Chapter 310 Chapter 310
“One more day.” He mumbled as he punched in Calum’s number.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.” Now that he had him on the other end, he had no idea what to say to him.
“Deacon, is everything all right? I’m assuming you got this number from Illias?”
“Yeah, I did.” He closed his eyes, “everything is not all right, it’s a fucking mess.”
“Oh?”
“She marked me, Cal, last night. I was a weak idiot and gave into her and—” he stopped; he couldn’t think about that right now.
“I see.”
“A mate’s mark.” He clarified.
“I figured that.” Calum cleared his throat. “I take it you didn’t claim her.”
“Yeah, I mean no, I didn’t. You know why I can’t.”
“Listen, I know you’ve spent years telling yourself that, but there are other things you need to be aware of...”
“I know, I know, it works itself out and all that, but Cal, none of that changes the fact that she’s from an Alpha bloodline and I’m a,” he waved his hand around, “mutt.”
Calum chuckled quietly, “are you going to let me talk?”
Deacon scowled at the ground, “sure.” There was nothing he could say that would clear it all up. Nothing.
“Okay, I told you I looked into your family and history...”
The cabin door opened, and a sleepy, sexy-looking Gia stepped out and smiled at him. “I have to go. Giana’s awake.” He hung up the phone and jammed it back in his pack.
“Any news?” She stretched and then brushed her hair back from her face.
Deacon swallowed, trying to get his words to work. She looked so beautiful; the early dawn light seemed like it was only highlighting her. “Uh, probably have a plan by tomorrow.” He jolted into action and spun back to his rifle, “Illias is just trying to find us an off-the-grid safe house to work out of.”
“That’s good news,” her voice told him she was moving toward him, “that we’ll be getting more people out.”
He glanced to see she was right behind him now. He motioned to his rifle, “I need to clean this and check the sight, make sure it’s ready.”
She touched his arm and ran her hand softly over it, “do you want me to get breakfast started?”
He looked down at her, her sleepy eyes were looking at him with such a tender look, his heart beat out of rhythm for a few pumps. He smiled, “that would be great.”
“Okay.” She stretched up and kissed his lips softly, then turned and went back toward the cabin.
He stood there like a statue and watched her go back in. Reflex had him lick over his lips, taking the taste of her into his mouth. Fuck. He was in so much trouble here. Life-altering, can’t-walk-it-back kind of trouble.
~
Deacon watched her head into the bush to go for a run. He was both disappointed and relieved she chose to wait until she was out of sight to strip down. He felt like a complete dick, turning her down again for a run together. It was bad enough he’d babbled all through breakfast about the importance of keeping her weapon clean. She’d sat there and listened, asking questions, the whole time those sexy fucking eyes were eating him up like a tasty snack. His own traitorous body seemed to be wired to respond to her now, one look and he was hard, his brain turned off, his animal anticipating. He’d practically run from the cabin like a coward, saying he needed to get the porch floor fixed or mice would get in.
He needed to get his head together before they were back with the team, lives depended on him focusing, not to mention that he dreaded having his ass handed to him by Wynter if he screwed up.
A squirrel ran across the path and then froze and looked at him. “What? You never have a bad day?” Its tail twitched a few times and then it took off. Great. Just fucking wonderful, he was talking to squirrels now.
More than once since he’d woke to her warm body against his, he’d asked himself why he hadn’t taken the out Wynter offered. It would have been the easiest solution, orders to go elsewhere. Bam. Done, no arguments and hurt feelings, but—
Scowling, he stomped toward the shed, his every thought came with a but now.
If he’d taken Wynter’s offer, he never would have felt her skin against him, heard the sounds she made when he was inside her—fuck.
He just, the idea of other members of this team watching over her wasn’t right. It was for him to do.
His animal stirred, he was not feeling kindly about not being around her—he was good with Konner and most of the rest of his team, but would lose his mind if she was partnered with another male.
It had been torture to lay in bed with her while she was sleeping, but he couldn’t bring himself to get up and leave her. His animal was at the point of pushing the claiming before he got out of the bed and stumbled outside.
Rubbing the back of his neck to try and release some tension, he dragged his hand over the mark on his flesh. She’d marked him for all to know. A lump formed in his throat and his chest tightened at the same time. He looked in the direction she’d gone. Fuck. Putting his rifle back in the case and his gear away, he put it all back into the truck and locked the door.
Grabbing his run pack, he slung it over his head and turned away from the direction she’d gone, he would circle around and go check the traps. The exercise would do him some good, keep his body busy until his mind wore itself out replaying the events that happened in the dark.