Chapter 69: Bloodstains and Promises

She felt so damn useless.

By the time she realized something was wrong, Alex was already awake and assessing the situation. If she had been alone, she would have been dead before she even knew there was a threat.

She couldn’t be this weak. She had to improve, to be stronger. She couldn’t let him carry this burden alone.

Not anymore.

“Hey, Livy.”

Maya’s snapping fingers brought her back to the present.

“You look really pale, are you okay?”

She gave a weak nod, raising her hands. “Blood.”

“Is she bleeding?”

Olivia jumped at the sound of Mason’s deep voice, taking a moment to recognize him.

He was gripping the back of the couch so tightly he could have torn it apart. Why wasn’t he with the others?

“They don’t need you?”

“He told me to stay here.”

So she was the target?

He’d sent someone to watch over her in case of another attack? She knew they patrolled, she knew they guarded the borders. They would have known if someone had crossed into their territory, right?

Had this happened before—before her? Had anyone ever broken into the pack house, or was everyone in danger because of her?

“The c-children?” she stammered.

Maya looked confused for a moment, then understanding dawned on her face. “Oh, we have a procedure for that. They’re safe.”

~Good~.

She didn’t want any children to get hurt because of her.

“Mason, get some gauze, some cloths. I need to remove these damn shards from her hands.”

He looked from Olivia to Maya, then back to Olivia.

He sighed in resignation, nodded, and walked away. He didn’t want to disobey Alex’s orders.

“W-what happened?”

Maya took her wrists, turning her hands to inspect the wounds.

Olivia held the sheet to her body with her arms, freeing her hands. “This is going to hurt like hell,” she said, not taking her eyes off her palms.

“Some jerks broke in. I think they all came through the windows. In wolf form.”

“It happened so quickly.” One moment she was asleep, the next he was ordering her out of the room.

“Yeah, too quick, too stealthy. If Alex had sensed them a second earlier, he would have gotten you out before they broke in.”

A loud thud from upstairs startled them both, and Maya’s grip on her wrists tightened.

Her eyes darted to the stairs, but Maya’s hold kept her seated on the couch.

“If something happened to him, you’d be the first to know,” she said.

Right. Their bond.

But she didn’t want to sit here waiting to feel her heart shatter. She needed to know he was safe ~now~.

“Trust me, it would take one hell of a wolf to get the better of Alex. He’s a pain in my ass, but he’s damn strong,” she added, chuckling softly.

She was aware that the jesting was an attempt to lighten the mood, but she was so on edge that she doubted anything could soothe her—except seeing Alex.

She longed to keep her eyes glued to those stairs until he reappeared. She yearned to see him descend—whether on two legs or four—it didn’t matter to her anymore. Just the sight of him, in any form, would be enough.

“Alex will be okay, Livy. That’s why we need to focus on you. If not, he’s going to lose it. He’s probably picking up the scent of your blood and freaking out.”

His words hit her hard, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

“Are people helping me ~because~ of Alex?”

“Excuse me?”

“I haven’t done much. I haven’t been of any help. I haven’t even met everyone.” ~Why was she pondering this now~? “They’re helping because I’m Alex’s mate.”

Maya let out a sigh, her shoulders sagging. “Partly.” Honesty; Maya’s default.

“But most of us are fond of your goofy face. So ~cut it out~. You’re already injured, I don’t want to add to it by kicking your ass. Plus, Alex isn’t going to be pleased. So I don’t want to make it worse.”

A hint of a smile tugged at her lips; her mouth twitched slightly. What else was she supposed to believe: she’d put him in harm’s way.

She shuddered to think how many others she’d endangered. People who might not even want anything to do with her.

“Here.”

This time, it was Mason standing in front of the couch, not behind it.

He passed the cloth to Maya who took it and positioned it under her hands. “It might not bleed too much, but—I don’t want to risk it,” Maya said, eyeing the shards.

After a quick look, only a few of them concerned Olivia.

Most of them weren’t large or deep enough to cause a prolonged bleed. But that didn’t stop her from holding her breath as Maya removed them one by one, always pausing in between.

