Chapter 23

Tony’s POV

I sighed and walked into my room. The sun was completely gone from the sky and Dawn was fast asleep on my bed. She had taken it upon herself to only grab a t-shirt and was laying on top of the covers. The shirt rolled up above her hips and her lace underwear hardly covered.

A low growl rumbled through my chest and then I sighed giving up on controlling my wolf.

I removed my shirt as I sat on the edge of the bed. I reached out and cupped my hand over her smooth hip. There were bruises up and down her legs, but so that I did not excite myself anymore I ignored them realizing I could do nothing about them. They were healing and Ian would never hurt her again. I had to settle for that being enough. I could not take back what had happened to her in the past though I so wished I could.

I slowly moved my hand up her side moving the t-shirt with it. He smooth warm skin felt amazing under my large hand and I slightly smiled to myself watching as more and more skin was revealed.

How could I ever hurt this beautiful, helpless mate of mine? She was so damaged and it tore me a part to even begin to think that I would put her second to anything. She would never be second in my life which means she would never be second in my pack.

Which also meant I had to say no to Lupa.

Her story was sad, and I would be heartless if I did not admit that I was extremely sorry for her and I wished I could help her, but there was no way in hell I would choose her and her son over any child Dawn and I were to create. It would never happen and I refuse to believe that being with Lupa was in fact the right thing. Why would Luna mate me with Dawn if she just wanted me to replace Dawn with Lupa?

Then again she mated my grandfather with his mate just to replace her with herself. But in that situation it made sense. He had to be mated to his first mate in order to create a Beta heir, but then Luna and him created my mother . . . a true Alpha.

No matter how heartless it sounded, Lupa was right. Mates were not put together just for comfort. So I had to fight for the fact that there is a higher reason for me being mated to Dawn and for that exact reason the first thing I am going to tell Lupa tomorrow will be that she needs to find another candidate. She would need to wait for some other wolf like me to come along.

It’s not like she aged . . . what was the big deal?

My thumb slowly made circles on Dawn’s skin as I continued to move my hand up her side.

When I reached her breast I realized she took her bra off and I suddenly became more interested in my movements as I brushed my thumb along her breast.

“Tony,” She slightly moaned as her body arched into my hand.

Shocked I looked to her face, but it was a simple reaction of her body to its mate’s touch. She was still peacefully asleep.

I grabbed her shirt pulling to back down to cover her as I sat back against the head board. I was just plain tired and irritated. I wanted to take Dawn, but I couldn’t. I wanted to help Lupa, but I wouldn’t. I was losing my brother’s trust in the process and Travis was just annoyed with me. My father thought I was a spoiled brat and my mother had something of her own that kept her wary and hidden away most of the time. My family was falling apart and I felt like it was my own fault. I was losing control and when keeping control of my life is hard so is keep control of my wolf. I felt like I hadn’t gone on a run in forever.

I began to stand from the bed deciding I wouldn’t get any rest anyways if I didn’t run my mind blank.

“Tony?” Dawn sighed again.

I turned back to her surprised to see her rubbing her eyes.

“When did you get back here?” She said around a yawn.

“Just a minute ago,” I whispered stepping back to the bed.

“What’s wrong?” She sat up studying my tense exhausted state.

“Just stress. Go back to sleep,” I stated and then turned to leave.

“Tony, get your butt back in this bed right now,” She ordered.

I turned around smiling at her. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” She raised an eye brow at me.

I sighed and sat back down on the bed.

She brought herself on to my lap straddling me.

“Tell me,” She moved her hair behind her ears.

“I can’t think with you sitting on me like this,” I smirked.

“Too bad,” She smiled placing her hands on my chest.

“Dawn, it’s just everything and I can’t even begin to explain what’s wrong with me or my entire family,” I sighed rubbing her back. Admittedly her sitting on me was an immense comfort to me and my wolf.

