The Alpha's Siren Song

Chapter 47

The relief of knowing that eddy hadn't been the victim was so intense that the second after Elliot made his exit, I was bawling, absolutely sobbing. At first, Easton was horrified, demanding to know what his beta had done that had been so awful. I could only shake my head and crumple into his arms, holding onto him like he was all I had. Eventually, long after my eyes were red and swollen, I was able to hiccup out that my tears were not sadness, but something more self-serving. Easton didn't judge me, just let me curl into his side and fed me little bits of pizza while Hamilton played in the background. 

It was well after midnight when we decided that we had both drank enough tea and had enough time to sort out our feelings. I even managed to have enough mental focus to toss our wet bathing suits in the washing machine before we went to bed. 

I slipped into his clothes that he always offered me and he opted for a soft tee shirt and boxers. We curled up under the sheets, my back to Easton as he curled around me. I was still sniffling a little and he would still get very quiet sometimes, thinking about the awful things that the poor kid could have gone through, but we were better and that was enough to get us to fall asleep. 

I woke up to soft kisses slipping up my next, Easton moaning ever so softly against my skin. For a long while, I just laid there, embracing it. I was strung between a gorgeous dream and a beautiful reality and I wanted to keep the best parts of both. I came out of my sleepy haze ever so slowly and when I finally came back down to earth, Easton was there, watching me with a half grin. 

"Good morning, lass," he rumbled.

"Morning," I mewed, stretching.

That only made him smile broader. "You know, I don't think I will ever get tired of you being in my bed. The feeling of waking up beside you, it's the kind of feeling people write songs about. I love it."

I let out a little happy sigh and curled against him, my face pressing against the soft skin of his chest.

"Kaia, I know that you are dealing with a lot right now and this might be too much to ask, but can I mark you?" he wondered, his smile falling a fraction, like he was asking me something too serious to be taken lightly. 

And I just stared up at him, watching his mouth move. This man wanted to mark me. Though I didn't fully understand it and I had a hard time imagining what it would do, I knew that it was something close to an engagement ring as far as symbolism went. I was somebody's if I was marked. And Easton wanted me to be his. He wanted me to be his after he had seen me hoist water up, after he had seen me cry, after he had learned about what I was and all of the awful things I had done.

He took my silence, my absolute awe, to mean something else. His eyes snapped away from mine and the blush that I found so adorable was back full force. "I know that you might have a hard time trusting me with everything that is going on and you're probably feeling overwhelmed, but I just want you to feel like you always have me. A mark will strengthen our bond, make it easier for you to lean on me. After everything we have been through, I want to give you something good. I know that it's a big commitment and it might not make a lot of sense to you, but I am so certain about how I feel about you. I never want you to feel like you have to go into anything alone ever again."

And, as I continued to stare up at him, the gravity of what he was asking me settled on my chest, making it hard to breathe in all of the sudden.

Living without a mate, it's heartbreaking, especially after you're fully bonded.

Keiko was a strong, hard headed woman and I trusted her to tell me the truth about something so dire. The reality was that Easton had a good, wholesome heart, one that deserved a million happy endings and good morning kisses. The other reality was that I had a crazed werewolf coming after me, one that would stop at nothing. He had already hurt so many and with each death, I was wondering who could be next. 

If it wasn't me, it was someone I loved.

"Easton," I began, my voice clipped. His face fell and I thought as quickly as I could. "I want you to know that I care about you. I care about you so much. But I want this to be a happy moment for us, one that I can look back on and smile about. The last thing I want is to look back on it and think about the poor guy that died less than twenty four hours ago. Don't we deserve that much?"

Easton eased back, giving me space. He cleared his throat. "Right, of course. I would never want to tarnish one of the most sacred parts of the mating process by rushing it or having poor timing."

"Thank you," I murmured, tracing my fingers along his jaw line in an effort to soothe away the hurt I had created.

But his green eyes began blazing with something potent, something that almost made me draw away. It took me a second to realize that it was fiery determination. His eyes locked on to mine.

"I know that you had to fight alone for so long, Kaia, but you aren't going to have to do that anymore. Keiko and Ajax are here for you. Misty would do anything to help. And I will die before I let Nero touch a hair on your head. Do you understand, lass?"

I gave him the best smile I could muster with an enthusiastic nod, but my mind told me that Easton wasn't able to make that decision. 

~~~Question of the Day~~~

What is your favorite family tradition?

My mother and I go to at least one play a year. It's fun to support the arts and its an opportunity to dress up for something. It's something of a girls night for us.