** Josie''s POV **


    "Holy crap!" Freya gasps and I turn back to the house to see what she has done, she''s probably tripped over the rug or something, but what I see has my heart almost stopping.


    "Deacon," I gasp, as my eyesnd on his prone body on the living room floor. He groans and clutches his stomach as he turns into his side. My legs suddenly remember how to move and I run in, dropping to my knees beside him. I grab his wrist and press the pressure point there. Seconds pass and then he opens his eyes, seeming a little dazed as he pushes himself into a sitting position. The stunning blue of his eyes shes as they meet mine and I can''t hold back my emotions for a moment longer. Iunch myself at him.


    "You''re here, you''re really here," I cry as he wraps his arms around me.


    "I''m here little troublemaker, I''ve got you," he soothes.


    "I thought I was stuck here alone, I was so scared," I breathe.


    "We''ve been trying to get to you for weeks. Are you okay? We were so worried when we knew they''d taken you," he releases me to look me over, checking I''m still in one piece as his hands and eyes roam over me.


    "Where are the others?" I ask, looking around as if I''d somehow missed them in the room.


    "They''re not here, but they''re waiting on the other side to let us back through," he reassures. "It''s not going to be easy though, it''s taken me hours to get here," he grimaces.


    "Is everything okay in there?" Frank asks as he walks into the room, he stops dead when he


    sees Deacon.


    "It''s about damn time boy," he blows out a breath and I almost chuckle at Deacon being called a boy.


    "What''s going on?" my mum calls from the kitchen.


    "Everything is fine,” Frank says, rushing back to her.


    "I''m guessing this one is the hot headmaster," Freya says, reminding me she''s still here. Deacon''s brows raise and he shifts his gaze to Freya as my cheeks heat.


    "This is my friend Freya. Do notpel her! I trust her with my life," I tell him sternly and he nods.


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    "I trust your judgement," he smiles and moves to stand. I try to move off hisp but he holds me tighter, standing whilst still holding me before gently lowering me to my feet and holding out a hand to Freya.


    "I''m Deacon Collins, It''s a pleasure to meet you, Freya," he introduces himself as she takes his hand and shakes it.


    "It''s nice to meet you and see that you are actually real but we better get you out of here before Penny sees you," Freya says, nervously ncing in the direction of the kitchen.


    "Frank is dealing with it as we speak, don''t worry," Deacon smiles and I focus my hearing on the kitchen.


    "Well, there''s plenty of food for him. It''s so sweet of him to surprise her on her birthday like this. That girl has been so sad since I met her. I hope she will be happier now he''s here," I hear


    my mum say.


    "It''s your birthday?" Deacon asks and I nod.


    "No need to guess what she wished for when she blew out her candles this morning," Freya snorts, "I''ll go help in the kitchen and give you two some space,''


    "Happy Birthday, Josie. I''m sorry I crashed your birthday celebrations but I''m d I didn''t miss it," he smiles.


    "How are the guys? Is Mason healed? How is your head now?..." I start to bombard him with all the things I''d been questioning for thest two weeks.


    "Let''s go outside, we have a lot to catch up on," he says, interrupting my rambling. He takes my hand and leads me outside and nerves coil in my gut. I feel like he''s going to give me some bad news.


    "Your bonds are as well as they can be, Mason is healed physically, and my head is fine. I heard I have you to thank for that," he smiles down at me.


    "What are you not telling me?" I frown.


    "Nothing that you need to worry about for now. It''s just been a hard month for them all without you but as soon as we get you back to them they''re going to be fine," he reassures.


    "It''s been hard for me too, I thought I''d never see any of you again," I begin to well up.


    "Look at me," he says, his fingers lifting my chin so my gaze meets his, "There is nothing that would stop any of us from finding you, no matter where you are, we would find you. Don''t ever think we wouldn''t havee for you," he lowers his mouth to mine and ims my lips in a spine-tingling kiss.


    "Please don''tpel me to forget this or make me think it''s a dream," I whisper when he finally releases my lips.


    "I won''t, I''m done running from this, from you. I need you to know that I did it with the best intentions but it''s too hard to deny my bond with you any longer, please forgive me," he says, lowering to his knees in front of me.


    "After everything that''s happened in thest few weeks, I don''t want to waste time being upset with you over this. I believe you thought you were doing the right thing," I tell him honestly.


    "Thank you," he breathes, wrapping his arms around me and resting his forehead on my chest, "why do you smell like..." he starts but then trails off.


    “Like what?” I ask, suddenly paranoid and subtly trying to sniff myself. I might have been depressed but I''ve still been showering and putting on deodorant daily. He doesn''t answer me, instead, he just holds me as if he needs to breathe in my scent a little longer. After a minute or so he finally lets me go and looks up at me, his eyes are full of an emotion I can''t read.


    "You smell so good. Let''s go and enjoy your birthday meal, everything else can wait,” he smiles, pushing to his feet again and wrapping an arm around my waist.


    "I can''t sit in there eating when we could be back with the others, let me make an excuse and we can go home," I shake my head.


    "We can''t go, not yet. I need to rest before I attempt that again so let''s eat dinner with your mum and friend and celebrate your birthday," he says before leading me into the house hand in hand.


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