Chapter Sixteen
It All Starts with a Kiss
LIAM O’CONNOR
“I can’t leave her, Bast!” My words come out through clenched teeth, echoing the conflict churning within me—a blend of desperation and anger. My hands ball into fists. Knuckles tightening, fingers digging into my palms as if I can forcefully hold on to the control slipping bit by bit from my grasp.
Bast, despite the tension knotting the air inside my living room, maintains an infuriatingly calm facade.
A petty spark of jealousy ignites inside me at his apparent ease.
After Lila’s healing, my wolf took over and had me up and mobile again within a few hours. The pain isn’t all gone from the gunshot yet, but it will be by tomorrow. Right now the pain just fuels my rage.
He sighs, the sound a deep rumble that reverberates through the room. His resolute gaze meets mine. “Liam, you have to trust me. I will keep her safe. I promise you,” he insists.
But the mere thought of leaving Gen behind, even under Bast’s watch, stirs the beast within me. A low snarl rumbles in my chest, a primal warning from my wolf to me against the plan to put distance between me and my mate.
Over my dead fucking body is really what he’s saying.
“You almost died, Liam.” Bast’s words hang heavy in the air, thickening the tension with a weighty dread. He lowers his NFL linebacker-sized body onto my couch with a weary grunt, his eyes reflecting a pain that mirrors my own. “It nearly tore her apart in front of Aiden when that happened.”
Mine. Mate. Mine.
The wolf within me, deaf to reason and logic, growls his claim, his possessiveness rising like a tidal wave. The urge to protect, to guard is overpowering. I pace my living room, each step echoing my growing restlessness.
The front door swings open abruptly, the sudden intrusion slicing through my brooding thoughts. My youngest brother strides in, his expression somber. “So when was someone going to fill me in that Gen is Liam’s fated mate?”
“Fuck. Jackson, why are you here?” I cast a blame-filled glare at Bast. He merely shrugs a silent “I-don’t-care-what-you-think” and settles farther into the couch.
“You almost died, bro. Good luck going anywhere alone for a few weeks. Bast and I are traumatized,” Jackson quips, the humor barely masking his concern.
Bast gives a snorted laugh. Then he looks at me, his expression once again void of humor. “You’re not thinking clearly. You shifted in public. People saw you. Rachel’s gonna have a fun time cleaning up that mess, Liam.”
A growl rumbles in my chest, my beast’s fuck-off answer to his criticism. I pace again, the small room seeming to shrink with each step, each heartbeat.
“Why was I left out of the fun?” Jackson asks, throwing himself onto the couch with a grace that belies his size. We’re all about the same, though Bast probably has twenty or thirty pounds on Jackson and me. “What’s the plan? We stealing her before the wedding?”
“No, you idiot. Liam is leaving town.” Bast delivers a half-hearted punch to Jackson’s gut, his tone dismissive. “And you were left out ’cause secrets are harder to keep the more people that know them.”
Jackson deflects Bast’s punch and straightens, his confusion mirrored in his eyes. “Wait. What the fuck? Why are you letting Aiden marry your mate?”
Yes. Why are we doing that?
“What did I miss? How is Gen okay with this?”
His barrage of questions pulls me back to reality. For the sake of my pack, my family, I need to think and act responsibly. Pushing the surging emotions and the restless wolf aside, I breathe in deep, letting the cool air cleanse my mind.
“I didn’t know Gen was my fated mate until after Aiden made the deal with Oliver. We can’t break this deal. The pack would lose everything and we would immediately be under Gallagher authority moving forward.” The whole situation is an inescapable web of honor and duty.
Jackson’s lip curls in disgust. “’Cause of the loan Aiden’s dad took out without telling anyone?”
My mind jolts back to a decade ago when Ian O’Connor had spiraled into an abyss of debt with a ruthless bookie. Oliver Gallagher had sniffed out the weakness and bought the debt. Now Oliver was calling it in on Aiden...or else.
I confirm Jackson’s suspicion with a curt nod, my gaze not quite meeting his.
“But does Aiden know you and Gen are...you know?” Jackson asks.
