Chapter 40: Chapter Thirty-Nine

SAVANNAH

Dax’s body was marred and battered beyond anything I’d ever witnessed. The deep claw marks my own father had inflicted on his ribs were a sight that made my heart ache, the damage so severe I wasn’t sure even the pack’s doctor could mend it.

The doctor worked meticulously, applying ointment to Dax’s bloodied skin and into the deep crevices of his wounds.

~“He’s hurt. Help him,”~ my wolf pleaded. ~“I hate this. I hate Liam.”~

~“Well, Liam is dead,”~ I responded.

I’d been ushered away from Dax’s side to allow them to move him, and that’s when I noticed my father’s lifeless body nearby, his eyes wide open in a permanent state of shock.

It wasn’t that I wished for my father’s death. He was my last living relative, and I craved that parental bond. But he had brought this upon himself.

How self-centered does one have to be to steal their own mother’s memories and her wolf? What triggered such an act? And why wasn’t Liam born a hybrid if his mother was one?

I didn’t understand how genetics worked with supernaturals, and honestly, I had more pressing matters to worry about than my family’s lineage.

My mate was injured, and I could feel him fighting to cling to life. A hand on my shoulder guided me to a seat beside Dax’s hospital bed in the Lycan Castle.

I glanced over my shoulder at Braxton and Alpha Allaire. “You need to rest,” Brax advised. “We’ll take your spot.”

I shook my head, my fingers tracing the outline of a bruise on his forearm that made my heart clench. “No. I’m not leaving. If he wakes up, I want him to see me first.”

His father circled the bed and rested his hand on Daxton’s shoulder, pain etched in the lines around his eyes. “My son,” he murmured. “Is he going to be okay?”

The pack doctor turned to face him, her expression somber. “He’s going to survive, but it’s going to take time. He is healing, but whatever fought him was stronger than he was, and Dax pushed himself too hard.”

Guilt flooded my senses, pressing heavily on my chest. This was all my fault. All of it. If he hadn’t been mated to a freak of nature, he wouldn’t be lying here wounded.

“Stop that,” Braxton said from behind me.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Stop what?”

Braxton gently took hold of my upper arm and helped me to my feet. He cupped my cheeks in his hands. “Daxton is going to be fine. Let his dad stay with him awhile. We have things to discuss.”

I looked at Daxton’s steady breathing and watched as the pack doctor continued her work. “For a few minutes,” I conceded.

Braxton guided me down to the kitchen, offering me a cup of coffee that sat on the island. I accepted it, inhaling the comforting aroma. It was a balm to the soul, whether you were a werewolf or not.

I perched on the edge of a barstool, waiting for him to speak.

“I’m sorry about your dad. I never saw it coming.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t know much about him. Serves me right.”

Braxton leaned against the island, shaking his head. “No, Savannah. It’s normal for you to want to know your dad. No one blames you.”

Closing my eyes, I pushed a loose strand of hair back from my forehead. “But they should. Everything is my fault. Poor Daxton, mated to the freak…”

“He loves you,” Braxton said. “Never doubt that.”

I traced the rim of my mug with my finger. “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”

He squared his shoulders. “The human had the lycan king’s baby.”

My gaze met his. “Did the girl survive?”

He shook his head. “No. We’ve contacted her family, but they don’t know about the baby. Daxton’s mom is taking care of it right now. We plan to keep it until the Kingdom is up and running.”

“Girl or boy?”

“Boy.”

“Good,” I said, taking a sip. “I’d hate for him not to have a home. I’m sure one of the lycans here can take him in.”

Braxton scratched at his salt and pepper beard. “That leaves the question of who is going to run this place, since your dad isn’t. Do you still want to go to school? I offered Dax the position of security guard until you graduate.”

I took a sip of my coffee, buying myself some time. Everything felt so chaotic all of a sudden. I had wanted my dad to run it for me, because I wanted to be normal.

As normal as a hybrid could be, but not running a kingdom at eighteen years old when I just wanted to go one week at class without some catastrophe.

~Is that too much to ask for?~

I smoothed my palm down over my hair, and straightened my shoulders. “I don’t know if Dax told you or not, but I wanted to combine the wolves and lycans. I don’t know how that will go over, but even though my dad turned out to be a psychotic jerk, they worked well together before we knew. Wesley gets along with Dax. It ~can~ happen, and that’s what I want. I want to be queen and luna, and I may be biting off more than I can chew, or I may be asking too much, but that’s the end goal.”

“Very ambitious,” Brax said carefully. “It may take time to join them together. In the meantime, can I suggest something?”

“Absolutely.”

“Why not assign Wesley as the interim head of security? He’s familiar with the people and the property. He can consult you on any issues that arise while you’re away. This would give us time to merge the two groups, and you could complete your education.”

I chewed on my lower lip, mulling over his suggestion. It sounded straightforward, but I knew it wouldn’t be. Uniting the lycans and the wolves would require effort. But isn’t it true that the things we want most often require hard work?

Braxton stirred his coffee nonchalantly.

“That might work,” I conceded. “But what about Daxton? I can’t bear the thought of holding him back from becoming alpha, especially when he had planned to assume the role after graduation.”

