Chapter Twenty-One — Return

Maria rolled her sunflower between her hands nervously. Her heart fluttered stronger the closer they got to Joseph’s house. After talking for a few more hours, catching up on things and him revealing more details about how he found her, Maria could hardly keep her eyes open anymore.

Leonard had offered to book a second suite for her in his hotel, but after everything that had happened that day, she only wanted to get back home. To her Alpha.

Now that she was getting closer with every second, Maria wasn’t so sure anymore if it had been a good idea. He had sent her away after all, but not after behaving as strangely as he had. She knew something was off by the way Alma had talked about it, something that wasn't necessarily her fault but something different.

The first thing that came to mind was the deteriorating state of his knee. But why didn’t he speak with her about it? She didn’t want to believe that everything they had shared could not withstand a health issue. Maria refused to believe that their love could be over this easily.

Leonard had only smiled when she had asked him if he knew Joseph’s address. She didn’t need to ask him. He offered to take her there.

The house looked dark as they arrived shortly after midnight and Maria felt giddy to wrap herself into Joseph’s scent again.

“I don’t think this is the perfect moment to introduce myself to him,” Leonard said as he parked the car in front of the house. He handed her a business card and scribbled something onto the back. “This is the hotel I am staying at and my room number. If you need anything, a shoulder to cry on, a place to stay, money, just call me.”

Maria hugged him tightly and thanked him in a hushed whisper. With one last purr from each other, Maria exited the car and made her way to the porch. She was about to knock on the door when she saw movement from inside followed by an excited yipping, Moose. A smile spread across her face as she knocked. If Moose was home, Joseph was too. But the Alpha didn’t open.

Leonard still waited in the car. He would stay until he knew she was safely inside and didn’t need him anymore. Maria considered calling him to help open the door. Joseph had to be home and unless he had taken baths at midnight, he had no excuse not to open or at least check who knocked on his door in the middle of the night. Something was wrong.

With a thundering heartbeat, Maria tested the doorknob and was rewarded when the door opened without a problem. Why would he not lock the door? It had always been locked while she’d stayed here with him.

The stench coming from inside the house almost caused her to throw up. Moose fought his way outside and disappeared behind a couple of trees to do his business. How long had he not been out?

A weird feeling curled in the pit of her stomach. Where was Joseph? She entered the house with her scarf covering her nose and mouth. It didn’t help much, but at least like this, she had some blockage. The smell burned her lungs. It was like the scent Joseph had carried the day he’d sent her away, only much more potent. She checked the living room and kitchen. They were a complete mess with cans scattered around and something burned sticking to the frying pan in the sink.

With cautious steps, she followed the hallway to the bathroom, needing to swing the door open just a little to peek inside. Also empty, but the scent was much stronger back here in the house. Maria swallowed down a wave of nausea and approached the bedroom door. It was only open far enough for Moose to get in and out. Dim light from the glowing embers in the fireplace illuminated the room slightly. She was afraid of what she might find inside.

Maria glanced down the hallway and was relieved to see her father was still there. She had heard the car door slam shut and now saw his silhouette outside on the porch. She might need him if her worst fear became true.

Her hand trembled as she pushed at the wood of the door.

“Joseph?” she asked, her eyes following the absolute mess of clothes, bottles and papers strewn about the floor until she found him. For one second, she thought he was dead. The way he lay on the bed, unshaven, cheeks sunken in, pale. The only sign that he was indeed still alive was the regular up and down of his chest.

“Joseph,” she tried again, not daring to take the scarf from her face just yet. He shifted but didn’t wake up.

“Maria!” Leonard shouted down the hallway, worry tinting his voice.

She hurried back to him and pulled him a couple of feet away from the house where she could finally breathe fresh air again.

“Is he all right? This smell… like rotten meat.”

“He’s alive. I-I don’t know what happened. I don’t think he would want anyone to see him like this.” She kneaded her hands again and looked at the house. Should she call an ambulance just to be safe? She was here to mend things and not to make matters worse by getting strangers involved.

“Do you think you can handle this?” Leonard asked and placed his hands calmly on her shoulders.

Maria nodded despite her worries. If she didn’t succeed, she would call him and get his help. “Yes, I think so.”

Her father gave her a warm smile and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “I’m always here for you.”

“Thank you.” How did he know exactly what to say to chase away her worries? She waved goodbye and as soon as his red taillights had disappeared behind the thick pine trees, she made her way back into the house. Since she was somehow used to the stench now, she didn’t need the scarf anymore and closed the entrance door after she made sure Moose was also back inside.

Maria shrugged off her coat and dropped her purse and sunflower in the mudroom before she switched on the lights in the hallway. The last thing she needed now was to accidentally step on Moose. In front of the bedroom door, she took another calming breath and re-entered. It wasn't cold, but chilly. Another log in the fire wouldn’t hurt. But the rack was empty. Then one from the living room.

Joseph murmured something incomprehensible when she returned for the third time and almost slipped on an empty bottle of whiskey on the floor.

“Maria,” he said in his delirious state and moved his head from one side to the other.

“I’m here.”

