Path To Resolution (Fighter's Den, #5)

Chapter 26 - Wolfe

I'm kicked in the gut. Hard.

My breath is knocked out of me and I immediately sit up, backing away on instinct. But it doesn't stop. A kick, and then another, and another. I grab a knee before the fourth kick can come. It takes a few seconds for my brain to wake up and realize where I am and what's happening.

"Melanie," I whisper.

I hear her whimper. My eyes scope her out in the dark. She's still asleep but she's clearly starting to wake up and her body thinks I'm trying to hurt her. My chest sinks heavily. It's hard to keep a tough front but every reminder of her past hurts me. Witnessing the trauma of what she went through makes me want to break everything in sight from the pain. I swallow hard and force myself to keep it together as she continues to whimper and fight me in her sleep.

"Melanie," I rub a hand down her arm as lightly as I can. She flinches and throws that arm out. I catch it and this time lock her arms by her side, shaking her. "Melanie, wake up. Please wake up."

"Stop," She mumbles. Her voice is soft and high-pitched. Desperate. I've never heard her sound like that and I fucking swear my heart cracks right open. "Get off."

"Shh, it's me Melanie," I pet her hair down gently. My throat locks up seeing this. God, it fucking hurts. "It's me. Wolfe. It's just me."

"Stop," She tries to push against me. I can see her eyes moving behind her closed lids and know she's seconds away from waking up. "Leave me alone. Stop it."

"It's me, Melanie," I whisper thickly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'll never hurt you. Wake up, Mel."

She whimpers again, her body trembling. I can't watch her anymore. I abandon being gentle altogether and shake her as hard as I can. I'm just as desperate as her now. She sits up with a gasp so suddenly that my hands pull back from her like they burned. I hold them out in front of me and watch her carefully, waiting for her to start fighting again. But she doesn't. She looks around with obvious panic and hugs the blanket close to her. When her eyes land on me her features immediately relax and her shoulders drop. She's okay.

"Hey," She whispers softly. I can hear the self-consciousness in her voice, can see it in the way her head ducks. "I...how bad was it?"

"Not bad," I lie. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am." She nods and looks back up. She's telling the truth. She's okay now. "I used to not be able to shake the feeling off in the beginning. It's been so many years since I was touched like that, I cope a lot better now. I'm not perfect but I've healed."

"I know," I open my arms to her and she wiggles into them, sighing against my chest whe I engulf her. I start rocking her gently and feel my own heart rate slow down with relief. "You amaze me."

She scoffs lightly and I know she doesn't believe me. She traces my chest tattoos with her fingers, something she does to calm herself down I've noticed. Several moments of silence pass by. "Wolfe?"

"Yes?"

Her voice is small when she speaks. "Tell me something nice. Something good."

I don't even hesitate. "I love you."

She stills against me. I don't even think she's breathing. When she pulls back to look at me there's no way the dark can hide her disbelief.

"What?" She whispers.

I hold her tighter. "I love you, baby girl. So fuckin' much."

She grows more incredulous, if possible. It's hard to hide my amusement. I'm not sure why she's so surprised. I've felt this way for a long time. That's why the words came to me so easily. I didn't even know I was going to say them until they came out and I sure as shit don't regret them.