24.

I could feel the air moving around the room, the blades of the ceiling fan cutting through and pushing it quickly, creating tiny gusts that cascaded down and around me as the bolts gave their protest through the smallest squeaks. I shivered as a gust hit me, the blanket thrown across my bare frame lazily offered little protection, my body temperature automatically rising to counteract my freezing limbs. I pouted as I realized my portable body heater had moved and began to scoot my way across the large bed slowly.

My body found his in minutes as I buried my face into his back and intertwined my legs in his, my arm snaking around his chest as my frozen fingers found the furnace that was his abs. He growled in annoyance, his muscles contracting beneath my fingers at the sudden cold, but they quickly turned to purrs of contentment as I began lazily tracing patterns across his chest, following the natural grooves and ridges of his perfectly sculpted body. He let me continue my tracing for a few more minutes before he spun around, pulling me against his chest as he pulled the blankets further around us and planted a kiss into my hair as I nestled into him.

"You're freezing sweetheart" he protested, his voice gruff and coated with sleep.

I rolled my still closed eyes and pouted as he began to rub his hands across my back, heating the skin. "That's because my portable heater left me in the middle of the night."

He chuckled and shook beneath me. "I'm your portable heater?"

I nodded against his chest, smiling at our playful banter. Theses are the little things I had missed the most while away from him.

"Well then I'm sorry for leaving you darling." He whispered, igniting a delicious fire in my belly.

"I might know a few ways you can make it up to me" I retorted, and I could feel his interest rising.

"And how's that?" He asked roughly and I smirked.

COLTON POV

My idea of making up and India's were completely different. While my mind raced with scenarios of her skin slick against mine, hers seemed to take place out of the comfort of our bedroom.

"BACON!" She all but shouted as I slid the plate towards her across the bar. Her eyes dilated with want and I shook my head as she all but devoured the poor plate. I was envious of bacon this morning, all because my mate knew exactly how to get what she wanted when she wanted it. Not that she ever wanted anything material. It was always food or attention, both of which I was happy to provide.

"Thank you." She smiled towards me after she downed her glass of milk and I was hit by just how beautiful she was all over again.

My old T shirt she'd thrown on fell off of her shoulder in the most captivating way, her mark visible and set into her collarbone like a tattoo. It was intricate, a series of lines and curves that made the most elaborate and beautiful paw print anyone had ever seen, with the letters CL hidden inside of them. My initials. My mark. My mate.

I wasn't sure how I'd been so blessed with her, what I had done to deserve such a perfect mate, but I guess that's how everyone felt about the person they were destined for. The goddess chose them exactly because they were perfect for you. I didn't think I would ever get over just how magnificent she was.

The past few months had been tough, we both had to heal, not only our bodies, but our minds as well. There were nights she would thrash in my arms, screaming out for me as if she were losing me all over again. Those nights were worse than when it was me she was waking up and comforting. I hated feeling her fear, the dread and anguish that flooded through our link choked me.

We had survived though, and thrived.

Our alliance with Ty's pack was as strong as ever, making us even more powerful than we had been before. The serum that I had injected myself with worked, without any sign of complications, curing the threat of mercury poisoning altogether. Every wolf within 500 miles of us had it, and soon every wolf in the world would have access to it. The threat of vampire attacks no longer lingered over our heads, the coven all but vanishing after we had taken out Amethyst and her highest ranking officials, the rest of the coven fled.

We were in a good place, a place we deserved to be in, after everything that had happened, it was like a breath of fresh air to just be Alpha again, and to do so while enjoying my mate and the time we had together.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" India breathed as she hugged my chest, pulling me out of my trance as my arms automatically found their way to her waist.

"You." I breathed honestly, watching as a smile spread across her lips, dazzling me.

"Less thinking, more kissing." She said and I was more than happy to give in to her request, dipping down and capturing her lips against mine. Kissing her felt like coming home, like the weight of the world was lifted off of my shoulders and I didn't have to care for awhile. My wolf purred at the contact.

She pulled away and tucked her head into my chest, hugging me tighter as I planted a kiss into her blonde locks.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"For what?"

"Everything. Saving me, fighting for me, fighting for us. Everything that you do for me, you don't have to, but you do. I'm a very lucky woman to have a mate as great as you." She said, pride filling my wolf at the compliment.

"You know why I do them, and you do the same for me." I told her honestly and she nodded, looking up at me finally.

"I love you Colt."

"I love you too beautiful."