Quiver

17

"You what?!" I snapped after hearing about how Roman had left me the night after we slept together to go see the pack -- alone.

"I had to, Rori. If I had taken you, I never would've been able to talk to them, they would've been too worked up by your presence and just told us to never come back. Reject you completely. I...I can't have that," Roman explained, his voice cracking, causing my heart to do the same.

Oh Roman...

I pulled him into my arms again and kissed his face gently. "Don't leave me like that again."

He nods, shifting so I'm sitting in his lap with his arms tangled around me comfortably. I raked my fingers gently through his silky, brown curls and watch as his blue eyes close in pleasure from my touch, my touch that is amplified from our bond.

"So... did it go okay then? What did they say?" I murmur, fearful they may have only made a partial deal. That we couldn't go back, merely visit.

"Well, they didn't like it, but they agreed to the reintroduction plan. We're going to the pack house later today for a few hours and in human form only. We'll try for longer tomorrow and so on. I was hoping by the end of the week I'd have you shifting around them and then next week we'd go for that run we all missed out on," Roman murmured, his eyebrows furrowed in agitation, "but I don't think that's going to happen. That fast anyways. They had a hard time just seeing me there knowing you're my mate."

His voice was a firm growl by the time he finished, but when his eyes met mine they melted with love and slight confusion. "What is it?"

"I love you, Roman. Thank you, for doing all of that. It means so much," I choked back a sob and forced my tears to stay locked away. I didn't need to cry anymore, but I was just so happy.

"Anything for you, love," he murmured and swiftly captured my lips, carrying me to the bed.

"Anything?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as hot lust shot through my body.

"Anything," he whispered and I claimed his mouth once again with an urgency all it's own, one that only his skin against my own could calm.

**

An hour and a half later, we'd showered and ate something, now it was the task of heading back to the pack house. I worried about how things would go and if Bree had returned to hear from the pack what a freak I was now. My stomach twisted sickeningly, I hoped not. I also worried about how Cole would react, the little boy I had deemed my brother and had fought so hard to protect and keep with me. Even he had reacted poorly to my Lupus form. The thought had my heart sinking in my chest and tears edging the corners of my eyes.

Oh Cole... I know you didn't mean it, but...it still hurt.

"Rori?" I snapped my head over to Roman who was gazing at me with concern and as his eyes quickly assessed my face became even more concerned. He was by my side in seconds, cupping my face.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"Just worried about...doing this," I murmured, telling him most of the truth. I didn't want to discuss how much it stung that Cole had growled at me with the rest of the pack.

Roman's eyebrows seemed to furrow even more with worry. "We don't have to go today if you don't-"

I waved my hand around. "I know..but I want to. I don't like being away from the pack, their the only family I have. Maybe one day we can seperate a bit, like get our own house, but ultimately I'd like to remain as one family for years to come. Doesn't feel right alone, just us two."

Roman nodded and then his expression morphed into one of mischief. "It feels right sometimes when it's just us two."

My lips tugged into a smile and shoved him gently. "Not the point."

"It's a very good point though," he murmured, still grinning, but eyes serious.

"Very," I answered, wanting to prolong going to see the pack with another steamy round together, but I knew I needed to see the pack more than procrastinate. "But we need to get going."

Roman sighed and stood back, but swiftly tugged me up into a hug that he seemed to know I needed. "As you wish."

**

I was in a nervous sweat as I stood in the center of the pack house living room. The tension was incredibly thick and no one had said a word since I arrived with Roman. Luckily Bree still wasn't back yet, probably dealing with Witch things, but it didn't take the sting away from seeing Cole look at me so cautiously, so nervous, so afraid. In fact it hurt and I wanted to run right back out the door, except Roman had a strong grip on my arm and I knew deep down this had to happen in order to remain in the pack. It didn't mean I had to like it though.

Sick of the silence, it seemed, Roman coughed making the pack bristle slightly before realizing all that had happened was a cough. I would've laughed, but their tension and the danger I was clearly in wasn't exactly funny.

"Well," Annalise's nervous, high-pitched voice finally spoke. "H-have a seat, dear."

I complied stiffly along with Roman and felt the tension stirr within the room. I just wanted to relax, I wanted this to be like it was before and part of me understood that it wasn't completely the packs' fault for feeling this way. I was now a foreign wolf, something different and their primal sides rebelled against that strangeness.

"R...Rori?" A familiar, small voice said, gaining my attention immediately.

"Cole," I breathed, eyes wide and probably shining with more hope than one ought to have, but I had missed my brother and the way he had rejected me like the others had stung.

A small, timid smile came upon his face from where he stood at the end of the couch. The others were all gaping at him from their further positions, but made no move to stop him. I cautiously opened my arms, hearing someone growl within the pack, but kept my eyes on Cole.

His own hazel eyes were wide with nerves and a hint of excitement. He seemed as though he wanted to see me, to see if I was still the same and I encouraged him the best I could with my eyes. Finally after minutes of suspense, he moved one foot in front of the other until he had stopped in front of me. I made no move to grab him, fearful the pack would lose their shít, but it seemed he had other plans. Cole lauched himself at me, a smile stretched across his face as he laughed.

I couldn't help the sob of happiness that spilled from my mouth as I squeezed him in a tight hug. I had missed him, missed this, and I finally had something back.

A chorus of growls erupted not long after our joining though and I immediately pulled Cole back to gaze around at the tense pack members. It seemed Sarah and Holden had come forward to ward off the nervous members.

"Enough," Sarah murmured, her normally soft voice, firm and steel-like. "She isn't hurting him. Look."

They all looked then and seen that Cole was still smiling, though his eyes were filled with worry for me. The pack all grumbled and shifted slightly, making the tension lessen some. I even seen Cody and Trevor drift by me towards the game room downstairs, though the others remained locked in position near the kitchen doorway. Only Annalise and Yorik were near the front door, closer to where I sat with Roman and Cole.

"Okay, Rori," Roman murmured after the pack had settled as much as they could. "We need to leave now, but we'll be back tomorrow."

I nodded despite having the overwhelming urge to stay if only to be with Cole and said a quick goodbye to him and the pack. As we slipped from the house, heading back to the hotel room, I felt that things might just be okay again.