Chapter 20 #3
She dipped a cloth in antiseptic and leaned in. The scent of her hair—warm, familiar, and devastating washed over me. Her breath grazed my collarbone, and every nerve in my body lit up.
"Will Leo heal like this, too?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady as she dabbed the cloth against the wound.
"Yes," I said, watching her closely. "But not until after his first shift."
She nodded, her focus locked on my shoulder. "That's... actually comforting," she said, almost distracted. "Given how accident-prone he is."
I chuckled, then hissed as the antiseptic bit into my skin. She flinched sympathetically. "He gets that from me," I said through gritted teeth. "I was always tearing myself up as a kid. My mom nearly lost her mind keeping up with me."
"Tell me about her," Alison said, her voice quieter now—softer, but edged with a curious vulnerability.
I tilted my head, watching her eyes as she gently applied pressure with a clean cloth. "She was fierce. Protective. But gentle in ways that counted. She loved roses. Had a whole garden of them. And she could calm my father with just a single look."
Alison smiled faintly, her fingers still on my skin, though the wound was already bandaged. She wasn't pulling away. "She sounds incredible. I wish I could've met her."
I reached up, fingers brushing the curve of her jaw. Her breath hitched, but she didn't move. Didn't flinch. Didn't retreat.
"She would've loved you," I said, my voice rough. Honest. "And she would've adored Leo."
Her eyes flicked to my lips. Just for a second. But that second burned.
We were too close. The heat between us was too loud. The tension hung heavy. It was thick with all the wants we'd both been putting at bay. All the touches we hadn't allowed ourselves to crave.
Her hand moved slightly on my chest, slow, unsure—then stayed there, flat against my skin, right over my heart.
"I shouldn't—" she started, voice barely audible.
But I was already leaning in. I half expected her to pull away, but she didn't. Instead, she remained still and let my lips capture hers.
She moaned in surrender, and I bit down on her lower lip, the sweet taste of her forcing blood to my loins, and my member stirred for her.
I moved to pull her closer to me, to taste every bit of her.
But just then, she stopped me.
"Not yet," she said, her voice caught in a ragged tone. I nodded in understanding, but my body wailed. I wanted her. Needed her!
But I'd be patient because I knew the next step wouldn't be a fulfillment of physical hunger. It'll be the two of us finally surrendering ourselves to each other, making a sound and lasting commitment. Just what I wanted.
Alison finished dressing the wound and began packing up the first aid supplies. "There. That should help, even with your supernatural healing."
"Thank you," I said, catching her hand as she turned away. "Not just for this, but for everything tonight. For giving me another chance."
She looked down at our joined hands, then back up at me. "We're finding our way, aren't we?"
"Yes," I agreed. "One step at a time."
We stood there in silence for a moment, the air between us charged with unspoken feelings. I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my arms, to claim her lips again, to show her physically what she meant to me. But I had promised to take things slowly, and I would honor that promise.
"I should go," I said reluctantly, releasing her hand. "It's late, and you've had enough excitement for one night."
She nodded, but I caught a flicker of disappointment in her eyes that gave me hope. "I'll walk you out."
We moved back through her sitting room and out into the hallway. The mansion was quiet, everyone else apparently having retired for the night.
We descended the stairs together, and at the front door, I turned to her once more. "Despite the unexpected ending, I enjoyed tonight."
"So did I," she admitted with a small smile. "Though next time, let's skip the armed robbers."
"Deal," I agreed, relieved that she was already thinking about next time.
I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek, inhaling her scent one last time to carry with me. "Goodnight, Alison."
"Goodnight, Lucas," she replied softly.
As I walked to my car, I couldn't help but feel that for all the chaos of the evening—the confrontation with the gunmen, the injury, the revelations about pack life—we had made real progress.
Alison was opening up to me, to the idea of us together, to the world I wanted to share with her and our son.
And for the first time in five long years, I felt truly hopeful about the future. A future with my mate by my side, my son growing strong, and my pack thriving under our leadership.
The moon watched over me as I drove away from the Black estate, and I could feel its power humming in my blood. In three days, it would be full, and perhaps by then, Alison would be ready to witness what I truly was—not just the man, but the wolf as well.
And perhaps, in time, she would come to embrace all of me, as I had already embraced all of her.