I can't Give in

Chapter 13 ~ The Nightmare Plague

            “Of course I am, Kace,” he said, his hand holding my arm firmly yet carefully and his other hand caressed my face. “It was just a nightmare, Kace, we’re alright,” he sighed, pressing his forehead to mine, his welcoming scent of firewood and pine flooding my nose and calming my nerves.

            “Damon,” I whimpered, gulping in attempt to hide the fear that I was sure was evident on my face. “It was bad. It was really, really bad.” Damon pulled back so that he could look at me, his gaze studying my face. “I think… I think you were dead.” I stuttered, tears watering my eyes. Damon’s eyebrows crinkled as his eyes widened slightly, his lips parting either for breath or in an attempt to say something.

            “Alright,” he blew, pausing while the sleepy gears in his mind turned. He blinked a few times before he rolled off of me and settled himself at my side, his back propped up against some pillows. He patted his lap before he grabbed my hand while his arm wound around my waist, pulling me onto him. My back rested against his rising and falling chest while my head leaned back into the crook of his neck where I could hear him breathing. He wrapped his arms around my waist and interlocked his fingers with my own.

            “Listen to me,” Damon said affectionately. “I am not going to die and neither are you. I will protect you until my heart stops beating, but I promise you, your super healthy and extremely sexy mate isn’t going anywhere for another couple decades,” he smiled boyishly and I couldn’t help but giggle lightly. Damon tilted his head down and teasingly kissed the back of my jaw. “I will always be there for you,” he whispered, the bristles on his chin tickling my ear as his lips tenderly brushed against it.

            “You know, you can be so damn charming when you want to be,” I smirked back at him, his grin broadening as his eyes shone with love. “You’ve gone soft on me, Alpha,” I taunted, turning Damon’s grin into a smolder.

            “Vixen, I am never soft when I’m around you,” he purred huskily, a playful and tamed growl vibrating in his chest. “But, I will admit I don’t think my mean streak is as strong as it used to be. Unless Cameron’s in the room, that’s another story entirely,” he said with an amber tint in his eyes.

            “Yeah, yeah, settle down tiger,” I chuckled. “Try not to have those alpha instincts get the best of you,” I warned teasingly.

            “No promises,” he murmured looking at me plainly before grinning. There was a peaceful silence between us for a few minutes and I was convinced that Damon had dozed off, but then he said, “KC.”

            “Yeah?”

            “I love you. You know that right?” he said, his voice low and still and incredibly truthful.

            “I know,” I replied in a near whisper, staring at him for a moment before I reached up to kiss him, his hands gripping mine lovingly. “I love you, too.”

           

***  

I awoke when a furious pounding sounded from the door. My eyes fluttering open, I realized that it was sometime in the late morning by the amount of sunlight coming in through the windows. Groaning, I literally rolled off of my bed and stumbled to my feet, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

            “I’m coming!” I yelled as the knocking grew harder and more urgent. But then it was caught short when I was three steps away from opening it. When I grasped the doorknob, I heard growling coming from the other side as well as muffled grunts. Hastily, I pulled the door open only to be greeted by Damon nearly smothering Cameron, his muscled arm wrapped around Cameron’s neck and his hand clamped over his mouth.