pushed them all aside. There'd been no real venting aside from letting myself be able to break again, finally, and admittedly the emotional wounds from everything we'd all endured were still sort of festering on the inside.
Rogar seemed to take my silence as an answer.
"I see," he murmured, contemplative. "Then, will you do something? For me? And for yourself?"
"Uh... depends on what it is," I allowed.
"Write down everything that's happened to you in a journal," Rogar said quietly. "If you can't get it out to another person, get it out on paper. It's incredibly therapeutic and I think it might help you channel whatever lingering problems you might have in a positive way."
"You think?" I asked, pondering it. "I don't believe it will, personally."
"Take it from me when I say that it works in the long run," the doctor laughed. "Even your mate keeps a journal. Helps him sort his thoughts out. He said the same thing at first, but nowadays he always keeps a miniature journal and a pen in his back pocket. Writes at every opportunity."
I frowned for a second since I couldn't remember ever seeing Sebastian writing like that, but then I remembered being in the hospital and seeing Richard reading one of his journals. I blinked a few times in surprise, then actually considered the possibility of starting a journal.
"Do you really think it'll help?"
"Of course I do," Rogar chimed. "And I'll bet my left foot that your Louise would agree with me!"
"I'll take it into consideration, then," I conceded, stopping a shrug before it could start. "Anyway, Doc, what do you do for fun? Like, when you get off work?"
Dr. Einstein hummed for a moment. "I don't know, nothing exciting."
"Aw, c'mon," I complained, pouting. "You've patched me up, what? Three times now? And I still don't know anything about you!"
"Well, mostly I just play with my wife and kids," the man relented. "I have three tots and four preteens living at home with the Missus. I run this clinic and have a few small business chains on the side, so when I'm not needed for immediate emergencies I'm at home with all my babies."
"You have a lot of kids," I exclaimed. "Seven children?!"
"Oh, I've raised far more than seven," he said with a jolly laugh. "All in all, I have twenty two children, including the ones at home. The other fifteen are in all college, or working, or taking care of families of their own. I raised them right and proper, werewolf tendencies aside."
"Wow," I breathed. "You're a super dad!"
"That I am!" he boomed, sounding exalted by the praise. "I love every single one of my children to death and they regularly visit me and call and Skype. Once our youngest babies have all grown up, my wife and I want to have more of them. It never gets old... I'm a family man, and I want to have a big, happy, beautiful family that can stretch across the corners of the world."
"So, basically, you're a patriarch," I said, and he paused. "You've got a lot of adult kids... who've got kids--"
"That are also adults with children," he interrupted, and I balked. "Keep in mind that I'm over three hundred years old, Aerin. Many of my children came into this world in my early years, after I found Martha, my mate, the wondrous apple of my eye. I imprinted on her in no time flat, and within the first year of being married she was pregnant with twins. My first, beautiful sons."
"Your family tree must be huge," I mused, thinking.
"Oh, it is," he agreed, sounding utterly thrilled. "I have great, great, great, great grandchildren."
"Holy shit!"
"You're shocked now, but you'll see," he chuckled, sounding thoroughly excited. "Someday you and Sebastian will decide to have children of your own and you'll begin to understand that life never really ends for us. You have an eternity to raise as many children as you want to unless misfortune or accidents intervene, and that's why you need to take care of yourself."
"But... well, what if our children are born as... alphas?" I asked. "I mean, isn't it sort of... like, hard to make an alpha father who has alpha children get along with each other?"
"Yes, but I've learned that a parental bond is stronger than any wolfish instinct," Rogar said simply, and I could almost hear the smile in his voice. "I am an alpha tier myself, Aerin. Several of my sons and daughters were tiered the same after their first shift, and hormones do run high... but love conquers all. Hugs and reassurances and a bit of scolding while doing so can soothe the gnashing teeth and angry tantrums, even if you do get a little chewed up in the process."
I winced merely thinking about that.
"I suppose that's fair," I murmured, then asked, "so, aside from being Super Dad, what else do you do?"
