Barron's Prey

Ally

Chapter 9

The arms that were wrapped around Ally tightened as she snuggled back into Sebastian's hold.  "You're going to have to let me go sometime," she joked, doing her best to ease the tension she knew was still keeping his body rigid.

His chin rubbed against her hair, a gesture that was more to comfort him than it was to comfort her.  "I don't want to talk about it."

She curled her arms around his, holding him as she held her.  "Too bad," she whispered.  His chuckle eased the tightness in her chest and slowly, his body began to relax. "The kids are asleep, but in about twenty minutes, Barron is going to come knocking, pissed that I've planned his life for him again."

Seb's arms loosened enough for him to turn her.  His brown eyes stared into hers, seeing all of her secrets, ones that she didn't even attempt to keep hidden from him.  One of his hands rose until it cupped the side of her face. Rubbing his thumb across her cheek, he pressed his forehead against hers.  "I can't lose you, Alex."

"I can't promise that you won't." When his eyes flashed with pain, she wanted to take her words back.  "But I can promise that I'll do everything in my power to stay here with you.  You understand that, don't you Seb?  You and the kids are the most important things in my life. I'd do anything to keep you safe."

His sigh sent a breath of hot air against her lips, but instead of leaning an inch forward as she wanted him to do, he let her see the worry she knew he tried so hard to hide.  "Don't you understand how these relationships are supposed to work yet?  It's my job to keep you and the kids safe."  When she didn't say a word, his eyes narrowed.  "I mean it, Alexandria Holt.  You may be the strongest person I've ever met, but I won't let you die."

"I'd break it first."

He tensed beneath her, and before she could react, he carefully pushed her to her side of the bed before jumping to his feet.  The anger he felt hit her hard as his jaw tensed.  "You can't."

"I can," she denied with a small nod.  When his face stayed blank, she went to her knees and crawled towards him.  She reached out, grabbing his fisted hand and sighed with relief when he didn't pull away.  "I found it in one of the books Marcus left behind.  If someone has enough power, they can break the bond.  It hasn't been done in centuries, but it can happen, Seb."

He dropped back onto the bed beside her, removing his hand from hers as he did.  "I'm not saying that you can't do it, Alex, because if anyone has enough power it's you.  I'm saying that I don't want you to try."

A sharp intake of air flew through their room, but he still didn't turn to look at her.  "You don't mean that."

Finally, he turned toward her.  "As selfish as it sounds, I do mean it."

Grabbing his hand, she jumped to her feet and dragged him with her.  "Come with me."  He followed along, and even though she knew he could easily get out of her hold on his hand, he let her pull him to the other side of their room.  "Look at them," she whispered.

Sebastian pulled her closer to him and stared down at their children. All three of them were curled around one another, being sure that they touched their siblings in their makeshift crib.  "Do you think we need to get Ned to build some bars around a full sized bed yet?" he asked with slight humor in his voice.  "I don't know how much longer the twin one will hold them."

She knew he was trying to make their conversation a little less serious, but at that moment, she didn't want to oblige him.  "They're the reason why I'll do it if there's no other way, Sebastian.  If I know I'm going to die, I won't take you with me, because no matter how selfish I am, I can't leave them like my parents left me."