The three of them help me get a bit of yesterday’s dinner, and then Tonia insists they let me rest. I do feel tired...
When I wake up, I immediately realize I’m not alone. Someone’s arms are wrapping me, and another pair of legs are on top of the sheets. I feel warm, and this is the first time I ever woke up and instantly felt so secure. I recognize Damian’s smell, and vaguely remember collapsing in the living room.
“How do you feel?”
His mouth is close to my ear, I can’t help but blush a little. I wish I could hide somewhere, but I feel his chest against my back, and there’s no way I could even move a toe without him knowing. At least I’m glad he can’t see my face. Is it okay for him to hold me like this? He even avoided seeing me before, and know we are, well, sleeping on the same bed...
“Much better.”
It’s true. I’m still a bit numb, but my head isn’t spinning, and I don’t feel too tired anymore. However, I don’t really want to get up right now. Lying next to my mate feels so warm, so right, and my wolf is almost purring. I wonder how he is holding up, being so close.
“Is this... really okay?” I ask, hoping he understands what I mean.
“...Don’t ask.”
I can’t help but giggle a little, hearing his grumble. He must be fighting against his instincts like crazy right now. I’m grateful for that. It feels so good to be lying next to him... Being close to my mate feels like I will never feel incomplete again... And it makes me want more.
I don’t want to act greedy now; I know it’s not the moment. But that closeness with Damian is something I will want more of again. I remember how I sometimes envied the mated couples of my pack... The girls always looked so loved and happy whenever their loved ones were in the same room. It’s so rare for a fated couple to be able to find each other–most werewolves live their whole life hoping to find their mate. Some give up at some point and get married anyway, and others run miles to search for the One. And some just don’t get the ending they hoped for...
“What is it?” He asks.
“I was just thinking... You could have rejected me. If you did, our bond would have been severed and ...You could have lived your life normally.”
“No.”
His firm tone surprises me, and I wonder why he was so set on not abandoning me. I am still missing pieces of this puzzle... A long silence follows, but I must ask.
“Damian... How did you know about me? Tonia told me. It’s not only that you felt our bond, but you already knew exactly what I looked like. How come?”
He sighs, and I feel him move to bury his face into my hair, his forehead on my shoulder. One of his arms is under my head, the other around my waist, and both suddenly hold me tighter against him. This closeness makes me blush evenmore, and I can feel my wolf getting agitated. She likes it, but she somehow wants more. Hush girl, we are talking about some serious stuff right now!
“...We’ve met before,” he whispers.
“It can’t be. My wolf didn’t feel anything like a bond before I saw you at the hospital, she had never met you.”
“That’s because you were too young. Your wolf wasn’t awakened yet. Mine was. He recognized you right away, even if our bound was one way at that time.”
The age gap. I hadn’t thought about that... Most werewolves only start feeling their wolf-self for the first time around seven to ten-years-old, a few months before they begin shapeshifting. Before then, we are just like humans. No enhanced sense of smell, no night vision, no mind-linking to our pairs... And no way to recognize our mates even if they’re right in front of us. But I didn’t know we could bond even if our mate isn’t awakened yet. Doesn’t that mean the bond is that strong? How impressive...
“How old were we then?”
“I was fourteen... You were about to turn seven.”
“We have a seven-year-old difference?” I ask, surprised.
I did guess he was twenty-four or older since he was older than Nathaniel, but still, it’s amusing to hear it! He growls, a bit annoyed.
“Six years and three months.”
“...You even know my birth date?”
“December third. You told me back then.”
Then why can’t I remember it at all? Well, I was young, indeed, but... I would have sworn I had never seen his silver eyes before. Moreover, it somehow explains the digit code...
“How did we meet?”
I wait a long moment, but he doesn’t answer. Did he fall asleep? I try to turn around to face him, but he stops me, still holding me tight in his embrace.
