Page 197 of The Alpha's Forbidden Hybrid Mate

I turn my head to look at him, and I can see the satisfaction and happiness written all over his face. “I was always yours.”

He kisses me slowly and sweetly. “And I amyours. Always.”

The mating mark throbs with a pleasant ache, and through it, I can feel him. Really feel him. His contentment, his love, his fierce protectiveness. It’s overwhelming and perfect all at once.

“The pack will see it tomorrow,” I say quietly.

“Good.” His arms tighten around me. “Let them see. You’re my mate, Violet. My choice. My everything.”

Tears prick at my eyes. “I love you.”

He smiles, and it transforms his whole face. “You’ve told me about twenty times in the last half hour.”

I laugh and swat his chest. He catches my hand, brings it to his mouth, and kisses each of my fingertips.

“I love you, too,” he says seriously. “More than I knew it was possible to love anyone.”

Cinnamon pads back into the room, sees us on the floor, and makes a disgusted sound before turning around and walking back to the bedroom.

Darius laughs, the sound rumbling through his chest and into me. “Your dog hates me.”

“She doesn’t hate you. She just has good timing.” I curl into him, exhaustion pulling at me. Between recovering from the gunshot and doing what we just did, I’m wiped out.

He stands, scooping me into his arms like I weigh nothing. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

“I can walk.”

“I know. But let me have this.” He carries me to the bedroom, settles me on the mattress, and pulls the covers over both of us. Cinnamon jumps up and sprawls at the foot of the bed, clearly having forgiven our disruption of her sleep.

I touch the mark on my neck, feel the raised skin beneath my fingers. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“Good.” He kisses it gently, and I feel the sensation pulse through the bond. “It never should have taken me this long to give it to you.”

“We both made mistakes.” I trace patterns on his bare chest. “But we’re here now. That’s what matters.”

He catches my hand, holds it over his heart. “You saved my life, you know. In the arena. When you pushed me out of the way.”

“I know.”

“You could have died.”

“But I didn’t.” I look up at him. “And neither did you. We’re both here, Darius. We’re both okay.”

He’s quiet for a while. Then, he says, “When I saw you fall, when I saw the blood…I thought I’d lost you.”

“You saved me,” I remind him. “You came for me when I was sure no one would. You fought for me. You chose me.”

“I’ll always choose you.” He gives me another kiss, soft and lingering. “Always, Violet.”

I believe him. For the first time I can remember, I believe that someone actually means it when they say they’ll stay.

Through the bond, I feel his certainty, his love. I feel his absolute conviction that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

And maybe, just maybe, I’m starting to believe that, too.

THE END