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I lean against the trunk of a random tree in the forest near Clint's house. I'm about 15 feet off the ground, perched on a reasonably sized branch. I don't know how far I ran, or how long I've been gone. I'll go back when I'm ready. I lean my head back against the tree and let my tears fall. Nat had slapped me. She meant well, but she hurt me. Why? Laura hates me. She's terrified. Why? My thoughts start blurring together as I let my emotions flow freely.
'Why have I been crying so much lately? I hardly ever cry,' i think numbly.
Why am I so weak? Why does it matter what other people think of me? I haven't cared in years. Fucking hormones.
Then it hits me.
Ever since I'd met Peter, my hormones have been on high. I'm pretty sure that along with a tail, ears, and claws, they'd given me a heat. I'd been taking meds that I've been told are birth control pills, but they could be heat suppressants. I could be going into heat.
I look down at my hands. My claws are out. I curl my hands into fists, disgusted with them. I curl into a ball. The rest of my fur comes out with a loud floof. I pull my hood over my head and try to tuck in my tail. Unfortunately for me, the amount of fur I have makes it impossible. I scream in anger, frustration, and disgust. I sob uncontrollably, my whole body shaking as my heat starts taking effect.
Steve POV
I start to follow Rayn but Stephen stops me. I turn and glare at him.
"Don't. Give them some time, they need to be alone. They already feel babied, if you follow them then it's going to be even worse." I sigh, hating that he's right. We've been hurting our mate while trying to help them. I sit down, and bucky pulls me into a hug. Tony leans his head on Pepper's shoulder, and nat puts her face in her hands.
"It's my fault," she whispers. "I hit them. they ran because I hit them."
"She was going to run anyway. We coddle them too much. Since we met them, how long have they been alone?" my mates look at each other, realizing that I'm right.. "Rayn is a victim of extreme abuse and neglect. Meaning they're most likely an introvert. We've been forcing them to socialize. Think about how exhausting that sounds." Tony looks down at the child in his arms. Loki rolls his eyes, making me realize that he already knew this. This is why he hasn't been talking to Rayn unless they engaged in it first. Thinking about it now, Rayn hardly ever engaged in conversations unless they had to. We'd been trying to show them we loved them but drove them away in the process.
We fucked up. Big time.
I look over at Bucky. We're thinking the same thing. We look at Stephen.
"Stephen. Can you take us to Rayn?" the sorcerer shakes his head.
"I can, but that wouldn't help-"
"Rayn is in danger!" Stephen looks at me sharply. Nat and Tony give me a warning glare.
"What do you mean, Steve?" I swallow hard.
"Rayn cuts." there's a flurry of motion and noise. After a minute, it calms down.
"What do you mean?" I stare into the sorcerer's grey eyes.
"Rayn cuts themself. I don't know how, why, or when, but they do." a heavy silence settles over us. Laura sniffles. Clint glares at her.
"Why are you upset? You're terrified of them. You wouldn't even give them a chance." she looks down.
"Just because I'm scared of them doesn't mean I want them hurt," she mumbles. Clint sighs and rubs his face. Stephen shakes his head and sighs.
"I'll find them. I'm taking them back to the sanctum, though." his gaze sweeps over us, waiting for objections. We have them but know it's better for Rayn if Stephen takes them to the sanctum instead of the tower or back here. So we say nothing. He opens a portal and steps through. We all sit in silence for a few minutes. Laura starts sniffling again. I glare at her.
"Y'know, this wouldn't be happening if you had given Rayn a chance," Tony snaps. Clint glares at Tony but doesn't say anything. "they're literally you're husband's daughter mate! You gave Morgan more of a chance than you gave Rayn! You're more accepting of the fact that we're mated to your husband than the fact that Rayn was an experiment, something they had no control in at all! And you call yourself a mother."
"Tony," peper gasps.
"That's a little too far, Tony," clint scolds. It's easy to see that he doesn't think it's uncalled for. I have to agree with him. My mate is missing because of her.
