Beyond(35)

“Hate to steal your thunder,” Dane replies in a dry tone. “I’m glad I did found you. What the fuck were you all thinking bringing Olivia? If anything happened to her, you’re all dead.”

“She’s fine as you can see. All in one piece,” Jase replies, crouching to start a fire.

“What aren’t you telling me then?” Dane asks, gripping onto the back of my neck with this palm.

I sigh. “Why don’t you tell us what took you so long?”

“We were on our way home when I saw someone I used to know… before everything happened--Jordan, and two others. They needed some help. One of them was injured. Everything took longer than expected, I’m sorry. We found some weapons and tinned food though. Also some medicine.”

“Good,” I reply. We especially needed the medicine. “I’d like to see the city. The old buildings and shops that you raid. I’ve only seen trees and jungle since I left the castle.”

“No, we’re going home Olivia. I don’t need you in danger any longer than you need to be.”

I cross my arms over my chest, staring up at his face. I could now see it clearly thanks to the fire Jase lit. “You need to stop with the alpha bullshit. I’m more than able to defend myself.”

“Maybe so,” he says. “But we just came from the old city. Do you want us to trek back there just so you can have a look?”

“No,” I reply, shoulder slumping. “I guess not.”

He nips at my ear. “I just want to be back in the castle with you. In our bed. Safe and fucking sound. How do you still smell so good?”

“Sam?” I hear a man call out.

Lars.

Sam peeps out of the cave at his name being called. Lars appears out of nowhere and the two of them embrace, unaware of all the eyes on them. Maybe they didn’t care.

“Gina’s here,” I hear Sam tell Lars. They both disappear into the cave.

“What the fuck was that,” Dane mutters, sounding shocked. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

I grin. “That’s exactly what I said.”

Dane smiles, and suddenly everything is right in the world. “You look even more beautiful than I remember.”

“I was so scared Dane,” I admit. “I thought I’d lost you for a while there.”

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily,” he says in a gentle tone. “Olivia there is something I need to tell you about--”

“Dane, there you are,” comes an unfamiliar woman’s voice. She’s walking in front of a group of people, men from the castle and two people I’ve never seen before.

Dane lifts his head as the pretty redhead saunters up to him. “This is my wife, Olivia.”

The woman looks at me, then slowly takes me in from head to toe. “Hello Olivia. I’m Jordan.”

I think she must realize that I haven’t heard anything about her from the lack of recognition on my face, so she clears her throat and continues, “I’m Dane’s… ex-girlfriend.”

I’m suddenly wishing I stayed my ass at home.





“She’s not my ex-girlfriend,” Dane says, his tone giving away nothing. “Remember I told you I saved a woman once, before I was held captive by Dravid with Gina?”

I nod. “Yeah.”

“Yeah, that was Jordan. We fucked, yes. I wouldn’t call that dating. Running around and trying to survive with fuckin’ zombies trying to eat you, how the fuck is that dating?”

“You still found time to have sex with her,” I reply dryly.

He crosses his arms over his chest. We were standing away from the cave, trying to have a private conversation I hoped the others couldn’t hear. Knowing my luck, they could hear every damn word. After meeting Jordan, I couldn’t wait to get Dane alone to ask him about her. I’d pulled him away from the cave with the excuse of needing to use the bathroom.

“Sex was one of the only good things left we had in the world,” he says. “They took good food and everything else away. I’m a man Olivia. Yes, I fucked her. There was no love or anything like that involved, it was just sex. I hadn’t even met you yet! You can’t hold my past against me.”

He still hadn’t even told me that he loved me so I sure as hell hoped not. “I was so fucking scared that I lost you, I left our people who need me to find you, and you weren’t even in danger. You were saving some ex fuck of yours. How am I supposed to not be a little put out over this?”

He steps to me and cups my face. When he speaks, I can tell he’s amused by the sound of his tone. “I can’t not help women just because I’ve been with them. What kind of man would that make me? Come on Olivia. You’re my wife. That means something to me. Yours is the only sweet pussy I’m going to be inside of, okay?”