must’ve suggested as much. “We’re obviously too beat up to keep on running like this. After we rest, we should find another motel, and I’ll use their phone to call for help. I won’t bother with howling it out now since we’re too far away for any of my pack mates to hear it anyway.”
That, and it was becoming increasingly apparent to the both of them that they might not make it on their own as well.
The thought of simply calling John’s friends with an actual telephone was so simple it shocked him they hadn’t thought of it.
“Why did you not call them when we were at the last motel?”
John glared at him. “I did call them. When you were in the shower and I’d just ordered pizza, I told James I’d found you and he should Hunted and on the Run
87
expect us back soon.”
Storm blushed. “I am sorry I doubted you. I’m just…”
“I know. This sucks,” John said, laying his body flat on the ground. It was cold, but the place Storm had used to make their den was dry, so they didn’t have to worry about that at the very least.
“Because I’d called and said we were fine, no one will come looking for us unless I call again,” John said, each word twisting his lips around as though they tasted foul. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Yes, well, what’s done is done,” Storm said.
“You could at least try defending me from myself, you know,”
John said.
“You would simply brush off my defense and claim I’d only done it to make you feel better, or something equally ridiculous.”
He would’ve defended John whether or not John was right in insulting himself. He just wasn’t planning on letting the man know that.
“The fact of the matter is that you are a young alpha.”
“Not this again,” John said, putting his fists to his eyes.
“Hear me out before you ignore me. You are a young alpha, and you’re eager to prove yourself. You went out on a solo mission to claim your mate on your own, which puzzles me, by the way, and when you checked in with your alpha, you told him everything was all right.”
John’s lips went tight as the list went on, and Storm sighed. “You did not do those things because you are an idiot and wanted to purposely put either of us in harm’s way. You did it because you genuinely believed the situation was under your control, and now you must learn the hard way that you cannot control everything.”
“Kind of like you?”
The response threw Storm for a loop. “What?”
John pulled his fists away from his eyes, but he didn’t so much as blink up at him. “You blame yourself for becoming a hunter, but you even admitted that your honor demanded you follow that other guy, 88
Marcy Jacks
be his servant and all that. You couldn’t control your situation either, but you still worry over what my alpha will say to you when he sees you.”
Storm blushed and looked away from those honest eyes. “Yes, well, sometimes I wish I had been more rebellious growing up.
Maybe if I didn’t care about the promises I made, or honoring debts I felt I owed, I could’ve saved more lives.”
“Well, if your honor keeps you with me, then I’m glad,” John said.
“I would stay even had you not saved my life,” Storm admitted.
John smiled up at him. He held out his hands. “Come here.”
Storm did as he was told, allowing John to pull him into the warm embrace. It did not take him long before he sighed and settled in, snuggling against his lover’s chest as John stroked his hair.
“Knew you cared,” John said.
Storm squeezed John a little tighter. Every insecurity he felt bubbled to the surface, and no matter how hard he fought against them, they would not go away.
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking up at John. “Are you sure we are mates? This isn’t just lust on both our parts?”
“No. You’re mine,” John said, then squeezed him back, and Storm could practically hear the smile in his voice. “In lust with me, eh?”
“I think that should be
That, and it was becoming increasingly apparent to the both of them that they might not make it on their own as well.
The thought of simply calling John’s friends with an actual telephone was so simple it shocked him they hadn’t thought of it.
“Why did you not call them when we were at the last motel?”
John glared at him. “I did call them. When you were in the shower and I’d just ordered pizza, I told James I’d found you and he should Hunted and on the Run
87
expect us back soon.”
Storm blushed. “I am sorry I doubted you. I’m just…”
“I know. This sucks,” John said, laying his body flat on the ground. It was cold, but the place Storm had used to make their den was dry, so they didn’t have to worry about that at the very least.
“Because I’d called and said we were fine, no one will come looking for us unless I call again,” John said, each word twisting his lips around as though they tasted foul. “I’m such an idiot.”
“Yes, well, what’s done is done,” Storm said.
“You could at least try defending me from myself, you know,”
John said.
“You would simply brush off my defense and claim I’d only done it to make you feel better, or something equally ridiculous.”
He would’ve defended John whether or not John was right in insulting himself. He just wasn’t planning on letting the man know that.
“The fact of the matter is that you are a young alpha.”
“Not this again,” John said, putting his fists to his eyes.
“Hear me out before you ignore me. You are a young alpha, and you’re eager to prove yourself. You went out on a solo mission to claim your mate on your own, which puzzles me, by the way, and when you checked in with your alpha, you told him everything was all right.”
John’s lips went tight as the list went on, and Storm sighed. “You did not do those things because you are an idiot and wanted to purposely put either of us in harm’s way. You did it because you genuinely believed the situation was under your control, and now you must learn the hard way that you cannot control everything.”
“Kind of like you?”
The response threw Storm for a loop. “What?”
John pulled his fists away from his eyes, but he didn’t so much as blink up at him. “You blame yourself for becoming a hunter, but you even admitted that your honor demanded you follow that other guy, 88
Marcy Jacks
be his servant and all that. You couldn’t control your situation either, but you still worry over what my alpha will say to you when he sees you.”
Storm blushed and looked away from those honest eyes. “Yes, well, sometimes I wish I had been more rebellious growing up.
Maybe if I didn’t care about the promises I made, or honoring debts I felt I owed, I could’ve saved more lives.”
“Well, if your honor keeps you with me, then I’m glad,” John said.
“I would stay even had you not saved my life,” Storm admitted.
John smiled up at him. He held out his hands. “Come here.”
Storm did as he was told, allowing John to pull him into the warm embrace. It did not take him long before he sighed and settled in, snuggling against his lover’s chest as John stroked his hair.
“Knew you cared,” John said.
Storm squeezed John a little tighter. Every insecurity he felt bubbled to the surface, and no matter how hard he fought against them, they would not go away.
“Are you sure?” he asked, looking up at John. “Are you sure we are mates? This isn’t just lust on both our parts?”
“No. You’re mine,” John said, then squeezed him back, and Storm could practically hear the smile in his voice. “In lust with me, eh?”
“I think that should be
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