His Savior

Satin Ribbons

~Cory~

               Walking Zahara into the house, I couldn't help but replay my wolf's voice in my mind. I never thought I'd ever have a wolf, let alone hear him claim his mate. My wolf didn't say anything else, but just that one word was more than enough.

               I'm so happy to have Zahara back. I can't believe how much I missed her these past few days. The mate bond is some serious stuff. Imagine, just a few months ago, there was no one. I was just surviving day to day, not even thinking about a future. Now, I can't be without this woman for long before I feel like I'm going to implode.

               I lead us into a lounge room and sit us down on a couch. "You are back early." Zahara smiles, that beautiful smile of hers, and it makes my heart leap. I touch her face just so I can feel the sparks. I could feel tingles in the past, but now the sparks are strong, and I love them.

               "What can I say? I missed you." I rub my thumb up and down her cheek while Zahara leans into my touch. I hear a throat clear and look towards the doorway.

               "Uh.....sorry to interrupt Alpha, uh......." Zahara nods at the young Omega and gives him a small smile. I remember being tongue-tied in front of ranked members of the pack. It can be intimidating, to say the least. I also had the added drama of not being well-liked around the pack, which made things even more difficult. "There is a package for you." The young man walks in with a big box in his hands. He places it at Zahara's feet and leaves the room. Zahara looks at me with wonder in her eyes, but I just hunch my shoulders. I have no idea what this is or who it could be from. Zahara takes the top off of the box and opens the tissue paper. There is an elegant white dress inside the box. Zahara takes it out and unfolds it. It has a halter top, a mermaid skirt, and satin material. It is a beautiful dress, and I don't know anything about fashion.

               "That is beautiful. Is it for your Alpha ceremony?" Zahara chuckles a bit.

               "I have never seen this dress before." I look down and notice a piece of paper in the box.

               "You have a note." Zahara takes the note out of the box, and as she reads it, I can see anger grow on her face. Her eye color keeps flickering from brown to black and back again. Her hands are clenched so tightly that the paper disappears in her fist. I'm curious about the note, but I don't think it would be smart to ask about it right now. A low growl emits from Zahara. She holds the dress in both hands and rips it in half. Zahara's fingers elongate, and her claws become visible. She quickly rips the two halves into shreds.

               There are ribbons of white satin at our feet, and Zahara is huffing and puffing. If this were a cartoon, there would be steam coming out of her ears. I have yet to speak, and I don't even know what to say or do.

Touch her...... I look around, but it is just us in the room. The voice does sound familiar, though. 

If you touch her, it will calm her. I know that voice......my wolf. I reach out and gently touch Zahara's back. I start to create small circles with my hand. I can see Zahara decompress a bit. She is taking deeper breaths, and it seems to be calming her. I continue with my light circles until I can feel Zahara leaning into me. She rests her head on my arm, and I swear I hear purring.

Um.....good advice. Thank you.

That's what I'm here for.

Is that you......purring?

Yes. I'm content right now, so how can I not purr? I laugh. I swear I thought we had wolves not cats. Hey......no need to insult me like that.

No insult intended. This is all new to me, so please be gentle. I chuckle. By the way, what do I call you?

My name is Sylas. I'm so glad to meet you finally.

               "What is so amusing?" I look down at Zahara and smile. Then I remember the tattered dress and sit up a bit straighter.

               "We can discuss that after you let me in on what is going on with you."

~Zahara~

               I should have known that Cory would want to know what the dress was about, and I can't blame him. I guess it's time I let him know what's going on. I don't want him to worry about anything, so I've been trying to put this off.

               I sigh and shift on the couch. This is a lot to put on Cory's back right now, especially when he is just finding his wolf, but things can't really be helped. I take a deep breath. "The dress is from Laslo," I say quietly. Cory's eyes get big, and I know he has a lot of questions. I dive in and tell him everything, starting from high school all the way to today.

              Cory gets up and starts to pace back and forth in front of me. I have no idea what he thinks or how he feels. His face is a myriad of emotions, and I don't really know which is the most pressing one. I sit quietly and wait for Cory to say something, anything.

               I have no idea how long I continue to sit and wait for Cory to speak. He finally stops pacing and turns to me. "Laslo has taken so much from me......so much." Cory's voice sounds strained and thick with emotion. "I can't stand by and let him take you too." I can feel the tears build in my eyes. I stand up and walk to Cory, stopping in front of him. I put a hand on either side of his face.

               "No one.....and I mean NO ONE can take me from you. I'm yours for life." Cory closes his eyes, and a tear escapes, falling down his face. He places his forehead on mine, and we just stand there and breathe.