#Chapter 405 – Balance Ella

“Dominic,” I murmur, reaching for him. “No,” he snaps, taking a step away from me and shaking his head. “You’re taking this too far, Ella – I know you want to help, but Icannot have you putting yourself at risk like this!” He sputters for a moment, turning away from me and hanging his head, bringing a hand up to cover his face.

I reach for him, seeking him through our bond, not understanding this reaction and needing to know –

He opens his heart to me when I gently ask him to through the bond. He lets me see all of his fear, all of his anxiety, all of the guilt that already rolls in him when he even thinksabout the possibility of losing Rafe and I when he could just keep usso safe-

And my heart breaks, for what feels like the eightieth time today, as I stare at my mate’s back, his broad shoulders.

“I’m so sorry, Dominic,” I whisper, closing the distance between us and wrapping my arms around his waist from behind, resting my head against his back, closing my eyes. “I hear you Ifeelyour fear for me. But I…I can’t not do this….”

“Ella,” he says, his voice cracking with the strain of his worry, of not understandingwhyI’m pushing this so hard-

But before he can continue, I let out a deep breath and pass him my own feelings down the bond and along with them, the memories I have from today. Of little Leah, and her sunken pale face, and how fresh her skin looked after I spent an hour holding her hand. And little Philip, who lost a hand, and whose wound was badly infected-

will live, and be fitted with a prothesis, and live

memories of adozenother children who I helped – who needme, 1 who aren’tsafeunless I’m there to help them. The bareideathat I would ever,

unthinkable to

Please, please don’t ask me to turn away from them. Ican’tdo it – not when I’m theonlyone

wipe away the ones that start to fall down his cheeks. “All right, Ella,”

be with a man who understands who I really am, down to the core of my being. And more than that a man who

know he’s already given in so much. It’s my term now. “Your terms, Dominic. Whatever you say.” “Damn right, whatever I say,” he snarls, a little playfully, and I grin up at him, loving it – loving him. And I raise myself on my toes, tilting my head back, hoping for a kiss – which he gives me, freely. A good long one that tells me how much he loves me, but also how much he intends to protect me, to keep me safe. Even if I insist on going into what are essentially war

known that for a long time, big scary Alpha,” I murmur back, giving him a smart smack on his rear that makes him jump a little and then laugh. “Thought you’d be used to it by now.” “Yeah,” he sighs, letting me loose a bit. “Me too.” And then he starts a bit as I pull away further now, looking down at his crisp white shirt which is now…well, not so crisp, or so

was the shirt expensive? I didn’t mean to -” And then he laughs, giving me my own smack on the ass and nodding towards the door in our closet which also delightfully leads to the bathroom. “Shower, immediately,”

to cover Rafe’s ears. I laugh as I start to pass into

settled in bed in the dark. Or, the near-dark as I lit a little magnolia- scented candle on my bedside table, wanting to be

between us, babbling little nonsense words and grabbing his feet as he rolls around on his back. Why wouldn’t I want to stare at him whenever I

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