She cleared a small path toward the bed and sat down on the edge of it. He looked like he hadn’t shaved since the day she left, his hair was matted and dull, his eyes sunken in. The empty package of Tylenol and another pill box caught her attention.

“What did you do to yourself?” she whispered and carefully ran her fingers through his hair, combing out the knots gently and purring low.

After a while his hand came up and intertwined his fingers with hers, pulling her wrist to his nose where he took in her pure scent. A smile tugged on her lips as he let out a deep moan.

“You smell so good,” he grumbled and opened his eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” A single tear ran down her cheek and fell from her chin. “Can I come home? Please?”

Joseph frowned and let go of her hand only to bring his arm around her and pull the sniffling Omega down onto his chest. This close he didn’t reek, he was just upset like her. Maria still didn’t know why exactly, but him holding her like this seemed to be a good sign.

“When I came in, I thought you were dead,” Maria confessed between silent tears.

His arms closed tighter around her frame. His voice was gruff and strained, heavy from all the alcohol he had consumed and the emotions to have her back in his arms.

“I was working up the courage to find my old Glock and… put an end to it. At least that way Alma would get the house.”

She lifted her head with horror written all over her face.

“You wanted to shoot yourself? What were you thinking? What about Alma and her sons? Do you really believe they would want the stupid house when you were gone? What about me? You would have left us all like we didn’t matter anymore? There’s always a reason to live,” Maria argued, tears suddenly blinding her at the thought of losing him forever.

He shushed her by pulling her back to his chest with a strangled purr. His admission hadn’t been easy, none of it was easy for either of them. Maria couldn’t bear the thought that her behavior during their fight had something to do with his hopelessness.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have used your leg in an argument against you. I will never do that again. Please, will you forgive me?”

She lifted her head to look at him for an answer. Shock pierced through her heart when she saw the tears that had gathered in Joseph’s eyes. Maria moved up and cradled his head, holding him close to her thundering heart. Realization that it had probably never been about their argument slowly dawned on her. Joseph wrapped his arms tightly around her and buried his face in her chest as sobs racked through him. She did her best to comfort him, purring and gently rocking him like her father had always done when she had been upset.

“Please, tell me, Joseph.”

He sucked in a deep breath and loosened his hold on her for a moment to sit up more comfortably. Maria didn’t miss how he dragged his leg like any form of muscle tension would be enough to make him wail. She was almost certain that wasn’t far from the truth at this point.

“I’m gonna lose everything,” Joseph started and ran his hands over his face to get rid of the last tears clinging to his lashes. “I’ve been to the doctor and he told me I need surgery. I don’t have money for that, so I’ll need to sell the house. And even with the surgery I might still…”

Maria waited for him to finish his sentence, but he remained silent.

“If you sell the house, we’ll simply move into something smaller.”

He regarded her with a teary look and pressed his lips to a thin line before he whispered, “I might still lose my leg. What kind of an Alpha only has one leg and no home?”

So, that’s what this was all about? “War veterans, Alphas who got into bad accidents, or who had bone cancer. I saw them in a rehabilitation center in Rosslow when I visited them once. They are still Alphas. They still have families, lives that matter.”

Her reaction gave him pause. Joseph looked at her for a long moment before he let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you earlier. Can… can you forgive me?”

Maria shuffled closer and gave him a deep kiss, hoping it would be enough of an answer to convey her point. She loved him more than anything in the world, with or without two legs. And the house was nice, but not his biggest selling point. There were things much more important to her than material things.

“I want us to promise something to one another,” she started and took his hand into hers. “In the future, you don’t keep something so important from me because you think I can’t handle it, and I will not use your health against you or fall back into old patterns. In return, we will get through this together. I-I found my father again. He has money.”

“Maria, I don’t want to ask for—”

“Shush, I wasn’t finished.” She took a deep breath. “See it as my mateship gift.”

Joseph stared at her with wide eyes.

“Only if you want to claim me that is. If not, then take it as delayed payment of rent, food, and for your medical and emotional support when you found me; for saving my life.”

She let out a surprised little gasp when Joseph cradled her face and pulled her in for a deep kiss, purring softly in his chest and giving her a fuzzy feeling. The way his lips moved against hers, their tongues dancing…

“I love you,” she breathed against his lips once they broke the kiss.

Joseph rested his forehead against hers. “I love you too.”

He kissed down the side of her neck and let out a deep groan. “You smell even better than I remember.”

His hot breath against her throat made her belly flutter. She had missed him so much, his scent, his touch, his voice, and mostly his love. Maria glanced at the bulge in his sweats and caught her lower lip between her teeth.

“I’m not trying to be mean, but is your leg good enough for… you know?”

Joseph stopped his gentle caresses of her hip and shook his head. “Moving it has become almost impossible.”

“Then we should probably do something about that quickly. In the morning, I’ll call my dad. He would love to meet you. We can tell him about your leg and the surgery.”

Joseph was about to interrupt her, but Maria quickly added, “He offered his help. We should take it.”

She waited for him to nod. When he did, she slid a little deeper into the pillows, ignoring the still pungent smell of distress the room was drenched in and began purring for her soon-to-be mate. Within minutes, they were fast asleep in each other’s arms. Scented and happy.