355

Seconds later, Vince’s weight lifts off me. Zane claps in front of my face to bring me back to the present.
“Luna, right here, focus on me.” He’s trying to get my attention.
Sierra is reminding me to breathe, and I roll on my back, draping my arm over my eyes, shielding my face from the sun, and trying to catch my breath.
“Ok, no more training until Andrei comes back, unless it is training with your wolf,” Zane decides.
Vince sits beside me, with his knees bent and his arms resting on them. He is covered in sweat and grass too, as I try to calm myself, and tries to catch his breath.
“I hope that is damn soon,” Vince adds, making me look at him.
“I spoke to Derrick, he will be here tomorrow,” Zane promises.
“Alpha knows?” Vince asks.
“I mindlinked him, he didn’t reply, but I know he heard me.”
“Did he say when he would be back?” I ask as hope flares in me, but Zane shakes his head sadly and kills it off.
“No, but he will come back, Sage,” Zane reassures me, and I nod while sitting up and getting to my feet.
“Where is your water bottle?” Zane asks, and I sigh.
“Forgot it,” I confess, and Vince hands me his.
I squirt some water in my mouth and hand it back to him before holding my hand out, he takes it, and I pull him up to walk back. I need a shower since my clothes are sticking to me, and I am covered in grass, which is making me itchy.
Zane and Vince walk me back, and I head straight for the shower, letting them lock me in my concrete prison. I spend the rest of the day and most of the night watching TV before crawling in bed around when the moon is high in the sky, likely close to midnight.
It is still dark when I wake up to hands grabbing me. My eyes fly open to the darkened room, and I start hitting and kicking my attacker. Every bit of training I’d been put through surges through me and I fight with everything in me to stay in my home.
“Sage! It’s me, Andrei,” Andrei’s deep voice reassures me from the darkness. I stop fighting and my heart slows to a manageable level. I suck in a breath to find him hovering over the top of me.
“When did you come back?” I ask, peering up at him.
He is shirtless and covered in dirt. I can just make him out with the help of the bathroom light that I left on. His hair is a mess like he just rolled out of bed, though rolling in mud would probably be more accurate from the state of him.
“An hour ago, sorry, I was trying not to wake you, but I need your hand,” he says before scooping me up.
“You need my what?” I ask, blinking at him. Was I all the way awake?
I glance to the window to find it still dark outside, making me wonder what the time is when he walks down the stairs. I try to wiggle out of his grip, but he maneuvers me instead so my legs are wrapped around his waist. I give up, too tired to argue with him, but glad to have him home.
“Earth to Sage, he wants our hand?” Sierra questions me.
“He said that?” I yawn, resting my chin on his shoulder.
“You’re not going to question that? What if he wants to chop it off?” She squeaks, making me sit up in his arms.
“Why do you want my hand?” I blurt out, her words are like a bucket of cold water being tossed on me.
“Not to cut it off,” he snorts, reaching the bottom floor.
“Freaked me out for no reason, Sierra.”
“Well, I was just making sure, he has a fetish for killing, remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a foot or hand fetish too,” she snorts.
Andrei stops by the front door, holding me with one arm while he taps some buttons on the panel. “I probably should have done this before I left, I didn’t think Zane would take my words so seriously and only let you out for training with Casen,” he grumbles.
“And yet, it couldn’t wait until the daylight hours?” I mutter as he presses my hand against the panel, rolling it slightly to ensure it gets my full handprint.
“Hmm, I wanted to do it while I remembered. Besides, now I can sleep without worrying about you trying to hack one of mine off,” he chuckles, kissing my cheek. “Now you can come and go as you please,” he adds, tapping more buttons on the panel until it beeps.
I stare at the panel then at my hand, lifting a brow. I didn’t want to speak and break the spell, but did Andrei just show that he trusts me? Even though we had such a huge fight before he left, he’d just given me the keys to his castle.
“Where did you go?” I ask him, looking up from my palm.
“I wasn’t far from the mountain,” he says, dipping his face into the crook of my neck.
I am still furious with him, but I have missed him terribly over the last few days. This place is lonely without him, and I am truly relieved he is back. Some part of me feared he wouldn’t return.
“I saw you training with Casen yesterday. I was watching you,” he says. I nod, trying to get down out of his arms, but he hoists me higher. “Please don’t be angry. I am sorry, Sage. You were right, I didn’t need to kill Lior.”
My brows furrow, wondering who he is talking about. I hadn’t heard that name spoken within the pack. “Lior?”
“The rogue, that was his name,” he whispers, heading back toward the stairs while refusing to let me walk.
“He missed us,” Sierra points out, and I nod at her words because despite how angry I am, I missed him too.
“Are you going to stop?” I ask him, afraid he will say no.
“I will let my father take over the pack for a while,” he answers instead.
“That’s not what I asked, Andrei,” I scold as he lumbers into the bathroom and places me next to the sink basin.
“I know, I can’t promise that, Sage, but I can promise not to look for them, or kill any rogue that means no harm. I will only kill them if they attack our pack. Is that good enough for you?” he asks.
I chew my lip before Andrei tugs my lip from between my teeth with his thumb, waiting for my answer. “Only if they attack the pack, the rest, will you leave them alone?”
“I promise, no more rogues. I will even clear out the basement if you want me to,” he vows.
“Yeah, the torture chamber needs to go,” I agree, and he chuckles but nods.
“So, am I forgiven?” he asks, moving to stand between my legs.
“Almost,” I muse, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiles and leans his face towards mine.
Before he can ask what he needs to do, I lean forward and kiss him, letting my lips perfectly mesh against his. The soft kiss grows heated quickly, his tongue slips into my mouth and it’s like he never left and we were never interrupted in the first place. His tongue sweeps through my mouth, taking his time to explore every inch of me. He pulls me close and I run my fingers through his hair before I pull back with a wrinkled nose.
“You need to shower,” I lecture, my fingers are covered in dirt and dried mud. He laughs, kissing my lips a couple of times.
“Join me?” He asks, gripping his shirt, which I am wearing.
I lift my arms and let him tug it off. His hands gently caresses my sides, and he kisses me once more before turning and starting the shower.
“No more rogues?” I ask again.
“No more rogues, Sage. I swear to you,” he promises, looking over at me while he checks the water temperature. I sigh, hopping off the counter and tugging off my cotton shorts. Andrei removes his pants, steps in the shower and pulls me in with him.