I wake in our bed.
I look around for the alarm clock that's set against the table and read that it's two in the morning. I don't even remember falling asleep, the last thing I remember is the pain and Mason carrying me home. I guess the pain dulled just enough for me to drift off to sleep, thank God! I never want to feel that again. I don't even want to imagine what it would be like if I had both legs hurting at the moment.
I can feel Mason and someone else moving around in the house. They're coming up the stairs and into one of the guest bedrooms. My wolf perks up at our mate going into a room with someone else. I look around for something that I can use to help me walk and lying on the floor beside the bed is a pair of crutches. I know Mason doesn't want me getting out of bed alone, but if he's going to go into a bedroom with someone else besides me at two in the morning he can get over it. I have every right to know who is in my home.
I struggle to walk into the hallway as I wobble on the crutches. I stop when more men come up the stairs. I glance down and realize I'm dressed in nothing but one of Mason's oversized shirts, so I quickly step back into the room to grab some pants. On top of the dresser, Mason has a pair of plaid pajama bottoms just sitting there. Why he has so many pajama pants is beyond me. He hardly ever wears them to bed, especially since we completed the mating process. Shrugging, I figure since he isn't using them at the moment, they'll do just fine for me. I wobble over to the bed and plop down so I can pull them gently up my legs. My ribs constrict with the movement and I have to stop numerous times before I manage to get them up my legs completely. I never realized how hard it could be to get dressed when you can only use one leg and have busted ribs. I cuff the bottom of the pants, so I don't trip on the excess length and tighten the strings around my waist to hold the pants in place.
Once I'm certain the pants won't go anywhere, I head back out into the hallway. If there are a bunch of guys from the pack going into the same room I know Mason is in, he isn't in there with anyone he shouldn't be. I don't want to acknowledge it, because I know there is no way it could be true, but after hearing Nikki's snide comment today, I can't help but fear that I'm not enough for Mason. I'm still new to this entire mating thing, and as much as he assures me that he couldn't ask for anything better than me, I can't help but wonder if he's just being nice.
I walk into the room at the very far end of the hallway to see Mason and Brandon hooking up a flat-screen TV to the wall. I glance over to see Mary sitting on the bed with her hands in her lap. Mary notices me first. She smiles and waves as she climbs off the bed. I can't help but smile back at her, happy to see her not shying away from me again. Even with the limited amount of time we've spent together, my wolf is starting to relax around her.
"Luna," she speaks, bowing her head. "I heard you were home, but Mason said you were asleep and to leave you alone for now." I glance over at my mate who is now sporting an annoyed scowl as he holds the TV up. Brandon glances at me and smiles quickly before going back to finishing up with the huge electronic in his hands. I raise my eyebrows at the two of them but don't say anything.
"You're supposed to be in bed," Mason voices as he turns his attention back to the TV as well. I smile at his back and wobble over towards Mary and the bed. Hopefully, she won't mind me sitting down because these crutches hurt and I'm not very good at them yet. I pray I'm not stuck with them for long. Mary sits down beside me, closer than I expected her to. It's obvious that Mary and Brandon are moving into the house with us for a while, and even though I hate the reason behind it, I can't help but be happy to have one of my best friends here to hang out with me when Mason's busy. Plus, it'll give me time to get to know more about Mary and build on our relationship. Mason glances back over at me with raised eyebrows, expecting an explanation from me.
"I woke up and you were gone," I speak softly, glad my voice seems to be finally returning as I watch the boys hook up a bunch of cords up to different places. "I felt you moving around the house and then I felt you and someone come into the room. I just wanted to see who else was in the house with you and what was going on." By the time I've said it, it's too late to change my words. It's obvious, at least to Mason, what I was worried about. The sudden tension in his shoulders is evidence enough. He knows Nikki's word had her desired effect on me. He glances over his shoulder at me and frowns. I lower my head in shame.
When they finish connecting the last cable, they stand back and look at their word. Mason walks over to the dresser and snags the remote off the top and presses the power button. The screen comes to life, filling the room with a soft glow. Both men nod and turn their attention to us. Brandon moves towards his mate, taking a seat behind her so he can pull her into his lap. I smile as he pulls her against his chest and presses a soft kiss against the base of her neck. I feel Mason move toward me, and I look up at him to gauge his reaction to my previous comment. He's still frowning and when he stops beside me, he doesn't make any attempt to touch me. I want to pout up at him, but I know this isn't the time for that.
"You need to get back in bed. It's late and I'm sure you're tired." His eyes are distant, and I don't like that. Not one bit. I honestly didn't mean anything by what I said. It was Nikki's stupid words replaying in my head. I know he would never do that to me. Mason, apparently, doesn't understand that it meant nothing. The guys I saw in the hallway come back into the room with boxes in their hands. They set them down against the far wall with the rest before turning to Mason.
"That's the last of them, Alpha," one speaks as he moves closer to Mason. Mason nods his head and tells them they can go home now. The men bow their heads before moving towards the door to leave.
"Come on, Alaina," Mason speaks to me. "Let's let these two get settled in. It's late and I'm sure everyone could use some rest," he says as he helps me to stand up on my crutches. I smile at his touch and lean further into him before he can pull away. I put more of my weight against him instead of the crutches. Some of the ice in his eyes melts as he wraps his arm around my waist. "Do you want me to carry you?"