“No, and he can’t. Our cousin is too honorable. Gen and I both agreed to this. Aiden would never marry her if he knew we were fated. And if Dave Gallagher gets even a hint that this marriage is arranged, it means war for the valley. An ugly one.” I lean against the cool counter of my small kitchen, sighing as if trying to expel the despair that clings to my ribs. “I’m leaving town. Permanently. As soon as the wedding happens.”
“Mom’s gonna blow a gasket.”
“You can’t tell her,” I respond sharply, an icy undercurrent of desperation creeping into my voice. I hate what this is doing to me. I hate the lies.
“You just gonna disappear? That’s a shit move.” Jackson crosses his arms and leans back on the couch.
“I’ll write after I get settled.”
“Still a shit move,” Jackson says.
I agree with my brother, but the shit move is the best move for everyone. As the full weight of my impending departure settles on my psyche like a shroud, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I pull it out and see a text from Aiden.
Aiden: Dropped Gen at her cabin. She’s staying there for the blood moon runs.
Liam: R u staying there?
Aiden: No. She’s mad. Barely agreed 2 let me send a guard.
Liam: Who’s staying w her?
Aiden: U. Stay out of sight. 92 W Old Bend Rd.
Fuckin’ hell. Guarding Gen during a blood moon, especially when we’re both so emotional, will be like taking a ticking time bomb and handing it to a toddler. And yet it’s an order I can’t refuse.
“I gotta go. Aiden dropped Gen at her cabin and I’m guard duty again.” I manage to keep my voice steady, concealing the thunderstorm of emotion churning within me.
Jackson and Bast rise simultaneously, their expressions morphing into matching brotherly smirks. “We’ll come too. More guards the better, right? Plus, you’ll need support.” Jackson, always the eager one, rushes to open the front door, waiting for me to leave first.
Bast cuts in front of me with a swagger that screams this will be good . “Not missing this shit show, bro.”
A low growl rumbles deep in my throat, the beast inside me very unhappy with their intrusion. They laugh, unfazed by my irritation, and follow me to my truck, making good on their threat, and both climb into the back seat.
Maybe it will be better if I’m not alone with Gen.
No is the resounding answer from my wolf.
With one last glance at the safety of my home, I slide into the driver’s seat and slam the door shut, the metallic clang resonating with my determination. A flick of my wrist and the engine roars to life. Its purring cadence grounds me. The familiar texture of the steering wheel beneath my hands is a tangible lifeline.
The drive to Gen’s cabin is both too short and agonizingly long. No one speaks. The afternoon sun is low in the sky. Tonight the blood moon will rise, pushing all of us into our wolves without a choice.
A small cabin finally appears in the distance. It stands quiet and proud, much like the woman it shelters. My heart stutters, my mind already painting pictures of Gen within its cozy confines, and more dangerously, in my arms.
The crunch of gravel beneath the truck’s tires is the only sound breaking the deafening silence as I park the vehicle down the road.
Aiden said she wanted to be alone. And I had been prepared to respect her wishes, but now that she’s close. Now that the tendrils of our bond are reaching for each other through the ether.
Now I can’t stay away.
Not anymore.
The reality of her proximity hits me like a tidal wave, a visceral craving that radiates from the very core of my being. Her essence seeps into the edges of my consciousness, warm and alluring.
“Ya’ll stay out of sight,” I instruct Bast and Jackson, my voice low but assertive. I don’t need to turn around to know they’re exchanging glances.
Jackson sniggers, a disbelieving sound that echoes through the tense air. He’s ready to call me out if I give him the chance.
I don’t.
Bast, on the other hand, takes a deep breath. But I stop him before he gets a chance to utter a single word. I hold up a hand and look him in the eye.
“Stay out of sight,” I reiterate.
Bast snaps his mouth shut and gives me a curt nod.
And with that, I step out of the truck and into the quiet, the chilly air brushing against my skin, drawing my attention to the all-too-real anticipation building inside me.
Each step toward her is like walking on a tightrope. Danger and excitement course through my veins.
The wooden boards of the cabin’s front porch creak under my feet. I raise my hand to knock, but her voice floats from behind the cabin, soft yet clear. “I’m back here.”
I veer off, following the worn wooden walkway around to the left.
