Page 99 of Protected Promise
He grinned and kissed my shoulder. “We have a lifetime for that. I just need to know you’re okay.”
I rotated around and straddled him. He was so large I was surprised we both fit in the tub at all. Still, it amazed me at how perfectly my small body aligned with his.
“Let me show you just how okay I really am.” I kissed him before he could protest and maneuvered myself to ensure he was just where I needed him before thrusting my hips to meet his.
He growled and I knew there was no way he was going to back out of this, even if he thought it was for my own good. I howled in victory as I got exactly what I wanted.
Landon
Chapter 26
I hadn’t meant to let things get so out of control in the tub, but damn I couldn’t keep the smile from my face the rest of the day.
I felt a little out of sorts losing all control to my mate. I needed her to stay safely in bed recovering, but ever since Cadence worked her magic over Kaitlyn, there was no way she was going to just lay around in bed. “Unless you plan on laying around in bed with me all day… naked,” she had offered.
In the end, she won. I suspected I was screwed in that department. There was absolutely nothing I would deny that woman. My one demand was that she not leave my eye sight for even a minute. My wolf was feeling particularly anxious, even around our own people.
We headed downstairs for dinner hand in hand.
“Stay by my side,” I warned her.
“Yes, Alpha,” she said sarcastically.
I sighed. “I’m just…”
“Protective. It’s okay. I like when you get growly and go all Alpha mode.”
“I’m really not trying to.”
“I know, but I almost died. If it had been you, I wouldn’t want you out of my sight for a while either.”
I grinned and kissed the top of her head, grateful that she at least understood and didn’t seem to mind.
The last time we’d gone downstairs to eat with the Pack, things had been tense. The others were skeptical of Kaitlyn. She hadn’t exactly had a chance to win them over since, so when we walked into the room I wasn’t at all surprised when everyone stopped talking and stared at us.
Connie gasped and there were tears in her eyes as she approached us first. She wrapped her arms around Kaitlyn and held her.
“We were so worried we’d lost you. Landon’s been an absolute mess. It’s easy to see how much he cares for you. And my Tobi, she sings your praises. She didn’t even want to leave your side while you were recovering. Her loyalty has not gone unnoticed. If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough. But you fought for your place and refused to put others at risk to protect yourself. You could have run, but instead you sent my daughter back to get help. Why?”
Kaitlyn looked trapped being put on the spot, but she finally relaxed and looked over at her friend as she spoke. “It wasn’t Tobi’s fight. It was mine. Even if that hadn’t been the case, it was my job to protect her and keep her safe.”
Connie’s unshed tears ran down her cheeks as she dropped to her knees and bared her neck to Kaitlyn. A line formed as one by one she won over the remainder of my people, no, our people with actions and words.
“Thank you,” I told Connie as I hugged her to my side.
“I know I was skeptical and all, but you chose well, Landon.”
I don’t think she realized just how much I needed their approval and her support. Connie and Shawn had always been like a second set of parents to me. With my own folks gone, it meant everything to me to have their acceptance of my mate.
Mina was chatting with Kaitlyn when her stomach started to rumble, causing the girls to laugh.
“I haven’t exactly eaten in days. I’m starving,” Kaitlyn confessed.
“Well come on, you heard her, let our Pack Mother through. She’s hungry,” Mina announced.
People went back to their tables and settled in for their own meals. Normally they would have waited until I arrived and went through the line first, but they didn’t know I was coming down.
“Go on, eat up,” I encouraged.