“Tony, Felix and Hannah walked the house about an hour ago laughing and  smiling. Travis and Julie haven’t left their room since they went to it and trust me that’s not because either of them are upset. You are the only one how I have seen recently who looks like someone shot their puppy,” She rolled her eyes. It’s just you so don’t try and lie to me,” She glared at me.

“God, it is just me?” I breathed.

“Yep,” She popped the ‘p’.

“Lupa has me a little on edge. I just want her to leave me alone,” I replied honestly.

“She has a thing for you doesn’t she?” She said looking down at her fingers as she traced my collar bone.

“Yeah,” I breathed, “in the most disturbing and sexual sense.”

“Oh,” She looked up and met my eyes.

“But you believe me when I say I have no feelings for her, right?” I asked hopefully.

“Of course,” She smiled up at me and then sighed and shook her head her smile failing, “I don’t understand why though. I mean everybody seems to want you to be with her . . . She would probably be better for you than . . .”

I growled deeply warning her to even try and say it and she instantly stopped.

“God, Tony be reasonable,” She rolled her eyes at me.

“No, no one is better for me than you,” I tightened my grip on her hips.

She gasped and moved closer to me. Her breathing hitched and her eyes jumped to my lips.

“Tony?” She breathed a little huskily.

Then there was a beep from the bed side and we both broke out of the little trance we were in and looking to the source of the sound.

“Oh my god, my phone,” He tensed to move but I held her to me and she simply reached for the phone without hesitation.

I was beginning to realize how much she began to understand my actions. She knew what my different growls meant, she understood how and why I held her to me and she didn’t fight it anymore. I watched her as she look through her phone. Maybe she really was ready for me to tell. Maybe she would accept an explanation for the odd occurrences she had already grown accustomed to.

I was about to say something and then her face turned to panic and her breathing quickened.

“Dawn?” I tensed up wrapping my arm around her protectively.

She couldn’t speak she just handed me the phone.

I looked down taking it.

She had 20 unread texts and five missed calls, all from the same contact; Ian.

“What the . . .” I growled as I began to read them.

Dawn, babe where are you?

I want to spend the night with you.

I know your angry about the last time, but just let me apologize.

Dawn I’m serious.

Call me. NOW!

I’m coming over.

Where the fuck are you?

From there they just kept getting worse and worse until:

If you are not at the dance tomorrow I’m going after your mother . . . and you know how I get when I am angry.

“Tony,” She gasped and I could hear the tears in her voice.

My head instantly snapped up and I threw the phone down and took her face in my hands.

“Nothing is going to happen, Dawn,” I said wiping away her tears.

“But my mom  . . . I . . .”

“I am going to fucking kill him before he ever lays a hand on you or your mom . . . Don’t you worry about that,” I growled.

“You can’t do anything like that, Tony. You’ll get into trouble. I can’t let you . . .”

“Dawn, listen to me,” I forced her to look at me. “You know I’m different . . . I know you know because you have been asking me questions . . . So I am asking you to believe in me and trust me when I say I will take care of that asshole. I will brake one of his bones for every bruise he has ever given you. He will pay,” I promised my wolf so close to the surface that I knew my eyes were pale and probably terrifying but she sniffled and nodded and then threw her arms around me burring her face into my neck.

I tightened my arms around her and held on to her tightly.

“Shush, everything will be fine,” I rubbed her back reassuringly.

My wolf was ready to jump out and rip apart his entire family while he watched and then very, very slowly kill him bringing his head back to Dawn as a trophy.

He had officially enough of this dick and it was time for him to pay and I couldn’t say I disagreed with the pictures that he had flashing in my head, but I absolutely had to comfort Dawn at the moment. I would not leave her when she was so scared. She was shaking.

She pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

“You are going to be fine, Dawn. I love you and nothing will get in between us,” I promised.

She nodded and then did the last thing I would have expected her to do.

She kissed me.

She gripped her hands tight in my hair and pressed her lips to mine so rough that it was almost desperate.

I held to against me and kissed her back just as desperate. I needed her. At all times of the day and night . . . I just needed her and I was finally getting her.

I sat forward and laid down so that she was underneath me and pulled away.

