Mateless and Home Bound

Chapter 48: Howl

Author's Note: Hi guys! This series has never been one for cliffhangers, unlike some of my other stories. So, instead of a warning, I'm up here to tell all of you that I'm going to be giving you three chapters today, all with their own little action. Have fun guys!

-Saturn

"I'm so happy for you," Eric nudged Reggie. He, of course, was the first to know about him marking Sage finally. He looked so much happier now that he had him. It was so different from the ball of stress that he used to be. It all seemed like such a long time ago, when it really wasn't.

"Thanks," he gave him a shy smile. They were just walking out of the meeting. "I'm not sure if Max is going to be able to give me the week off, though. There's too many things happening."

"I think he will," he said. "After all, you're mated to one of the people that we have to protect. It'll help us keep Sage safe anyway."

"What a brilliant idea," Pop's voice came from behind them. He gave him a little bit of a heart attack, he'd admit. He wrapped his arms around the two of theirs shoulders and walked with them. "Congratulations, Reggie."

He was happy for his cousin. He really was. It had been ages since he seemed so happy. Sage was the perfect person for relaxing him too. Whenever he'd see Reggie having a stressful day, Sage would somehow relax him just by talking. Him and Ana could never do that. It took all day to calm him down when he was freaking out.

Eric laughed to himself. He couldn't wait to tell Sage about the night that they picked him up from the airport.

"So," Pop turned the corner with him. He had already talked with Reggie about taking the week off and let him on his way. Now it was just the two of them walking through the halls. "How are you and Jane?"

Eric sighed. That was one thing that he had been trying to avoid thinking about since Reggie told him about him and Sage. Those two had been so perfect for each other. It only took a little over a month and he had marked him.

Meanwhile he was going on four.

"Alright," he told him. He was still trying to be patient with her. The fact that they had already gotten into their first fight without even being official wasn't a good sign, though. But she talked to him more, and stayed in his room with him.

"That's not a good answer," Pop shook his head. "And here I thought she was finally getting used to it here."

"She is," he told him. "There were just a lot of people who hurt her in the past."

She had told him about all of them when he caught her running at their first dancing lessons. It was easy to see the trauma on her face as soon as she tried to excuse herself. He wanted to help her get past it, and he was doing a great job from what he had heard. But sometimes he just wished that things could be easier for the both of them.

"She doesn't trust easily," another voice came from down the halls. Pete walked up to them with soft eyes. He was one of the people that had survived with her for all those years. He looked battle worn, and had definitely been enjoying belonging in their pack. But it was easy to see those eyes fill with horrible memories as soon as he started talking about all of this.

They all were like that. That whole group of ten. They had molded in with the pack quickly for the most part, but they all still had memories that they had to get past. He could see just how they looked when they saw Jane, though. They all respected her. It was good to see so many people look up to her. He was proud of just how strong she had become, even if it did cause so many issues between them.

"We figured that," Pop said. "What do you think, Pete? Mind giving a second opinion on the matter?"

He really didn't want anyone else's advice. He had gotten plenty of it since he found Jane. But he looked towards the tacker earnestly, his ears willing to hear something different from what he had heard before.