Second Chance For A Warrior

-Chapter Thirteen-

Seth

Sitting on the bed, we just stare at each other in silence, neither of us sure exactly where to start. I suppose the best place to begin is with me apologizing.

"I'm sorry Angel. I know trying to force you to submit is wrong, and I know that apologizing doesn't make it go away, or change the fact that I did it...but I'm truly sorry."

She stares at me silently, her violet eyes watching my every move. I feel like I need to say more, so I do.

"I was afraid of losing you, afraid of you suffering without me there to help you. I know that isn't an excuse for what I did, trust me, I know. And neither is claiming your duties as Luna require staying away from the fights."

She sighs, and I nearly groan as her hand gently cups my cheek.

"I just need you to understand me, Seth. That I was a Warrior long before I met you...and becoming the Luna doesn't change my past, or how I was trained. If this pack is in danger I'm not going to just stay in the shadows and watch them fight for me, it's not how I'm built."

I lean into her touch, placing my hand over hers.

"I understand that my love, I just, I don't want you to get hurt. I don't think I'm capable of surviving without you."

"You think I don't feel the same way? That you being in pain wouldn't terrify me? That I would be able to function at all if you-you..."

Her voice trembles and cracks, her eyes flooding over with tears. I pull her face to my chest, letting her cry into my shirt. I run my hands up and down her back as she sobs, and I kick myself for being blind to her feelings.

"The thought of you getting hurt scares me too, Seth. But I know trying to force you to stay out of it would be like telling you to stop being an Alpha." She says after a few moments, looking up at me as she does. I hold her face in my hands, staring into her eyes.

"I would give up the title for you, Angel. If you asked, I would do it in a heartbeat."

She shakes her head.

"That's why I'm never going to ask. I love you as you are, even as a stubborn Alpha, I would never force you to stop being you...I just want you to do the same for me. To love me as I am, warrior and all."

My heart races at her words, her admission hitting me like a ton of bricks. I press my forehead to hers, trapping her gaze.

"I already love you Katrina, and I never want to make you doubt that fact ever again. I don't want you to give up who you are, being a badass is one of the many reasons I love you. Even if it occasionally gives me a heart attack."

She grins, a small chuckle slipping past her parted lips.

"Just promise me that if another fight like that happens again, let me fight with you. Let me protect you the same way you'd protect me."

"As long as you don't try to stop me from fighting, I will always have your back Seth."

As she closes her eyes, the wall around her mind collapses, her thoughts flowing through my mind like bursting dam. And not just her thoughts, but Ziva's as well. Relief courses through me as our link returns, and her soft hands brush over my mark. The burning long gone, the sparks return with incredible force.