“So I guess you’re okay?” I asked.

“No,” She said honestly. “I’m freaking out and I just need you, Tony. I need you to hold me and love me and tell me everything is going to be okay because you’re the first person in my life to actually do that. I don’t know why but when you say it and hold me the way you do I can believe every word you say. I just need you to be you, Tony, and make me feel loved like no one has before,” She said plainly her eyes tearing up again.

I nodded and smiled, “I can do that,” He truly broke my heart that nobody had ever loved her before. She was so loving and smart and beautiful and it was hard for me to understand how everyone didn’t love her.

“Good,” She breathed and pulled me back down to her as I pressed my lips to hers.

She opened for me and our tongues tangled as my hands tangled in her hair.

She moved her hands down my back slightly scratch.

I moved my one arm underneath and picked her up moving further onto the bed.

When her hands reached the rim of my jeans she followed it to the front where she began to work them undone.

“Wow,” I pulled away from the kiss grabbing her hands. “I said I would hold you and love you, Dawn . . .”

“Tony . . .” She complained.

“I don’t need sex to love you,” I smirked at how annoyed she looked. I had realized that this was also an affect the bond had on her. She wanted me almost as bad as I wanted her.

“But don’t you want to?” She asked hopefully.

“Of course,” I laughed rolling my eyes at her even asking such a silly question. “I’ve wanted to since the moment I laid eyes on you and frankly I didn’t care if it was in public,” she closed eyes and moaned and I smirked. “But I won't do that,” I breathed.

Her eyes popped open, “Why not?”

“You want to have sex in public? You're dirtier than I thought,” I smirked teasingly.

“Not that, Tony!” She laughed covering her blushing face.

I smiled and pulled her hands away from her face.

“Why won't you just have sex with me? You want me to believe that I am not ugly and useless, but you reject me every chance you get. What is that supposed to mean to me? I want you . . . you want me . . . What's the problem?”

“It’s Ian,” I closed my eyes trying to retain my anger.

“You want me to break up him? You think I don't want to? Tony, he scares me . . . I don't want to face him . . .”

“No, Dawn. I am not worried about you cheating on him,” I scoffed. “He doesn't deserve you and I don't care how we being together will affect him. But I do want him taken care of and when I say that I mean I want him to pay. I want to know you are safe from his crazy ass. I won't sleep well until I am one hundred percent sure nothing will possible ever hurt you. And until I am sure I will not have sex with you. I don't deserve you until then,” I breathed meeting her eyes.

“How is that fare on me?” She complained.

I laughed, “You just want me so bad, don't you?”

“Yes,” she complained. “Who wouldn't?”

“I don’t know,” I smirked.

“Tony, please,” Her nails dug into my back.

I growled threateningly. “Stop, Dawn. I mean it,” I snapped,

“Ugh!” She let go of me and crossed her arms over her chest, “Fine. I’m done.”

“Good. You want to get some sleep Don’t you? Your dance is tomorrow.”

“Then you should tire me out,” She smirked.

“I’d keep you up all night,” I sighed and got off of her and the bed.

She sat up straight, “No,” She snapped and I stopped right in my tracks. “Don’t you even think about it, Tony. Get back in this bed.”

“Dawn . . .”

“I don’t care about sex or whatever . . . I am tired of falling asleep without you now come here,” She demanded.

I smiled and laid down on the bed.

She sighed happily and then curled into my side,

“Thank you,” She breathed against my chest.

“No problem. I love lying next to you, Dawn,” I kissed the top of her head breathing in her scent.

The comfort that washed over me was entirely calming. I knew I would be even less tense if I could just claim her I would actually relax for once and that would be ideal, but I knew I could not take her until I had dealt with the danger that was Ian. I would not put my need for her before her safety no matter how much we both wanted me to.

We had come a long in our relationship and that made me happy but I knew there was a lot more to go, Honestly, I couldn’t wait to see what would come next. I was excited, nervous and scare, but all that mattered was that I would mark Dawn and therefore, I always had something to look forward to.