Her Protector

Prelude —

"Bro, are you sure about this? I mean... this is huge," Alex said. I had been looking out of the office window and spared him no glance as he had been talking; I was too scared. I was too scared to leave her alone for even a moment.

"I know," I said facing him somberly. I immediately turned back around to face the window and look at my beautiful mate.

She looked so beautiful and happy and I wanted her to stay that way forever; happy and safe. Her face glowed as she and Noni splashed water playfully at Alex Jr. She looked better than she had in days. Her face and body had grown pale and sunken after the attack, but now she was the definition of radiant… I was lucky to have her as my mate.

"Maxon!" Alex shouted, trying to regain my attention. "Maxon, look at me."

As much as it pained me, I looked at him and smiled sincerely. I was so sure that I was doing the right thing… I mean after everything that we had been through this was the best option for everyone, especially Nova and our pups. With everyone coming for them… nothing felt more important.

They will be safe and protected and that's all I want. I thought to myself. For them to be safe…

"Yes, I am sure." I answered calmly.

I wasn't going to allow Alex to sway my mind on this.I wasn't going to choose anything else over Nova ever again; I never wanted either of us to feel that pain again.I had almost failed her before, nearly losing her in the process, and now our pups were in danger? I wasn't going to repeat that mistake. There was nothing I wouldn't do for Nova; wasn't it the same for Alec and Noni?

WE won't repeat that mistake twice, my wolf said interjecting my thoughts.

That's right, I agreed.

"Think about this for a minute, Maxon... do you really think that Nova would want you to do this," he asked.

Scoffing and rolling my eyes, I couldn't help but to mentally laugh and sigh. I couldn't believe he was going to play that card with me... I'd make Nova mad a billion times over if it was to protect my family. I'd give any and everything I owned for them to stay safe and come home to me every day. I'd give up who I am, what I am... I smirked to myself sadly, I kind of am already, aren't I?

I looked around the room that was once my office. I wouldn't have given a damn about any of the crap in it if it weren't for Nova. We made this room of furniture into a room where we laughed and cried together. We lost and gained so much in this very room together; heat flooded my body as I thought about all the things Nova and I had done on that couch, the desk, the chairs, and the floor…

Now that I think about it I'll have to talk to Alex about getting new furniture for himself and Noni.

I pulled myself away from the window, making sure to touch everything in my path. I wanted to remember everything the way that Nova and I left it. I was halfway across the room when a scream rang clean through the air; alerting my wolf and I.

It was hers... I'd know that scream anywhere. Before I could even blink my body was back in front of the window peering down at the trio. Tension filled my body, making me stand straight and poised ready to protect my family at any cost.

My body ached as the tension faded and I saw the pearly whites of her teeth formed into a smile... She was exactly the way I had left her only a few seconds ago; my wolf and I immediately relaxed as she glanced up at the window. Her smile broadened and she waved haphazardly, and I returned the gesture. My wolf wanted to come out and see her himself to see if she was really okay… but I couldn't trust him, or myself to not go to her.

We weren't moving away from the window again that was for sure... he wouldn't let me.

"Maxon. Come on man, you can see yourself that she's fine. You don't have to do this," he said trying to reason with me; but it was useless. I had already decided.

"Alex, this isn't about what she wants or what she thinks is best. It's about what my family needs, what I need in order to stay sane...to stay alive, and right now they need to be taken somewhere safe. She needs to be somewhere where no one will know where she is," I explained.

“Yeah, but--”

“But what? You told me I had to take her away to keep her safe, that it was the only way to keep her safe,” I asked, cutting him off.

"You'd do this for her?"

I growled at his question.

What the hell did he mean? I thought angrily. We’d die for her if we had to...

When it came to the world versus Nova, everyone else was guilty and she was the only innocent my eyes or heart knew. I knew I would kill anyone who thought to go against her in any way. I'd die for her everyday if that was what I needed to do. Words alone couldn't explain what I would do for her.

"Yes, I'd give her the world if she asked for it. I'd do whatever I could and can to keep her safe. That's why you're the Alpha now."

"She's going to flip her fucking top when she finds out. She'll never talk to Noni or me again; fuck man what about Aj?" He asked.

"We will come back from time to time, but right now I have to get them away from here… between everyone wanting to kill my pups and Nova’s gifts not working we have a lot on our hands at the moment."

Alex choked on his spit. If he hadn't raised his fist to his mouth I wouldn't have been sure he had made a sound at all... he covered it up so quickly.

Pushing through to the front of my mind, my wolf growled furiously. We couldn't take any more secrets from any of them… they swore to tell him everything from now on. Just because I wasn't Urathi didn't mean that I couldn't help my family...

We walked to him menacingly. "What do you know?”

"I can't tell you."

We grabbed him by the shirt, extending our claws and canines at the same time. He might have been my brother, but nothing was more important than my family… my children. He was supposed to be helping me help them… not hindering me protecting my family. Nova needed her gifts; if something happened to her, she needed to be able to protect herself, protect the pups.

"Why not?"

"She Alpha ordered me… I literally can't tell you and you can't overturn it. I can tell you she’s not even sure if it’s the truth… she just wants to do more digging."

I grunted, stubbornly letting him go and putting away all my sharp parts. It was like her to do something like this... to keep me out of the loop to not worry me… I couldn't help the embarrassment that shaded my face knowing Nova thought she was sparing my feelings.

"Maxon..."

"What," I asked; the word came off stronger than I wanted it too and seeing him flinch from the force made me tame the beast inside. "Yes," I said smoothly.

"Don't be upset with her… you’re going to have questions and having her tell you I don't know to them all would be frustrating… let her work it out and tell you on her own time," he offered.

I looked away from him embarrassed and keeping my eyes trained on the floor, I nodded. My mind began to race with different possibilities on what could be wrong with my mate. What could she want to hide from me? What did she have to hide?