Page 95 of Pack Kasen: Part 3
“And have the guys in your family’s pack swarm you while my back is turned?” I shake my head. “Fuck that. I am never leaving your side, woman.”
She laughs. “No one is swarming me.”
“See.” I tuck a strand of my beautiful mate’s hair behind her ear. “That’s where you’re wrong. Anyone would. You sure we can’t stay here where it’s safe?”
“Why? Scared my little sister will beat you up?” She grins up at me.
I tackle her onto the bed, and once her giggles stop, I look down at her, marveling that somehow, this beautiful, strong, incredible woman loves me.
It took a couple of hours to clean up after the destruction caused by Cristofer.
It took three days to stop clinging to Kat as I reassured myself that she was safe and not confronting a feral while I wasn't looking.
And it will take a lifetime to get over how close I came to losing her.
If I’d been ten seconds slower, I would have arrived just in time to watch her die.
“You have to stop running at things that will kill you,” I tell her quietly. “My heart couldn't take it if I lost you.”
“No promises, but I’ll try.”
We study each other for a beat.
“I didn’t have a future with him,” she says suddenly.
I tilt my head, confused.
“Doug. You asked me before if I would have stayed with him if Cristofer hadn’t killed him, and my answer is no. I wanted to believe we could have made it work, but we wouldn’t have.”
“Why not?”
“Because of you.”
“What did I do to nuke a future with a guy that sounded perfect?” I remember when I’d asked her and she hadn’t responded. He’d been her star quarterback ex-boyfriend who’d treated her right and been a genuine good guy.
And he was dead.
There is no competing with the memory of a perfect dead ex-boyfriend.
Her silence had tormented me, and I had one of the worst nights’ sleep I’ve ever had.
“Hewasperfect. But he wasn’t perfect for me.Youare. Flaws and all.”
“I nearly killed you.” And I will never forgive myself for what I did, even if Kat does.
She crawls over me, straddling me.
I rest my hands on her hips as she peers down at me. “Yes. And I should hate you for it still.”
“But?”
“What happened to me—foster care and the couple that stole me—taught me not to trust anyone. To keep everyone at a distance so they can't hurt me. None of it taught me how to forgive, and that’s really important. People are going to make mistakes, and I need to accept that instead of shutting down and shutting everyone out. That’s something Robert was trying to get me to understand.”
My thumb brushes her flat belly. “Maybe we could name our first pup after him so he lives on with us.”
Her smile is soft, warm, and so beautiful that my heart actually hurts. “I would like that a lot.”
“Good.” I smile up at her. “I will try not to mess up too badly.”