"I'm flattered by the curiosity, but I legitimately don't do anything you would be interested in," Rogar snorted. "I read a lot. Sometimes, when I have free time, I go out for a drink with my pack or get together for a few games."
I stared at the fabric covering my face and frowned. How long was it going to take for the x-ray to finish? "What kind of games?"
"Mm... chess, sometimes poker."
"Poker?" I asked, piqued. "I've always wanted to learn poker."
The Doc laughed. "Sebastian would be more than willing to teach you."
"He knows how to play poker?" I asked, and a crooked smile tugged at my lips since I hadn't really thought about that possibility.
"Of course he does, he's been around longer than the eighteen hundreds," he said, and then the whirring stopped. I lay still for a bit, listening to him clack away on his computer. "Oh!"
"What?" I asked, worried. "Is my arm still broken?"
"Quite the opposite, it's healing nicely," he exclaimed. "However, I wouldn't say fully. Not yet at least."
The door came open with a bang that made me jump and Sebastian growled, "is it enough to take the cast itself off?"
"Yes, I'd say so, but I'd recommend no strenuous activity," Rogar said, and then there was a shuffle and the protective gear covering my body was jerked off. I blinked at the bright lights above me, eyes stinging and burning from the harsh glare.
Two big arms slid underneath me and helped me into a sitting position, but Rogar came back and those hands vanished with more shooing and swatting. I watched, amused, as the rotund little man forced my behemoth of a bastard out the door like a mouse scaring away an elephant.
The door was, again, closed in his affronted face.
"Does he really not need to be in here?" I asked, but Rogar simply sighed and set a huge bag down on the mat right beside me.
"He'll just be in the way and hover everywhere and get possessive over you," Rogar absently said, digging around in the bag. I happened to catch a glimpse of something sharp and metal.
"Um... not to intrude," I said slowly, eyeing the freaky tools, "but what're those?"
The doctor shrugged. "Medical tools. I doubt you'd want to hear me explain all of them."
"You can explain some," I prodded. "I'll stop you when I get bored."
Dr. Einstein hesitated, but acquiesced after a few moments under my gaze.
"Well, I'm sure you're familiar with a scalpel," he started, holding the tool in question up for a moment. "Then there's the clamps, which are, you know... clamps. They hold things."
"Really?" I wondered, baffled. "What sort of things need to be clamped in an operating room?"
"Well, skin," Rogar said, making an amused face. "You need something to hold it back and away, and sometimes you use them to hold wounds closed."
"Ew."
Rogar giggled, which wasn't a word I ever would have expected to apply to a man like him, but it was cuter than a chuckle and smaller than a laugh. I also hadn't expected to think the man cute, but the smile on his face definitely was. It was no surprise that he had so many children.
Or that he was a doctor, even. He had a rare sort of charm that could make anyone feel better.
"You've seen this before," the man said as he held up a circular needle. "It's curved to make sewing flesh easier. Then this," he held up what looked like a tiny pair of scissors, but with very tiny dulled blades, "is a pair of forceps. For grabbing." Next he held up a fork with curved tines. "Retractor. For pulling fleshy bits aside. I prefer to use my fingers but sometimes the space is too small, you know, to stick a finger in there, so you need something smaller to put in..."
I smiled a little at the doctor's enthusiasm, even if it was a bit... weird. I couldn't imagine putting my fingers in a person's organs, the very idea made me wanna gag, but Einstein seemed to enjoy doing it for whatever reason. I decided not to think too heavily about the implications.
Who the hell would enjoy poking internal body parts?
Yuck.
"So... you do this stuff because of surgeries," I said, watching as he rummaged around in the bag humming. "To help people who are sick or injured recover properly."
"Yep... I do! Oh, and suction tubes pull blood out of the way," he exclaimed, "and--oh! Here are the bone drills!"
A bead of sweat ran down the side of my face when he pulled out an intimidating looking device, grinning over at me.
I gave him a hesitant smile back. "You really dig this stuff, huh?"
Rogar gave a hum, shrugging as he put the drill away. "Well, yes. I do. Surgery is my specialty. I sometimes wish I could do it more, but that's not really a thing you can say to patients, is it?"
