♦ ♦ ♦

I didn't expect Everett to allow me to come with him but I want to prove myself, especially being his mate. I don't want to just sit back and do nothing, that's not who I am. Getting involved with his pack and helping out is one way to earn their trust, I want them to see that I'm trying.

Even if my mind is telling me something else.

I've never been more grateful for Fran for sticking up for what I want. She's right, I am my own person and I am capable of making my own decisions. Everett didn't bring me here to be his little pet that stays at home where it's safe, we're equals.

When Fran said those few words he stared back at me and he knew that's what he wants, balance between us. If we're going to end up mating, I will officially become their Luna and I'll have to step it up.

How can I practice if Everett wants me to stay home in case I get hurt?

I refuse to be the damsel in distress. I can fight for myself. I've endured some dangerous situations whilst being alone, having to fight off rogues and run from stalls that I've stolen from. Been set upon with guys with weapons.

I'm sure I can keep myself out of harm's way if I'm in a big group. One of them being my mate. Deep down I know he's going to be worrying about me but I want him to know how serious about this I am.

His fight is my fight. And part of me has no idea what has changed in the last week but my guard has been let down. The thought of not being with Everett makes my skin crawl, that bond is finally growing and I'm trying to not let it affect my stance.

Everett can see through it but I appreciate he doesn't bring it up. I would die of embarrassment if he told me he knew what he was doing to me, it's obvious but I'm severely grateful he kept it to himself.

Fran sticks by my side as we head towards Kassian and Cleo's pack house, Everett is at the front leading with Milo. He keeps checking in on me every few minutes, I want to roll my eyes at his protectiveness but it makes my heart flutter.

He is genuinely concerned and I've never known for someone to give two shits about me.

That feeling is weird. Concern. He's concerned. I shake my head to get rid of these thoughts and tell myself to focus, that's all Everett has told me to do. Focus and stay alert, no distractions.

It would help if his voice didn't float into my mind every damn second.

We approach their pack house and I see Everett in the distance chatting to someone who must be from Kassian's pack. At first I see the back of their head, then they rotate and I stop dead in my tracks.

That dark greying rustled hair, broad shoulders and tall stature.

Blood drains from my face and I struggle to catch my breath. Fuck. No. No. No.

"Reign," Fran presses a hand to my back and I jump. "What's the matter?"

I can't even shake my head, my knees wobbling at the joints. Why is he here?

"Reign," she grabs my shoulders and shakes me. "You're scaring me."

My lungs inhale sharply and suddenly I'm panting heavily. Then when the guy turns around completely I almost collapse from relief.

It's not him.

Fuck. Reign. It's not him, calm down.

I dampen my lips with my tongue, clenching my throat so I can finally take a breath. My body doesn't know what's hit it and I take a few moments to regain my thoughts, I don't need to worry. He's not here. It's not him.

My mind is playing tricks on me.

Before I know it Everett is heading directly for me, eyebrows pulled down with thick worry. He studies my face and shakes his head at Fran, then he curses under his breath. "I knew you shouldn't have come," he mumbles but directs it more at his sister than me. "What's happened?"

"I'm fine," I find my voice after a few seconds, forcing an uneasy smile.

Everett's expression tilts, he's not taking my shit. "You've gone sickly pale, Reign. You look like you're going to pass out." His hand grips my arm to make sure I don't hit the floor.

I roll my shoulders back and shake away my anxiety. "I'm fine," I say with as much confidence as I can. "Sorry, I just had a moment."

Fran rubs my back supportively. "We can go back if you want?"

"No," I raise my voice. "I want to stay. I can stay."

Everett studies my expression and my answer wasn't what he wanted to hear, but I want to prove to myself that I can do this. Get through this after having the biggest scare of my life, a tiny blip but I can move past it.

Prove everyone wrong. Including myself.

"Great," Fran encourages me along. "Then let's go."

I notice how Everett stares at me cautiously from the corner of his eye. My lips twist into a small smile in his direction to make him relax but I think it only makes him worse, like he can read me like a book and the book is called 'LIAR'.

The pack help to defend Kassian and Cleo's pack house which remained mostly uneventful, I guess this is what allies are for. Protection and security. A few of the pack go with Kassian and Cleo's pack to help out but Everett remains here with me and Fran.

In his eyesight because he wants to make sure he knows where I am at all times.

When the task at hand was pretty much a false alarm I could see the relief in Everett's eyes, that meant he didn't have to worry about me and fighting off some witches in the meantime.

We head home and Everett sticks by my side, we don't really speak but he's just there to make sure I'm okay. Still recovering from the fright earlier, I'll never be able to turn that off. Anytime I see anyone who looks remotely like him I panic, I am shaken with pure fear because I have no idea what he would do if he saw me again.

Would he try to hurt me?

Everett guides me into the kitchen whilst everyone heads to bed. "Sit," he points to the stool and I perch. My eyes follow him as he walks to the freezer and pulls out a tub of strawberry ice cream and two spoons from the drawer. "For your sugar levels."

I blink at his words. He's still worried about me from earlier. Spooked probably.

He peels the lid off of the tub and hands me a spoon, I smile gratefully and take it from his fingers. I watch as he slips onto the stool in front of me, my legs resting between his large thighs.

My hand moves to dig out some of the ice cream and I raise it to my lips. I can't remember the last time I had ice cream but it was certainly a long time ago, I almost forgot what it tasted like. But I can confirm, it tastes like heaven. A place that I will never be going.

"Is there anything you want to tell me about today?" He says as he slips the spoon between his lips.

