Chapter 13
Tyler
Finding Hudson half-dead in his backyard, learning he’d been fighting wolves on his own for three years, and then panicking as he collapsed from his injuries wasn’t quite how I’d pictured our gallant return to his house.
Emery set to work immediately after tending to Hudson, burying the werewolf corpses in the woods nearby.
After that, he boarded the broken windows while I stayed by Hudson’s side in his room, watching over him as he slept.
Thankfully, Em knew his way around claw wounds and had managed to stitch Hudson up nicely.
A layer of bandages covered his neck, and his shoulder was tightly wrapped.
His bare chest rose and fell steadily as his lashes fluttered softly.
Wrapped up in a fleece blanket and nestled close, I just stared at him, occasionally placing gentle kisses on his shoulder and wishing I could make it better.
Lying there beside him, taking in his bruised and battered body, my eyes fell to the scars I’d noticed that first night in the kitchen. My fingers gently traced the thin lines on his forearm, my heart breaking as they suddenly made sense.
Battle scars. Marks left by the wolves he’d had to put down on his own.
Even knowing my baby boy could take care of himself, I couldn’t stop beating myself up. Vera had just been a diversion, and we’d fallen for it hard. If we’d arrived even a moment later, Harrison could’ve killed him.
What was worse… all I could think about was that if I hadn’t brought up that stupid kiss, if Emery and I hadn’t taken a time out to suck face, we would’ve gotten there sooner. I shuddered to think what might’ve happened if we’d gone on any longer.
Some protectors we made.
“Ty?” Hudson stared at me through heavy eyelids, speaking in a little more than a whisper.
“Hey, baby boy,” I sang, snuggling closer to him to brush a strand of platinum blond hair from his face. “How you feeling?”
“Mmm…” he grunted, closing his eyes with a pained look on his face. “Everything hurts.”
With another kiss to his shoulder, I found his hand lying over his stomach, lacing my fingers into his. “How can I help?”
He jostled his head, turning to face me with narrowed eyes. “Were you always this sweet?”
I shook my head, laughing silently. “No. No, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I treated you, Hud.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m gonna do better.”
“I know you are.” The smile he gave me went right to my gut, sending warmth all the way to my toes. Then his eyes turned sad, snuffing it out in an instant. “I’m scared for you, though.”
I didn’t need to ask what he meant. I’d been in Felcove my whole life. I knew what lurked in the dark, but that night had opened my eyes like never before. Pulling his hand to my lips, I kissed his knuckles, whispering, asking again, “How can I help?”
Hudson laughed, his eyes brimming with tears as he shook his head. “Run far away from me?”
“Never,” I said instantly, smiling.
“You’re not very good at this,” he said with a soft giggle.
“Sorry…” I nestled closer, raising my arm to tuck his cheek to my chest. “...still learning.”
He turned his head, kissing my chest over my t-shirt. “Tyler… there’s only two ways this ends if you stay. Old age… really isn’t an option, you know that right?”
“So… death or…”
Heaving a sigh, he looked up at me, then said, “Becoming something else. Something bad.”
In moments of jealousy, wishing I could be part of Hudson's world, even if just to escape my own, I’d considered it. I’d thought of running to Emery and asking him to bite me. To make me like him so I could be everything Hudson needed.
It had terrified me before, but in that moment, lying there more certain than ever that I never wanted to leave his side—
“Then I’ll change.”
“What?” Hudson's eyes widened. “Tyler—”
“I’ll ask Em to bite me. Choose my own fate.”
“You don't know what you’re saying.”
“I do,” I pushed, resting my forehead against his. “Emery said the Garland werewolves are meant to revere you, right? To keep you safe above all else?”
Hudson bit his lip, looking away in thought. “Once upon a time in a fairy tale, maybe, but it’s not that simple.”
“It is for me,” I breathed, dipping down to catch his lips with mine. Gently. Trying to convey all that he was to me. “That’s everything I want to be to you, baby boy. To protect you. Revere you. Forever.”
The whole universe found its way into those eyes as he stared at me, his lips parting. Shocked. Heartbroken and awestruck all at once. A tear fell free, trailing down his cheek. “Where was all this four years ago? What changed?”
I slammed my eyes shut, shaking my head. Me? Everything I ever thought I knew? I blew out a shaking breath. “Hudson… I made… the worst mistake of my life letting you go—”
“You kinda pushed me,” he said, laughing through his tears.
“I know. I… just had to get away before you… before you could see through my lie. Before you saw me crying and…” I couldn't stop myself from tearing up as the words I’d rehearsed for four years suddenly became completely and infinitesimally useless. “I’m… so sorry, baby boy. I’m so… so sorry.”
“I know,” Hudson said softly, jostling upright. He placed a hand on my jaw, whispering against my lips. “I forgive you. Always. Completely.”
“Just like that?” I choked. “After everything?”
“Well, I almost died. You helped kill the werewolf that orchestrated it. Kinda puts things into perspective.”
“I ran her over with Em’s car,” I muttered, smiling and shaking my head. “Hardly my finest moment, I promise.”
Hudson belted the most beautiful laugh, dropping back into the pillows. He turned his head to me, eyes sparkling. With a grin, I leaned in, brushing my lips over his. My witch closed the distance, and I melted into him, letting the hurt that had kept us apart for so long fade with every touch.
Breaking the kiss, Hudson blew out a breath. “I can't… tell you not to become a werewolf, Ty, but…”
“But?”
“I just want you to think on it.”
“I have thought on it, Hudson,” I said sternly. “A lot. Every time I wanted to escape the life I hate.”
“It’s not an escape, Tyler,” Emery said from the door, giving us both a start. “It’s called a curse for a reason.”