Surrender -Under Re-Write

51

Daniel's POV

They've got their hands on her, and she's screaming, begging for them to stop. I feel an anger in me I've never felt before, and it takes all of my strength to pull my small body out of the closet and approach the men attacking my mother and destroying our home.

When I approach them, it's not my mom. It's Angelique. I don't waste a second before shifting and bringing one of the men down. I expect an unfamiliar face, but instead am met with the eyes of my dad. Or at least the man I thought was my dad.

Ryland smiles at me. A wide grin that angers me even more. I release a loud growl from the very pit of my stomach, and he laughs maniacally, and he laughs until my teeth wrap around his neck and rip his head from his shoulders.

~

I shoot up from bed sweating. My throat raw, and my head throbbing.

"Daniel"

The soft voice brings me back to reality. I feel her hand on my bare back, and I'm instantly embarrassed by the sweat that coats my body. She doesn't move her hand though. She rubs soothing circles while I try to catch my breath.

"I didn't mean to wake you" my voice sounds scratchy from sleep. When I turn around to face Angie, I can only make eye contact with the bruises on her neck. My chest aches at the sight, but she doesn't let me look for long. Her soft hands reach for my face, and she uses her pointer finger to lift my chin. My eyes reach hers in the dark, and they say everything I need to relax. Things I've been repeating to myself since the day she left the hospital, because I'm scared that if I don't, I'll wake up and it won't be real.

She's safe. She's alive. She's here. She's with me. He's gone. He's dead. He can't hurt her. He can't hurt me. We're safe.

I repeat these things mostly when I'm woken up by a very realistic nightmare like the one I just had. Or in times where I can't think of anything but what they were going to do to her before our pack found us.

My dreams are always similar. Some sort of variation of seeing my mom being attacked, or Angie being attacked. But it always ends with me sinking my teeth into my dads skull and decapitating him.

I've admitted to Angie that what I did haunts me, but I don't regret it. I don't really know what that means for me, but I know it means he can't ever hurt her again, and I'm okay with that. I can deal with the nightmares if it means she safe.

"Come here" I say reaching for her hand.

She sits up and rests her hand in mine. Her eyes are still low with exhaustion, but she's awake and she's here with me.

I lean closer to her and press my lips against hers. I cup her cheek with my left hand, and pull her closer to me with my right. Her lips mold against mine easily, and I catch everyone one of her soft moans in my mouth.

I lay her down beneath me, and kiss the angry spots on her neck, feeling anxious about the day they finally fade. Mostly because I know that the bruises will fade but the memory of how they got there will stay. She's safe. She's with me.

"Daniel?" Her soft voice pulls me out of my head.

I pull away from her neck and peer down at her. She seems more alert and awake.

"Are you... are you okay?" She asks softly.

"I am"

She doesn't seem convinced, so I smile lightly at her and kiss her nose.

"I'm a little damaged but I'll be okay." I say hoping my usual dark jokes would makes her laugh.

Instead she frowns. "Daniel. Don't tell me you're okay if you're not."

"I am though" I say brushing a stray hair away from her face.

"You're safe. You're hear with me. I am okay. I can deal with the other stuff when I know it's all over."

"It is over." She confirms.

"I know." I nod, and kiss her again. "I love you." I mutter against her lips.

"I love you" She says breathlessly.