"Not really, no," I squeaked, and he laughed at me, setting everything back inside and pulling out a small metal saw. I took off my shirt when he asked me to and remained perfectly still as he brought the tool over and carefully started grinding it against the cast.
I felt like I should probably be afraid of him after all that, but I wasn't. Rogar was a good man who Sebastian trusted, with a big family and an even bigger heart. Finally, the cast popped off and my arm breathed in real air for the first time in what felt like forever.
"There we go," he said, then paused and added, "but first, I want you to run a few mobility tests with me. Sound fair?"
I nodded and he stepped forward, poking and prodding at my limb with glove-covered hands, and after a time he had me raise my arm up and down, as well as from side to side. He pushed on the spot that Sebastian had smashed and I admit I felt a little pain, but overall it was fine.
Eventually he pulled back, satisfied, and I tugged my sweatshirt over my head.
"So," I drawled, "am I free to go?"
"That you are!" Rogar chuckled, patting me. "I'll see you tomorrow at the wedding!"
"Finally!" Sebastian barked, opening the door and sweeping in. "I--"
"Oh, shush, it's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," the doctor scolded, crossing his arms and giving my man a barbed look. "Don't you know of the proper decorum?"
Sebastian stopped dead in his tracks, staring at him blankly. Even Leo and Jun peered inside.
"Do you really believe that superstitious nonsense?"
"You're a werewolf, you're marrying a vampire, but you draw the line at wedding traditions?"
"I draw the line at anything that keeps us apart for any length of time," he growled, leaning down and scooping me up in his arms. "Married tomorrow or not, he's still grounded."
"He's a grown man," Rogar barked, laughing incredulously. "You grounded a grown man?"
"Damn right," Sebastian snorted, eyes crinkling as he turned and walked back out. "Goodbye."
"Until tomorrow night!" the good doctor cackled, then gasped and added, "and Aerin, remember what I said about the journal! Don't forget!"
"I won't!" I called, and then we were heading down the halls and back outside into the cold. The walk through the parking lot was uneventful and rather cold, but I admit I was relieved when he carried me back into the warmth of the RV. He shut the door and set me down on the bed, crawling back into it and flopping down on the pillows as the engine started up again.
I relaxed, scooting close to him, wondering if I should crawl into his shirt or just nap some more.
He caressed my arm, touching the flesh that had previously been protected by the cast.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, and I shook my head. "Not even a little?"
"No, not unless you put pressure on the spot your hand hit," I said, hating his wince. "It's healing and I'm fine, I promise. I just need to be careful."
"Hence why you're grounded," he grumbled, making a sour face. "I'm not letting you out of my sight for a long time. I mean it."
"Don't blame you after everything we've been through."
"Good."
Silence fell between us, a silence we both spent just staring at each other.
Hair slid across my eye with a bump in the road, soft and white and cold. I flicked it back with a jerk of my head and took the incentive to move up against him, wrapping my leg around both of his. He held me, and I felt safe... I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.
"I feel safe," I whispered, and his eyes crinkled with a faint smile. "I feel so safe with you."
"Good," he whispered back. "I want you to."
"Tomorrow night," I murmured, staring at him. "You and I. The start of our new life."
I wanted this, I knew that. More than anything in my entire life... but it was still terrifying. Sebastian D'Agostino would be my husband, it wasn't something I could really wrap my head around. No matter how many times I used the word fiance I still couldn't believe it.
Sure, I'd called him my mate. Sure, I'd called him my boyfriend. Sure, my fiance.
And yeah, a few times, I'd even called him my husband.
Now? Now it was real... and I was all too aware that tomorrow my life would change forever.
Until the ceremony, however, I was just going to rest and recover. I didn't want hectic shit and behavior happening, I didn't want anything unusual, no supernatural appearances, just me and Bash and Tiffany and Woody and a happy wedding to bring the end of something sad and lonely.
The end of my road to endless hardship and loneliness.
The start of something amazing.
My future.