Page 56 of Loup Garou
Stroking the back of my hair, he held me tight to him. “I heard you and I still love you.”
I huffed. “Pfft, you don’t even know me anymore.”
“Then say you’ll come with me. Show me who you are now.”
I couldn’t stop myself, my rage was too great. Twisting, I slammed the back of my fist into the side of his head and made sure to slap a hefty dose of power behind it as well. Exavier jerked backwards and I went at him. “You son of a bitch! How dare you ask me to go anywhere with you!”
Coming at me fast, he took hold of my wrists and brought my hands to his chest. I could feel how quickly his heart was beating. He nodded. “Yes, my heart isn’t carrying on like that because we were fighting evil. It’s carrying on like that because of the way I found you—the shape you were in when I got here tonight. I thought I was going to lose you, Linds. I swear to you, I honestly thought you’d married someone else. Had I known different, I would have been here ten years ago! I have loved you from the first day I met you. Nothing will ever change that. Nothing.”
“Exavier,” I whispered, my voice caught in my throat. I couldn’t go down an emotional path again. I didn’t have it in me.
“Come with me. Get to know me. You said it yourself at the hospital when I was holding Lucy. You said we’d officially bonded. Don’t tell me you didn’t mean it. I saw it in your eyes.”
The shock of what he’d just said sank in. “You healed her. You healed Lucy.”
“I didn’t heal her so much as I strengthened her,” he supplied. “It was her choice to fight to live or not. She chose life. So did her brother.”
I eyed him suspiciously. “Did you do that just to make me happy?”
“I would move heaven and hell for you. You love those babies, Linds. They love you. I love you. The choice was simple. It still is. Come with me.”
“Fine.”
His body stiffened. “Is that a yes?”
Was it a yes? Could I really just pack up and go traveling with him? Could I really watch him walk away and not know if he’d ever be back? My stomach clenched tightly. “It’s a yes, Exavier. I’ll come with you on one condition.”
“Anything.”
“You agree we’re nothing more than friends,” I demanded. “If we move past that on our own, fine. If not, we part ways on good terms.”
“I am not going to agree to let my wife walk out on me.”
Backing up, I laughed softly. “I’m not your wife yet. Agree or I never will be.”
“You’re asking too much of me.”
“No, I remember the doll situation. You pulled through there. Pull through now, Xavs.”
A wide smile broke over his face. “It’s a deal, if you agree to give it a hundred percent, Lindsay. I know we’ll be perfect together. You know it too. You told me you were going to marry me when you were five. And you told me you loved me then.”
Amused, I stepped closer to him. “And you fell off the park bench and acted like I had germs.”
Putting his hands on my hips, he pulled me to him, pressing his forehead to mine. “Let the record state I was a moron.”
Gina cleared her throat. “Umm, not to interrupt this feel-good moment, but we’re still missing a master vampire and two weres.”
Exavier shook his head. “No, they aren’t missing. I saved them for myself.” Touching my chin, he moved his thumb up and ran it over my lips. “You don’t need to see what I’m going to do to them so I put them somewhere to wait for me. They’re trapped between two realms. I’ll be back in a little bit. I can’t leave you alone tonight. I’ll go crazy with worry. I know you’re physically fine now, but I’ll still need to see it with my own eyes. I can help you get ready to go then.”
“Hold up,” Myra interjected, putting a hand on her hip as she raised a brow. “Where exactly is Lindsay supposedly going?”
“On tour with me and, gods willing, she’ll stay with me from now until eternity.” The black which had been in his eyes faded away fast, leaving blue in its place. He stared down at me. “I’ll bring some of my people in to help run the rec center. Plus, Brook and the girls will still be here to keep things running smoothly. Any one of the people I send will be able to get them to you in seconds if you need them or just want to see them, Lindsay. I want you to be happy.”
I looked at Jay, Gina and Myra. All three of them nodded. Jay winked at me and it suddenly felt okay. Having their seals of approval meant a tremendous amount to me.
“What do you say, Lindsay?” he asked.
“I say, hurry up and kill the vampire. Before you go, let me give you my address. Contrary to popular belief, I do not live here.”