The cabin is a small sanctuary hidden in the wilderness, the rough-hewn logs a testament to time and endurance. But it’s the view from here that steals my breath away.
The expanse of the valley sprawls out in front of me, a patchwork quilt of grassy plains and emerald forests, with Ash Hollow nestled like a gem in the heart. The shimmering silver ribbon of the river trails alongside, flowing with a serene grace toward the lake and our pack territory.
But in that vast panorama, my eyes have only one final destination—her.
She stands near the balcony, bathed in the soft red and orange hues of the sunset, a vision too exquisite for words. Her barely there tank top and shorts highlight the curves and angles of her body in a way that sends heat coursing through my veins.
My gaze lingers, each detail feeding the desire waking within me.
She shivers as if the weight of my gaze presses down on her skin. Her scent wafts to me on the breeze, a tantalizing blend of floral shampoo and the inherent sweetness that’s uniquely her.
My heart hammers in my chest, each beat echoing the same mantra: Mine. Mine. Mine. Yet a sobering thought claws its way up, a harsh reminder that rings louder than the roar of my instincts. A reminder that she is not mine to claim.
The emotional tug-of-war rages inside me, each surge of longing clashing with the bitter truth, causing an ache so profound it threatens to shatter me.
My palms itch with the desire to reach out and touch her, to affirm the bond that pulses between us, begging us to seal it, yet I hold back, balling my hands into fists at my sides.
Then she looks at me.
The air between us crackles with an electric energy, an unseen tether that pulls us closer until we’re standing mere breaths apart. In the fading light, her eyes shimmer with an intensity that sends an arrow of desire straight through my heart.
Gen’s fingers lift to graze my cheek, the whisper-soft touch burning like the most exquisite flame.
I close my eyes, surrendering to the intoxicating pleasure that radiates from her touch, letting it wash over me in warm waves.
“I thought I’d lost you.” Her breathy whisper tugs at my soul.
With a sigh, I press my face into her palm, pressing a kiss into the softness of her skin. “Never,” I say, breathing the word against her palm. It’s a lie, but one I want to believe in this stolen moment of tranquility.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Her timbre is tinged with a strange mix of longing and sorrow, but her eyes speak a different language, a language brimming with desire and wistful yearning.
Her gaze drifts to my lips, lingering for a moment before flitting back to mine. It’s a silent plea, an invitation that reverberates through every fiber of my being.
As if pulled by an invisible force, my hand lifts to cup her face, guiding her closer until our lips meet in a heated kiss.
Her arms wind around my neck, pulling me closer, while my own arms snake around her waist, granting her wish by eliminating every inch of space between our bodies.
Her taste is intoxicating, a heady blend of sweetness and warmth that leaves me craving more. I trace the soft skin of her neck, my tongue exploring each delicate curve, relishing in the soft gasps she emits.
“We don’t have long before the moon rises.” Her fingers tangle in my hair and tug gently, coaxing me toward the back door of the cabin.
“We shouldn’t do this. We agreed,” I mutter against her skin, even as my hands tighten around her waist, unwilling to let her go.
“Why are you here? Why didn’t you stay in the trees with your brothers?”
The confession tumbles from my lips before I can reel it in. “Because I need to touch you.”
“Then touch me. We can’t bond, but you can touch me and I can touch you. And then you’ll leave and my life will move forward without you. But I’ll always have these three days with you, Liam. Please.” Her desperation and her words are a punch to my gut.
I know I’m being selfish, but the allure of stolen moments with her is too tantalizing to resist.
I’m damned either way.
Bound to watch her bond with another male. Bound to walk away and leave her in the arms of my cousin. Bound by the chains of duty and integrity.
Fucking responsibility.
Fucking integrity.
Defying every thought screaming for restraint, I sweep her off the ground, cradling her close as I stride into the cabin.
The worn wooden floor creaks under our combined weight as I make a beeline for the bed. Gently, I lay her down on the colorful quilt.
In this quiet space, with nothing but our shared heartbeats echoing around us, I experience a twisted mixture of pleasure and pain. Pleasure in knowing that I get these stolen moments with her, and pain in knowing they’re all I’ll ever have.