Page 27 of Accept Me (Fate’s Choice #4)

STAR

When I opened my eyes again, I was lying in Hunter’s bed, dressed in a clean white T-shirt and boxers.

Hunter sat next to me. He’d also showered and changed. He was holding a mug of herbal tea. His fighting mode had mostly faded. His eyes were only faintly tinted pink now, the final stage.

My new husband leaned in slightly, and his free hand found my forehead, as if to check my temperature, but instead he stroked me tenderly.

"You were unconscious for almost an hour. I was about to call for medical help. Drink, Star. I know everything that happened was a lot—"

"Where… Arnold, Dino, the cops?"

"It’s all under control. Arnold’s handling everything. Just relax."

It took some time for that to sink in.

Wow, just wow, I woke up in a new era of my life, right?

My eyes slowly shifted over his face and I whispered, it just escaped me, the deep desire of my heart.

"I want… the closeness, Hunter. The easy one you mentioned with Olaf. I want it too, all of it, to be with you effortlessly… vulnerable, innocent…" I realized I was probably babbling, not making much sense, but his face lit up like the sun.

"Oh, Star… that’s what I want too, and I’ll do anything to make it happen for us. I promise."

I believed him, I really did. So I simply smiled, then slowly propped myself up on one elbow and reached for the mug he handed me, keeping a finger under the rim to steady it.

Then I noticed my hands were trembling a bit. I guess my body was still in residual shock.

"Is it really over, Hunter? With this psycho? Is this finally done?" I asked quietly, my tone pleading.

His hand slid gently under my jaw, then to just below my ear, resting on the marked gland. It was a beautiful gesture, very welcome, reassuring me that yes, I was his. I closed my eyes for a second, letting it linger.

"I think it is, baby. Arnold’s tying up the loose ends.

We’ll have to do a formal TM verification, just a short separation test. That’s it.

The True Mate Government Agency, the one that handles fated mates’ matters, steps in during emergencies like this and they’re already on it.

If there’s clear danger to one partner and the other exceeds the bounds of legal defense, they need the certificate. But otherwise, we’re in the clear."

His fingers kept stroking my cheek.

"It’s hard to believe, Hunter. All those years I was scared of him… and now it’s just gone? Like he vanished into thin air? It feels like a fairy tale, too perfect to believe."

Hunter sighed, with some hesitation.

"We’ll wait for the investigation to wrap up.

We still have to find out how Dino got his hands on those kinds of explosive devices, and if he had an accomplice.

Arnold’s really focused on leads like that.

Most of his cases involve bombings, and he always tries to trace the origin of the explosive to punish the supplier too.

They also want to check Menzen. But once that’s handled, we’ll finally be able to breathe. "

I let out a huff. "I always suspected he had an accomplice. Someone was following me around campus, taking pictures, someone I didn't know. So it's good they're still looking."

Hunter nodded.

I stared at him for a while. His hand was still on my cheek, fingers brushing my jaw. I wanted to be able to do the same, to touch effortlessly, without hesitation, and in an instant I decided it was a good moment to start. I turned my head slightly so my lips brushed against his fingers.

"You said you’d handle it for me… even if it was the last thing you ever did," I whispered. "I didn’t really believe you, you know? Not fully. But you still did."

Since the world didn’t end with my previous move, I felt encouraged and reached for him with the free hand that had been resting by my side. Our fingers intertwined and I shivered a little.

I took a mental dive into my body, into my energy. It was kinda… silent, tired, worn.

Could it mean the bomb was not enough, but the kidnapping and Dino’s fucking touch on me had caused it?

"Hunter… is it possible my heat’s over from all that stress? I feel depleted inside, so exhausted, like I’m in heat recovery. Is it possible it only lasted a few hours?"

Hunter gave a faint, sad smile.

"Yeah, unfortunately, it is possible. That kind of immense adrenaline surge can shut it down. I’m sorry, baby, but we’ll have plenty more heats ahead of us."

I sank back onto the pillows, setting the cup aside. Judging by the scent and taste, it was probably lemon balm.

My eyes landed on the ceiling, and I sighed.

Unfuckingbelievable.

That bastard took one more thing from me: mine and Hunter's first heat experience, revenge from beyond the grave?

"It’s all too much, Hunter… I just want to go to sleep again. I want to wake up in a better world, calmer, safer. Will you be here with me?"

"Yes, I will. Close your eyes and rest. I’ll lie down next to you."

And here was another opportunity to build the closeness, so I just took it.

"Will you hold me?" I whispered so softly I barely heard my own voice.

"Of course I will, Star. Actually, I called my cousin Veyron a few minutes ago, and he said he’s going away for a few days, so his yacht will be docked and free to use. I thought maybe we could head out there because I figured we could both use a little break. What do you think? A mini vacation."

"Sounds perfect," I sighed, eyes closing. I felt his warm body settle beside me. He was so big, so solid, like a rock, like an island in the middle of a stormy ocean, and soon after, sleep took me.