Page 43 of The Rabbit's Foot
“Okay, let me call your mother and let her know you don’t trust her to take care of the kids. I’m sure that’ll go well for you.”
Damon sighed, and Alp wished the call had been on Skype. He’d love to sit with a big tub of buttered popcorn and watch the shitshow that was about to drop on Damon’s head.
“That is not what I meant, and you know it.”
“But it is what you said, isn’t it? Who here is a better fighter than me? Huh? I can take down two of your enforcers at the same time.”
“That’s not the point. You are my mate. They are not. I am First, and you ob—um, should listen to me.”
“You were going to say I obey you? Seriously?” She huffed an exasperated breath. “Mal, Alp, we’re going to be getting our gear together. We’ll see you in two days, with a contingent of people. In the meantime,First, you and I are going to—”
The call was disconnected, and Mal chuckled. “I’d hate to be in his shoes right now.”
Alp glowered at him.
“Oh. I am in his shoes right now, huh?”
Alp huffed, hand on his hip. “Why do you have to be the perfect mate?”
Those eyes widened. “I’m sorry, what?”
He wanted to put his feelings into words, then realized how impossible that was. There weren’t enough words to express how much Alp had come to love Mal.
“Cece isn’t wrong. Firsts, including you, are stubborn and opinionated.” He blew out a slow breath. “But you’re also kind, caring. And you’re loyal to a fault. I’m sorry I thought you might leave me for someone else. It’s just—”
“Never had anything of your own, I know. So you’re not used to having something you don’t have to give away or worry that it’s going to be taken from you. Am I right?”
Alp nodded, unable to speak. Mal saw him clear to his core.
“We are always going to be together. A pack of two. Not needing anyone else to make us complete. We can set up our home here, but the open road is available to us, if we want to go somewhere. I can take you to see the Statue of Liberty, or the Golden Gate Bridge. We could go to Kings Canyon National Park and run in the forest of sequoia trees, or go to Vermont when the weather is getting cooler and look at the beautiful leaves as they turn from green to gold. If you like music, we can go to Colorado and check out Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Plus, there are so many other places I’d love for you to see. But, that’s your choice.”
Years ago, travel had been high on Alp’s list of things to do. Now? It sounded good, but so did settling down with Mal.
“How about we play it by”—Mal tweaked Alp’s lobe—“ear.”
“You’re a funny, funny man,” Alp muttered, even though he was secretly pleased that Mal thought playing with him was fun.
Mal waggled his brows. “You have no idea how funny I can be. Just wait until you see my impressions.”
Alp curled up beside Mal, not looking for a repeat of the sweaty times they’d had a short while ago, but for comfort.
And Mal gave that in spades.
* * *
Mal lay perfectly still as a sleeping Alp inched his way across the bed and onto Mal’s chest. Even in sleep, Alp sought him out. He couldn’t even begin to guess the demons that still haunted Alp, and probably would for the rest of his life. He’d undergone horrific things in the last six years, and that had to change a person.
Oh, Alp said he was fine, but Mal knew better. When he thought Mal wasn’t looking, Alp was nervous, twitchy, and scared pretty much all the time. He was fierce, though, and Mal truly believed that if push came to shove, Alp would bury that fear and do what needed to be done.
“Mal. No, not Mal. Don’t…” came the whispered plea and a quick jolt, which was followed by a soft snore.
As he ran his hand over Alp’s back, trying to get him to slip deeper into sleep, Mal knew he’d never be able to walk away from this man who wore his bite. Not that he wanted to. He’d started falling in love with Alp when he was still just a bunny. That core of strength he displayed rivaled the strongest of shifters. Then when Alp shifted and Mal got to smell the man? It was all over for him. Mal had fallen under the rabbit’s spell and was finding it wasn’t as terrifying as he thought it would be.
“No! Mal, run!” Alp sat bolt upright, his eyes wide, his skin slick with sweat. His head jerked side to side, as though he was looking for something. “Mal! Mal! Where are you?”
“I’m here, Alp. Right here.” He soothed a hand over Alp’s arms. “Look at me.”
But whatever had a hold on Alp wasn’t letting go. He was screaming, pleading for Mal to run, to live. Mal clutched him tighter, his heart breaking over the plaintive cries. When someone in another room shouted to quiet the fuck down, Mal wanted to go pull their intestines out through their nose, but instead ignored it.
