Chapter 50

Chapter 50
  Anika:
   As soon as we reach the packhouse, Matteo doesn’t slow down for a second. He sweeps me up like I weigh nothing and carries me straight to our room.
   Even though it’s late, I still spot a few warriors and omegas quietly cheering at my return. The sound warms my chest. It feels so good to be back, even if I’ve only been gone for barely a day.
   Matteo pushes the door open with his shoulder and sets me gently on the bed, propping me up in a sitting position like I’m fragile glass.
   “Damn,” I laugh the moment my butt hits the mattress, “I didn’t realize you were this strong.”
   He smirks. “So my mate’s been underestimating me all this time?” He clicks his tongue before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Goddess, it feels like you’ve been gone forever. I’ve missed kissing you here.”
   “I missed you too.” I chuckle, but the smile on my face slowly creases into worry. “How’s Isabel? Did she…?”
   “Oh, she’s fine,” He says quickly with a smile . “I reassured her you were okay and promised she’d get to see you before she leaves for school in the morning.”
   The relief that washes over me is instant, and my heart flutters. “Thank you, Matteo. I.. I really don’t know what I’d do without you.”
   “Oh come on. I should be the one saying that. You needed to see how crazy I was going without you.” He chuckles, brushing a thumb over my knuckles. “You know you can always tell me if Hunter hurt you or pulled some kind of stupid stunt, right?”
   I notice the way his jaw flexes and clenches so hard- even though he’s working hard to hide it behind a small smile. 
   “Well, I won’t deny that he saved me,” I admit gently, pressing my palm to his chest. The steady thump of his heartbeat grounds me. “But I’m fine. Really. The only reason he dragged me to his pack was to, in his words, ‘clear things up’”
   Matteo’s brow furrows. “Clear things up? What does that even mean?”
  “He kind of had his mother confess… that she was the one who tried to kill me that night. He swore he had no hand in it.”
   “Seriously?” Matteo scoffs, disbelief dripping from his voice. “He’s starting to act like one of those obsessed ex-husbands who can’t accept he ruined his marriage and won’t let his ex move on.”
   That makes me burst out laughing. Sharp and loud.
   “Don’t worry, I made sure he knows you’re mine now, okay?” I murmur, leaning in to him. His eyes burn into me, making it impossible to look away. “I even showed him your mark on my neck… he didn’t waste a second before realizing I wasn’t his anymore.”
   “I know Hunter. And I still don’t trust him.” Matteo mutters with a short laugh as he pushes to his feet. “Enough of the Hunter talk. What do you want right now? Sleep? Food?”
   “A bath,” I say without hesitation.
   “Good.” His lips curl into a wicked smile. “Take a bath. I know he must have touched you, and I’d like nothing more than to wash every trace of him off you. Only I get to touch you.”
   I let out a chuckle.
   Before I can say a word , his hands are already on me. Unhooking and peeling away layers until my clothes pool at my feet. 
   I see the way his eyes trail hungrily over every inch of bare skin. Then, without warning, he leans in and pinches my nipples hard enough to make me gasp.
   “Can you walk,” he teases with a low voice. “or should I just carry you?”
   “You don’t have to prove how strong you are. I can walk, you know.”
   “Yeah, except that word doesn’t exist in my dictionary.” Before I can argue, he scoops me up effortlessly, making me laugh even harder as he carries me straight to the bathroom.
   “Now,” he says with a grin, setting me down gently, “I’m going to bathe you.”
   The warm spray of the shower hits my skin as his hands glide over me, lathering soap across my shoulders, down my arms, and along the curve of my waist. 
   His touch is both careful and possessive, as though he’s erasing every trace of Hunter and replacing it with his own. 
   When we’re done, he wraps me in a towel, scoops me back into his arms, and carries me into the room as if I weigh nothing. Once I’ve slipped into a soft, comfortable outfit, he climbs into bed behind me and pulls me close.
   His arms circles my waist.
   “So this is the part where we sleep,” he murmurs against my hair. “You’ve been through enough stress already. What you need is at least twenty-four hours of me holding you while you rest.”
   I chuckle softly. “Seriously? Twenty-four hours?”
  “Yeah. Too short?”
  “Oh, please.” I laugh. “You wanna—”
   But the words die on my tongue when Leah’s face suddenly flashes in my mind. 
   My whole body stiffens as I spin around to face Matteo, worry tightening my chest.
   He frowns, tilting his head. “Are..you okay?”
   “N… no.” I shake my head quickly. “How’s Leah?”
   “She’s okay now.” His hand slides gently through my hair. “You scared me for a second there. Miranda already removed the silver bullet and patched her up.”
   I blink in disbelief. “Wait..Miranda? Isn’t she dead?”
   “Apparently not. We found her locked in a room when we raided Dylan’s pack. He faked her death and kept her hidden all this time.”
   My mouth parts in shock. “That’s… ridiculous.”
   “Yep.” He says. “Want to know what’s even more ridiculous?”
   I blink. Twice. “What?”
   “Damon found out they’re mates.”
   My mind spins. 
   “H..how?”
  “You do know I’m not the moon goddess, right?”He laughs.
   I roll my eyes. “Is… is he accepting her?” 
  “I really don’t know. That’s up to him.”
   I press my lips together and nod, heart pounding. 
  I stay silent for several seconds before saying,
  “Uhm… can I go see her?”
   His brows knit together instantly.. “Sure, you can. Tomorrow. Once you’ve rested perfectly well.”
  “No, I mean now.”
  “Okay?”
  “That’s a yes?”
  “Nope.”
   “Come on, Matteo!” I plead. “I’m scared. I just want to make sure she’s doing okay. She was shot with a silver bullet… and it was because of me. Besides, I took some nap throughout the ride back home.”
   “Well, It’s 3 a.m right now?” 
   “It doesn’t matter.”
   He lets out a long sigh, the kind that says he already knows he’s losing this argument. “I can see it in your eyes, Anika. You’re tired. You promised me you’d rest. Twenty hours.”
   “Uh-huh,” I counter with a sly smile. “I never consented to twenty hours of sleep.” Leaning in, I ruffle his hair, teasing. “But I could probably do ten… after I go see Leah. It won’t even take ten minutes, pleaseee.”
   He doesn’t answer. 
   He just stares at me. His gaze burns into mine, as if he’s peeling back every layer of my thoughts.
   And then-
   “Fine!”
   Before I can even react, his lips crash against mine. The kiss is hard, almost frustrated, but gods, it sends shivers racing down my spine. His hand cups my jaw, holding me in place, as though he’s reminding me exactly who I belong to. 
   Seconds blur into eternity before he finally pulls back, breath mingling with mine.
   He presses one last kiss to my forehead, softer this time. 
   “I’m coming with you. I’d be damned if I let you out of my sight again.”
   “Aren’t you just the sweetest man?” I smirk, unable to resist teasing him.
   He rolls his eyes but only squeezes my hand, pulling me out of bed.
   “Just twenty minutes, Anika. We go, we check on Leah, and then we’re back. You need to rest.”
   I only nod.
   With that, he leads me out of the room while my mind spins with the thoughts of what Leah’s reaction would be when she learns Damon’s found his mate already.
   And it’s not her.