Chapter 79|Total Bliss.

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**Isabelle's P O V

The next day, when we got to the hospital we found Lucas sitting on the bed with Arabella sleeping soundly beside him, she was curled in his side and one of his hands was holding protectively unto hers over the sheets.

My heart swelled at the display, they deserve happiness.

"Lucas!" I exclaimed, bubbling with excitement, "How do you feel? When did you wake up?"

"As fit as a soldier. One hour ago, the Luna was her and she was the one who helped me up." He replied without missing a beat and I couldn't resist giving him a side hug and pressing my lips to his cheek.

"We're glad, you scared us." I mumbled.

Alexander's growl had me rolling my eyes and Luke's eyes glinted in mischief.

"You can't kiss someone else's mate." Alexander huffed at the man on the bed, the sound of his approaching footsteps making me roll my eyes continuously.

"She kissed me, all I did was sit back and enjoy." He grinned.

"Either ways, It's not appreciated, thank you."

I skirted around the bed and placed the single rose I was holding into the vase on a counter and moved back to my mate's arms. "Why do you have to be the grumpy old man?" I asked him playfully.

Before he was able to respond Arabella stirring in her sleep caught our attention and we watched enraptured as she rubbed her eyes with the heel of her palm, took in her surroundings through foggy eyes, stopped mid action at the sight of Lucas staring at her, she repeated the action violently and opened her eyes a second time.

Overwhelmed and caught completely by surprise, she dropped off the bed in a thud, tangled in sheets.

"Careful." Alexander cautioned wearing a bemused expression. I myself was trying hard to hide my giggle.

When she rose from her newfound position on the floor her eyes were as large as saucers and her fingers were shaky, the index pointing at him as though she was seeing a ghost.

"Arabella." He called out, pulling her out of her reverie and when she did emerge, Arabella shook her head twice and flung her arms around his body, heaving as sobs wrenched out of her throat in utter excitement.

Lucas hugged her back with all of his might. She pushed her head back inspecting his face, shoving his hair out of the way and chanting repeatedly "You're awake, you're fine."

"I am, so are you." He whispered back capturing her probing finger and placing a sensuous kiss over it. Arabella's eyes glazed in passion, "We thought we'd lost you. I thought I'd lost you, before I had you." She wrapped her arms around him with her forehead against his.

"I thought I was losing you too, where's Martin? Is he dead?" His question was directed at Alexander who shook his head in response.

"Recover first, you'll hear about everything afterwards." The Alpha's voice broke no room for argument and that had Lucas staring at Alexander in an impassive manner that hid his feelings and thoughts.

Wordlessly Lucas turned to his mate who was staring at him as if she couldn't have enough of him with stars in her eyes.

"There's something I have to tell you." She swallowed hard at the admission and we took it as our cue to give them the privacy they need for this conversation.

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**Arabella's P O V.

Lukes's face hardened at my words, I felt a jolt of apprehension as my conscience battled with my wolf.

What if he doesn't appreciate me marking him even if I did it for the sake of his survival?

What if he has no desire to mark me as his anymore?

What if Martin's action made him change his mind?

My thoughts wreaked havoc with my senses, I felt claustrophobic.

I excused myself because I was panicking, I needed a little bit or more of spunk and courage to do this. The only way I could pump the boldness I needed was alone.

I got off the bed, made my way to the toilet, performed my morning rituals with the fear of the unknown hanging  over my head in a halo.

When I got out of it Lucas was staring right at me I almost tripped.

"Is this about the fact that you marked  me?" He asked, his face was void of any and every expression. "Is it what's gotten you looking like you're on the brink of bolting out of the door right this minute?"

Apprehensively I nodded probably looking like a deer caught in the headlights or more like a freight train had ran over me.

"Come here." He beckoned with a finger.

Compelled, I sauntered to his side.

This time all of his emotions were boldly written on his face. There was love, passion, pride; and there was amazement.

"I'm glad you cut us the chase and went right for the goal. I love you Arabella and there's nothing more I would like than to live the rest of my life with you in my arms as nothing less than my mate, my lover, the woman I'll marry and the very one to birth my children. From the first day I met you I knew you were mine and mine alone. I thought I coud live on the sidelines with you as my brother's mate but I realized that I couldn't, the thought of the two of you as lovers sickened me to the core, I couldn't bear the thought of your names in the same sentence. I was literally dying on the inside."

"What of the girl you brought with you the other time? I saw you with her." The mere thought made my blood heat up. "I saw you kissing her, you saw me, you hurt me Lucas."

He smiled, "I made it seem like I was kissing her, the first time was by coincidence. The second might have been deliberate but I assure you there was nothing real about it, what we shared was platonic, she knew I had a mate. I actually used her to gauge your reaction over me having a lover and truly, I was glad to realize that despite the facade you showcase to the world you care."

"I've always cared." I assured him, my hand closing over his.

"You had a peculiar way of showing it." He was referring to the time when I was doing my best to deny the bond, the connection.

"I am truly sorry about everything I made us go through but I assure you I was clueless as to what my aim in life was that time. I was under Martin's influence, under the sick impression that I was mated to Alexander and my right was being taken away from me, Martin spent years feeding me his torrid versions of everything that happened in the past. He ruined my life." I didn't know when I burst into tears.

His arms came around me, pulling me up the bed and providing space for me to lay my head on his chest while he rubbed my back in a comforting manner.

"It's all over now, you're with us. You belong with us now. You're mine to love." He concluded the sentence with a firm kiss to my forehead, "And about your greatest fear, I would've done the same thing and everything in my power to save you."

"I'm sorry about your wound. Martin deserves all he's getting." I felt ashamed.

He hushed me with a finger over my lips. "I told you it's all over now, you're with us and you'll be safe now and always. I'll do everything in my power to protect you."

This time I raised my face to be on eye level with him hoping my words will have relevance in his head, "But you can't scare me like you did, promise me you won't repeat what you did with Martin, promise me you won't put yourself in harm's way ever again."

"I promise you that I won't. But, if it's to protect you I'll do it a thousand times over."

I felt like crying at the top of my lungs because, couldn't he get that I fucking felt like my life was over when Martin shot at him, when he fell right before my eyes.

I really felt like my life has ended.

"You can't do that." I warned.

"I can, wanna know why?" He smiled, the slight upward pull of his lips playing with the strings of my heart.

I shook my head, wanting to know the reason that validates him repeating his risky action, knowing it was definitely going to be swoon worthy.

"Because I love you, more than anything and anyone. I love you more than I love myself. Hell I love you much more than I'll ever love myself or anything else. Nothing comes close. Be mine forever Arabella, love me and my imperfections."

I felt like I was fucking on cloud nine.

So this is what I attempted sacrificing? Fucking hell.

Filled with ecstasy all I could do was wiggle my toes in excitement as his face leaned towards me, my breath hitched, all I could do was anticipate and the first feel of his chapped lips on mine had me careening to heaven.

The next dropped me to hell because how could anything taste so sinful yet toe-curling and heartwrenching.

Lucas devoured me like his last meal and I returned the favor with so much fervor.

Bliss. Total bliss.