Heart of Stone (Parts I & II)

I. Chapter 29 | Part 1 - Stone

Song: "Pieces" by Red

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Rage at Carina's escape when her male companion threw himself at Gunner to protect her, filled Stone all morning as he ran back to the pack house. She was the one he wanted destroyed above all others. She was the one who made his life a living hell, and yet she was the one who got away.

He left Gunner to clean up the mess, while he tried to sort out his thoughts and emotions on the way back home.

The night had been a waste, and he was furious with himself.

The cold shower he had when he got home eased some of his frustrations but seeing Aubree sleeping soundly in his bed erased his anger completely. In its place, fear seized him, and he collapsed in his chair a few feet from the bed to watch her.

Her scent wafted over him and the sense of peace that shone on her sleeping face enveloped him. His heart swelled with the thought of her finding solace in his bed; that she could sleep so soundly despite everything that happened yesterday.

The smile on his lips faltered when Alistair mentally announced that they had nothing to feed Aubree for breakfast.

He closed his eyes, basking in her vanilla-rose scent as he communicated back and forth with Alistair as he made his way to the nearest store.

Soon, she woke up and tension gripped him as it always did. Seeing her in his T-shirt, coupled with her sudden unexplainable arousal, forced him to leave the room as the voice in his head reminded him that she was engaged.

He always had to remind himself that. Even as they spoke in the kitchen and her pulse raced, he forced himself to maintain distance between them. Forced himself to maintain control when he wanted nothing more than to touch her.

The bitter taste of jealousy filled Stone's mouth when he heard Aubree ask about Dan on the phone. He looked away as a low rumble reverberated within his chest as his heart clenched, hearing her mother's response on the other end.

Of course, she would ask about her fiancé. He had been in the car accident too and sustained injuries from it. Of course, she would have to return to him. She made a promise to Dan to marry him and be with him for the rest of their lives. He couldn't keep her away from him. She had to go back.

As much as he wanted to keep Aubree all to himself, he knew that she had to go back to the city. Back to the life she had, while he would always remain in the shadows, looking after her from afar.

The moment she broke down on the table, her pain engulfed his senses and he couldn't keep himself from consoling her.

He got down on his knees by her side and gently pulled her arm away from her head, pulling her away from the table's surface. He reached for the other one so that he held both of her small hands in his big rough ones in her lap.

"Aubree, look at me," he whispered to her hunched form.

When her tear-filled eyes slowly met his, he could feel the earth-shattering pain that ripped through her. He couldn't bear to see her in this kind of pain. Even though he knew she was crying because she wasn't with Dan when he needed her, he had to swallow his jealousy and focus his attention on her.

He could hardly speak, but he pressed on. "I promise you, I will do everything in my power to protect you and your loved ones. You can continue your life as you normally would. You will never have to worry about vampires again. I promise you."

He reached up and pushed her damp hair back behind her ear before placing his hand behind her head and pulling her forward so that her forehead was touching his.

"Please," he said as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Stop crying. I can't bear it."

"I can't go back," she whispered.

He pulled back in confusion, frowning at her as his eyes tried to search hers, but her gaze was downcast. "What?"

"I mean," she said, wiping the tears from her cheeks with both of her hands, "It's me that the vampires want, right? I can't stay with Dan. I can't marry him. I'll only put his life at risk too." She squeezed her eyes shut as another bolt of pain ripped through her and her arms wrapped themselves around her torso. She took a shuddering breath. "Why should I make him suffer as well? He deserves to live a normal life, and I can't give him that. I have to let him go."

He couldn't believe what she was saying. It was the same reason that he had kept himself from getting close to her these past two weeks.

But what she said was true. The vampires wanted her, not Dan. If she stayed with him, he could get hurt. They might try to use him to get to her. Then use her to get to Stone.

He shook his head and touched her elbows. Running his fingers down her arms, she shivered as her grip on herself loosened. As his touch neared her wrists, he drew her arms away from her body and uncrossed them before taking both of her hands in his once more. Squeezing her hands gently in her lap, he drew her attention back to him. She opened her eyes and looked at him with such sadness that his whole being ached.

"It doesn't have to be that way," he told her. "I will take care of Carina. I will take care of everything immediately, so you can live freely without fear."

He wanted nothing more than to wipe away the sadness from her eyes and the pain that engulfed them both in her touch.

"It's not just that," she said in a small voice, her gaze lowering again to their hands in her lap. "I can't go back to that life."

His brows furrowed and he couldn't help the little flutter of hope behind her cryptic words as a mixture of emotions flitted from her touch.

He needed clarification. "What do you mean?"

Her bottom lip trembled. He stared at it, wanting to cease its trembling with his own lips pressed upon it. He wanted to take away the pain that wreaked havoc on her heart. He wanted to make her forget Dan and the vampires that threatened her life and give her one brief moment of bliss where she was his and he could bask in the warmth and delights of her touch once more.

She took a deep breath, gathering courage into her lungs and exhaling slowly. "Nothing will be the same anymore. I have no choice."

He swallowed as his gut clenched. This was what he was afraid of. He didn't want her to feel forced to choose. He wanted her to choose what made her happiest of her own free will. "You always have a choice."

She shook her head. "You say I have a choice, but you're only lying to me and yourself."

He stared at her as he watched her sift through her clumped and scattered thoughts.

"Dan and I were never meant to be together. There was never a choice," she concluded. "Unless the choice was to reject you. And I can't..."

She stumbled as he felt another jolt of pain rip through her and her hands clenched tightly together in his. Even his heart seized up at the words of rejection and he couldn't help but stiffen by the mere thought of it.

Yet, there was more to be said. More on the tip of her tongue and he couldn't tear himself away. Holding his breath, he stared at her, hanging off her every word in anticipation.

The rest of her sentence came out in a rush of air, strong and fast, before slowing down to a whisper at the end. "I won't reject you because it hurts me to even think about it."

He could hardly believe what she was saying. Was she choosing to be with him? "Aubree?"

"I can't go back," she whispered. "I have to let go of everything because the only choice I have is to be with you."

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Dedicated to Nfoosh 

*Copyright Jo Lee Hunt (Joflower) 2015*