Chapter 181

[ 1,459 words ]

Liam

I groan, annoyed at the cutting, steady beeping ringing in my sensitive ears.

I reach for the alarm clock on my nightstand. Well, I try to, but my arm feels like it’s being weighed down by a cinder block.

“Haz…” The words slip from my mouth as the dry passage of my throat crusts over, causing me to cough.

“I’m here, babe,” she says quickly. “Don’t move so quickly. Take it easy.”

The quiver in her voice gives me the strength to pry my eyes open.

The room blurs, waving in and out of focus. My mate’s soft hand wraps around mine while the other caresses my abdomen.

My cock gives a valiant attempt at rising, but when my vision finally clears and I take in the red, puffy rings around her eyes, it deflates.

“What…” I lick my lips against the dryness, and the last 24 hours come back to me.

The captives.

The interrogation room.

The bomb.

“Fuck,” I croak out, worried for my pack mates, for my family, helping me to push past the pain and the tightness of my raw skin.

Hazel presses a glass of water to my lips, and I drink it down desperately, knowing that I need it.

“They’re okay, “ she says, probably sensing my panic. “Everyone is alive, but you’re the first to wake up.” Tears well in her eyes. “I should kick your ass.”

She puts aside the water and hugs me.

I wrap my arms around her, soothing her fear.

“How could you get like that? So you know how much I worried about you? How scared I was that—” Her voice cracks, dismantling the illusion of irritation that she’s trying to put up.

Her bone-deep terror hits me through our bond. For a moment, she thought she had lost me; she felt her life slipping through her fingers.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I murmur, cupping her face and lifting her head.

I kiss her lips.

Over and over.

Small instances of atonement, understanding, and reassurance.

The slow, soft reassurance coaxes her, sets her alight as she reaches back for me.

Firmly pressing her lips against mine, her tongue enters my mouth, licks and plays and demands more.

Needs it.

My hand fists her hair of its own accord, possessiveness making me growl in pure male satisfaction as the scent of her arousal fills my nose, sparks through the bond, and burrows its way inside me.

I grab her thighs and yank her off the floor onto my lap.

She yelps and tries to pull away, but I’m not having that.

“Wait. Wait. You’re hurt,” she tries.

No way in hell I’m letting there be space between us.

“No. I’m hard.” I punctuate that statement with a thrust of my hips.

My cock is back on board, pressing against the thin sheet, stretching towards what I want.

“Don’t play dumb,” her breath hitches as I kiss and lick her neck. “You were just blasted in a locked room by a fucking explosive.”

I nip her over my brand. “Were you lying to me?”

“What?” she asks confusedly.

“You said I was okay. Were you lying?” I look up into her beautiful green eyes.

“Of course not, you idiot,” she frowns.

“Then stop denying me what I want.” I cup between her legs boldly, and feel smug when she rocks into my palm. “That’s it, baby. Let me give us what we both want.”

The hesitation in her eyes finally leaves, replaced by the burning heat that makes the room fill with sensual promise.

“Then take me,” she challenges.

I crush my mouth on top of hers, shifting out my claws and tearing through her pants.

Fuck it. I’ll find something for her to wear later.

Hazel doesn’t miss a beat, rucking up my medical gown and throwing herself down on my cock without preamble.

“Fuck,” I grunt, feeling that hot, tight heat wrapping around me. “I missed you.”

“Back at you, baby,” she says with a softness in her eyes that makes me feel seen. “Now, give me what you promised me.”

My hips rock up as if she can command them with her word, and let’s be serious, she can.

“You’re so perfect,” I groan, dragging her back down toward me so I can consume her moans.

I pound up into her, giving her everything we both need.

It feels like it’s been so long since I’ve buried myself inside my mate. It’s like I’m suffering from withdrawals

My wolf urges me on, pushes me to bury myself deeper into mate and fuck her hard and fast. To mark her with our scent and fill her.

To make sure she knows nothing will ever take me away from her.

***

“Are you decent?”

