Alpha Leo And The Heart Of Fire (The Rossi Legacies Book 1)
Alpha Leo and the Heart of Fire Chapter 59

AZURA.

I stayed in the bath for a while, and when I heard the door open, I knew Leo had returned. I got out of the bath with my jelly legs and entered the shower.

I washed as quickly as I could. The soak in the bath had helped, and I felt lighter.

Through the steamed glass, I saw him enter the bathroom, placing something over the heater before he left.

I stepped out after a few minutes, grabbing a towel from the shelf and towelling my hair with it. I reached over, wiping the mist from the glass, and inspected my reflection. My skin was glowing, my lips looked even plumper from all that kissing, and I had several marks littering my neck. I bit my lip as memories flashed through my mind. I couldn't stop smiling like a lovesick airhead.

I felt good. He wanted me. He'd countless times told Nikki to get the hell away from him. Well bitch, he's mine now. Try messing with him again and I will claw your eyes out and toss them into a blender.

I smirked at my own thoughts.

Down girl.

I looked around, realising he had left me some underwear, and a pair of satin pyjama shorts and Cami on the heating rail.

Had to admit he was considerate.

After drying my body, I got dressed in the black set and entered the bedroom, trying my best not to walk as if I had tree trunks for legs.

The bedding was changed, and the smell of s*x was almost gone. He had placed the food bags on the bedside cabinet as he did something on his phone, a frown creasing his brows.

He looked up when I entered and put his phone away. His eyes raked over me. When I didn't forget how I had sat on his face letting him eat my pussy just hours ago, I still felt very conscious of his gaze.

"Come here." He said, making my eyebrow shoot up.

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

He smirked slightly as he stood up and reached over, taking hold of my wrist and pulling me closer.

"Cause I want to kiss you."

I froze when his lips met mine, sending delicious tingles through me, my heart racing.

Goddess, when did he get so damn flirty?

I kissed him back, my core clenching once more. The ball piercing of his tongue flicked my tongue, and I was unable to stop the moan that escaped me. His arms were wrapped around my waist tightly, and he pulled me against him completely, his hand resting on my a*s, the other cupping the side of my face and the back of my neck.

We kissed for a few sizzling moments, our bodies reacting to each other, and we were getting turned on again. He forced himself away, leaving me breathless. I knew if he didn't pull away, I had a feeling we would be going for another couple rounds. My stomach rumbled and I pouted when he chuckled lightly.

"Let's feed that monster." He said mockingly.

"It's not a monster. I'm the monster." I retorted, plopping onto the bed, and grabbing the food bags.

"Yeah, I believe that."

I gave him a narrow-eyed look as I opened one of the bags.

"Never knew you could be so considerate." I remarked, seeing how the bag had everything from tissues and disposable cutlery.

"That was Winona's doing." He said, picking up the bottles of drinks and biting the metal caps off.

Damn, that looked so hot.

"Is there anything I do that doesn't look hot to you?" He remarked arrogantly, making me curse and put my walls up.

I really needed to work on those.

"Ass. So was Corrado, ok?" I asked, not wanting to fuel his ego, even more, when I had practically begged and complimented him when we made love.

Just great, Azura. Way to boost a guy's ego.

He was still smirking arrogantly, and I was about to stab him with the fork when he spoke.

"He was fine, since you said you were staying..." He said, his smirk vanishing.

"What's wrong? Regretting this?" I asked, opening the pasta pot, and taking a big forkful of the cheesy chicken pasta.

Goddess this tasted so damn good!

"No... I kinda always wanted him to have a mother figure, but it never really happened. He took such a fucking strong liking to you that it didn't make shit easier."

I looked down at the pot taking another forkful as I leaned back against the headboard, crossing my legs as Leo unwrapped a packet of homemade chunky fries, eating a few.

Yup, he really did look sexy no matter what he did.

