Running out of Time (#Wattys2017)

Let Me Love You

"You definitely sprained this." Well, not me but Ryan. The storm had knocked out the power so Clarke was using the light from his fireplace to wrap up my wrist with an ACE wrap just until it healed in about a day. Since he brought me to his place the hoodie, which by the time we got here was soaked, was replaced by a pair of his boxers and one of his tank tops. Of course it was all big and baggy but it was all comfy and smelled like him. Both of us were soaked to the bone and cold. I was shivering, but it was Clarke's eyes that let me know he was cold.

He didn't say a word as he moved to look at my shoulder. "Only a couple of these got deep enough to need stitches." He put some rubbing alcohol on the bite to keep it from getting infected, and it stung like a bitch. The worst part though was when he stitched up the couple of spots that needed stitches. "Where did you learn to do that?" Any sort of conversion would help take my mind away from the pain. "I would get into a lot of fights when I was younger, Alpha temper and all, as a punishment my dad would make me stitch up my own wounds. He said it would teach me to control my temper. Well it worked, because I soon learned not to get into fights when I realized how much it hurt to get to certain injuries."

As he snipped the remaining thread Clarke put an antibiotic cream on the bite and then a bandage. Slowly I turned to face him. "Thank you." Some of my wet hair had fallen in front of my eye and Clarke pushed a lock or two behind my ear revealing the black eye I had. "Who did this to you Lilly? Please let me kick their ass for you." I bit my lip a bit as I looked into the fire place. "Ryan, he got pissed off that I wouldn't accept his offer and that I've been hanging out with you. He even called me a, pack rank climbing whore." Clarke's soft fingers brushed a falling tear away from my cheek. Slowly he pulled me closer to him and into his arms.

With his lips so close to mine my heart picked up. Every second he got closer to my lips, and I wanted him to capture my lips in his. "Clarke, stop I can't do this." I could feel his breath against mine. His heart was pounding so loud I could hear it. "Why not Lilly? Why can't you let yourself be close to someone?"

"Because I have 31 days left until I die. I don't want to hurt anyone who I can avoid hurting." I could tell he didn't buy it. He snaked his arms around my neck and closed the distance between my lips and his. His soft lips crushed against mine in a way where all I wanted to do was melt into this kiss. "I see you Lilly. I see a girl who is scared but won't admit it to herself. I see a girl who was confident at first, but now the confidence is a mask to hide the fear of death. I see a girl who for so long thought she couldn't be truly loved by anyone that she won't let anyone near her." He pulled my chin up so I was looking right into those forest greens of his. Damn did they pull me in. "Let me give you the best 31 days of your life Lilly. Let me show you what real love is, because nobody should die without knowing real love."

There was a pleading look in his eyes that would have compelled me to say yes, even if I didn't want it. The truth is I wanted it more than I can describe. It was as if I would die right away if I didn't. My response to his offer wasn't verbal. Instead I gave him a soft kiss on the lips. He was the one who intensified it by pulling me deeper and closer into him. As things got more heated Clarke laid me back against the couch. The second he started kissing my neck our little make out session was interrupted. "Clarke, half the pack doesn't have power."

I had never seen anyone move as fast as Clarke did when he pinned Ryan to the wall. Clarke's arm was pressed against Ryan's windpipe as Ryan was struggling to get free. "In what world do you get to just beat someone up because you didn't like how they are living their life?!" The growl from Clarke even scared me. It was only then that Ryan even saw I was there. Despite Clarke depriving him of air Ryan gave me a glare that would kill me if it could. "I'm going to make this very clear to you Ryan. The only reason that you are keeping your title of Beta and not being thrown out of the pack is because your brother is an even bigger idiot than you. However, if I ever find out that you laid a hand on Lilly again I won't hesitate to throw you out."

With a great force Clarke freed Ryan from his grasp. "Now get out of my sight. I can't deal with you now." For some reason the sight of Ryan leaving with his tail between his legs was very satisfying. For the rest of the night Clarke and I talked and kissed by the fire place until I fell asleep encased in his protective arms.