8. Finley #2
I decided not to touch on it. If he said it to me again, then I would address it.
He was likely running on instinct, having had his mate in danger and now back safe with him.
I’ve learned that wolf nature can be a very powerful thing to contend with and you don’t always notice when it’s pushing you to do or say things.
Lane led the way from the airport building to the open area where all the planes were parked, waiting for their passengers.
The last time I was on this plane, I was headed to Tennessee, starting a new life.
Things have changed in such a short amount of time.
Now, I had four mates and three more that I knew would follow when the time was right.
This time, I wasn’t overwhelmed by my omega nature, needing to hide in a pile of blankets.
Taking a seat where I could look out the window, I enjoyed how much space I had while curling up in the chair as I watched the others board the plane.
The twins gave Colt a cautious look as they sat on the couch, where Elias joined them.
Zander headed to the front of the plane to talk to the pilot and other staff, leaving Colt to stare me down as he sat across from me.
Before Lane could take the seat, Rath swooped in, stealing the spot next to me, acting almost protectively as if he was worried Colt would get out of hand and I would need him to protect me.
If I had to be honest, the one I’d been concerned about was Zander, though he seemed to be holding himself in check better.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” Colt asked through clenched teeth. His hands were gripping the armrests as if forcing himself to stay seated.
I took a deep breath, pulling his scent into my lungs, the rich aroma of evergreen and fresh air you only found in the mountains.
I didn’t pick up any genuine anger that I needed to worry about.
Instead, I caught a bite of pain. Reaching out with my magic and omega senses, I sorted through his emotions in more detail after what Lane told me.
The pain I was picking up was twisted up in a knot of self-loathing and failure.
Colt had taken this as hard as Elias had, even though they both knew I’d walked away from them. They hadn’t done anything wrong.
Slipping out of the chair, I walked over to Colt and dropped to my knees, placing my head in his lap.
Right now, words wouldn’t mean anything to him with the pain clouding his mind.
I could, however, show him how sorry I was.
Turning my head, I bared my neck, showing him the spot he’d marked me as his mate, offering up my life to him to do with it as he chose.
The tension in the plane was thick enough to cut with a knife as we all waited to see what response Colt would give to my offering.
I could feel Lane shifting in his seat like he was going to reach for me, but Colt snarled at him, making Lane freeze.
“Colt,” Zander warned.
If there was going to be a problem, Zander was the only one who could do something about it being a stronger alpha than Colt was.
I knew deep in my heart that he wouldn’t hurt me no matter how upset he was about the situation, so I calmly lay there waiting for Colt to make his move.
Colt was my mate, our bond strong between us, humming with the contact as I rested in his lap.
Fingers brushed along my skin, moving stray hairs out of his way before leaning down and kissing my neck on his mark.
My body shuddered with pleasure at the touch, but when he ran over it with his tongue, I let out a whimper, my body clenching with need.
Hearing it, Colt began to purr, nuzzling into the space behind my ear, then buried his nose in my hair.
“Mine,” he growled as his hands clamped around my waist and pulled me onto his lap.
I was locked in place by his arms, but I wasn’t trying to get away from him.
He needed to know that I was okay and back in his arms. I felt a tug as he pulled my hair out of its bun and let it fall free, showing how long it was now.
Seeing it, his purr grew louder as he shoved his face into the thick mass, rubbing his cheek along skin, marking me with his scent as he took deep lungful of mine.
I didn’t even notice the plane was moving until the captain came over the loudspeaker telling us we’d reached the proper height and were free to move about the cabin.
In a flash, Colt had me cradled in his arms as he got to his feet and headed to the back of the plane, where I discovered a bed was.
The king-size bed was covered in blankets laced in their scent like they were telling me they’d done this for me, knowing it would settle me.
Even though my mates were upset with me, they were still looking out for my needs, and it warmed my heart.
How had I ever thought about not coming back to them?
There was no way I could’ve known how much they would mean to me in such a short amount of time.
Colt settled us both on the bed, then curled around me.
I nuzzled my face in his neck as he shielded me from the world, purring and stroking my hair, soothing us both at the same time.
The others must have sensed that Colt needed this time alone with me, so they let us be, talking amongst themselves.
Part of me was concerned about Rath. Through our bond, I reached out, and he instantly answered, telling me he was fine and all was well. Finally able to relax, I let out a sigh and snuggled into Colt’s warm body.
“As your mate and your alpha, I say these words—you are never allowed to leave me like that again. I forbid you to leave pack lands without our approval,” Colt ordered, putting his alpha energy into it, making it a command.
I shivered under the power of his words and nodded my head.
Something told me that if push came to shove, I could break his order, only I didn’t want to.
I was willing to accept that command was my punishment for leaving.
If giving me that order made him feel better, more secure in my loyalty, then I was fine with it… for now.