Chapter 139

Rachel POV

"Get away from my mate!" roared Tyler as his hands transformed into those of a Lycan, great claws tipping each finger.

I screamed out of shock more than fear. The animal in me knew Tyler would never hurt me. I was his mate and he wouldn't dare risk me or the baby I carried.

Art pushed me behind him which only further enraged Tyler. I quickly moved around to try to get between the two Alphas. They were already huge compared to me, but Tyler was losing control, shifting into his Lycan form which was even bigger than his human one.

"Tyler, no! I was only saying 'thank you' to him! Tyler!" I cried, trying to get his attention so he could calm down.

Tyler had always been outfitted with a steel will when it came to holding back his beast. Wynd only took control when extremely unorthodox situations happened like if I were to go into heat or the full moon happened during a fight or---I lost the ability to come up with scenarios as I realized I had only seen Tyler lose control once or twice.

Snapping his head around to look at me, Tyler ground his teeth together, his features blurring as he fought against the Lycan shift. I watched as he forced back the beast in himself, gradually becoming the handsome man I knew.

"Your idea of a thank you is to kiss him? On the lips?" he growled.

Wynd was too close to the surface. I didn't want to agitate him further. I didn't want to lie either.

"I wasn't thinking. I just did it. I swear I didn't mean anything by it. There's nothing happening here except gratitude for being saved. Art did that, you know? He rescued me, Tyler!" I begged him to understand why I would want to thank the Alpha Inspector for my freedom.

All I seemed to do was upset Tyler in a different way. He snarled at me then turned glowing eyes on Art to growl at him, too.

"I didn't know she was going to do it, Wright. She literally just did it and it was nothing. I swear. I've had more intense kisses with my exes. After we broke up! And trust me, none of them have any love lingering around for me these days," Art offered.

I doubted the truth of his statement since I could imagine Justice cared for him as the father of her children which meant his other exes likely did the same. I knew I would always have feelings for Tyler even if he rejected me himself.

We shared a child which was an unbreakable bond.

Trying to get Tyler to focus on me, I closed the distance between us to put my hands on his chest, feeling for his heartbeat as I promised, "I would never betray you, Tyler. Never. I swear to you I only wanted to thank Art for getting me away from those awful men. I thought they were going to kill me."

Tears spilled over my eyelids, making tracks down my cheeks. My own heart began to race as I remembered how afraid I had been with Dorney and Gus. They could have done anything they wanted to me. I'd been unable to shift to protect myself and my baby needed me to stay on bedrest.

"I was afraid to fight them, Tyler. I kept thinking I'd hurt our baby girl. Art saved me. Please. He saved me!" I begged Tyler to understand even if I didn't have the words to express myself more clearly.

"Get out of here, Windsor. Take care of the Campbell female and Nathan Lewis and Ethan and whatever else you need to handle. Do it away from my mate. Understand?" Tyler asked, his eyes still glowing with a feral gleam.

Art nodded once, before agreeing, "I think I should be going. I won't bother your Rachel. You have my word. If I have news, I'll send it another way or I'll call. Fair enough?"

Tyler seemed to consider the proposal for a very long time before he nodded an agreement. Art disappeared as suddenly as he ever appeared; I found I oddly missed him though I knew I couldn't risk seeing him again until Tyler was more in control.

Reaching out to Tyler, I tried, "I missed you so much. I was afraid I would never see you again. Never get the chance to have our baby. Never get to hold her in my arms. Thank you for trying to save me, too."

I thought he might need me to acknowledge his role in my rescue. I knew Tyler had done all he could to free me. I'd been part of the ransom call so I was very aware of how much money the abductors had wanted for my release and Tyler had been ready to pay it.

"Oh, so I get a 'thank you', but I don't get a kiss, is that it?" Tyler snapped, looking put out all over again only this time I felt confident I could solve the problem.

I threw myself at Tyler, my body molding to his instinctively. Pressing my lips to his, I kissed him with all the passion in my heart; the peck I had given Art was literally wiped free of my mind as if the wind had blown it away.

Tyler lifted me from my feet and my legs wound around his waist. He had the perfect male body with his broad shoulders which narrowed to a trim waist and rock hard abs I ground myself against.

Kissing Tyler took my mind off my pregnancy, my abduction, the almost-fight between Tyler and Art. All I could think about was how it felt for his lips to move against mine, his tongue to stroke mine, his teeth to nip at my lips and tongue and his breath to invade my lungs.

"Wait. We can't. The baby," Tyler murmured, breaking our kiss to lean his forehead against mine as we caught our breath together.

I wanted my mate to make love to me with a fierceness which brought tears back to my eyes. My body was on fire and I couldn't risk sating it because I knew my baby needed me to stay cool.

Breathing in and out with Tyler, I waited until my breath matched his. We were both cleary at our limits. The struggle to hold back our passion was enough to leave us both shaking though for me it was more of a tremble while for Tyler? It was an earthquake rumbling to life under his muscles down into his bones.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "I only wanted to tell Art how grateful I was he hadn't given up on me. I swear I would never betray you that way."

"What way?" Tyler murmured, tilting my head with his hand even as he held me up with the other, "You wouldn't kiss another wolf? Have sex with another wolf? Even if we're talking about Alpha Inspector Art Windsor who you look at like he is blessed by the Moon Goddess herself?"

Shaking my head, I couldn't help arguing, "No. I wouldn't. Not even for Art who is everything an Alpha should be, but Tyler, Tyler, you're more! You're my mate and you're going to be my daughter's father and you are so much more than an Alpha to me."

Tyler kissed me again and I lost myself in the moment. Our lips met over and over, mapping each other in a game of give and take which would have no winner or loser. I could feel our love for the first time in what felt like so long.

Our kissing lasted long enough for me to lose the feeling in my legs though I knew Tyler would not let me walk. His strength wouldn't fail either. Tyler would hold me up even through the end of the world.

"You're safe now," Tyler whispered to me.

Nodding, I agreed without using words because words were useless in the moment. I didn't need to use words to tell Tyler I trusted him with my body, my heart, and my soul.

Raine spoke from inside my mind, [I know you are here to protect me always, Wynd. You and I are one. Always.]

[One. Always,] Wynd agreed.

I kissed Tyler again, wishing for more, but content to enjoy the fact I was safe until my eyes popped open and I realized I hadn't told him the most important thing he needed to know.

"They were behind it, Tyler! My fathers! Patrick Flores and Richard Campbell were the ones who paid those men to take me."