All I Ever Needed

Chapter 26

I stood in the kitchen at nine am. I had woken in the warm arms of my mate and felt the sudden urge to walk around my home-but trust me, I wanted to stay in bed. Chase had fought with me in his sleep, grabbing a hold of my waist and not letting go. Luckily, he released me after multiple attempts of clawing at his large hand-he cuddled the pillow after I left.

My stomach was pressed against the counter as I looked out the kitchen window. It was a foggy morning, making me see shadows and creatures that weren't really there. The rest of the house hasn't woken up yet, surprisingly I was the first one. I gripped my hot chocolate to my chest and inhaled the sweet smell, the warm feeling consumed me and put me in a state of contempt.

"No way!" A voice screamed behind me making me nearly drop my drink.

Am was standing in the kitchen archway, staring at me. Her eyes were glassy with tears and she had her left hand placed on her growing stomach. The sight alone made me choke up.

I placed my hot chocolate on the counter and ran to her, crushing her into a hug and bending away from her stomach. Am gripped me hard and cried into my shoulder. We both looked like hot messes crying into each other's shoulders. Am in her stripped pajama pants and a tank and me in Chase's shirt with his sweats. If someone were to walk in they'd have a heart attack.

Am sniffled one last time and pulled me an arm length away, "I can't believe your back. Luke didn't tell me! When did you get back?"

I wiped my own eyes and rubbed my nose, "Last night."

Am let out a snarl, "I'm going to kill Luke!"

I giggled. I missed Am, my only true friend in the pack-or at least that I've met. She hadn't really changed from the last time I saw her. Her stomach was growing and she had gained some baby weight, making her face rounder. Her blonde hair had gotten longer and reached past her breasts, laying on her stomach. She was glowing, in pregnancy and beauty.

Am sniffled, "Stop looking at me like that," she wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve, "You're gonna make me cry."

I laughed, "How am I looking at you?"

"Luke I'm an old friend that you haven't seen in six-hundred years." Am said, giving me a look. Her eyes brimmed with tears.

"It's honestly what it felt like."

Am pulled me in for another bone crushing hug until a voice interrupted us, "Gosh, it smells like tears and hormones. What's happening?"

Luke appears in the doorway with an old tee and pajama pants that matched Am's. Am glared at him but then softened at the look of him. Is hair was piled on the top of his head and his eyes were only half way open. He smirked at Am who scurried to his side and embraced him in a hug. He kissed the too of her head and I caught the movement of his hand reaching down towards her baby bump, where it stayed, rubbing circles.

A pang of jealousy rushed threw me until I heard commotion upstairs and a low growl. Chase was down the stairs in a second and pounding into the kitchen. His own hair was sticking up in multiple places, his eyes swollen shut with sleep. His shirtless, toned body bulged with anxiety until his eyes met mine. They instantly widened and he gave me his own smirk. I too, scurried to his side and grabbed a hold of his waist, pulling him into me.

Luke and Am, who were standing beside us, broke apart. Am frowned up at Luke and poked his chest, "Thanks for telling me Annora was back."

Luke widened his eyes and looked quickly at Chase who merely shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'tough luck'. Luke grabbed a hold of Am's small hand and pulled her out of the kitchen, "Let's go talk somewhere else."

Chase smiled at their retreating backs then turned to me and fisted his hands in my hair, he gave a light tug and kissed my lips, "Thanks for scaring the shit out of me. Waking up to an empty bed is quiet frightening for a guy."

I punched his shoulder, "When is waking up to an empty bed not a relief for a guy?"

Chase chuckled and winked, "Touché." He pulled me closer by my hair and kissed his mark on my neck, "But when he goes to sleep with a woman he loves he always likes to find her by his side when he awakes."

He smiled as he trailed his warm, familiar kisses up my neck towards my job. His hand that was not fisted in my hair was making its way down my back until it landed on my butt, where it stayed.

"Chase." I groaned, "Stop."

"Why?" His voice was husky, causing my knees to wobble.

I moaned a little when he nipped on my neck causing his wolf to purr. I placed my hand on his bare stomach and pushed a little, "We're in the kitchen."

Chase smirked against my skin, "Like that's gonna stop me."

~~~

I threw Chase back his boxers that had been thrown across the room and pulled up my sweats. Chase caught them with one hand a winked at me, stalking his way back to me. I backed up into a corner and giggled as he flung the boxers towards the sink and raised both his eyebrows, moving them up and down. I covered my face to hide my blush and laughed loudly.

Chases big hands wrapped around my wrists and brought them down towards my side, "I love it when you blush."

I smiled and kissed his lips quickly, "And I love it when you don't parade around the packs kitchen naked."

Chase smirked. Only meaning one thing-he has something cheeky to say, "Oh, but if love to see you do it. Possibly with me too."

I covered my face once again and giggled, "Chase we just did it."

Chase grabbed my waist and brought me into him, "What's stopping us now?"

The door bell rang just then causing me to giggle, "That."

Chase groaned and walked towards the sink where he retrieved his boxers. He was frowning as he pulled back on his close, "Mother-"

"Don't finish that word." I said, walking into the living room towards the door.

Chase quickly ran to my side with all close on but a shirt, like earlier, and grabbed a hold of the door knob before I could. I stood behind his tall frame as the outside light poured in.

"We found a body in the woods." Reed said. He was dressed in casual attire that looked as if it had been washed in mud. Reeds face was covered with streaks of dirt and his arms were brown and covered in scratches, "We were digging for something and came across it. I believe she belongs to your pack."

At those last words Chase's face turned stone cold and he gripped my hand, "Give me a second. Then I'll go see them."

Reed nodded as Chase bounded off in search of a shirt. Reed smiled at me, a look of pain on his face, "I'm glad you're back, Annora."

I smiled back at him and nodded. Chase returned then, grabbing my hand and leading me out of the door.

Reed paused on the door step, "You're bringing her?"

Chase nodded quickly, "I'm not letting her out of my sight."

~~~

The woods still haunted me, even though I was with my mate and some vampires. I felt lonely, like those multiple nights in the cellar and running through the woods. Ahead of us was a hug tree-some would call a hanging tree.

A rope was tied on a branch and looked as if it had been ripped in half. Standing underneath the tree was a tall figure in a black cloak, holding a skype. I looked to Chase and Reed but the didn't seem to recognize him. They looked as if they were looking straight through him.

A voice came in my head, Annora, I'm glad you're safe. What happened here was not a suicide, but a murder. Keep that in mind.

Death disappeared after speaking to me and I turned to Reed, "What happened here?"

"We believe it was a suicide." He said a little strained.