Thomas asks through the closed door.

Hazel smirks at me and I love that impishness.

“We’re good,” she calls out, slipping from the bed.

I frown.

That isn’t something I like.

My beast growls, wanting to be pressed up against his mate and blaming the healer for her moving away.

Thomas enters, giving me a once-over. “You’re looking well.”

“I feel it. How are the others?” I say.

The stubborn male ignores my question and raises a hand towards me. I feel the soothing presence of his healing magic beneath my skin.

“As expected from a hybrid. Your body has done a great job building off of what my team and I had done. You should be at full strength in a day or so.” He pins me with a look. “Take it easy until then. No training or… strenuous activity.”

“I’ll make sure he listens,” Hazel says.

Thomas looks at her dubiously.

“Hey, I’m offended at your assumption,” she pouts.

“I didn’t say anything,” he says flatly.

“You were thinking it,” she complains.

“I’m not responsible for your guilt.” He pins me with a look. “I’ll let your sister know you’re awake. Remember what I said about rest. It’s better to heal completely than to run on half strength.”

“I know,” I concede, though I make no effort to agree to rest.

He narrows his eyes at me, not missing that, but leaves the room.

“How is Aira holding up?” I ask Hazel.

“As well as anyone could expect. All of her mates are incapacitated. It’s only been a day, but it has to be a terrifying feeling.”

“And the pack?”

“Handled. Felix, Dex, Marcus, and Sebastian have really stepped up to help keep the order.”

My throat tightens. “Rick?”

“He’s stable.”

“He tried to protect us,” I admit, my chest tightening, remembering the look on his face when the bomb went off.

Rage.

Disbelief.

Guilt.

I need to speak with him when he wakes up

But right now I need to get to Aria and help in any way I can.

I push off the bed, and Hazel is right by my side.

“Let’s go see what Aria needs, then we’ll get home to the kids,” I say.

“Alright,” Hazel says easily.

Too easily.

I give her a speculative look.

She ignores me and leads me into the room across the hall.

Aria stands when we enter and rushes to me.

“Thank the moon you are awake.”

I hate the look in her eyes. The dark smudges of worry and the haphazard clothes from sleeping in the pull-out chair in the room.

I put on a cocky grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Of course I am. Don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not easy to kill.”

Her eyes sharpen on me, her lips pursing. It’s better than the sadness.

“Glad to see your ego is intact.”

“I knew you’d be.” I look around the room. “They should wake up soon, but until then, what do you need from me?”

She glances back at her mates before looking at me. “I… can you take over guiding the enforcers?”

I wrap my arms around her. “You should make sure you rest. All this stress can’t be good for the pup.”

“I won’t leave them,” she says stubbornly.

“Liam is right. We’ll take care of everything else and see about getting you something more comfortable.”

“Thanks,” she says to Hazel.

“We’ll have Low with us,” I add. “We’ll make sure he knows everything is okay.”

“Okay.”

With one last squeeze, we leave and go make our last stop.

Inside Rick’s room, Xochitl sits by his bed, holding his hand as Thomas checks his vitals and updates his chart.

Thomas frowns at Xochitl.

No, he frowns as his hand, his thumb gently rubbing back and forth across the Alpha King’s knuckles.

“How is he?”

“He’s fine,” the wind Sypher answers. “Just milking it to build anticipation.”

I snort.

His words are prickly, but I can hear the underlying worry there. The care.

“Bet he is. How long do you think he’ll keep up the frail act?”

“Another day or so. That’s what Thomas says.”

“He is in a healing sleep. Not an uncommon thing for syphers. It’s different from unconsciousness; it’s his body’s magic willing putting him in a sedated state to focus more energy on healing,” Thomas elaborates.

“Good. Would it be possible to come get me when he wakes up?”

“I’ll come get you,” Xochitl says.

“Do you need a break?” Hazel asks, “We could get someone to relieve you for a few hours.”

He waves her concern away. “I’m good.”

I give Xochitl one last nod before we head out.

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