The blood felt warm as it stained her palms, trickling down the sides of her hands.

It seemed to take forever, but eventually, all the shards were laid out on the coffee table.

Maya had bandaged her hands as best she could—following Olivia’s directions—and even though the blood was seeping through, it didn’t feel like anything ~serious~. She was okay. She was the least injured anyway.

Every now and then, they’d hear loud voices or more thumps from upstairs, but no one else but her would glance up.

They must know something she didn’t.

“Try not to move too much.”

The loud thumps from the stairs prevented her from saying anything more. Olivia sprang to her feet, almost forgetting about her sheet, her heart pounding as she waited and waited—~and then she saw him~. She gasped.

His face—his arms—his legs. They were all smeared with blood. He’d put on a green T-shirt…shorts? She couldn’t tell. But they were clean. He’d fought as a wolf. He’d covered up.

~But he was alive~.

He was sprinting, moving faster than she could comprehend. One blink and he was there, kneeling by the couch, his head resting on her thighs. ~He~ was on his knees. ~Him~.

She wanted to speak, she wanted to say something, but her voice deserted her.

“Is it over?”

“Yes.”

Maya let out a sigh of relief, sinking into the couch.

That was it? No one was—~everyone was safe now~?

It was over and they were okay?

What if there were more?

What if others returned?

What if this was just the start?

“You’re going to scare her with all that blood,” Maya pointed out, motioning towards him. “And she’s okay. Before you panic.”

She was ~okay~, but was he?

Olivia dropped to her knees, finally meeting his gaze. The blood—was it his blood? Was it someone else’s blood?

She could see injuries but her mind was in overdrive and she couldn’t make sense of them. He took her wrist, careful of the bandages, and pressed a kiss to her pulse. “I’m okay.”

“You’re covered in blood.”

She sounded like a fool.

Another kiss. “I’m okay. I’m sorry.”

He was sorry? She hadn’t done anything. She hadn’t been able to help. She’d been taken away, and left them to fight. She’d been useless and ~he~ was sorry?

“You’re drenched in blood.”

He let out a laugh, but the tension in his eyes was unmistakable, the skin around them creased with worry. “I need to clean up.”

“~Please stay~.”

The plea slipped out before he even voiced his plan to leave. He gave her a lopsided grin, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m not going anywhere. ~Join me.~”

The invisible tether connecting her to Maya snapped and she pressed herself against Alex. She was indifferent to the blood staining her, to the metallic taste in her mouth; he was alive.

His sturdy arms wrapped around her, holding the sheet in place as he helped them both to their feet. He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her back up the stairs.

She yearned to press her face into his chest, to stay close to him. She had only felt this kind of terror once before; when Will had attacked her. She didn’t want to revisit that. She didn’t want to think about that.

But the thought of losing Alex? It was reminiscent of her own near-death experience.

His death would feel like her own.

He was slowly ascending the stairs, his legs shaking slightly. Was he injured? More injured than he was letting on?

Yet, they made it to the top without him pausing for a breather. Once they reached the landing, her gaze was drawn to one place.

She looked towards their room, the door slightly open, and she could tell there were still people inside. ~Their people~. Why were they there…were they ~cleaning~? Cleaning up what?

“Not here.”

She wanted to question him, she wanted answers, but his refusal to even glance at the room stopped her. Instead, she nodded.

They walked to the third door down the hallway, and she let him open the door and guide her inside. He shut the door behind them, gently setting her down, and then turned around, barely meeting her gaze.

She yearned to know what was going through his mind, but he was shutting her out. ~It hurt~. His hands moved to remove his shirt, but she stopped him. Olivia let her sheet fall, pooling at her feet.

Then, she closed the distance between them. Ignoring the pain, she gripped the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting it. The bandages made it difficult to maintain a firm grip, but she managed.

“Li—”

“I need to.”

He’d made a lot of decisions for her tonight. She knew he had his reasons. She understood. He didn’t want her in harm’s way. But now, she wanted some control back. ~She needed it~.