Braxton smirked, downing his coffee in one gulp. “Daxton adores you. He’d do anything to make this work—”

“I don’t want him to harbor resentment towards me later in life, Braxton. I don’t want to stand in his way of becoming alpha.”

Braxton placed his mug in the sink and sauntered over to me, stopping just a foot away. “He will be alpha, and you will be luna. There’s no doubt about that. Do what’s best for both of you, and everything will fall into place. Perhaps you should take a nap. You look like you could use some rest.”

The idea of a nap was indeed tempting. I nodded in agreement, then ascended the stairs, passing Daxton’s room on my way to my suite. After washing away the day’s grime, I slipped into a pair of soft pajama pants and one of Daxton’s T-shirts. His scent always had a calming effect on me. I drifted into a deep sleep, one I hadn’t realized I was so desperately in need of.

***

^TWO DAYS LATER^

The little lycan girl tossed a ball at me, which I caught midair. Her big blue eyes widened with excitement as she bounced on her heels. Spending time outdoors with the lycans, getting to know them, was the only thing that seemed to distract me from my pain.

I had spent hours the previous day playing with the children, discussing plans with Wesley, and preparing for my return to Werewolf University.

When Braxton appeared at the door, I paused and turned to look at him. He gestured for me to come inside before disappearing from the doorway. I handed the ball back to the little girl.

“Can we play again later?”

She nodded eagerly.

I dashed into the building, up the stairs, and towards the room where Daxton was resting. I had been checking on him every hour, and this was the first time Braxton had come to fetch me.

My heart pounded as I neared the room, Daxton’s scent sending shivers down my arms. “Is he awake?”

I stopped in the doorway. Daxton’s back was to me as he pulled a T-shirt over his head. My heart clenched at the sight of the yellow and brown bruises marring his muscular back. He must have heard my gasp because he turned to look at me.

His dark gaze stripped away any remaining innocence I had. “Alpha,” I whispered.

The pack doctor observed us from the corner of the room, her eyebrows raised in surprise. She quietly excused herself, leaving us alone. Once the door closed behind her, Daxton beckoned me closer.

I approached him slowly, drinking in every inch of him as if he might vanish if I blinked too often. The past few days had felt like an eternity, not knowing how he would react when he woke up.

Daxton silently studied me, as if he had forgotten what I looked like, then smiled.

I reached up to lift his shirt, wanting to see the wounds my father’s claws had inflicted, but he stopped me, grabbing my wrist. He pulled it behind my back, trapping me against his solid frame.

“Don’t,” he whispered. “None of that. I’m fine. You’re fine. And Liam is dead.”

His dominant tone left my mouth dry, and I felt a familiar heat stir between my thighs. “I’ve missed you,” I murmured.

Daxton ran his thumb over my lower lip. “Is the door locked?” he whispered.

I smirked. “She’s a smart woman. She locked it.”

He didn’t respond to my words. Instead, he leaned in and kissed me. It felt like our first kiss all over again. Sparks danced down my spine, igniting butterflies in my stomach.

Daxton lifted me onto his waist and sat me on the hospital bed, his larger body covering mine.

I couldn’t tell where he ended and I began. His sharp hip bones dug into my thighs, creating a pressure that blurred my vision.

Everywhere his body touched mine, I felt a searing passion that I craved for the rest of my life. Daxton’s fingers found my hair, and he tilted my head back, looking into my eyes as if he wanted to say something.

“This is behind us,” he said. “Braxton told me what you said. You’re afraid I’ll resent you?”

~Damn you, Braxton. Big mouth.~

I nodded weakly.

Daxton shook his head. “No. I will never resent you for anything, Savannah. I’m going to take the guard job at Werewolf U while you graduate, and then we’re going to run this together. For as long as you want to. You’re my luna and queen. And I’ll be whatever you need me to be.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “I want you to screw me into this table right now. That’s what I need.”

The corner of his mouth tugged into a smirk. “I’ll do you one better,” he whispered. “I’m going to screw you so hard your legs shake, and when you think I’m finished, we’re going to go again.”

His teeth grazed my neck, a tantalizing mix of sucking and licking that took me back to our first night in his dorm room. “And again. Until you’re begging me to let you go.”

A flicker of gold danced across his gaze, signaling the presence of his wolf. It was exactly the reassurance I needed.

With a playful smile, I swung my leg over his waist, positioning myself atop him. “Oh, really? I think I might just make you beg for me instead.”

His chuckle was different this time—deeper, more resonant. It sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine. Dax’s fingers dug into my hips, leaving a mark I knew would still be there come morning.

Suddenly, he fisted my hair and stood, forcing me to submit to his strength and wrap my legs around his waist.

“No,” he countered, shaking his head. “Tonight, you’re my luna. You’re going to take everything I give you, and only when I say so, will you be allowed to finish.”

A white-hot warmth settled in my stomach, and I felt myself surrender.

~“Just give in to him! Stop being so stubborn,”~ my wolf grumbled. ~“No one likes a tease, Savannah.”~

I chuckled, huffing slightly as he set me down on a rolling table in the corner. His mouth was doing sinful things to my neck and chest as he tore my shirt from my body.

“Only because my wolf is calling me names,” I whispered back.

Daxton pulled away, his honey-colored eyes darkened with desire. “Hold on tight, luna. It’s been far too long.”

~Indeed, it has.~