The Alpha and The Vigilante novel Chapter 76

We made out for awhile, and I ran my hands all over his shirtless body, appreciating how muscular he was. He truly was a full man.

His beard was scratching my face raw, exciting me even further.

Cain pulled away, making me growl at him. "This is the last time I'm asking you. Are you sure this is what you want? I won't do it unless I'm positive it's what you want."

Shut the hell up and do me already, Alpha, I snarled at him, capturing his mouth in mine once again.

For once, he did as I said.

Cain's POV

I smiled down at the sight of my mate sleeping peacefully in my arms. Her platinum hair was wildly strewn over my chest, and her naked body was covered by a fur pelt as we snuggled on the ground. The pack could feel that the bond had been consummated, and they knew to stay away from the Pack House for the time being.

Now that we mated, I could feel the bond pulling me harder than ever towards the feisty woman that lay in my arms sleeping. Our hearts beat as one, and our minds were more connected than ever. I could feel her emotions so intensely, and I knew that if she dropped the mental block she put up, I would be able to read her thoughts clearly. Despite desperately wanting to know what was going on in her mind, I respected her desire to keep her thoughts private.

I hadn't lied when I told her that consummating the bond would make me able to take on the weight of her pain. As soon as she fell asleep last night, I took on the full force of the pain she felt from Carter's death.

I nearly passed out from the raw suffering I felt as I took her pain. It was so intense, I had almost forgotten how painful it was at first for me when I became Alpha and a pack member died. My poor little mate. Her agony was mine to bear, and I was thankful that it was me who had the privilege to relieve her of it.

I had been pushing all of the grief I felt about Carter's death to the side, until I took on Ares' pain. Wolves die. That's just a sad truth to pack life, and as the Alpha, I can't let my grief overtake me the way others can. The pack members depend on me to be strong and unwavering, so I can't show how much the pup's death hurt me.

Consumed in my own thoughts, I stroked Ares' hair and occasionally her partial ear (one of my favorite of her flaws, if you could even call them that). I loved her disfigured body parts from scars. They made her look impossibly fierce and deadly. She was a true Blood Luna.

Ares' visage was tranquil for once, and dare I say, almost even happy? Her eyes were closed, not squinted in pain, and her lips almost curled up into a hardly noticeable smile. Her breathes were deep and I could hear air slightly whistling out of her nose. This moment was perfect, and all I could have ever asked for.

She truly looked like an angel.

Suddenly, her breaths were shallow and she opened her eyes, blinking a few times. She smiled at me slightly, and her grey eyes held happiness in them. Almost immediately, she narrowed her eyes at me and her smile turned into a scowl.