His Wolf

Forty One

Taking things for granted has always been society's biggest flaw. Looking at the little things that used to make us smile, and wishing it was something more. We look at our lives and can only seem to focus on the things that we don't have, we look at other people and believe that they are so carefree that it's not fair. What's not fair? You can put up a mask with a smile painted on it, but it doesn't mean anything. It only hides what's not being shown, it only takes the negative and shows it to you in a positive light. In reality, we all have our demons. It's just what you are willing to do about them that separates you from everyone else.

Some chose to rot in it. In the dark, that festers and grows. Others fight it. Don't dwell on the negative it brings with it but instead acknowledge that things could always be worse.

Taking things for granted is a flaw of our society.

Dwelling on our pain instead of facing it. Thinking that we have it harder than everyone else. That's a flaw in society.

I've been through pain. I've faced what I thought was endless darkness after my mother died. I thought that listing to my sister's screams and cries from beneath my bedroom floors was the worst thing a person could endure.

It was torture, yes. It was hard and heartbreaking. But what Lucy went through was spirit-breaking.

What Max went through... that was soul-breaking.

I used to take the little things for granted, even after I was able to get my sister away from Thomas and that light in her eyes slowly returned.

But now I was taking those little things and I was looking at them in a whole new light.

My little mate was currently giggling on the other side of the bathroom door where Shar and Kara were helping her get cleaned up. She was having issues working her legs, so the process of getting her into the bathroom was slow. It went even slower when she went stiff under our arms, but after a few promises that it was just the same as last time and no one was going to hurt her, she allowed us to continue. I could have just lifted her myself and placed her in the tub, but Shar wanted to start on her motor skills as soon as possible.

The sound of her laughter pulled at my heartstrings. I used to take laughter for granted. I never realized what a privilege it was to be so happy. I wanted to be in there with her, but I knew that was out of the question. Even though Max didn't seem to care who saw what and didn't understand the concept of being naked or what the purpose of clothes was, I would not be that kind of mate. That kind of man.

So here I stood on the other side of a closed door, listening to my beautiful mates' laugh as Shar added more bubbles to the water.

Laughter. I took that for granted, and yet, now it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard.

I got lost in it. 

Let my body fully relax for the first time in a long time as I listened.

Until my wolf shoved forward, harshly. Thinking that he just wanted to go in the bathroom, I shoved him back down and rested my head back on the white wooden door.

He shoved again. Harder this time than last, causing me to flinch slightly at the force. Again, I tried to push him away, but he gripped the surface long enough to get his message across.

Lucy.

I wasted no time in running back in the direction of the packhouse where I left her hardly even an hour ago, paying the women in the bathroom no heed as I rushed off, knowing that they had things under control.

At least that's what I thought.

My wolf was practically begging me to let him have control, forcing me to shift in mid-sprint. Leaves crunched as I landed, branches cracking at the weight of my paws as I abandoned any sense of that born in stealth that all wolves seem to have. The summer air has turned colder these past few months and yet it seemed that we have barely made any progress with Max. I wondered briefly what her reaction to snow would be. Where we found her was cold enough to cause my hands to go numb.