Loving the enemy

Chapter 24

With shaking legs I walk to the camp.
Most of the wolves are sleeping, and I easily sneak past the ones who are on guard. I slide past tents as silent as a shadow, if Shane sends me away I don't want anybody to know I was here.
My plans are shattered as a fist makes contact with my nose. I fall backwards onto the ground, clutching my face.
"Vampire!" He hisses with words that aren't loud enough to wake anyone else. "I may be blind, but I can still kick your ass if you don't tell me why you're here!"
"Dan! Stop, it's me!" His risen fist wavers, and in the darkness I can make out confusion on his face.
"Max? Oh shit, I'm so sorry-" he catches himself. "Wait? You're a vampire now? How?" I scramble to my feet and wrap my arms around his neck. I bury my face into his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry. I had to." He strokes my hair.
"I didn't think you were coming back. None of us did."
"I can't leave you. I can't leave Shane." He pulls away from me, holding me at arm length.
"He's in his tent, he will be awake. He hasn't slept very well since you left." I nod and kiss Dan on the cheek.
"If he sends me away, because of who I am now. I just want to say goodbye. You've been a good friend to me." I can feel the sadness radiating off him. He doesn't want me to go, and I don't want to.
"Thankyou, Max. For everything."
I walk past him and approach Shane's tent. I step inside and see him lying on a bed of leaves and pine. His tired head turns and our eyes meet.
"I came back."
He stands so fast I step back in a brief moment of fear. His hands cup my face and he stares into my eyes.
"What happened to you?" His eyes hold so much concern that I start to cry again.
"He bit me. I had to let him. He wouldn't have trusted me otherwise. But I killed him, Shane. I killed my little brother. I'm a vampire. I'm a vampire..." He wipes away my tears with his thumb and kisses my forehead.
"It's okay. I still love you."
"How? I'm a monster."
"So am I."
Before I can stop myself I'm kissing him. For a moment nothing else in the universe matters. Not a thing.
•••••
The morning after spending the night with Shane, we talked to the pack.
He explained everything from the beginning. Every single thing. The pack listened, and nobody was disrespectful. Some of them asked questions, but they weren't hurtful. Shane said that I would be staying with them now, and that they needed to respect that I was his mate.
He told them about what would happen next. He said the vampires would want revenge, and would come looking for us. The pack needed to move on, and we did.
We found a beautiful place on the other side of the country, and the best part is it was vampire free. I learnt to love Shane again, and with me back for good this time he was much more open to me. It took a few years for the pack to accept me fully, but they did.
I had Shane's children, a boy and a girl. Dan found his mate, a beautiful girl from another pack in the forest. She left her family and joined us, she loves him unconditionally and describes the nature to him. Shane said Dans smile is the biggest its been since before his sister died.
It took a while for me to fully let Able go, to get over the nightmares I used to have about him. It still hurts to think about him, but I've accepted it.
Despite everything that's happened, I think I'm ganna be okay.