Chapter 38

Waking up in my bed was a bittersweet moment. It was familiar too familiar I thought I'd wake up to my Mother's kisses and my Dad's awful singing but it was just silence. Mason left a long time ago. I lay in bed listening to the analogue clock ticking on the wall.

My phone rang on the table distracting me from the loneliness I felt in my gut.

It was an unknown number. I sat up and answered the call.

"Hello?"

I listened to the static on the other end waiting for someone else to respond. Something moved on the other end, drop and shatter.

"Hello? Is something wrong?" I asked.

I climbed out of bed and walked to the window because I thought my signal was weak by my bed but it was still silent on the other end.

"Are you okay?"

The call ended. I stared at my phone.

What the hell just happened?

It must have been a wrong number, I thought.

I peeked out the window, expecting a sad overgrown front lawn.

"Ready?" Someone shouted.

"Good!" Came a response.

"What?" I gasped.

I pulled the curtains aside and saw three guys sticking out of the tall grass. Seconds later grass flew from different sides of the front lawn. I saw the lawnmowers eating up the grass.

I slipped into a robe and ran downstairs to see what was going on. I didn't hire anyone to cut the grass and in the state of my yard, it would cost an arm and leg.

"Morning," a deep voice stopped me from flying out the front door.

I backtracked into the kitchen. Dash leaned against the counter with a black cup of coffee in his hands. The shiny machine brewing coffee near him didn't look like my ancient coffee maker.

"I have a key," he said.

I walked into the kitchen and took in the new machine. How did he even work it? It had so many buttons on it. Where did the coffee go?

"Your old rust bucket had to go. Don't worry I gave it a decent funeral," he smiled.

I tucked a strand of hair behind my shoulder. "You bought me a new coffee machine?"

He shrugged. "You needed it. You needed your lawn mowed too."

"You did all this? Why?"

He set his mug down and planted his hands on my shoulders. He pulled me close and kept his eyes firmly on me.

"You want a bed and breakfast. I want to support you. Tell me how much you need and I'll give it to you."

I rubbed my forehead and gripped the counter.

"Dash…"

He wrapped his arm around my waist and neck. He kissed me.

"It's because I love you and I want you. I want to support you and I want you by my side. Fuck Gunner and Kaleb I want you."

My heart slammed forward. Was I dreaming?

"I need you to make a decision. I know a part of you already has."

"I don't want to feel like you're always second-guessing me."

"Because of Rachel? I don't want her babe. I never did. A part of me wonders if I really failed to mark you because no woman's ever affected me like you. I love you, Zora."

My heart nearly stopped. He did? My knees went weak and my throat tightened. He was the first man I ever loved and the one who broke my heart. Deep down I knew the truth.

I wrapped my arms around his middle and buried my face in his chest. He stroked my hair and exhaled deeply.

"Little warrior, I can't do this anymore. I need you. I promise you I won't leave you again."

Could we work? What about Kaleb? He's been kind and supportive but he wasn't the one who owned my heart.

"I'm yours, Dash. Only yours."

He closed his lips on mine and squeezed me. "Thank fuck. I hated the way they looked at you last night. If they weren't my friends, I would have slaughtered them."

"Dash…"

"I meant it, Alphas don't share."

I ran circles on his back muscles. "I wouldn't want to anyway. You three would rip me to pieces."

"We'll figure out your fated mate problem or I'll just kill him when he shows up."

"You don't have to kill anyone," I mumbled.

"You can't tell my wolf that. Come on, we're going to my house. Someone's coming over to check out your plumbing."

"Wait." I pulled my phone from the robe's pocket. "I got a weird call. They didn't say anything."

He took my phone. His features wrinkled before he handed the phone back to me.

"Do you know anyone in Creek Cove?"

I shook my head.

"Considering everything going on I don't want to call it a coincidence."

What if it was Astra Dean? She must have figured out I was snooping around and decided to contact me.

"Are you okay?" Dash raised his brow.

I nodded gingerly. "I'm fine. Let's go."

My Mother might be looking for me.