Chapter 14: Chapter 14
**Cassie's Pov**
When I woke up, I realized that my partner had been sleeping on his bed while he was still unconscious; the realization broke my heart into a million pieces. Over the past three days, I have not stopped thinking about myself.
I allowed myself to become so self-absorbed that I never made an effort to listen to him, and I took his presence for granted. That is just one thing that I am kicking myself over as soon as I open my eyes this morning.
I took a seat on the bed and began to play with his hair. I can't help but long for his aroma; he reminds me of comfort and all the things I cherish most in this world. He put me at ease, but now that I know he is here and that he suffered serious injuries the night before, it gives me the creeps and gives me nightmares. It is inconceivable to me that I would ever have to go through life without him.
This is going to be a living misery for everyone involved.
"Would you kindly open those stunning eyes once more? I want to hug you, kiss you, and touch you again. I miss your warmth, and I want to make it up to you for all of these days that I have stubbornly left you behind because I am envious, and it is my responsibility that you are here... I want to make it up to you by saying, "It is your fault that I am jealous, and it is my fault that you are here..." Before I continued to speak to my emotions, I couldn't help but break down into tears. It is weighty; in fact, it is so weighty that it makes me feel feeble once more.
When someone wipes away my tears, I just about immediately ceased crying again. It is him; he recognized me and greeted me with a smile after opening his eyes. I even wiped my eyes to see if I was simply hallucinating, and when I saw that he is what he is right now—conscious and in good health—I realized that I wasn't hallucinating after all.
I did not give it a second thought before giving him a cautious hug due to the fact that he is still injured. I do not want you to be thus, but regardless of what happens, I will continue to stand by his side. Those hours that he was being beaten and injured by those thugs made me angry at myself because, despite what they stated, it was partially my responsibility that he was in that position.
I am still accountable for my actions, and I do not wish to experience fear evermore. My spine tingles at the prospect of him being in that state once more since it's so unsettling.
He muttered something to the effect of, "Hey, you are shaking again," as though he were concerned for me. Even though he is the one who is hurt the most, he is concerned about how I am.
"I can't afford to lose you once more. I hope that we never have to see each other in that state again. It is my fault, and I am very sorry; in fact, I do not believe that I deserve to be your Luna.
Someone who is able to stand by Kaiden's side, who can be with him no matter what, and who can overcome all of the challenges with him should be Kaiden's version of Luna. But I made the decision to be stubborn. And this is the consequence of my envious behavior.
From this point on, I'm going to work on developing my unique individuality.
You would never do anything to risk losing me. Quiet down and stop squandering your tears. I am present and I am still alive. That you are here makes me happy, and that is the only thing that really matters at all.
He did not leave my side till I was completely well again.
"So, you are okay now?" He made fun of me. I guess he can make jokes now, huh?
Even though I was angry with him, I went ahead and kissed him on both cheeks.
"Would you ever have the audacity to try that again? You never break the pattern of putting your life in danger. I understand that getting into a fight is nothing out of the ordinary, especially when it comes to a struggle for territory, but could you at least be careful? I beseech you.
"I will," he responded, sounding like a puppy being reprimanded. He is quite endearing while also being very attractive.
"I need you to get better quickly, do you understand what I'm saying?" I informed him about it.
He questioned me, "And why is that?" while attempting to sound like a young child who had no idea what was going on.
"Because if you are already healed, then I am now ready to give myself, and, you know, I want you to mark me."
When I watched him looking so befuddled, I almost lost control of my ability to contain my laughs.
"Hey, what is so funny?!" When he grunts, I have no choice but to keep quiet.
"If you would just look at yourself in this very moment, you would laugh even harder!" I yelled out loud.
"Of course, that catches me off guard! Who could argue against that? "Babe, you just gave me your consent, and you expect me to act like a stone, and you just said that I can mark you, and you expect me to act like a stone," he added as if he is on his own cloud nine.
"A consent that I ought to be able to offer you right from the very beginning. In order to facilitate a speedy recovery in the event that you sustain an injury—we certainly hope not, but we are aware that this will inevitably occur due to your actions."
When he heard my explanation, his formerly cheerful countenance changed into one of concern.
"Babe, I do not want to in any way give you the impression that you are compelled. Babe, if you don't want to do that, you don't have to do it at all. I don't want you to feel obligated in any way, shape, or form, and that's the last thing I want you to feel. How did I become so blessed to have a guy that is as nice as he is?
I smiled and shook my head because I did not want him to get the impression that I was giving him my time and energy because I felt obligated in any way. It was one of the reasons I had, but for some reason, I can't get the uneasy sensation that I need to do it regardless.
"Honey, I need your help with this. I would love for us to start a family together. I do not in the least feel forced to do so; rather, I have experienced every ounce of honor that is due to me."
He flashed a grin and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. A passionate kiss that is getting out of control, but I have to pull away from him. It is true that I shall mate with him as soon as he is fully healed, but not today, not with that injury, and not in this location at all!
I push him away with the perfect amount of force to put an end to that steamy exchange and the wild kisses that followed. When I severed the connection between our lips, he gave me an angry expression, but it was necessary for me to do so. I can make out his boner on the jeans he's wearing.
In addition, I read a human article that stated it is not recommended to engage in sexual activity, particularly if one of the parties involved is injured.
Even though he is a werewolf, the damage to his body caused by the wound that was caused by silver cannot be repaired by the natural healing processes that we possess.
"Why do you feel the need to shove me?" he inquired. Do you not think that Kaiden gets a little bit too horny for his own good sometimes?
