Shifting Boundaries

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Felix

I ran home as quickly as I could. The only clothing I had with me was my sweatshirt, which I quickly untied from around my neck. I fished the key out and hurried into the house, only caring about my nudity when I heard Mel and Magnus' voices drifting down the hall. Like any good werewolf, I kept several stacks of clothing in the closet just inside the door, so I pulled on a pair of sweatpants before running down the hall to join my family.

I found Magnus running around Griffin's room, holding him up over his head so Griffin could touch the star stickers Everett had covered the ceiling with. Mel was nearby, concentrating hard on building a block castle. "Where's Everett?" I asked.

Mel glanced up at me and I saw her eyes sweep my body, looking for injuries. "He's cooking in the kitchen," she said when she was satisfied.

I wanted to run straight to my mate, but I needed to keep building my relationship with Griffin. Anya had told me that every interaction counted, that I had to wear him down by always being there for him. So instead of rushing to Everett, who I knew had spent the better part of the last few hours in a state of anxiety and fear, I said, "Magnus, toss him to me." Magnus turned around and grinned at me. He did a 1-2-3 swing with Griffin before tossing him up into the air. I caught him easily and pressed kisses on his cheeks while Griffin laughed in delight. "Ready?" I asked Magnus, who nodded. I tossed Griffin back to him, then left the room.

When I got to the kitchen, I regretted even the small delay I had taken to greet Griffin. Everett's back was to me when I entered and he was chopping something on a cutting board. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek, only to find that it was wet. He was crying. I carefully reached around him and took the knife from his hands before spinning him around to face me.

Everett immediately tucked his head against my chest and hugged me hard. I could hear and feel him taking in deep gusts of air as he tried to calm down. "Hey, I'm okay," I said. That only made Everett squeeze me harder.

I looked down at him and fear pierced me. What if this was too much for him? Everett and I were still so new. We were committed now and I trusted that he wouldn't leave me, but what if this was too much for him to handle? We would have to leave the life we were building here. I would have to find another job, to leave my pack and my siblings. I would do it for him, but I really, really didn't want to.

When Everett's breathing went back to normal, I pulled him away and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Better?" I asked.

Everett smiled ruefully. "I feel a lot better now that you're home safe."

"I'm sorry about tonight. I'm sorry that every time the sirens go off, I'm going to have to leave you." I looked away from him, unable to bear meeting his gaze. I knew just how afraid Everett had been for me. I could feel him in my mind the whole time. He didn't withdraw once in the hours I spent on patrol. It had to have been exhausting, especially while he was watching Griffin.

Everett pressed his palms to my cheeks and gently tilted my head so I was looking at him again. He kissed me gently and said, "It's okay, Felix. I understand why you had to go, why you'll always have to go. I think it's really brave and I'm so proud of you."

My heart glowed with pride and happiness. I clutched him closer and pressed my lips to his again, slipping my tongue into his mouth at the first opportunity and reveling in the tingling sensation that intensified with every caress of his tongue against mine. I slid my hands down his sides and slipped them into his waistband, teasing the skin just underneath while Everett shuddered against me. I smiled against his lips and he nipped at me gently before sucking away the small hurt, drawing a long moan out of me.