Freefall-Book One

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

             Standing next to Kristopher, glaring at all the members of his pack wasn’t going to change anything.  Matt was still gone, and we were still outnumbered.  We…yes, it had become a “we.”  I sighed inwardly, watching as the large group of shifters shuffled through different doors, moving slowly to find places to sit, stand, or just pace.  Nineteen year old Danny was once again in a corner with his head in his hands, babbling to himself; poor kid.  It was a little much for him to take so close to losing his mother.  I yanked my arm out of Kris’s grip, turning to walk towards Danny when I felt his strong hands on my hips again.

                “Where are you going?” he growled in my ear.  I was hyper aware that we were being watched curiously, to see if the mating had been successful; that I had accepted.  I hadn’t yet, but it wasn’t because I really didn’t want to.  No, it was because I wanted someone to love me, cherish me, and think I was their world.  Not just want to have sex with me.  Those were two completely different types of relationships, no matter if the sex was mind-blowing or not.

                “To see Danny.  Look at him; does he look okay to you?  I was going to go see if he needed to get away for a minute or something.  You have a problem with that?”

                “Yes, I do.  Adam, take Danny for a little walk, see that he’s safe.  He doesn’t need to be in here while we discuss things.”  I growled in frustration at his blatant show of dominance, wrenching my body from his grasp.

                “It doesn’t matter if you do!  If I feel like going on a walk with Danny, I will!”

                “It does matter; whether you want to admit it or not, you are my mate, and this pack respects you as such.  Walking around when there has already been an open threat against us, along with a message just isn’t smart.  You will not go walking alone with him, Sofia.  He can’t protect you!”  His voice was low, trying to shield us from the surrounding pack, but we both knew it was impossible.  Our hearing was too good to keep anything a secret.  Sighing, I turned to face him, watching the emotions dance across his face.

                “Fine, but so you know, I don’t like to be controlled, especially by someone like you.”

                “Someone like me?”

                “Yeah, someone with power; I mean, it’s not really you, necessarily.  I guess you’re okay, but it’s just that I had finally decided to stop running, and that I was going to be free and here you are, snatching me up again.  It’s like I can’t get away from people like you, people with power.”  By this time, I was looking down at the floor, wishing that I hadn’t opened my big mouth, especially in front of his entire pack.  Without a second’s hesitation, Kris had gripped my chin softly in his hand, moving it so that I had to look up at him.

                “There’s nothing wrong with being honest.  It brings trust within a pack, especially if you’re honest with everyone.”

                “It just didn’t come out the way I wanted it to,” I whispered, trying to turn my head away from those beautiful eyes.  If I didn’t get away soon, they were going to suck me back in, and I’d wake up in bed with him again.  That just couldn’t happen right now, or ever again, really.  Once Matt was safe, and Nickolas had left, I’d be free to wander on my own, without a pack.  Strangely, my heart was aching at this thought, but there wasn’t anything keeping me here except for the fact that Kris claimed me.

                “That’s fine; no one is perfect, and here, we don’t expect you to be.  Sofia, at some point, you’re going to have to realize that we’re not going to hurt you.  And you’re going to have to realize that I need you here.  You’re my mate, the one I claimed, the only one I’ll ever claim.  You don’t need to leave when all this is said and done.”