Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
SASHA
I stand just outside the door, my heart hammering against my ribs as I strain to catch every word passing between them. My fingers grip the doorframe, knuckles white, while I try to process what I’m hearing. Stone has feelings for me. Feelings that go beyond friendship or packmates. And as much as I try to ignore the pull that tugs at me, it’s there.
I shouldn’t let it get to me. Not now. Not with everything else going on.
Levi's voice is low, rough with emotion, and I know he's angry, hurt even. And I can’t blame him. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. We were supposed to be forming a pack, a unit, not complicating things with feelings and attractions that weren’t part of the plan. But here we are, and I’m not sure what to do with all of this, not sure where it leaves me.
When I hear Levi move, the sound of his boots shifting against the floor, I take a deep breath, and press myself behind the door as he storms through. It feels like the only way to steady myself, to find a sliver of courage amid the storm brewing in my chest. I push the door open and step inside, no longer hiding. No longer eavesdropping. I won’t be a passive beta, standing idly by while they sort out their problems. This is my pack, too.
Stone’s head snaps toward me, his expression a blend of guilt and resolve. I cross my arms over my chest, my gaze steady. “I heard everything,” I say, my voice firm but calm. "But this? This isn’t a conversation we’re having now. Not with Flynn still out there. Not until the pack is whole.”
His shoulders relax slightly, though the tension doesn’t leave his face. “Yeah,” he says, his voice quieter now. “I get it.”
I step closer, holding his gaze. “I need you to understand, Stone. This pack is ours, but it has to be built on trust. We can’t let anything jeopardize that. Not this, not anything.”
He nods, his eyes searching mine. “I won’t let anything hurt the pack,” he promises, the sincerity in his voice clear.
A tight smile tugs at my lips, though my chest aches at the weight of it all. “Good,” I say softly. “Because we’ve got enough to handle already.” I turn toward the stairs, my steps heavy with everything. “I’m going to find my alpha,” I call over my shoulder before heading up.
At the top of the stairs, the sound of running water greets me, and I feel a strange mix of anticipation and comfort settle over me. Stripping out of my clothes, I leave them in a careless pile on the floor and step into the bathroom. Steam clings to the air, wrapping around me as I slide the shower door open.
Levi stands with his back to me, water cascading over him. His broad shoulders are tense, muscles coiled tight with everything he’s feeling. The bourbon of his scent is particularly sharp. I step closer, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind. My forehead presses against the center of his back, and I let myself breathe him in—the earthy, grounding scent that always feels like home.
"Want company?" I ask softly.
For a moment, his body stiffens beneath my touch, but then he relaxes. His voice is low, gruff. “Yeah.”
I close my eyes, letting the warmth of his body and the steam from the shower wash over me. I breathe in his scent—leather and bourbon, familiar, comforting—and let it anchor me.
“I love you, Levi,” I whisper, my words heavy with meaning. “You’re my alpha.”
He exhales sharply, his hand bracing against the wall. “Stone talked to you?”
“No,” I murmur, resting my cheek against his damp skin. “I overheard. I told him now isn’t the time. Not until Flynn’s safe. We need to focus on that first.”
His shoulders drop slightly, some of the tension bleeding out of him. “Okay,” he says, his voice softer now. After a beat of silence, he turns to face me. His hands come up to cradle my face, his thumb brushing gently over my cheek.
The raw honesty in his voice wraps around my heart, and I feel my throat tighten. “Tell me what to do, Alpha, and I’ll do it. Stone’s a part of this pack, but you tell me no and I respect that. I’m yours.” My chest tightens with the love I feel for him. But there’s also a weight of uncertainty. I never wanted to complicate things. But here I am, tangled in something I don’t fully understand.
“That would make me a hypocrite, Little Brat,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “You accepted Flynn even before you knew he was your Kismet, too.” He meets my eyes, his gaze steady, unwavering, and full of conviction. “You follow what’s in your heart,” he says, his voice resolute. “I’ll be here. Always.”
My eyes sting, and I lean into his touch, pressing my forehead to his. The kiss that follows is slow, tender, and grounding. The water runs between us, a steady stream of warmth and calm amid the chaos.
I pull back slightly, a teasing smirk tugging at my lips. “He is kinda hot,” I say, my voice light and playful, hoping to break the tension hanging between us.
Levi’s growl cuts through the air, deep and rumbling, vibrating through his chest. It’s the kind of sound that makes my stomach flip and my pulse race. His eyes darken, smoldering with a predatory glint that sets my skin on fire. “I’ll show you hot, Brat,” he says, his voice thick with promise.
In one swift motion, he sweeps me off my feet, his strong arms cradling me effortlessly. A gasp escapes my lips, but instinct takes over as I wrap my legs tightly around his waist. The heat of him presses against me, and my heart pounds as my coconut and lime scent fills the bathroom.
