Sobs racked through my body. Giving up on someone hurt so much. Why was i never enough for anyone?

"You don’t have to be strong all the time," Elijah whispered, his thumb brushing the tears fro my face to my jawline.

“I just.. I can’t. He didn't want me. He never did. Am I that awful?

“No baby. Never think that. You’re awesome, He’s a jerk”

“ I can feel my wolf’s pain Elijah, I…I…I don’t know what to do.”

“You pick yourself back up again. It gets better love. I promise you. Please stop crying”.

We were back at the pack house. It’s been a whole of three weeks after I rejected the mate bond between I and Elias. What a sight we were the Alpha soothing a broken pack maid in the Pack kitchen. Hugging me to his chest even as i soiled his chest with tears and soap dud covering my hands. The other maids didn’t know what to do when I burst into tears right in the middle of cleaning the evening dishes. Sensing my anguish, Elijah raced back to the pack house from the border.

“Please baby. Please don’t cry. It’ll get better I promise. Your wolf is just dealing with the pain of the searing of the mate bond. You’ll feel better I promise. It’s not your fault. Never your fault”.

My shoulders sagged slowly. "I’m tired of fighting," i admitted. "Tired of pretending that I’m okay when I’m not. But it’s just that’s the only thing holding me together."

Elijah’s brow furrowed and he took my hands in his between our bodies. "You don’t have to hold it all in, not with me. Not with me. I’ve gone through this remember, I know how had it is. You nearly died Aegis. You’re stronger than you think. And even if you ever forget it, I’ll be here, whether you feel strong or not."

For a moment we just stood there in comfortable silence, the only sound being that of a sleeping Cece in a cot in the kitchen_perks of an overbearing father.. Elijah’s presence always has a way of grounding me, making me feel like the world wasn’t spinning as fast as it had been moments ago. But right now it was doing other really weird things to my body.

I looked up at him with a grateful smile on my face before looking down shyly. "You always know what to say."

He grinned, a rare spark of mischief lighting up his features. "It’s a gift only give to the best of the best."

I rolled my eyes but even i couldn’t suppress a small laugh, and for the first time in what felt like ages, a genuine lightness settled in my chest.

“Sometimes I wonder how your head is able to fit in through the door with that ego of yours”

“ Ego is only when I’m lying. I am the best, aren’t I?”

“Yes you are”.

“Handsome too?”

Shaking my head I answered totally avoiding his question.

“Thank you Elijah really. Thank you so much”.

“You can thank me by admitting that I’m very handsome”. he persisted sturbonly. This man.

“Be serious Elijah. I’m trying to be wholesome here”

“We can be wholesome anytime, Baby girl. But you have to admit the truth right now”. Seeing the amused look on my face,he reiterated “ I’m serious”.

“Fine. You are very handsome”

“And hot too?”

“Yes you big man-child, Hot too”.

“I am a man thank you very much”. he answered in the fakest Taylor swift voice I’ve ever heard.

Soon enough we dissolved into laughter. Standing back up I wiped at my face and tried to collect myself. He might be chummy with me but he was still the Alpha.

“As I was saying, thank you for everything. I know it’s not easy dealing with the mess that is me”.

“My mess”. My heart exploded into a haphazard frenzy.

And just like that, the atmosphere in the room changed. The air suddenly became electric and every part of me exploded in heat.His hands reached to hold mine leaking goose bumps across its path.

“Elijah”

“You are my mess. I’ve been very patient Aegis. I didn’t want to push you away or make you remember him. But now that he’s gone, I would like for you to be mine.

“Elijah I can’t”

“Why not. Do you not want me, is that it?”’

“It’s not that, it’s just….Are you sure? You still want me after everything?”.

“Yes baby I do. Do you want this Aegis?”.

I nodded and that was all he needed. Grasping my chin in his hands, he lifted my face into his kiss. I can’t stop myself; nor do I want to. I lean forward and wrapped my hands around his neck. He didn't hesitate or falter. He wraps his hands around my waist slowly lifting me to wrap wrap my legs around him and bringing me more closer to him than humanly possible with one hand, our lips in a tormenting needy embrace. The bats in my stomach roared off with every kiss, every exploration of my mouth. He tastes like ginger ale,root beer and all that is good in the world.

“Stop eating My mommy”.

Oh goddess no. It’s as if a bucket of cold water is dropped on me. Please don’t let this be what I think it is. I opened my eyes to meet Elijah’s and I had to take a breath of him. He is gorgeous.

“I couldn’t resist”

One side of my lips curved up “No”

“No. I’ve wanted to do that for a very long time”.

My eyes drew together in confusion “Why didn’t you ?”

“Because I wasn’t sure you wanted me to”

“I did,” I whispered “Very much so.”

That’s all he needed to hear before leaning back to capture my lips once again. This time I was ready. Our voice had barely met when the tiny voice called out again.

“Daddy, stop eating my mommy”.

No, no no. This can’t be happening. Please tell me little Cece witnessed me getting mauled by her father and our lust fogged brain was about to go at it again. Locking eyes we both froze in horror. Wait, did she just talk, like talk talk?

I saw the moment it struck home in Elijah. He quickly placed me down before reaching for his daughter. She struggled to get away still clearly upset by what she just saw but he was having none of it. “Baby, did you just talk”

She finally settled in his arms sleepy in all her glory, although her nose still remained in the air and her small lips pouted in anger.

“Yes daddy. Why were you eating mommy?

“He wasn’t eatng me baby………….” I froze. Did she just?

My eyes widened as I meet Elijah's stunned ones. “Did she just call me mommy?,” I whispered looking down as Cece starts struggling and crying again reaching desperately for me. “Mommy, mommy”

I picked her up still in shock and gently rocked her back to sleep before taking her back to bed. Elijah soon joined me and together we put her to bed together. We left her room heading out to the living room both of us still in shock.

“Did she say what I think she did?” he asks and I had no idea how to answer.

“I heard mommy but she was just hallucinating right?,”

“Huh huh. She knows who loves her and who she loves”

Once more, my eyes get itchy with tears. “ Is that okay?,”

His gaze doesn’t leave mine “I wouldn’t have it any other way”.

We walked together I silence till we got to my room.

“This is my stop Alpha Elijah”.

“ I don’t want to let you go yet. Can I convince you to sleep In my room tonight?”

“Nuh uh Mister. Too soon”

“Fine but you have to give me a goodnight kiss”

Blushing profusely I reaching up t my tippytoes, I pressed a chaste peck to the scruff of his jaw before quickly escaping to my room.

“That wasn’t a kiss Aegis” he called into the mind-link “But don’t worry, we’ll work on enlightening you tomorrow”. His hoarse voice instantly sent heat down to my toes.

“Promise”. I teased gently.

“I promise you Baby girl. Good night. Dream of me”.

“ I won’t.”

“Yes you will just like I will too.”

Wel then. I had no idea what to say to that. He laughed at my silence, silently mocked him. Blocking him out I focused on trying to get some sleep.

While I wasn’t looking forward to the conversation that would definitely ensure with little Cece tomorrow. I looked forward to seeing her father and doing more of what we had done tonight. I can’t stop the giddy feeling inside me. I had no doubt that I’ll be fine after all. Maybe even more than fine.

I dreamt of Elijah that night.