I shake my head. "I need to learn how to use these things, especially when you're not around to carry me. I don't want anyone else carrying me but you," I whisper, looking up at him and smiling. He growls lowly and pulls me closer. My ribs protest at the sudden movement, but I try to hide my wince. He notices and quickly loosens his grip, whispering a soft sorry.
"No one else will touch you! You're mine," he growls and leans down to bury his head in my neck. I lean into his hold, but I can't wrap my arms around him without dropping the crutches. "Come on, my love," he says as he backs away so I can move around him.
I turn to look back at the couple sitting on their bed watching us when I get to the door. "I know you two were just thrown in here because of what's going on… because of me, but I just want you both to know that I'm glad you're here. Brandon's the best friend I've ever had, and I'm looking forward to learning more about you, Mary." My voice is still kind of raspy, but it seems to be getting better with each word. I'm just glad I can talk at all now. Mindlink or not, not being able to use my voice was annoying as hell.
"We weren't thrown in here," Brandon responds, smirking playfully at me. "We both decided it would be easier on everyone if we stayed here until this whole mess was done. I can keep my mate close to me and keep you both safe like I'm supposed to. We're happy to be here, Alaina. Now go to bed before you get yourself into trouble." I smile and leave the room with Mason following close behind. I can feel him ready to grab me if I trip on the crutches.
Once we make it back to our room Mason closes the door and watches me as I manage to slide his pants off my legs before sitting back on our bed. I lean the crutches against the table beside the bed and look over at him, waiting for him to get into the bed with me. I manage – with great pain shooting through my ribs – to situate myself against my pillows at the head of the bed, but Mason just stands against the door watching me. I can't tell if he's still upset by what I said or if he's just watching me to watch me.
"Come to bed," I say, raising a hand in his direction.
"Did you think I was going into their room with someone else?" he asks as he moves to sit on the end of the bed. He keeps him back to me, tension clear in his shoulders. I don't want to fight about this, so I need to find a way to resolve this without upsetting him further.
"I didn't know who you were with. All I knew was that it was two in the morning, and you were with someone else in the house instead of in bed with me. I woke up and you were gone. I just got curious." I shrug my shoulders. It's the truth, I was curious to know who he was with. I watch his shoulders relax as he takes a deep breath and nods his head. He easily moves his body up the bed and rests his head against my good leg, those amber eyes staring up at me. I smile down at him and start running my fingers through his hair. He smiles up at me softly and closes his eyes.
"I love you, Alaina. You know that, right?"
"I do. As I love you." His eyes slowly open as he smiles up at me lazily before turning his head to bury his face against my stomach. I watch him, confused by his sudden action. "I know this isn't really the best time, but how many pups do you want to have?" His voice is muffled against my stomach, but I hear him perfectly. My hand stills in his hair. That's not what I was expecting.
"Oh… I don't know," I say, looking down at my stomach as well. "I always wanted at least two. I was an only child and I know it can get lonely sometimes. I want our children to have each other to play with when we're busy with the pack."
"I think two sounds perfect," he says, pulling his head away from my stomach to smile up at me again. I can't help but smile down at him as my mind wanders to an image of red hair, amber-eyed little girl running through the house followed close by her blond hair, blue-eyed brother.
"Why do you ask?" I ask, looking at him worriedly. I want to have his pups more than anything in this world, but that's not something I think we should consider now with a war in our near future. Raising children is hard, then throwing in the troubles we're already facing just makes it ten times harder. I can't believe that children are on his mind right now. Shouldn't he be worried about winning this war and keeping our people safe instead of getting me pregnant?
"I know now isn't the time, with this fucking war and all, but I just can't get the image of you with your big belly walking around the house out of my head." I can't help but let my smile widen at the thought. "When I was first given the title of Alpha, I thought I wouldn't want kids for a long time, even after finding my mate. I saw everything that my father had to endure to take care of the pack and even if they won't admit it, the toll it took on my mother. She wasn't as hands-on as you try to be though, so I imagine that's why. I wanted to be able to focus on my mate and the pack for a while, then worry about bringing pups into the mix," he pauses and reaches up to wrap a strand of my hair around his finger. "But now that I've found you, all I want is to start our family together. Whatever you want, I will give it to you. If you're happy without them for a while, then I'll be happy too. I just need you and I'll be happy."
Instead of answering him, I lean down as slowly as I can until my lips press firmly against his. Everything he just said, everything about it was perfect. The love I feel for this man never ceases to amaze me. It grows with each given day. I didn't even know it was possible to love someone this much. It's amazing, and I never want it to end. When I pull away, I just smile before moving back up against the headboard as I feel the dull ache in my ribs start to take hold.
"You couldn't have said anything more perfect than what you just said," I whisper as I continue to run my fingers through his hair. He smiles up at me before closing his eyes. I scratch his scalp with my fingernails gently and he hums in appreciation. Even with a war brewing, I don't know if I could be any happier than I am right now, right here with Mason.
He's my rock.
My love.
My protector.