I took the reigns back from Rydere as she got up and disappeared behind a door. Sighing, I fell back against the couch. “I don’t know if she should come back.”
Morgan chuckled. “I don’t think she could have hidden here much longer. The world is a lot smaller than we think. Eventually, it would spread to here. Someone would ask for help or something might happen that would force her out. I would rather avoid the latter, because that girl has the power to completely destroy the world.”
He looked at me, the laughter gone from his face. A more serious look, one that showed just how long he had been alive. “Auri has the ability to reset our world. The BloodHunter coven likes to call her a king killer but honestly, that’s a fucking joke. She killed the Vampire King already before she even was even mated to that asshat Alpha. Then she killed the fake Alpha King.” He paused for a moment, chewing on his words. “I think it would be more appropriate to call her a Goddess of Judgement. Because the only ones who could bring her down…would be the gods themselves and even then…I truly wonder…” His sentence trailed off and a silence filled between us for a few minutes.
Slapping his knees, Morgan got up. “Better head to bed. Mornings get chaotic here, especially with school in session. You’re gonna need some level of awareness to walk through it to the coffee pot.”
I nodded and stood. Grabbing my duffle that I had dropped behind the couch, I opened up one of the doors down the hall. It was simple but homely room. Large bed, wood furniture, art on the walls that looked like some of the kids had done but it was really well done. There was even an en-suite bath and I quickly took a shower and pulled on some sweats.
'What if…' Rydere started.
'No. Don’t even think about it. We got to hold her. That was enough for today.' I bit back at him.
He sighed and said nothing as I laid down on top of the blanket. I was exhausted and I felt myself starting to fall asleep. The tired state both emotionally and mentally made me start to slip back into my mind. It was too late before I realized Rydere had taken full control. He got up and walked to the door. My hands reached out but because I was already falling asleep, he easily pushed me back.
In horror, I watched as he made his way down the hall to Auri’s room. A light shown under the door and he grabbed the handle without knocking and quietly opened it. Auri was sitting at a desk in her room, pouring over papers that she fanned out. She was wearing a thin pink tank top, no bra, and some blue sleep shorts. Her head didn’t even look up from the papers as Rydere shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door, waiting.
“Does Hector know you’re here, Rydere?” There was an edge of amusement in her voice.
“Yes and no. He knows but he’s too tired to take control back.”
Auri turned in her chair and we got a full view of her breast stretching the fabric of the top and her nipples raising the fabric even more. Rydere swallowed hard. I realized he wasn’t here for sex, he wanted to keep it in as much as I had. He just wanted to be near her.
“I have a few more things I need to finish. But you can lay down if you’re having trouble sleeping.” Auri turned back to her paperwork.
Rydere smirked and walked over to her. He towered over her small figure and looked at the paperwork.
“What is it?”
“Some of it is financial stuff for the house. Some of it is information for the school. Notes for the kids since I document everything in case I need to refer back to it for issues that might arise. I also help out the local pack, the fey king, and I do some business with the witch coven as well. All of that leads up to a pile of paperwork every night.” Auri chuckled to herself. “I’m not even Alpha and I deal with all this paperwork.”
Rydere nuzzled her neck, kissing her mark that was on full display. “You are still an Alpha. This is your pack. Morgan was right. You just made your own pack.”
Sighing, she looked down. “I miss my Beta.”
Rydere stopped and brushed her short hair behind her ear. “We are right here, love. Hector may take some time but…I don’t think either of us intend on going anywhere anytime soon. I’m your knight, love. I always will be.”
Her hand came up and cupped our cheek, brushing her thumb lightly against our skin. “I missed you…so much. It hurts and I’m scared you’ll leave me again. But I can’t bring myself to push you away.”
Sadness washed through the bond and Rydere leaned into her hand. “We can only prove to you that we won’t. Prove to you by standing by your side in anything you do. Either staying here, taking care of the kids or going out into the world and taking care of the kids out there.”
“I love you, Rydere. Hector too. I know it’s not as much as…”
“Hush, love. You loving us is enough. Your love, however the amount, is enough for us. After all these years, after the first time we saw you in those fucking combat boots and leather jacket. All we have wanted was to freely love you.” Rydere sighed. “I know Hector chose poorly but he was too upset to stay.”
Auri set her pen down and got up. She walked to the bed and sat on the quilt top. “I understand his thoughts. I do. I just thought I had told him enough…let him feel enough that he saved me from having anyone else touch me. All I wanted was to move forward with you…” She pulled her knees up, looking even smaller. It was still a wonder, her looking the same as she did back when she became Astra.
Rydere sat next to her on the bed. “I know. I tried to talk to him too. But after trying to protect you for so long…then failing. It was too much. We will be making up for that mistake for the rest of our lives. But we will be happy to if it means we get to be with you.”
Putting and arm around her, Rydere let her lean into him. He rubbed her arm, sending the shocks through her and us. Every so often she would shiver and Rydere only pulled her closer.
“When did you get so big? I don’t remember you towering over me like this before.” Auri chuckled.
“That’s on you, love. When we mated, something shifted. Never would I have thought we would have a growth spurt in our 50’s but here we are. We also don’t shift in front of others.”
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