The Alpha's Fight

Chapter 16 - Died and Gone To Heaven

A sweet rain scent that warmed my entire soul tickled my nose, followed by the softest curls imaginable. I rubbed my cheek against the dusky blond crown, tightening my arms splayed across his back. The tingles of our mate bond ignited everywhere our bodies touched. None of last night had been a dream, none of it had been a figment of my imagination. I peered up at the world surrounding us, we really had fallen asleep in the meadow. The dewy grass and late blossoms cocooned us and the early morning sun peeked over the mountains in the distance.

Freeing a hand, I swept one of the curly strands from his face. Taylor was still deeply asleep, his full lips parted and his breathing soft and shallow. How could I disturb him when he looked as beautifully peaceful as he did? His skin was awfully tempting though, completely naked and draped across me. I lightly trailed my hand downward, placing the curl behind his ear, tracing the muscles down his back to grip his firm ass cheek. One light squeeze was all it took to earn a sleepy groan, his pretty hazel eyes fluttering open.

"You didn't leave," he sighed in relief, kissing the tip of my nose. His voice husky and deep yet incredibly soft. "You stayed with me."

"I would've never left you alone out here. Why would you ever think I would?"

"I thought, maybe you might change your mind... about us," he drew circles on my chest, not looking me in the eye. "When you were sleeping, I got a little worried common sense would kick in and you wouldn't want me."

My fingers curled under his chin, lifting his gaze to meet mine. A light grizzle of stubble coated his jaw, adding a pleasantly rough edge.

"I've wanted you since I was 13 years old. It's never changing. You and me? We're forever. I wouldn't give you up for anything," I promised.

"You're not like I thought you'd be..." he stroked the side of my face, his thumb rubbing over my bottom lip.

I had heard that sentence from so many people, accepting it was how I would always be perceived on first inspection. My father was a tyrannical asshole and therefore, I must be too. Hearing it from Taylor sliced into my heart differently. I never wanted him to see me as someone to fear.

"... You're so much more," he pulled me close, resting his forehead against mine, whispering against my lips. "Do people say that a lot about you?"

I nodded, my mouth forming a tight line like the knot in my throat.

"I've never been scared of you, not once, ever," his lips brushed against mine.

I wrapped my arms around him, tightly, burying my head into his neck. It was exactly what I needed to hear from him.

"We need to go," I sat us up, noting the sun's position suggested it was roughly before 5am. "I have patrol to get to. I can just about get you home, but we need to be quick."

He smiled sadly, nodding, and stood with me. Once our clothes were gathered and bundled back up, we shifted to run back. I hadn't received any mind-link demanding my location, so my father either didn't know I was missing or didn't give a shit; the latter making far more sense. Ever since leaving high school, three years ago, I would regularly sleep outside on warmer nights. It was only in recent days that I camped exclusively near Taylor's home to watch over him. It was all I could do to escape my prison or from having to see the red-haired girl, April, around the pack house, a bitter reminder of the future I never wanted to face. The outdoors were my escape, and now, my mate was too.

I went first out of the tunnel, to make sure it was safe for us, and stayed close beside him the whole run back to his home. We snuck into his backyard, covered by the hedge so we could shift back. Taylor quickly pulled me into his house, to the kitchen at the rear of his property. I instinctually threw my head back, saturating my lungs in his scent that clung to every surface. I would have loved to live here with him, in this cosy, beautiful home. Shaking myself out of my fantasy before I descended any further down that particularly tempting rabbit hole, I slipped into my jeans.