Stef's POV

It's going on twelve o clock in the afternoon.

"Dommm..." I call.

He rolls over onto his stomach in the bed but doesn't answer.

"Dom..." I whine rolling around the bed.

Finally he sits up and looks at me.

"Yes?"

"Hi." I say grinning at him.

He chuckles and pulls me to his chest.

"Sometimes I think you take drugs."

"Nope. I'm just a happy high kind of person." I giggle nuzzling my nose against his chest.

"Yes you are." He kisses my head.

Just talking about drugs makes me wonder. Has Dom ever smoked pot?

"Have you ever smoked pot before?"

The question leaves my lips before I can think about it.

I feel him tense.

"Um." His voice is high pitched.

"You have! You have smoked weed!

I learn something new everyday.

"Okay, let's just say I haven't not smoked weed," He shrugs.

"But in my defense one of the two times was just a hot box."

What is a hot box?

"Did you get really high and see emoji aliens?" I ask seriously.

Obviously I've never smoked a day in my life but of course I wanna know what teenagers my age did. Or do.

"Did I see emoji aliens? No, but I do recall unicorns." He laughs jokingly.

"Whatever."

I start rubbing his belly button. Then there's a knock at the door.

Dom's face hardens.

"Go to the bathroom. Lock the door. Don't come out until I say so." He says getting up quickly.

So many thoughts surge through my mind but I jump to my feet and hurry into the bathroom locking the door behind me.

Backing away from the door I try to focus my hearing.

"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Dom whisper yells.

With my back against the wall I bite my nail and listen.

"I just thought I'd drop by and see how the alpha and his mate were. Speaking of mate, where is ms. Moore?" Another male voice speaks.

I hear a loud thud then Dom's deep growl filled with bass.

I jump a little.

"Why shouldn't I just end you right here, right now!" Dom yells again.

"Because you need me. You'll never make it to the top without me."

The voice sounds more familiar.

"Who says I need you?!"

There's laughter.

"You still don't understand. You're going to make enemies Dom. You'll never be able to protect her without help. You need me." The voice sounds strangled.

"You might think you know shit but listen to me when I say...."

Dom's voice is too low for me to hear the rest.

There's another loud thud and then a door slams. Making me jump again.

"Stef?" He calls for me.

I tiptoe out of the bathroom.

He's sitting on the end of the bed looking up at the ceiling. His chest rises and falls in anger.

I stand awkwardly.

He takes a deep breath then looks at me.

"Come here."

He holds his hand out for me. I take it and he me pulls into his lap.

"I'm sorry." He breathes into my hair.

"Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to be sorry about Dom."

He holds me tight reliving some of his anger.

"Everything's fine Dom." I whisper cupping his jaw.

"I don't know that."

He breaks.

He's not crying but there's pain, and anger.

"You don't need to know. You know why? Because I trust you. In every way possible." I shift in his arms so I'm straddling him.

He looks up at me.

"You, me, and one day, little Dom and Stef two."

Gently I kiss each side of his face. He relaxes a little.

"I love you Stefanie Wright." He says burying his head in the crook of my neck.

Hearing him say that makes my heart melt.

"You are my number one."

{~}

Dom and I are sitting in the kitchen when the door bell rings.

"Pizza's here!" I yell even though we're the only two in the house and he's right in front of me.

He laughs standing up to get the door.

"No I wanna get it."

I hop out of my chair.

He ponder's for a second then hands me some cash from his pocket.

Smiling I skip to the door.

I can tell Dom is watching me.

I roll my eyes and open the door.

There's no pizza guy. There's no one there. Who rang the doorbell?

Then in one quick motion it hits me, literally hits me. I can't tell what but It came from afar and at a fast speed. And like a staple it's lodged into the side of my neck.

Not a bullet. I would be bleeding.

"Ssssttteeeefffff..." Dom calls but everything is in slow motion.

I think I'm falling. I'm trying to move my arms and legs but I can't feel anything.

Whatever it is it must be medicated.

I just had to get the door huh Stef.

Why am I the one who always gets shot, I'm mean seriously come on!

{~}

"Come on Stef, wake up."

Slowly I open my eyes to see max standing over me.

"Hey max." I try a smile licking my dry lips.

Turning my head I look around taking in the room. It looks like Dom and my room but it's smaller and decorated differently. Must be max and Danny's room.

