Hunter’s POV
I wasn’t going to lock her up again!
There was no fucking way she would spend another minute in that room. It wasn’t happening.
I watched Emma hugging my mate and I got the urge to grab her and take her away from everything and everyone. Maybe we could run away from the darkness. Maybe we could run away from everything bad that surrounded us.
How the fuck could I lock her up again? I couldn’t do it. I simply couldn’t.
I placed my hands on her waist and pulled her from Emma gently. I needed to hold her in my arms. I needed to be sure that she was with me and not in some room.
“Hunter…” she said quietly, but I interrupted her.
“I said no, Sophia,” I said sternly. “I’m not going to change my mind. I am not locking you in that room again.”
Sophia sighed and looked at her family.
“Can you give us a minute, please?” she asked, making me tighten my jaw.
“They don’t need to give us a minute, Sophia,” I said. “I am not changing my mind.”
Sophia didn’t even look at me. She kept her eyes on her family the entire time. I had to hold back from rolling my eyes when I saw them nod and get up. Alex kissed Sophia’s temple before he stood up and walked away after his parents.
Sophia looked at me as soon as her family was out of sight.
“No,” I said immediately. “No fucking way, Sophia. You are not going back in that room.”
How could I go back to waking up without her in my arms?
It was simple. I couldn’t.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again, Hunter,” she said quietly. “I am already having trouble accepting what I did. If I hurt someone I loved, I would never be able to forgive myself for it.”
I cupped her cheeks and sighed.
“You are not going to hurt anyone, Sophia,” I said softly. “I am sure of it.”
She placed her hands over mine and closed her eyes.
“Do you remember the things I said to my mom?” she asked quietly, her voice laced with pain.
I gritted my teeth and leaned in to kiss her forehead. Of course I remembered it. I remembered every word she said.
“I remember,” I mumbled against her forehead.
“I meant every word that I said to her,” Sophia said quietly. “The things that I was thinking were horrible. I wanted to…”
Her voice broke and she stopped talking.
I pulled her closer to me and pressed her against my chest. I wasn’t going to lose her. Not again. I wasn’t going to stand behind that fucking glass and look at her without being able to touch her.
“I won’t let you hurt her,” I said softly. “I won’t let you hurt anyone.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist and took a deep breath.
“You wouldn’t be able to stop me,” she said quietly. “No one would and that’s why I need to go back in that room.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump in my throat.
“My mom will find a way,” she continued. “I am sure of it. She already has a plan. I can feel it, Hunter. I won’t be in there for long.”
No.
No, no, no, no!
She wouldn’t be in there at all! Not again!
“No, Sophia, no,” I mumbled, burying my nose into her hair. “I can’t lose you again. I can’t.”
She tightened her arms around me and turned her head so she could place a kiss on my chest
“You won’t lose me,” she said softly. “You will never lose me.”
She lifted her head and gave me a small smile.
“I want to be completely yours before I go back in there,” she said as he lifted her hand and caressed my cheek. “I want to mark you and make you mine. I want you to know that I will always belong to you, even though you can’t touch me.”
I almost sobbed.
But I needed to touch her. I needed to touch her!
“I can’t, Angel, I can’t,” I cried out as I pressed my lips against her.
Just thinking about not being able to kiss her and hold her had me ready to scream in pain. I couldn’t do it again.
“Yes, you can,” she said as she cupped my cheeks. “We both know that I have to do this, Hunter. I can’t be free until that thing is completely out of my body.”
I closed my eyes and furrowed my eyebrows. She leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on my lips.
“I love you,” she said. “I will be completely yours before I go inside and I will come back to you soon.”
No, please Goddess, no.
I kissed her back as hard as I could. I picked her up and placed her on my lap. I needed to feel every part of her body against mine. She tangled her fingers into my hair and pressed her body against mine.
“We can go to my family’s cabin tonight,” she whispered against my lips. “We can be together before I go back in there.”
No, no, no.
Goddess, please no.
She lowered her head and placed a kiss on my neck. I grunted and closed my eyes. She lifted her head a little and kissed my cheek.
“I will come back to you soon,” she said softly. “I promise, Hunter. You won’t lose me. You will never lose me.”
I wrapped my arms around her as tightly as I could.
I understood why she wanted to go in there, but she didn’t have to. I wouldn’t let her hurt anyone.
“I can’t…” I mumbled.
‘Hunter, we have to do it,’ Holden said quietly. ‘We wouldn’t be able to stop her and we would lose her forever if she hurt someone again.’
I gritted my teeth and swallowed the lump in my throat.
‘I can’t, Holden,’ I said. ‘I can’t be without her again.’
Holden was silent for a moment. I could feel his pain flowing around my body.
‘I know,’ Holden said quietly. ‘It won’t be for long, Hunter. We will get her back soon.’
I buried my nose into her hair and took a deep breath. Her scent soothed my soul a little.
“I am not letting you go in there without your mark on my body,” I said, my voice quiet and raspy. “I need you to be mine in every way possible before I let them lock…”
I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Sophia looked up at me and smiled.
“I already am yours,” she said. “I am entirely yours.”
I leaned in and captured her lips with mine.
I knew that she was mine, but I wanted every confirmation I could get. I needed to feel her in every way possible before I let them take her from me.
