Ayn's Healing

Chapter 32 - Kari

After our niece Elsa was born, my mate reorganized her priorities so that she could spend more time catering to my sister's and the little female's needs. Much to my dismay, Ayn decided to give up on her own training, arguing that learning to fight was not necessary for core growth. She also reminded me that she was not allowed to go anywhere alone; the Alpha himself was always escorting her, it was pointless to train defense skills that she was unlikely to ever use.

I disagreed profusely with her statement.

On the morning Mia gave birth, Ayn had had a terrifying meltdown. It was only with great difficulty that I understood she was grieving for her mom. Every time we had spoken about her parents' death she had been composed, at most mildly sad. It shook my core to realize that I had taken for acceptance the thick wall she had artificially built in her mind around the pain. She suddenly wanted to know more about her parents' death and I helped her write a request to the Witches's Council, for access to their file.

And as I was typing the letter, I thought again about Morgane and Ray and shuddered at how, in front of rogues, they had been fragile and defenseless.

We had rogues galore in the Mountain of the Wolves. I would have loved to always be by Ayn's side and ensure she was not defenseless, but I did have to lead a pack that sometimes needed my undivided attention. To make things worse, my mate still had her habit of taking off to chase her witch fun of the day, too distracted to leave a note, or mind-link me back and tell me where the hell she was.

I had therefore decided that she needed to be skilled enough to protect herself by my standards.

Some weeks into the New Year, I took the risk of hearing speak to me in the third person, and I re-opened our negotiations.

They had been unsuccessful until now, but today, even if it's dark and the snow falls quietly outside, I plan to win.

"You are a very bad mate," she protests from under the covers when I rub her back and whisper it's time to wake up. "I do not function at this hour. Nothing functions at this hour. Tonight I will sleep in the guest room and may the Moon Goddess help you if you come knocking on my door before seven."

"One, as a green witch you should know that there are many living things functioning  at this hour. Two, I think the Goddess has more important business than defending the mate of a lazy Luna. Three, I brought coffee and warmed your clothes on the heater."

"Thanks. I will take both coffee and clothes later, when I am awake. Also, it's my free day today," she mumbles, turning on her belly and pulling the sheets tighter around her.

"Ayn, it's important that you train, both magic and human fighting."

"No, it is not, it is important that I sleep, so that I don't lose my bearings and turn you into a frog."

"You cannot turn me into a frog, there is no spell that does that," I recite what she once explained to me, and I look at my watch only to see that I don't have so much time left for parlaying. My impulse is to tell her to stop being a spoiled pup and put the snowsuit on, and come run with us a bit, maybe even practice some defense moves. Previous experience has shown that pressure does not work well on Ayn, so I try something else. I run my hand over her back and then over her legs and speak very slowly:

"Ayn, if you come today to training, when we are done, I carry you up here and I will help you undress and shower and then, I will lay you again in bed face down, like you are laying now. And, just like I am doing now, I will tell you the story of how I touch your body. How I kiss every one of your toes and then your ankles and your beautiful calves and then how I  run my hand like this between your thighs and kiss you again," I slowly place my lips on her beautiful behind, "right here...and then I how I slide my fingers..."