I feel the hard press of him against my core as he backs me up against the cold tile wall. The sensation makes me shiver, and I let out a sigh, my hands running over his broad shoulders, pulling him closer. The warmth of the water only adds to the heat building between us.
Levi kisses me hard, like he can’t get enough. It’s rough and fast, and his tongue moves against mine, stealing my breath. His hands slide down my sides, and I know exactly where this is going. We both want it—bad. He doesn’t stop or even pull back. He keeps kissing me, like he needs me. The kiss is intense, like it’s more than just kissing. It’s like he’s trying to prove something. Like he’s trying to remind me that I’m his.
“You’re mine, Sasha,” he growls against my lips, his hands gripping my hips with a possessive strength. “Don’t you ever forget it.”
His words ripple through me, leaving no room for doubt. “I won’t,” I whisper, my voice trembling with a mix of emotion and desire. “I’m yours, Levi. Always.”
I can’t help the soft moan that escapes me as he pushes into me, deep and slow, filling me completely. Every inch of him is exactly where I need him to be, and everything around me fades away, the world shrinking until there’s nothing but this moment, him, and us.
He thrusts again, harder this time, and I tighten my legs around him, pulling him deeper. “Levi,” I moan, my voice barely audible over the sound of the water cascading around us. My fingers dig into his shoulders, clinging to him as though he’s the only thing keeping me grounded.
His eyes darken further, and he leans down to bite gently at my neck, the sensation sending waves of heat through me. “You feel so perfect, Little Brat,” he murmurs, his lips grazing my ear. “Like you were made for me.”
The words send a shiver down my spine, and I can’t help the way my body responds, tightening around him, pulling him even closer. Every movement, every sound he makes, only fuels the fire building between us. My head falls back against the tile, and I surrender completely, letting him take me higher and higher.
We lose ourselves in each other, and I can't help but let out a breathless laugh as he picks up the pace, his grip on me never loosening. “Okay, okay, you’re definitely hotter than Stone,” I tease between gasps, and he gives me a warning growl, his pace increasing even more, making my head spin.
"That's right," Levi growls, kissing me fiercely. "I'll show you just how hot I can get, Little Brat."
I finish first, my body shaking with the release, my breath coming in ragged pants. For a moment, I lose myself in the sensation, in the intensity of it all, but then I feel Levi’s breath against my skin as he follows right behind me, his body tensing and trembling as he comes. His hands grip me tighter, his lips moving against mine, soft but desperate.
We stay like that for a while, until the heat between us starts to dissipate, and Levi sets me down slowly. I take a step back to wash him, my hands gliding over his skin, feeling the smoothness under my fingertips, the strength in his muscles. He does the same for me, his touch soft, tender, as though trying to memorize every inch of me.
His lips meet mine again in a slow, lazy kiss, and I let him lead me, his kiss deep and sure, like everything about him. “I can’t wait to have Flynn here with us,” he murmurs against my lips, his voice low, full of something I can’t quite place. Is it longing? Hope? Maybe both.
“I can’t wait either,” I whisper back, my heart swelling at the thought of it. But as the words leave my mouth, my mind drifts to Stone. I can’t help but feel a twinge of guilt, a fleeting thought that he’s left out. But I push it away. I can’t afford to think about that right now. Flynn needs to be safe. Stone is here, safe for now, and I can worry about him later. Right now, it’s about Levi. About us. About getting Flynn to safety.
Levi turns the water off, and we step out of the shower together. He dries himself off first, his towel falling around his hips as he looks at me, his eyes soft but intense. I feel like he’s seeing through me, like he knows exactly what’s going on in my mind, even though I try to hide it.
He wraps a towel around me, his hands lingering on my skin as he helps me out of the shower. I don’t protest when he leads me to the bedroom and helps me slip into one of his shirts and a clean pair of panties. The softness of the fabric is comforting, and for a moment, I let myself just sink into the feeling of being taken care of, basking in the smell of leather surrounding me.
I climb into the bed, the cool sheets brushing against my warm skin like a reminder of just how much heat still lingers between us. Levi pulls on a pair of sweats before joining me. He pulls me close, his chest pressing against mine, and I feel the steady beat of his heart against my own.
He inhales deeply, and I can feel the warmth of his breath on my neck. “I love you, Little Brat,” he says, his voice a low murmur that sends shivers down my spine. His words are soft, but there’s so much weight behind them, so much meaning.
I press myself closer to him, resting my head against his chest. “I love you, Levi. Always… forever,” I whisper, and for a moment, everything feels perfect. The world outside, all the chaos, all the danger, it all fades away in his arms.