The Veterinarian and the Werewolf

Chapter 22

Word Count: 2119

Warning: fluff

@SillyRabbit81 you and Songbird got me through another one :) 

Chapter 22 – Tom

Tom felt heavy, like a weight of guilt and fear was sitting on his chest. Not only was he worried about how Adam would react to him but now the beautiful old lady might die because of his family's actions. Jessie had been trying unsuccessfully for the last few minutes to pull him out of his funk and had suddenly perked up.

Wrapping her arm around his waist she drew him close. "Come on honey. Let's get you out of this bathroom, I'm sure a cuddle with Hen will help." The thought alone caused some of the pain to lift. What was it about the werewolf's cuddles? Never had a man's touch affected him so much. Arm in arm they walked back into the main part of the hotel room when they heard a deep voice talking to Henry. There was a mountain of a man, towering over Henry, the epitome of a warrior. Tom watched him pick Henry up in a bear hug, causing an unfamiliar feeling of jealousy hit his stomach.

His mind clouded as he heard Henry saying, "Let me look at you, Adam. Please I can't breathe. You have filled into your father's frame I see." His father's frame? Was this Adam? Terror hit him. What could this man do to him if he found out? He would be able to snuff his life out in a moment. "Adam I wish to introduce to you my..."

Henry's voice lifted but was challenged with a deep growl coming from Adam. "Mate!" Mate? Mate? No, Jessie was Henry's mate. Tom watched in horror as the behemoth charged towards them, his eyes glowing a crimson red. He gripped Jessie trying desperately to work out how to protect her when Tom found himself lifted in the air.

Moving backwards with astonishing speed, they only stopped when Tom's back hit the wall, his feet dangling inches above the ground. The man's face pushed into Tom's neck, sniffing deeply, causing a shiver of fear, pleasure, and confusion to all compete for dominance in his mind. He faintly registered voices yelling around him but they paled under the overpowering presence of the warrior, who was now sniffing him, not just his neck but all over his face in an attempt to... What? He was unsure.

Finally, Tom pulled back and looked at him, his red eyes glowing as a smile lit his face, and a rich deep laugh bubbled out of his belly. "My Mate! Uncle Henry, you bought me my mate."

At that declaration, Tom was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. He should have been struggling to get away, Lord knows his brain was fighting to win the argument, but if Henry's hugs had power, this man was a GOD. His overwhelming emotions finally just gave in, his body went limp and melted into the heat and muscle that encased him. Smells assaulted his senses as his head rested against the giant's shoulder, earth, pine, coffee, and the sweet addition of strawberries made a heady concoction.

He was carried like a rag doll to the bed as Adam sat and repositioned Tom into his lap. Unwilling to let his mate go, his man's arms held Tom tight and he started to panic. Sure this mountain man felt good, and he couldn't deny that the man's declaration of mate, unfamiliar as it was, sent this heart and mind into a spin. But he didn't know him, and Adam didn't know anything about Tom. Terror and alarm filled him at the thought of what he might do when he found out about the massacre.

Tom could feel Adam tensing his muscles, his heart rate increased as his arms tightened, alerting him that something was wrong. He then heard the familiar voice of Henry, who was now gentle in his tone, as if he was trying not to scare the man. "Adam, I am glad for you, but Tom has only just been introduced to werewolves. It's not like meeting your mate within the pack, he won't know what you're doing. So why don't you let him go so he can get to know you first? Before you do anything to scare him off."