Page 72 of Loup Garou

“Shh, baby, you did what needed to be done.”

“I’ll head home when you’re done today. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…I didn’t know how.”

Exavier held me tight with one arm and handed me the water he’d brought out. “I found you again a couple of days ago. I am so sorry, Linds. I didn’t know. I would have told you. I would have protected you and the baby. I didn’t know.”

“You don’t hate me?”

“I love you. I hate my mother for toying with us. It would have been me with you that summer. It would have been my child, my…umm… I love you so much. I know I should be seething mad but all I want to do is comfort you, baby. I want you happy.”

“I love you too.”

His power ran up and over me. “Baby, let me lessen some of the pain from that night. Please.”

“No,” I said quickly. “Don’t take my memories of her, Exavier.”

“I won’t, honey, but I can make it so you can move forward with life, like she would want you to.” The minute I felt his power move through me, I knew he wasn’t waiting for permission. The urge to fight him on it wasn’t there. The urge to hold him was. I gave in to it.

Chapter Thirteen

I tookanother sip of my bottled water and laughed at the guys as they lifted Exavier over their heads and held him there. They’d been up to their antics for several hours, drinking steadily and seeming to enjoy themselves.

Eion laughed hard. “He finally did it! The man finally worked up the nerve to find the girl of his dreams.” He glanced at me. “The girl who is giving me a look like I better not drop him. I think he bounces. Should we see?”

“No,” I said, moving forward fast. They’d been drinking since the director announced they would be pulling an all-nighter. When I questioned the drinking-while-working thing, Eion pointed out they weren’t doctors so there was no threat of being intoxicated and needed in the operating room. He also pointed out half the shows they put on involved drinking at some point.

I would have argued but there really was no point. One was as stubborn as the other.

“Okay, gentlemen. I need Exavier to shoot the crypt scene,” Pat called out.

They all groaned. “Don’t make him lay on the bitch. We didn’t know he found his mate…umm…matching socks, yeah,” Karlon the keyboardist said, quickly covering for his slip.

“Sorry, set’s built, label knows, it’s happening.”

Eion pointed at me and let go of Exavier. “Use her. She’s Lindsay Willows.”

I watched in horror as they dropped Exavier and he hit the ground. He groaned and then laughed as he lay there, clearly allowing the alcohol to take the edge off his pain. That or he was just insane. As of late, I wasn’t sure.

He put his arm up and held it there a moment before pointing at the ceiling. “She’s not only Lindsay Willows, she is my wife.”

You could have heard a pin drop.

Smiling, I rushed towards him. “Umm, he’s drunk. He means girlfriend.”

Eion touched my shoulder and I wanted to wrap him in my arms and assure myself he’d really be okay. I held back. He snickered. “It’s okay, Lindsay. We like to deny him too.”

“Wait, Lindsay Willows the choreographer?” Pat asked.

“Yeah, care to eat your words now? I am no man’s flavor of the week, director of the moment.”

He reddened. I smiled. “Umm, sorry about that.” He stared down at Exavier. “Can I get you to lay naked on a crypt with Lindsay under you instead of Hyde whom we have not gotten a single good shot of today?”

Eion stepped forward. “I’ll lay naked any way you want me to if she’s under me. That might piss Exavier off since she’s his wife and all.”

“I’m not his wife,” I protested.

Karlon touched my shoulder and his power swept through me. It rolled around, banging into itself as it explored me. Heat rushed through me and I drew in a sharp breath. He pulled it away fast and chuckled. “Are you sure?”

Pravat, the bass player, pushed his chestnut brown hair back off his shoulder and grinned. “We owe the guy a bachelor party. Naked chicks, liquor and hopefully he gets licked by her. Sound good, Exavier?”

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