I watch his mouth as he has a taste and then swallows. My head shakes and I squirm, my knees moving until he cages them between his thighs. Our skin pressing into one another, the kind that has me taking second breaths.

"I just had a moment," I shrug. "It's nothing."

"Promise?"

My throat clenches when I look back up at him, licking the spoon from the melted cream. "I promise that it's nothing, it's just me being stupid. My mind wants to play tricks on me. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it."

Everett's expression changes and his eyes harden. "I'm always going to worry about you, Reign. Whether it's nothing or not. What happened today was scary. You literally paled and I had no idea what was going on in your mind."

I jam the spoon back into the ice-cream and place it inside my mouth, stalling time so I don't have to answer right away.

"I know what you're doing," he warns me and I almost choke.

"What?"

"Trying to distract me from an answer."

My head shakes and I lower the spoon. "My anxiety was a little crazy but it's nothing I can't control. I get you were worried but if I thought it was something to be really concerned about, I would have told you."

"You sure?"

"Yes," I nod with confidence. "You make me feel safe, Everett. If something was really wrong, I would come to you. I feel like we're at that stage now. You're the only person who I would want to come to, to comfort me and tell me that everything will be okay."

Everett flicks his eyes from my lips to my eyes as I speak and never have I put my heart on my sleeve like I have just now. It's unlike me but he has to know. So much has changed in the last week and I have no idea where these feelings have come from but I don't want to fight them.

"Good," his voice is deeper than before. "Because it should always be like that, angel."

Then he leans forward when I swallow and drags his thumb across my bottom lip, pulling away with melted residue of the strawberry goodness on his skin. I study him as he pulls away and places his thumb into his mouth, sucking hard.

He pulls his hand back and offers me a smile that does absolutely nothing for my heart and soul, it detonates a bomb inside my chest that I didn't even know was there. I drop the spoon to the counter, the metal clanging against the marble.

Everett doesn't even turn his attention to the sound or the action because I push off the stool and lunge straight into his arms. My face heading towards his, catching his lips in our first sweet kiss.

When his arms close in around my body, one hand cradles the back of my head and the other pressed to the small of my back. Neither of us were expecting it but I melt into his embrace, butterflies erupting in my stomach.

I think I'm about to take off any given second.

Everett twists my head to widen the kiss, brushing his tongue against mine. It's cold from the ice-cream and it sends shivers right down to my toes, God he tastes so fucking delicious. I release a groan as I bunch my fingers into his t-shirt, trying to pull us impossibly closer.

His fingers slip through my long hair and he tugs gently, my head rolls back in his hand. Everything pulsates quickly, fire, fire and I need to be extinguished because there is about to be nothing left of me.

I pull back, panting. Eyes are closed. My head rests against his forehead and I listen to his harsh breaths. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

"Because I didn't ask if it was okay first."

"Reign," he coaxes my eyes open with his soft voice. Then when I'm met with those beautiful blue eyes, I want to kiss him all over again. "I've been waiting for you to kiss me for weeks."

My cheeks bleed with heat. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm still sorry," I respond because my heart is continuing to race.

Everett grunts and pulls me closer, gripping the back of my head with his hand. "I'm not."

Then his lips are back on mine again and I allow him to take the lead, twisting his head until our tongues are dancing and we're clawing at each other out of desperation. Everett's teeth nip at my bottom lip and I gasp at the sensation, not expecting heat to pool against my core.

He holds me in his strong arms, I fit like a glove. Like I've always meant to be here.

I hum when he bites my lip again. My fingers slide over his shoulders and I grip the hair on the back of his head, giving it a soft tug. Reminding him what the hell he does to me.

The coldness is replaced by pure heat, the taste of strawberries slowly disappearing but the taste of Everett is even better. It's addictive and I could get lost in his mouth for the rest of my life.

Jesus, Reign. I hiss at myself. Who have I even turned into?

My lips disconnect from the kiss but we remain close. I shut my eyes because I know I'm about to blurt out so many things that petrify me but I can't help myself. "You make me feel so wanted and it scares me, to trust you. To trust anyone."

Everett doesn't respond immediately and I keep my eyes closed. He rubs a hand down the back of my head and cups my face, brushing a thumb over my cheekbone caringly. "We can take it one day at a time. It doesn't have to make sense right now."

I open my eyes but dip my head to rest on his thumping chest. "This is all so scary to me."

"I know, angel," he kisses the top of my head and I find myself flying away again. "But I will earn your complete trust. Even if that's weeks, months, years from now. It doesn't matter when it comes because it will come. I will not rest until I have your full trust."

My head peeks up from his chest and he stares down at me with such adoration that I can't even feel my legs anymore. They're barely holding me up because I have melted into a puddle.

"Come on," he whispers. "Let's go to bed. It's been a long day."

I become slightly rigid at the thought of going to bed after our kiss. "Will there be more of this?"

Everett moves his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. "If you want there to be."

"I think we should take this slow because I don't want to mess anything up."

I stare back at his face, scared of what he's going to think. Maybe I led him on by kissing him, doesn't mean I'm ready for it to go much further yet. One step at a time or I'll end up drowning.

His lips purse with a nod. "As slow as you want, angel. I'm not going anywhere."

♦ ♦ ♦

Read the rest of the story, epilogue and bonus chapters over on Patreon AND the first few chapters of Milo's story!

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Link is also in bio!

Author's Note

AHHHHH THEY KISSED

REIGN KISSED EVERETT. I am fucking screaming right now😭😭😭😭

What did you guys think?? I need to know your thoughts!👉🏼👉🏼👉🏼

Also what do you think happened when she saw that man? Any predictions of what happened?

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Love Savanna x

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