"Hey how do you feel?"

I look up at max. Where's Dom.

"I'm alright. Where's Dom?" I ask sitting up.

Max grabs the glass of water on the nightstand and hands it to me.

"Um he stepped out." Hesitantly he scratches his head.

I sip the water.

"Stepped out?"

He stepped out to do what? Nerves run through my body.

"He had to take care of a few things. He should be back soon, you were out for a couple of hours."

Hours? Geez.

Almost on que a door slams.

I scurry out of the bed stumbling on my weak legs to get to him.

I regain strength in my legs and climb up the stairs to our bed room. Where I think he went.

I look in the open door and see him pacing across the room. Clothes and skin stained in blood, breathing heavy, and nostrils flared.

Not noticing me he puts his head in his hands and doubles over yelling "fuck!" In the process.

This is a new type of angry.

I knock lightly on the door.

He stands upright and his blood shot blue eyes pierce my brown ones. It looks like he's been crying for hours.

We're both silent.

We blink simultaneously.

"Are you okay?" I sigh.

He looks taken back by my question.

"You got shot with a tranquilizer, for the second time, and you're asking me if I'm okay.." His brow twitches.

I sway awkwardly.

"I mean you're the one covered in blood."

Honestly I don't want to know why.

He looks down at his appearance then strides into the bathroom. I follow.

I start a shower for him as he oh so slowly strips.

"You can't blame yourself for everything dom." I whisper.

He doesn't say anything but steps into the shower.

I sit on the closed toilet seat and watch the red rinse off his body and drip to the bottom of the shower.

He just stands under the shower head. Eyes closed he tilts his head up and rakes his hands through his wet hair.

I can't tell if it's stress or just pure anger that courses through his veins but it's clear as day.

He shuts off the water, wraps a towel around his waist and simply walks out of the room. Without even looking at me.

Seriously?

"Please don't do this Dom."

I drag myself back into the room.

"Don't do what Stef?" He asks raising a brow.

His lips are pressed in a hard line.

"Blame yourself for everything Dom! You can't possibly think that today was your fault!"

My voice has more sass then I intended.

"It was Stef! It was my fault! You got hurt because of me. He told me I'd never be able to protect you, my family, or my pack without the right help but I didn't get it until now." His tone matches mine.

He doesn't get it.

"You still don't get it Dom! Yes you're the alpha, and maybe I don't get the the full responsibility of an alpha but, you have to understand that you can only spread yourself so thin."

He flops down on the bed.

"You know that you're my number one right? I just feel like if I can't protect you I'm useless." He stares blankly at the door.

I sigh. Why he doubts hisself like this I don't know.

"If anything where to ever happen to me..." He starts but I don't want to here it.

"Don't say things like that Dom."

I don't ever, ever want to hear those words come out of his mouth again. I know where it's going and it only makes me sad.

"Just listen to me Stef. There are a lot of bad people out there, that hate me for no reason..."

"No Dom, I will not listen to this!" I use my hands to cover my ears.

This is a very touchy subject and he knows it.

"Stef please."

Looking at me he holds out a hand for me to take.

He really wants to talk about this?

"I can't." Little tears spring down my cheeks.

I run out of the room before he can say anything more.

I know if I would have taken his hand he would have told me that there might come a day when he's no longer around. He would have told me that I have to be strong for our family and myself. He would have told me that everything will be okay.

But that's bull shit.

Without Dom I'm useless. As he is without me. That's just how mates work. It seems so fucked up at times.

Normal people lose someone close, they mourn and grieve, and then move on. Lost but never forget they say.

Loosing a mate is loosing the better half of yourself. If I lost Dom I wouldn't be anything. There's family and the pack but they could never fill that other half.

When it all comes down to it Im not afraid of water. I'm afraid of everything in it that could possibly take away the ones I love. Take away my happiness.

Dom and I are just getting started and already there's someone or something planning out the end.

I hadn't realized that I was sprinting now. Down the stairs and out the back door.

Stopping in the grass I gasp for air. Tears still falling.

My head is throbbing.

We'd die without them. Michelle my wolf, speaks up.

"You're right. Without Dom, I'd die."

Pain swells up in my chest.

I lay down in the sharp green grass and look up at the cloudy blue sky.

"I will die without you."

{~}

Chapter. 41

I hope you enjoyed. Any questions or ideas please ask! Until next time.

#DP