"You know, I was ready to be just his Mama. I know you kept pushing me away, but I didn't want him to feel like he wasn't wanted." I whispered, my grip tight on the pot. "I was ready to stay for him, and this one." I placed my hand lightly on my stomach.

His gaze dipped to my stomach, his eyes softened, and I remembered the moment he had paused when we made love... He had placed one kiss on my stomach, which was different...

"I know... and for the record, yeah, the first time I rejected you was over your surname, but then there was other shit. That is what I wanted to talk to you about actually." He said, surprising me.

Was he about to tell me the reason? If it wasn't because I was a Westwood, then what?

He ate some of the pasta, frowning deeply.

"You know, if you keep frowning like that, you're going to get even more wrinkles on that forehead. Plus you ain't that young anymore, you don't want to look even older do you?" He glanced up, but didn't say anything, and suddenly I wondered what it was that he wanted to say. I placed my pot down, frowning. "Leo, what is it?"

"I haven't mentioned this shit to no one, and I'm just thinking I should have fucking waited for tomorrow, rather than drop it on you tonight... Call me f*****g selfish, but I rather tell you before we go to Alejandro's pack tomorrow."

Whatever he wanted to tell me, he was struggling with it. He was acting as cold as ever, but the way his hand was clenched in a fist, his knuckles were white.

I was worried, and I realised his cold exterior was a defence mechanism.

"What is it..." I asked, I was fighting to keep myself calm, not wanting to think of the worst-case scenarios.

"Years back, Endora did a lot of experiments on me, using magic and shit. I was immune to a lot of her magic, especially when it came to compelling me to obey her. It in turn only piqued her curiosity. When she tried to get me to obey, it just felt like disobeying an Alpha command, you struggle but it's possible. She said I was stronger than Dad was at my age, and so the tests began."

His voice sounded thicker, and he wasn't looking at me as he spoke. I stayed silent, waiting for him to continue, knowing it would only make it harder for him, if I questioned him.

"Even after her death, the effects remained, causing permanent damage. And by the time I figured it out, the damage had spread. I know you will say I should have gone to Kiara, but I wasn't going to ask for their help and so I started working on my own shit trying to replace a cure... Yeah, I know, I was f*****g stubborn, but I thought I'd be able to do it, but I pretty much failed. The injection I gave you when Emmet hurt you was something I created by trying to imitate the build-up of your mother's cells. But it still wasn't enough. My organs are shutting down and some already have. It's why I didn't want you to get too close to me because I don't f*****g have long left."

My heart was ringing in my ear, my breathing becoming laboured as his words hit me hard.

He was dying.

The hints had been there... His past comments and my own filled my mind, making my heart clench in pain.

'It doesn't matter.... No matter what I'll make sure you and our pup are taken care of... Maybe it's easier to tell my baby that you're dead...

I ran my hand through my hair as everything seemed to make sense... His hot and cold attitude... He had been struggling internally... and...

"I know I was fucking selfish, but I didn't really give a shit, I just... I thought I'd be able to replace a cure. But I never realised I'd actually fail until a few months ago, and although Jackie told me to go see Kiara, I knew it was too late-"

"You can't say that, not until she tries. There's not only Kiara, but Delsanra and Raihana! Dante too! Goddess you are not going to die." I said, my eyes flashing.

Getting off the bed, I walked over to him, dropping to my knees in front of him. I looked up at him, my heart still beating violently as I cupped his face. "You can't say it's too late until we have tried everything. Goddess, I want to slap you across the head for being so damn stubborn! Did you ever think to ask anyone for advice or help? It doesn't make you any less of a person! Tomorrow we will ask Kia to help, I'm sure she can help! There's nothing that she..."

I trailed off, realising there were things she couldn't heal...

Some of his organs had already shut down...

My heart was pounding as I froze, staring up into those icy blue eyes.

Leo really was dying...

I opened my mouth to speak, but I had a lump in my throat, and I was unable to string two words together. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, and my heart broke when he pressed his forehead against mine, once again, unable to look into my eyes.

