Mated Girl (Wolf Girl #4)(34)

I squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”
Everyone had gathered in rows and rows of people, fanning outward into the village, to see the big show. Their eyes went from me, covered in blood, to Sawyer, their alpha fresh out of prison, and then to Luka, a traitorous vampire on our lands, before finally resting on Pearl, the motherfucking dragon that no one knew existed until now.
‘Please make them leave. I can’t right now. I need to process,’ I told Sawyer, looking down at my bloody clothes.
I … died. I remembered this bright light, and then I was floating among the stars looking down on the planet from thousands of miles away. I remembered Sawyer’s voice calling me home, and then Astra’s energy, before being sucked back violently.
Now I wanted time with my baby and more time with Sawyer. I needed to regroup and I didn’t want my people to see me weak like this.
“These men…” Sawyer pointed to Luka, Bennett, and Talon. “…are here as my guests. They will not be harmed.” His voice was clear. That was an order and a threat. “Get back to your tents and continue your chores. We’ll have a pack meeting tomorrow to discuss our plan to get Wolf City back.”
There was a chorus of cheers at that and everyone disbanded. When the meadow was clear of most of the people, Sawyer reached down and pulled me into his arms, lifting me up off the ground. “Are you hurt?” His voice was gruff.
I shook my head. “Creek?” I looked around and Sawyer nodded, walking me over to Sage.
Sage handed me my son and I pulled him into my chest, a sob ripping from my throat. I fucking missed him so much. Babies, puppies, and new cars all had this distinct smell, and Creek was no different. I wanted to bottle it and keep it forever; he smelled so fresh and clean.
He leaned into me, trying to nurse through my shirt, causing Sawyer to chuckle. “Looks like I’ve got competition.”
I grinned. “Take us home. I want one night as a family. Tomorrow we can plan a war.”
He nodded, and I told Rab to make our guests comfortable giving them whatever they needed, including Pearl. Then Sage led the way to our small but quaint two-bedroom cottage across from Astra’s meeting hall-church. The second Sawyer stepped inside, I could see that he was impressed. His approving gaze ran over the handcrafted furniture and then into the kitchen.
“You can set me down.” I held on to Creek, who was now asleep.
Sawyer shook his head. “Where’s the bedroom?”
Sage pointed down a hall and he nodded, walking in quick strides through the living room and kitchen and down the hallway into my room.
“Astra gave me this place, got it all ready for me,” I told him. Everything that was adorable and handmade in this home was because of Astra. I wanted him to know that.
He nodded, looking around with a reverence. “It’s nice. She’s a very special girl and I’m grateful to her.”
She’d better be okay. I could never live with myself if she wasn’t. I felt so empty and depressed knowing she was sick right now, healing from injuries I had sustained. I didn’t feel like myself, I felt empty, sad, and … off. I was about to say as much when the truth of what I’d just said knocked into me like a truck. In all the drama of almost dying, I’d totally forgotten.
My wolf.
‘I’m so sorry!’ I sobbed as I reached out to her through our bond, horrified that I’d forgotten her for a moment in all the near-death drama. But she didn’t answer. She was cuffed, gagged, cut off from me as I was from Sawyer when I’d been in a similar situation.
Sawyer looked down at me, seemingly confused at my sudden sobfest.
“Sawyer, my wolf,” I croaked, the full weight and emptiness of knowing half of my soul was in prison while I was free settling into me.
He nodded solemnly, setting Creek and I on the bed as he crawled in beside us. “I know. I’m so sorry, my love.”
“But…” My eyes brimmed over with tears and Sawyer reached up and cupped my chin, forcing me to look at him.
I was met with the fiery yellow gaze of his wolf.
“Demi Calloway-Hudson, I will not let anything bad happen to any part of you. I promise.” His voice was barely human, thick with his wolf, and I nodded, trusting in him.
I needed to lean on him right now, because where I was, it was too dark, and he was my beacon of light.
Lying together with our son between us, I couldn’t help but think that my wolf had again sacrificed something so that I could be free.
‘I’m sorry,’ I told her. ‘I’m so sorry.’
I rested my forehead on Sawyer’s, and we both lay there a long time before I finally got up and showered off all the dried blood. Then we fell asleep, for the first time as a family.
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Creek cried for a bottle in the middle of the night and I groggily got up to make one. Shuffling with my baby out into the kitchen, I found that Sage already had one in her hands. “Heard him crying. I’ll take him until morning.” She tipped her head at the room Sawyer slept in and gestured for me to go back and lay with him.
I was so exhausted after nearly dying, I wasn’t going to argue. I nodded gratefully, and shuffled back down the hallway. Slipping in bed beside Sawyer, I tried not to wake him, but he stirred anyway.
“Is it the baby? Need help?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. “I’m up. I’ll change a diaper or whatever you need.”
Bleary-eyed, he looked at me through tousled hair and long lashes. Shirtless, covered in tattoos, Sawyer had never looked sexier. This new felon Sawyer was hot as all hell, and my body suddenly thrummed to life with need.