"Because I mentioned some time ago that we have an agreement, regardless of whether or not you agree with it. Our agreement is that you have to recuperate quickly, and the wound needs to be completely healed before you can brand me. You have to be strong first, all right? Before I give in, I want you to." I broke it down for him.
"I am strong," he reasons out, trying to offer those puppy looks, which he normally uses to charm me out and make me yield, but I am not going to give in to him.
No, not today, Alpha, no, not today.
"Stop trying to get ahead of your good fortune; if I back out of my words, then you will have to wait a few more years; is that something you want?" I have no choice but to threaten him because, if I don't, he will continue to be the same obstinate person that drew me to him in the first place.
I have absolutely no intention of spoiling him in any way.
"I am good on waiting for these damn wounds to heal," the speaker said.
I really want to laugh and simply give in, but he needs to wait first, and I have to wait before I can do anything. The reason for doing so will also be present.
"But now I want to ask you, the day that we argued, I want to apologize so much for the way that I misunderstood everything, and I want to know if I may at least hear your answer. I solemnly pledge that I won't let my temper show. If you choose to do that with another woman because I am unable to give myself to you at that time, I will not be upset or angry about it in any way. I am good with it.
The way Kaiden looked at me was as if I had just said something extremely crazy in the first place as well.
"Why do you feel the need to question my intuition? What I felt for you cannot be diminished by a simple physical attraction. I am not and I will not betray the bond I have with my mate and the woman to whom I have pledged my undying devotion and to whom I intend to spend the rest of my life with you until the very last breath I take.
"You swear to me that," I asked. I told him as much.
He nodded. "Yes, so I ask that you please mistrust both yourself and me. You are more than enough for me, and I will not and may not ever have found someone who is more than you.
My alpha has a very pleasant taste on the tip of his tongue at times.
"I will have complete faith in you, and beginning today, I will pay attention to everything that you have to say, no matter what." I now recognize that you are the same guy with whom I made a promise, and I should have known better than to have any doubts about you right from the start.
I AM AWARE that he is becoming impatient with the progress of his recovery; nonetheless, he ought to be in this phase regardless. The team physician estimated that it will take him approximately one week to feel back to normal. Also, given that he won't be able to have the charges dropped at that time, I'll be taking up his responsibilities in the meantime.
And just to reiterate, I've had training specifically for this, so I should be able to handle it.
TODAY IS THURSDAY, and this will be the last day of his rest week that he spends lying in bed.
When I opened the door, he was grinning from ear to ear, and I couldn't tell which of these two possibilities had caused it.
My Kaiden is such an extrovert that he can't handle being in one place for too long, thus I guess he is dying of boredom with his one-week bed rest since he can't deal with staying in one place for too long. The first is getting out of here because he is bored as hell.
The second reason, which is also the most obvious one, is that tonight is the night in question. I am willing to give my whole and total cooperation.
I shouted it out of nowhere, and he looked at me as if I were a child since he was behaving so naively. "Someone is being happy," I continued.
The expression on Kaiden's face as he pursed his lips and said, "Of course, I remember your promise," caused me to laugh out loud. How is it that this guy can be both oh-so-adorable and absolutely jaw-droppingly gorgeous at the same time?
I told him, "I know, I know, but you have to eat dinner first, I cook something delicious for you," and he nodded his head in agreement.
More mouthwatering than you, I ask! "I seriously doubt that," he said, attempting to pick up a line.
"Corny," I chortled once more before shoving him out of the bedroom.
I suppose it would be a wonderful evening to spend celebrating such a thing because he has made a full recovery from his illness.
I grilled some beef for him, made some chicken soup, and cooked some lamb for him because that is his absolute favorite dish.
When he saw the portions that were laid out on the table, he almost had an eyeball explosion. It's so adorable when Kaiden pretends to wipe his drool away.
To my embarrassment, he blurted out, "We need to eat more than usual because it will be a long night," which caused me to redden. My cheeks felt hotter.
"Just eat, Kaiden." I cover my face with the palms of my hands. Because there are some other members of the pack present, I feel really ashamed.
We started eating, and ever since then, he has been mumbling to himself the entire time he is eating.
"That has a nice flavor, doesn't it?" I made fun of him.
"Taste divine," he told me, which made me feel quite pleased of myself and my accomplishments.
I remember that he was very particular about the foods he ate. Kaiden comes to our house occasionally or the majority of the time, and he will eat anything that I prepare for him since, according to him, my hands are magical and can make any food taste excellent.
Following the completion of our delectable meal, we made the decision to head up to the roof of our packhouse. Because of how brightly the moon is shining, the stars in the night sky look like they are made of diamond sand.
While sipping on steaming cocoa, this has a very romantic vibe about it.
"You know what, I just wanted to use this opportunity to tell you that I love you... Therefore, I will come right out and say it: I adore you, Cassie. "You are to me what the moon is to the earth; I can't imagine my life without you," he stated in a slow and passionate manner.
And despite my best efforts, I can't stop the tears from falling. He is the epitome of the romantic type. And I have a strong suspicion that he was nothing like this when we were both much younger. It's true that he dated a lot of women in the past, but he’s nothing like this now. And I cannot believe how fortunate a lady I am to be treated in this manner.
I gently walk the distance between our bodies, and as I hugged him so tightly, I slowly kissed his lips. Our gradual, passionate touches quickly became wilder and more audacious as time went on.
We can't help but squeal with delight every time our bodies come into contact with one another.
He lifts me up and carries me by placing his hands on my thighs. After entering, he immediately tosses me into the head of the bed.
I watch him carefully take off his shirt one layer at a time. I am able to see his body, complete with those washboard abs and ripped muscles that gave me such immense pleasure. He is making fun of me.
And I am well aware that this evening is the one.