The Major and His Mate: New Moon

Flashback...

(Warning!! A major injury will occur, leaving permanent damage. This part is going to explain why Sebastian hasn't been talking.)

It was Sebastain and Jasper's first day in Alaska, and they were just settling into Jasper's cabin. Sebastian looked around at the cozy atmosphere and smiled. Jasper smiled as well as he felt Sebastian's happiness at being in a home of their own. He placed the last box in the living room and walked over to Sebastian. Sebastian smiled as he felt Jasper wrap his arms around his waist. They stood in each other's embrace for a few moments, watching the tree branches move around.

"Darlin? I'm gettin kinda hungry." Jasper broke the silence.
"Sure, let's go." Sebastian replied.

They walked out of the house hand in hand, then sped into the woods. Sebastian ran ahead, trying to find something worth eating. Jasper slowed down, content to find some deer and call it a day. Soon, he found a herd and prowled over to it. He saw that there were quite a few older deer that were starting to lag behind the rest. He spotted his target and got down on all fours, and climbed a small hill.

He got to the top and waited impatiently until the deer he wanted got close enough. Then he pounced, sending the deer flailing to the ground. The deer struggled to get out of his hold until Jasper snapped its neck. He quickly bit into it jugular and had his meal. Once he was done, he decided to look for Sebastian. He started walking until he felt pain and panic. His eyes widened in fear, and he quickly picked up his pace.

Then, he found him.

Sebastian was writhing on the ground, clasping the front of his throat. A black bear carcass laid a few feet away, entirely drained. Jasper slid on his knees across the forest floor and came to a stop next to Sebastian. Sebastian looked at his mate with panicked eyes, trying to speak. Gurgling noises came from Sebastian as Jasper tried to calm him down.

"Darlin, calm down. Breathe through your nose. Deep breaths." Jasper said as he demonstrated deep breaths.

Sebastian was able to take a breath, then another, and another. Finally, he was breathing normally. Jasper scanned Sebastian for any other injuries. Seeing none, he tried to get Sebastian to release his death grip on his throat. Sebastian flinched away, not wanting Jasper to see. Jasper sighed and gently pulled Sebastian's hand away.

What he saw were four deep claw marks across Sebastian's throat. Jasper's eyes widened, seeing how damaged Sebastians' vocal cords were. He then realized that Sebastian couldn't talk.

"Sebastian, please tell me what happened. You can still talk mentally." Jasper urged.
"That damn bear caught me off guard, I just got too close, and it turned unexpectedly catching me in the throat." Sebastian explained.

Jasper nodded, then quickly looked for the pieces of Sebastian's throat that had been carved out. Once he did, he went back over to Sebastian and put them back into place. Sebastian's surface skin healed over, but the damage was very deep. They both realized that it would be a while before Sebastian could speak again.

Sebastian sighed with frustration as he got up from the ground, wishing that he had quicker healing abilities. Jasper grabbed his hand and helped him the rest of the way up. They walked in silence back to the cabin where Sebastian immediately went into their room. Jasper sighed, knowing that Sebastian was frustrated at himself and the current situation. But, he decided that it would be better for Sebastian to cool down so he would injure himself further.

After a few hours, Jasper hesitantly knocked on the door. Hearing a mental nudge to come in, he opened the door. Sebastian was sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. He had been crying, but Jasper could see that he had finally calmed down. Jasper silently sat down next to his mate, gripping his hand in sympathy and comfort. Sebastian sighed and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Jasper joined him.

The couple sat there the entire night, no words spoken, no words needed.