Hope

"You, my sweet girl, are the most powerful wolf in the world." Connor says quietly, running his nose along my cheek and pecking my jaw to my mouth.

I sit there wide eyed, gaping at him and he chuckles.

Ass.

"How is this funny to you?" I ask him incredulously.

"It's only funny because I had the same exact reaction." He says running his hand up and down my back. I lean forward to rest my head on his shoulder and he wraps his arms around me. I never feel safer than in Connor's arms.

"You have more powers than you know, sweetheart. And when we do the alpha ceremony, you will have even more. Every wolf in the world will submit to you." I think on his words for a minute and shake my head a little.

"I don't know what to think about all of this." I say honestly. Connor smirks before rubbing his nose against mine and kissing me gently.

"Well I think you're a fucking badass." He says cheekily, placing kisses on my neck. I pull away from him and smile.

"You're awfully affectionate." I say giggling and he smiles at me.

"It's a turn on, thinking about you making wolves submit to you. I can't wait to see how sexy you are after you get control of your powers."

"What about the other thing? When I made those wolves fly?" I ask and he nods.

"You have the power to shield. To protect. Which makes sense since you heal." He says and my brow furrows in confusion.

"How do I control it?" I ask trying to ignore his hands wandering up my thighs to my ass. He shrugs and grips my earlobe between his teeth before sucking gently.

"I don't know, baby. But we'll figure it out. It will take time and practice, but she said danger is coming and we need to be prepared." His playful mood sobers a little and he looks at me with worried eyes. I take a deep breath and snuggle myself into his chest.

"I love you." I say quietly.

"I love you too." He says and he chuckles. I bounce my head up to look at him, narrowing my eyes at him.

"She also said we are the most compatible set of mates in the history of forever." He says smugly and I shake my head.

"Seriously?" I ask and he nods excitedly.

"We weren't chosen at birth, stóirín. I was chosen for you after I had proven myself worthy. She said we are perfectly suited in every way." I smile brightly at him as his cheeks flush with pink.

"How did you prove yourself?" I ask and he shrugs before the cockiness returns.

"By being me." He says simply and I can't help but laugh.

"Oh I see how it is. I tell you that and you don't believe me but when the Moon Goddess says it, it's law." I giggle as his eyes rake over my face, devouring every smile and bit of happiness he can.

"You look like her, you know." He says nonchalantly and I gape at him.

"Really?" I ask and he smiles.

"Yeah, but you're prettier. She also said that we're her favorite mates but we're not supposed to say anything about it." He chuckles and his eyes glimmer with joy. I lean forward to kiss him and his arms tighten around me, grinding me against his growing erection. I moan into his mouth, eliciting a delicious growl from deep in his throat. I pull away to breathe temporarily and look deep in his eyes, finding nothing but love, awe and devotion. My heart patters wildly in my chest.

"I still don't know why she picked me." I say sighing heavily. Connor cups my cheeks with his large hands forcing me to meet his gaze.

"Because you are strong and kind. Because you are important and loved. Because you give this world what it needs. Hope. Think about it, sweetheart. We have the ability to change the way healers are treated. For centuries they were abused, held hostage, tortured for their gifts. And now the Moon Goddess has decided to make you more powerful than anyone. We can flip the narrative and show that healers are no longer there to be taken advantage of. You will be in charge. You will be able to use your gifts in whatever way you see fit. You, Hope, are the new future. No longer will you need to hide in fear. No longer will your protector be your only chance of survival. I will always be here for you and I would die for you, but you'll be even more powerful than me. You can stand in front of Alphas and warriors alike and scream 'I am healer, hear me roar!'. By the time we're done, no one will ever mistreat another healer again." He says passionately, his eyes alight with fire and I smile.

"I may be more powerful than you in some ways," I say kissing him gently. "But I will never ask you to submit to me. You are my mate, my equal and my partner." I say honestly and he smiles at me. I take a deep breath before asking my next question.

"Did she say anything else important?" I ask leaning forward to rest my head on his chest again. He shrugs and starts playing with the long tendrils of my hair, twirling them around his finger.

"Not really. Just that our pups will be incredibly powerful and will be instrumental in saving the fate of our entire species." He says as if he just told me the weather report and I sit up quickly smacking his chest playfully as I stare at him in disbelief.

"I would say that's important, Connor! Really freaking important!" I cry making him laugh.

"One thing at a time, sweetheart. We can't worry about that right now. We need to get through the mating and alpha ceremonies then work on your training." He says while slipping his fingers under the hem of my shirt.

"But first," he says pulling the fabric up over my head. "I'm going to show you just how compatible we are." He says grinning slyly as I slip my bra off, leaving my breasts bare for his enjoyment. His eyes darkened with lust as he leaned down to catch a nipple in his mouth, twirling it with his tongue. I moaned as I felt the sensation down to my pussy like a bolt of lightening.

"I haven't showered yet.' He whispers in my ear. "I didn't want to leave you alone for even a moment. But now you're awake so I can take you with me." He says before standing from the bed and carrying me into the bathroom. He sets me gently on the floor before starting the shower and the tub at the same time.

He hops in the shower rinsing off quickly before exiting and stripping my shorts off of me, lowering to his knees in front of me. He leans forward to stand, and swipes his tongue through my slit and twirls my clit just once causing my hips to buck. He encircles his arms around my waist and picks me up, setting me in the bathtub with him to straddle him again. He kisses my lips thoroughly while gathering my hair in his hands. He lifts it off my neck and tilts me to give himself access to my mark, which he kisses and sucks until I'm a trembling mess in his arms.

"Please, Connor." I practically beg and he smiles at me with mirth in his eyes.

"Are you wet for me, baby?" He asks as his hand slips down my waist and under the water gliding through my folds easily.

"Mmmmm I'm always wet for you Connor." I say cheekily making him smile. I left up my hips and attempt to line him up to enter me, but he grips my hips to stop my motion. I eye him curiously and he kisses me again.

"I don't want to do it hard and fast in the tub. Not this time. I want to lay you down in our bed and make love to you." He murmurs in my ear and his words make me melt for him. He grabs the washcloth and bathes me tenderly. The smell of sweat, blood and fear from the battle is all but washed away when he lifts me and wraps me in a towel, drying me before laying me on our bed.

He climbs on top of me, looking me in the eyes with warmth and I know there is no one in this world more perfect for me than this man. He is more than I ever could have hoped for in a mate. He is perfection.

He kisses me long and slow. There's no urgency in the way his tongue plays with mine. We are simply enjoying each other, appreciating the sensations and the closeness. Our bond flares inside me, lighting up bright like a beacon of hope, calming my worries for what is to come.

With Connor by my side, I fear nothing.