"I will try to explore all avenues to live for the three of you. But if anything were to happen to me, and I know I'm swinging this shit at you so suddenly, but will you be willing to let me put you down as Corrado's legal guardian?"

His words shattered me in ways more than his rejection ever had, and I almost crumbled before him, but I needed to be strong for him...

'First of all, you don't need to ask me that. I have taken him as my own, so yes, in my eyes, I'm already his guardian. Secondly, I swear I will replace a way to come to the afterlife and drag you back if you die on me! You are not going to die! You are not going to leave our babies... and what about me?' I choked out, refusing to give in to the fear and despair that were trying to eat me up.

I was Azura Westwood, and I refused to give up without a damn fight.

Our eyes met, and I could see the turmoil in his.

"I'm fucking sorry." He said, my eyes flashed, refusing to believe this.

No, a sorry meant giving up. No, just no.

For a split second, he looked surprised.

"No. No more apologies. I want you. I just got you. I want this baby to meet its father. You can't leave us, Leo!" The pain I had felt when he had fought Judah made sense now. How much had he suffered all alone. "Who else knows?"

"Only Jackie, since she was the one who first ran some tests on me and realised what was going on. But I made sure she told no one."

"Well, it's time we found an answer together." I said determinedly.

He gave a small nod, but I could tell he held no hope. I locked my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

I promise, we will replace an answer and if he had given up hope... then it was time to do this together.

He simply held me tight; his heart was beating slightly faster than normal, and I just wish I could do more.

But this was not over, we would replace a damn answer.

He lifted me up, and I straddled his lap, hugging him tightly. I don't know how long we remained there, but when I felt him throb against my core, I moved back, looking down at him suspiciously.

"You're dying and you're getting turned on?"

He smirked, the tension around us lifting.

"I was dying when I was fucking you earlier too." He replied cockily. "Doesn't seem to be affecting my ability to f**k."

His eyes ran over me, darkening with desire, and although my own core clenched, I rolled my eyes getting off his lap. Shouldn't he be taking it easy?

"I think you're probably exaggerating; you are going to be totally fine. Trust me."

Inside I was scared of the worst-case scenario, but I wasn't going to give up. I was able to be saved from the womb of a dead woman, which was a miracle, so why couldn't Leo be saved? I wouldn't give up until we had exhausted all our options, and even then, I would keep looking.

We began eating again, and although I had lost my appetite, I refused to let that revelation ruin these moments.

Every moment in life was precious, wasn't it?

I had just found Leo... Finally, we became a couple or something of the sort, and now I might lose him?

Him refusing the Alpha title made sense now too...

Once we had eaten, I cleared up the bags and Leo placed them outside before we got ready for bed. My heart was racing as I realised, he was going to stay by my side, and goddess, when he peeled that shirt off, I was ready to spread my legs again if he wanted. Damn, he was so bloody sexy...

He turned, smirking arrogantly, as if he knew what was going through my mind, and came over to the bed.

He got in, pulling me close and once again that feeling of safety and home cocooned me and I snuggled close, placing a kiss on his chest.

"Guess what I just realised?" I mused, now smirking as I looked up at him deviously.

"What?" He asked suspiciously.

Oh, he had good reason to be suspicious.

I inhaled his scent, wanting to lick every inch of him.

"Well... now that you're sleeping next to me... It means I can get revenge with ease every time you offend me. I won't even need a voodoo doll to torture." I said, smiling innocently.

He cocked a brow.

"I have no fucking doubt that you'd do that shit and you do know those damn dolls don't work?"

"Hey, I at least picture they are you and it's satisfying to torture. You know, I made one of you when you hit my head with that ball years ago."

He smirked.

Damn, you really are a psycho."

"Regretting it?" I asked, smirking back.

"Not one fucking bit..." He replied before claiming my lips in one hell of a burning kiss...