“I’m sorry,” Bell whispered. He wanted to say so much more, but his throat was scratchy, causing him to turn and cough in the other direction.
“Here.” Alek reached over his head into the tote bag and retrieved a bottle of water. After he assisted Bell with drinking a quarter of the bottle, he started slowly, “Me too. I wished I’d stuck up for Wrath but I didn’t. I let our people take Wolf’s name and shame it. He was named the destroyer of conquerors by the Mother, and after what happened, most of them were convinced I’d abused the power, to take down my own pack. Stories ran rampant and I was shunned … we, were shunned.”
“Did they ever learn the truth?”
“No, none of them stuck around long enough. My dad left quickly after my mother’s death. He lives alone in a small house in Fort Severn, Ontario. Justice became the new AZ, and declared we rebuild, but moved us to the safety of the White Forest Mountains. Out of the couple hundred shifters that’d survived… nine came with us to start again.”
“Only nine?” Bell frowned.
Alek nodded. He gently rested his forehead against Bell’s as if he were tired. He exhaled and paused for a long moment, perhaps gathering himself. “That’s it. They respected Justice and submitted to his leadership, but none of them wanted to stay in our pack, and they damn sure didn’t want to live around me. And I can’t say I blamed them. Matter of fact, I didn’t really say much of anything the following few years. Just tried to help out as much as I could and appear harmless so my siblings didn’t walk on eggshells around me. I also didn’t want the few pack members we still had to run off, too.”
“You have a great honor. To protect. To abolish any who try to conquer your people.” Bell kept his sentences short, trying not to completely lose what little voice he possessed. But gods, he had so much he needed to say. Bell was just able to lean in and press his damp lips to Alek’s cheek. “That shouldn’t have been your first test. To make that kind of choice so young. And things went wrong. Yes, you have the entity of a demigod in you but you are still human, Alek.”
“You don’t think I was weak for not making the choice?”
Bell shook his head, hoping his eyes reflected just how not true he thought that was.
“Now.” Bell took Alek’s hand and slowly wove their fingers together, bringing their combined fists up their chests. “You have me. We won’t fail anymore.”
Alek held him around his waist, burying his face under Bell’s nest of wet hair. Alek’s embrace, his erratic heartbeat told him he was relieved and excited that Bell had heard his story and still wanted him. Oh, he wanted him more than anything—flaws and all. And maybe this was why Bell had to experience this disastrous blow to his pride—to humble himself enough to understand that even the bravest men make mistakes, and the toughest warriors can fall and need help back up. Bell had gotten the help he needed when he’d fallen. Alek hadn’t. For years, he’d struggled alone.
Bell stared into his beloved’s eyes and swore that he never would again. “There are many people who call themselves conquerors.” Bell was starting to get winded but he had to inform his mate of one more thing, “And Alessandro Giuliani is one of them.”
“You spoke to him?” Alek’s eyes widened, and he was no longer slouching from the weight of his reflections, but fully alert and wondering how much information his mate had on his new enemy—his arch nemesis.
“Yes. He said a lot… before he put my sword through my stomach.”
Wolf bristled. Wrath growled loudly, swearing retribution. Alek was with his god. But, he wasn’t about to interrogate Bell right now. He’d already digested a lot of information and his words were coming farther apart. While Alek was selfishly enjoying Bell’s hushed inserts he’d made throughout his story, Alek knew he needed to get some rest. His questions could wait a few hours. His mate was still healing.
Alek moved Bell to another part of the alcove where the water wasn’t as high so he could clean his lower body. They didn’t say anything else while Alek prepared the cloth with more soap and began to wash his lower back. Bell arched towards him and Alek returned the affection with his warmth.
“Sssgood,” Bell moaned, when Alek rubbed steadily over one of his ass cheeks.
Alek smiled against the side of Bell’s face. “You like that, hmmm?”
“Yesss.”
Alek chuckled, loving the way Bell’s body vibrated despite his sleepiness. He gently cupped Bell’s other smooth, round cheek and pulled it to one side opening him up. He heard him take a sharp inhale before releasing a warm gust of breath against Alek’s neck. He kept telling himself he was just cleaning Bell, not trying to cop a feel. However, his eyes fell closed and he hugged Bell closer, his body naturally responding. He soon tossed the rag and began using his bare hands to rub the thick bar of soap over Bell’s soft skin, working up a nice lather.