Chapter 62

As the days pass by, and my clock counts down, my anxiety just increases. I find myself staring out the windows, wondering where my people are now. What they must think of me. I feel like I’m abandoning them. A terrible sense of shame hits me periodically as I think about how I didn’t go with them. How I responded when I met them and the resistance I felt about leading them.

I still don’t think I can do it. Other than my bloodline, they have no reason to follow me. But I want to know them. I want to meet the rest of them and understand their history and who they are. Because who they are, is a part of who I am too.

“I can talk to them.” Adrian says as we sit together after dinner, finishing a glass of wine. “It’s time we worked things out and came to agreement anyway.”

“I can’t send you to do what I need to.” I argue. “What will they think of me if I send my mate? They will think I answer to you and they’re angry. They won’t have anything to do with me after that.”

“No, they will challenge you and likely kill you.” Adrian responds angrily. I flinch and his eyes soften. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

I gulp down the rest of my wine, fighting to fortify my nerves. Adrian reaches across the table and takes my hand.

“Maybe we weren’t meant to be together.” I say quietly and he clutches my hand tighter. “They won’t accept it. You didn’t see them when I said I couldn’t leave you. They want to kill you, Adrian. Maybe we just need to end this now.”

“No.” His voice is uncompromising and firm. “I will not lose you, Lily. You are my mate, and my own pack couldn’t keep us apart. I won’t let this one either. I know you’re afraid, but separating is not an option. We will figure this out.”

He sounds so confident and sure. His refusal to let me go has my heart warming and my nerves start to calm. If anyone can figure out a solution to this, it is him.

I rise out of my chair and walk around the table. He moves his chair back, but before he can stand, I lean down to kiss him firmly. My lips part to allow his tongue to sweep through my mouth and he guides me onto his lap.

His hand reaches under my shirt to cup my breast, and he groans in satisfaction to feel the hardened peak. His mouth leaves mine to trail kisses across my jaw and the column of my neck.

“Let’s go upstairs.” He murmurs against my ear and my core heats at the promise in his voice.

This time is not like the slow, tender lovemaking we’ve done before. Every kiss and touch is claiming. As though we’re trying to communicate with each one our resolve not to let anything come between us.

Later when we are spent and trying desperately to catch our breath, slick with sweat and lips swollen and bruised, Adrian takes my face in his palm.

“I love you.” He says, and my heart fills with so much love and joy, I’m almost speechless.

“I love you too.” Are the only words I can say back, but they are the only ones I need.

Later that night, I jolt awake from restless dreams. Adrian is still fast asleep next to me, and I ease out of bed, careful not to wake him, and go downstairs for some water.

Movement outside the kitchen window has me pausing and staring out into the dark. My heart thunders against my chest as my wolf starts to sing. I answer the call, slipping out the door and walking down into the grass.

This is probably a mistake. What if they kidnap me again? Or perhaps they are tired of waiting and I’m facing a challenger. I’m about to turn back, when I see the figure of a woman in the dark, hiding out of sight. I know her immediately.

“Your people are getting restless.” Ellen says, stepping out of the shadows. “They believe you are abandoning them and worried you will choose the werewolf.” She pauses and leans forward, sniffing at me. Her lip curls. “Perhaps they are right to worry. You smell like him.”

I wrap my arms around myself, as though that will stifle the evidence of what Adrian and I had done not two hours ago. I’m not ashamed, but it seems wrong to rub Ellen’s nose in it when she hates him so much.

“He’s my mate, Ellen. The decision is not an easy one to make.” I try to reason with her.

Ellen inhales sharply. “You are sure that he is your mate?”

I nod confidently.

Ellen looks conflicted now, though the look of disgust hasn’t left. “This changes things. Mates are sacred things. Some of your people will not care, but others still hold true to the belief that mates, once they are accepted, should never be separated. You have accepted him?”

I nod again and her face falls a little. “Then your decision is a difficult one. It is hard to blame you when you didn’t know who you were, some will anyway.”

“I don’t know anything about my people. Tell me about them.” I say, pleading a little.

“They are brave and resilient. We have been though a lot.” Ellen explains patiently. “The bear people have all but wiped us out. There are few of us left and many are scattered. We live as underground as we can, hiding our existence and living in fear. We need a leader to unite us and bring us out of the shadows once more.”

“That’s not me.” I say quietly. “I’m a nobody. I haven’t even finished college yet. I don’t know our people, who am I to try to lead them?”

“You are the daughter of their lost king and queen. Your father and mother were brave, though your father made mistakes. He didn’t trust your mate’s father and tried to ensure his loyalty by gaining leverage against him. The king believed him attempting to usurp him. The alliance was weak anyway, but once it snapped, we lost everything. We weren’t strong enough to resist the bear people on our own and without the agreement with the werewolves, we were slaughtered. They hunt us still.”

“Why?” I ask.

“Power. They are feral and want to wipe us out so they can take our territory. We have lost most of it, but we hang tightly to the scraps we have left.”

Ellen sounds mournful. Like she grieves for what her people used to be. For the people she lost.

“I’m sorry.” I say sincerely, but quietly. “I’m sorry for the part my father played and for not being there for you.”

Hope fills her eyes. “You can be now.”

“I don’t know how.” I say, fear and apprehension fills me. I don’t know how to say yes to her.

“I will help you. Your people will help you.” She assures me. “Come with us and take your rightful place. We will follow you and we will not let you fall.”