She took off his shirt completely, discarding it on the floor once she was done. The shirt had concealed a lot of the blood that marred his bare skin; had he tried to hide it from her? He had kept it from her.

“I don’t care what you did.” She lowered her hands, slowly pulling down his shorts; he wasn’t wearing any underwear. “I don’t care what you did to them.”

He had warned her not to look. He hadn’t wanted her to see.

It was more than just protecting her, more than just keeping her away. It was something deeper.

“You don’t need to see that.”

“You think I’m weak.”

“~Alright~. I don’t want you to see that. I know you, Livy. You’ll worry. You’ll blame yourself.”

“Isn’t it my fault, though?”

“No. Never. You’re not to blame.”

Somehow, she found it hard to believe him.

Perhaps she hadn’t done anything, but she felt like she shared some of the guilt.

His gaze was always on her face, never on her bare body. He wasn’t looking at her. He was acting as if he shouldn’t touch her.

It twisted her insides, tearing her apart. He broke the eye contact, walking to the shower, and turned it on. He stepped inside but he left the curtain open. An invitation.

He was telling her she could join him, but he was leaving the decision to her. She wanted to be angry about the commands, but she couldn’t.

Because she could have lost him.

It took barely a moment for her to decide to join him in the shower. He was already under the warm water, steam enveloping him.

The water was slowly washing away the blood, staining the water that was pooling at the bottom of the tub. Alexander was standing tall, his hands reaching out for her hips while he was careful of her hands.

Her bandages were already drenched, slipping off, but it didn’t matter to either of them. A sense of relief washed over her, so intense it was indescribable, and she felt her emotions bubbling over.

She didn’t want to let the tears fall, but she couldn’t stop them.

Alex pressed his warm lips to her shoulder, leaving a trail of kisses. His touch made her melt, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to keep herself upright.

She couldn’t hold him, couldn’t grasp his body. This was the best she could do. He moved his mouth lower—over the curve of her shoulder, her collarbone, the top of her breasts. He adjusted her position, giving himself access to her hardened nipples.

He took one into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it, causing her to arch her back.

His name escaped her lips in a moan, and he responded with a groan.

And then he licked her again.

Heat pooled in her groin, and she felt the urge to press her legs together. The water washed away her fear as it cleaned his blood. Her mind was a whirl, allowing her to focus on nothing but his touch.

His large hands found her rear, gripping it, holding it firmly.

She took a deep breath, and then he lifted her, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist, feeling the pressure of his erection against her stomach.

His teeth grazed her nipple, tugging just enough to be pleasurable, teetering on the edge of pain. She shivered in his arms.

He nestled his head beneath her chin, freeing one hand to grasp his cock. A rush of excitement heated her cheeks as she felt the slick, wet head of his cock pressing against her entrance.

He slid into her, her core tightening around his hard erection as he pushed in inch by inch until he was fully inside. He groaned into her neck, and she moaned at the sensation of being filled. It was different, so very different.

She kept her arms around his neck, her injuries preventing her from touching him any more than that.

Alex nuzzled the sensitive skin of her neck, causing her to tighten around him, keeping him deep inside.

He used his hold on her rear to move her up and down his cock, her wetness trickling down her thighs.

Her nipples hardened each time they brushed against his chest, the need to be closer to him consuming her.

It wasn’t enough that he was inside her.

She needed to be closer.

Olivia tilted her head, seeking his lips. He helped her by turning his head, and once their lips met, she knew she couldn’t pull away. His mouth claimed hers, his tongue twining with hers.

The blood on his cracked lips transferred to her mouth, leaving a metallic taste. He’d defended her. He’d protected her.

He was here, and he was okay.

She’d lost so much in her life.

But nothing was as terrifying as the thought of losing ~him~.

His thrusts were slow, prolonging every sensation, allowing her to lose herself in the rhythm. She’d moan into his mouth, which only gave him better access.

A quick nip of the lip, fangs grazing the sensitive skin. She’d lean into him, his fingers digging into the flesh of her rear, keeping her close, never letting her fully pull away from his pulsing cock.

No heat, no uncontrollable desire.

~Just him~.

~Just her~.