F O U R T Y - O N E

Nova

"Hey Baby," he whispered huskily to me, locking that pretty amber gaze of his with mine as he twirled a strand of my hair around his calloused finger "Did you miss me?"

"What kind of question is that?" My gaze scanning his face as I looked for any sign of pain or discomfort "Of course I missed your snarky ass. It was quiet here without you."

The smile he gave me had butterflies fluttering in my stomach because it was so different than his usual snarky grins or cocky smirks.

It lit up his entire face, making him appear younger and softer, and more like the twenty-one year old that he is.

My index finger lightly traced from his temple to the edge of his jaw and his smile widened even more before gently cupping my cheek with his large hand.

I closed my eyes and placed my hand on top of his, gripping it tightly.

"You really scared us Atlas" I whispered, my heart aching for some unknown reason "You scared me. We...I...thought you weren't going to make it."

"Baby," he whispered just at soft as I did "No matter what happens, no matter how far away we've from each other, know that I'd always come back to you. That's my vow to you, forever and always."

"You can't promise me that" I said, closing my eyes as his thumb swept across my cheek in a soothing motion "Especially not after what just happened."

"A minor inconvenience" I felt him shrug underneath me like it was no big deal "The thing caught me off guard. It won't happen again."

My eyes snapped open as I pulled away, glaring down at him harshly.

"You make it sound as you accidentally broke your arm" I snapped "And not nearly fucking died at the jaws of a monster."

"Nova..."

"No, after the stupidity you just spewed, you don't get to say anything" I said, glaring down at him as my hair curtained us in this private, heated moment "Now I don't know if you think that because of your namesake, you're invincible and shit but let me remind you that you nearly fucking died out there. In fact, you were literally in the Grim Reaper's grip before Amethyst was able to bring you back to the land of the living. I watched that thing attack you. I heard the anguished howls of pain you released no matter how hard you tried to keep them in. I felt your blood soak through my clothes and stain my fingers"

I gripped his face tightly in my hands, making sure he understood the importance of my words.

"So don't diminish the severity of what just happened to you" I growled, anger radiating through my chest "And don't make promises that you and I both know you won't be able to keep. The world we live in, the world you dragged me into, is too dangerous for that."

"Baby," His eyes softened at my words "That's why I made you a Vow. Promises are meant to be broken but vows, especially the vows I make to you, last through this lifetime as well as the next."

I sighed, making a move to pull away when his hands suddenly clamped down on my hips and reversed our positions until I was on my back and he was settled in between my legs on top of me.

My eyes widen as my hands automatically came to rest on his broad, tatted shoulders.

"Are you crazy?" I checked his injuries to make sure they weren't actively bleeding again "You can't move like that. You just got out of a ten day coma!"

"Nova..." Humor lit his tone as he gripped my chin tightly in his grasp "Baby, look at me."

I stubbornly avoided his eyes.

"Nova Nyx" he said in a sing song voice, his nose skimming my cheek and then down my neck "Will you listen to me?"

"No," I breathed, nervous at his close proximity and how it set off the butterflies in my stomach "Not if you're going to keep saying stupid things."

"Baby, I'm sorry" he buried his face in my neck "I didn't realize how traumatizing it was for you to see something like that. I guess I'm so desensitize to these sorts of things that I didn't take into account how it could affect you."

"I was so scared Atlas" I shivered, both at the memory of what nearly happened to him and the small kiss he pressed to my neck "I knew that this place was dangerous but I don't think I realized how dangerous until ten days ago. To know that you and the others grew up around this, around these constant dangers...I..."

I choked up, imagining what it must have been like growing up for the three men I considered friends.

His head snapped up, those amber eyes darkening.

"We'd never let anything happen to you Princess" he growled "Kass, Nix, and I would die before we'd let anything or anyone touch a single hair on your perfect head."

"There you go making promises you can't keep Atlas" I whispered "You know that, that thing was after me right?"

"What?" He stiffened, shaking his head "No, he attacked me."

"Because you were in the way" I said softly "He wasn't even paying attention to you until you got in-between us."

"That doesn't make any sense" he growled "Why would he want you?"

I raised an eyebrow "I'd think it would be easier to give you a list of why he wouldn't want me."

His lips quirked before he schooled his expression "Do the others know?"

"That he was after me?" I clarified and he nodded "Téo told them. That's where they're at right now, trying to figure out why he was after me."

He scrutinized me, somehow realizing that I was leaving something out.

"What aren't you telling me?" he narrowed his gaze"You know why they were after you, don't you?"

"I have a theory" I said slowly "It's the most plausible one I could think of."

"And?"

"It's because of who I am" I whispered "More importantly, who my biological father was."

"You think he was after you because you're a Lupine?"

"It makes sense if you think about it" I said sadly "I'm the last of my line. If anyone had something to gain by killing an Heir, I'd be the most obvious target. I have no family, no connections of my own besides the Penta, an obligatory resource at best. My Pack, if it's even really mine at this point, barely see's me as one of their own. By the way they treated the twins, it's apparent that if it came down to it, they wouldn't back me up. If someone killed me, then they'd have everything to gain."

A vicious and ferocious snarl overcame his face as he pushed me further into the bed, his weight a surprising comfort to me.

I've never let someone be this close to me, always acting aloof to male attention because either I wasn't interested or just not ready to take that vulnerable step with someone that I couldn't one hundred percent trust.

Even my first kiss was more like a quick peck on the lips from my friend's older brother. A kiss that last all of a nanosecond.

I squirmed as his heat soaked into me, the butterflies in my stomach flapping so rapidly that it felt like they were seconds away from bursting out of my chest.

"I'll kill them all before they get within a hairs breadth of you" he leaned his face closer to mine, those amber eyes darkening even further "I'll rip them limb for limb until there's nothing left but bone and ash."

"You're just one man Atlas" I sent him a weak smile "You barely managed to kill that one creature last time. What happens if two of them were to attack next time?"

"You're really hurting my ego here baby" he murmured, pushing his face into my neck inhaling deeply "I swear I had everything under control."

I rolled my eyes, running a hand through his hair and smiling wide as he shivered in my arms.

It was good to know that I affected him the same way he and the others affected me.

"Baby..." he whispered.

"Hmm..." I hummed, gently tugging on the strands of his hair.

I felt him swallow harshly against my neck "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Are you scared of me?"

I untangled my hands from his hair and pushed on his shoulders, forcing him to pull away from me slightly.

I noticed that he avidly avoided looking in my eyes.

"Why are you asking me that?" I questioned curiously.

He sighed and rolled off me, putting his head in his hand as he laid on his side and looked down at me.

"You've seen me as a Wolf before" he started and I couldn't help but interrupt him.

"Yes" I reminded him "I remember seeing your Wolf when you kidnapped me from my home and brought me here?"

His eyes narrowed playfully, some tension leaving his body at my snarky answer "Smart ass."

"What I was trying to say before I was rudely interrupted" he continued "While you've seen my wolf before, I know that you've never witness a murder before. I know first hand how that one moment can change your life forever."

I swallow back the tears that threatened to fall at his words.

He was right...I was scared.

Just...not of him.