stood in front of him, and even under the circumstances, he took a moment to admire her naked body. Until he saw the tears shining in her eyes.
“Tara?”
She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Her body trembled against his.
“They hurt you,” she whispered. “Because of me.”
Growling, he grabbed her shoulders, easing her back from him. He cupped her jaw, holding her gaze.
“No, they hurt me because they’re assholes,” he said firmly. “You didn’t ask for any of this. None of it is your fault. It’s all totally on them and they’re going to pay for it.”
She sniffed and he wiped away a tear from her cheek. He pulled her back in close, hugging her tightly. He lightly kissed the top of her head, holding her until she stopped shivering.
“If it comes to it, I can always set my mother on them,” he mused.
She snorted. Lifted her head to look at him.
“Did you see the state Barry was in?” she asked him. “It must have healed somewhat with his shifter genes… but he still looks pretty beat up.”
“Yeah, and that was just for irritating her,” Alex said, grinning. “Imagine what she’d do to them for hurting her cub.”
She smiled at him. “I’m strangely okay with that.”
“Me too,” he said. “Of course, I can have no knowledge of it. I am not arresting my mother.”
“You say that a lot.”
“You have no idea.” He pulled back a little. “Okay, let’s find out where we are and then find a phone.”
“The address is on the letters there.” She pointed them out. “Phone is right next to you.”
Alex picked up the phone and called the station, arranging for Leo to come and pick them up. Ending the call, he turned to look at Tara.
“He’ll be about half an hour,” he said.
She nodded. He shrugged off his shirt and handed it to her, helping her put it on. There was no way Leo was seeing Tara naked. His bear was hanging onto its temper by the thinnest thread. It couldn’t take much more.
“How are you doing?” he asked, concerned. Her face was white and she looked tired.
She shrugged. “I’m tired and my jaw hurts from overuse. I’ll be fine.”
He winced. “That was amazing. I mean, you chewing through the ropes. Thank you.” He paused. “I’m still kind of mad at you for not leaving though, and we need to talk about that.”
“Not tonight,” she sighed, leaning against him.
“Fine,” he said. “But tomorrow, we’ll be having a discussion about not placing yourself in danger.”
She stayed quiet, leaning against him. He picked her up and carried her to the couch to wait for their ride. By the time Leo arrived, Tara was sound asleep. She didn’t wake even when he carried her to the car, nor when they were travelling home, nor even when he took her to his house and put her into his bed.
Chapter 11
Tara awoke in a large comfortable bed, her jaw throbbing. Rubbing at it, the memories came flooding back. She sat up quickly, looking around. The room was unfamiliar but smelled strongly of Alex. His bedroom then. So where was he?
She pushed back the covers, noting that she was still wearing Alex’s shirt from last night. She wrinkled her nose. The shirt wasn’t particularly clean and she wasted no time in shrugging it off. She padded to the bathroom. Still no Alex. Shrugging, she stepped into the shower, rinsing off the grime from the night before. The water refreshed her, and by the time she got out of the shower, she was already feeling much better. Apart from her jaw.
She found a spare toothbrush under the sink, but when she went to clean her teeth, she realized that she couldn’t open her mouth more than the tiniest crack. Her jaw had totally seized up in protest of its overuse last night. She massaged it gently, but it didn’t help. It looked like she wouldn’t be using her mouth much today.
Wrapping herself in a towel, she opened the bathroom door and squealed. Or at least, it
“Tara?”
She walked towards him, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest. Her body trembled against his.
“They hurt you,” she whispered. “Because of me.”
Growling, he grabbed her shoulders, easing her back from him. He cupped her jaw, holding her gaze.
“No, they hurt me because they’re assholes,” he said firmly. “You didn’t ask for any of this. None of it is your fault. It’s all totally on them and they’re going to pay for it.”
She sniffed and he wiped away a tear from her cheek. He pulled her back in close, hugging her tightly. He lightly kissed the top of her head, holding her until she stopped shivering.
“If it comes to it, I can always set my mother on them,” he mused.
She snorted. Lifted her head to look at him.
“Did you see the state Barry was in?” she asked him. “It must have healed somewhat with his shifter genes… but he still looks pretty beat up.”
“Yeah, and that was just for irritating her,” Alex said, grinning. “Imagine what she’d do to them for hurting her cub.”
She smiled at him. “I’m strangely okay with that.”
“Me too,” he said. “Of course, I can have no knowledge of it. I am not arresting my mother.”
“You say that a lot.”
“You have no idea.” He pulled back a little. “Okay, let’s find out where we are and then find a phone.”
“The address is on the letters there.” She pointed them out. “Phone is right next to you.”
Alex picked up the phone and called the station, arranging for Leo to come and pick them up. Ending the call, he turned to look at Tara.
“He’ll be about half an hour,” he said.
She nodded. He shrugged off his shirt and handed it to her, helping her put it on. There was no way Leo was seeing Tara naked. His bear was hanging onto its temper by the thinnest thread. It couldn’t take much more.
“How are you doing?” he asked, concerned. Her face was white and she looked tired.
She shrugged. “I’m tired and my jaw hurts from overuse. I’ll be fine.”
He winced. “That was amazing. I mean, you chewing through the ropes. Thank you.” He paused. “I’m still kind of mad at you for not leaving though, and we need to talk about that.”
“Not tonight,” she sighed, leaning against him.
“Fine,” he said. “But tomorrow, we’ll be having a discussion about not placing yourself in danger.”
She stayed quiet, leaning against him. He picked her up and carried her to the couch to wait for their ride. By the time Leo arrived, Tara was sound asleep. She didn’t wake even when he carried her to the car, nor when they were travelling home, nor even when he took her to his house and put her into his bed.
Chapter 11
Tara awoke in a large comfortable bed, her jaw throbbing. Rubbing at it, the memories came flooding back. She sat up quickly, looking around. The room was unfamiliar but smelled strongly of Alex. His bedroom then. So where was he?
She pushed back the covers, noting that she was still wearing Alex’s shirt from last night. She wrinkled her nose. The shirt wasn’t particularly clean and she wasted no time in shrugging it off. She padded to the bathroom. Still no Alex. Shrugging, she stepped into the shower, rinsing off the grime from the night before. The water refreshed her, and by the time she got out of the shower, she was already feeling much better. Apart from her jaw.
She found a spare toothbrush under the sink, but when she went to clean her teeth, she realized that she couldn’t open her mouth more than the tiniest crack. Her jaw had totally seized up in protest of its overuse last night. She massaged it gently, but it didn’t help. It looked like she wouldn’t be using her mouth much today.
Wrapping herself in a towel, she opened the bathroom door and squealed. Or at least, it
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