Wolf Endangered (Willow's Forbidden Pack #2) - Avery Song Page 0,170

his lips brushing along my flesh. I actually worried about why he seemed so down. Lowering the pants back into its drawer, I slowly moved so I could face him before I wrapped my arms around his frame and pulled him into a hug.

It took me a second to realize the height shift, but my focus was on Dimitris as I slowly rubbed his back and whispered, "Did you really think I'd be a victim of soul-eating?"

I still wasn't getting the whole soul-eating reference, but I was kind of hoping Viktor would give me a crash course on 'What the Fuck Happened Last Night: Party Edition.’

I’d always seemed to get into some sort of trouble when he was out of town when I was younger. I guess the same thing still happened with his absence. My poor guard wouldn't get a vacation unless he followed me - which didn't sound like a bad idea after what we'd gone through these last crazy months.

Dimitris just hugged me back, but I could feel his fear, the anxiety at the mere thought of me falling into those very circumstances and slipping from his grasp.

And as my Alpha, he'd feel my demise and it would haunt him forever.

"Wanna talk about it?" I suggested.

"No time," he muttered.

"Let me make time," I whispered.

He pulled back to meet my eyes, and he didn't stop the actual tears that formed in his.

Fuck.

Either this soul-eating thing triggered a bad memory, or I was missing something. I moved my rough hand to wipe away the tear that escaped his left eye.

Reaching for his hand, I held it gently before tugging him with me to the nightstand where my phone was charging. One ring was all I needed for Viktor to pick up.

"Can you tell Albert I'll be a bit late? I need to take care of something first."

"I'll get on it," Viktor replied. I loved how he never asked questions as to why. He left that for after when we were heading to our destination, and that was really important in a prime time like this.

"Thank you."

"Anytime."

I hung up and placed my phone back on the stand. With my hand still in his, I guided Dimitris to the washroom and after closing the door, I let go of his hand to lean against the sink counter, my eyes meeting his as I lifted my arms.

"Now we’ve got plenty of time," I whispered. He didn't hesitate to move into my long arms that wrapped around him as he literally broke down into heavy sobs.

Never would I have thought I'd witness Dimitris break down. I could see him losing his shit, laughing up a storm, executing pure professionalism, but the idea of seeing him shedding even a single tear made my heart ache for him.

He carried so much upon his shoulders, and I realized he had no one to share his troubles with. No Luna to express his concerns to, and until now, he didn't really have a Beta because he didn't want to show weakness.

I was sure he'd learned how to deal with his emotions on his own within the years of being the Alpha of the Forbidden Pack and studying Neo, Saint, and Jayce. But with Onyx and I joining the equation and the chaos that had brewed since the moment I signed that contract, I bet it was getting to be too much for him.

The various emotions he'd feel on the daily, the ongoing behind-the-scenes interactions and meetings he'd have on our pack's behalf, and his own personal duty as Alpha to make sure we didn't just die randomly were some of the many burdens he carried rather flawlessly.

Deep down, I felt like Dimitris expressed his anger and annoyance easily because it would make him look strict while telling the rest of the world he was a no-nonsense kind of man. No one would think twice about pushing him around in this field of business, and in the shifter realms, he'd be feared by those who underestimated his power.

The hardest part of that was he didn't have a shoulder to lean on. He couldn't just share his own insecurities and needs in hopes someone else would fill his shoes and take over for a few damn minutes.

This was what he signed up for, and he either had to suck it up or cost us, his pack, the consequences his absence would potentially deliver.

Dimitris calmed down after a few minutes. My muscled chest was drenched in his tears, but I