My Mate Next-Door

8: Trying to Hide the Pill

Quinton watched her lay about and wondered if it was time to give her an antidepressant. He stuffed one in a small block of cheese and held it out to her. "Here you go pretty baby." He charmed but she didn't open her mouth she could smell the medication in it.

He huffed and went down stairs looking through his pantry for something to hide it in so she would take it. Of course little did Quinton know she wasn't going to take it at all. She knew about the medication and refused to take it. Whether that was a wise choice or not wasn't quite apart of the equation for her. As Cocoa walked through her memories, Quinton occasionally came upstairs with a new food to try to feed her the pill only to be met with refusal.

Mom would sing to me to fall asleep. A song her mother taught her, and her mother taught her mother and so on and so forth.

🎵  Sleep now little one the sun has gone to bed, the moon she watches over you, now lay down your little head, just know your mother loves you too, don't forget your father either, love envelopes you and sweeps you to your dreams, tommorow comes too soon, make sure you think ahead, sleep, sleep, little one, I wish you would just rest, for mommy and your daddy too wishes to go rest 🎵

Dad would try to chime in but he often would hear protests from tiny little me. As I thought he ruined the song. It wasn't his fault though, as I know he's not a terrible singer. I always felt a soft spot for my father, a true daddys girl. We would hunt together and watch TV together. I tried picturing his face. A blank face of a man appeared in my mind. As I tried to remember anything that would fill in his face it started to disappear. It was frustrating but I knew if I tried I could get something.

Suddenly my sisters face popped into my head clear as day. It was hard to deal with and I found myself wanting to cry again. She had been dead for years and now while my memory was at its worst, I could finally picture her face again.

I thought about Giving Day from when I was little. A day where you each gave each other gifts which used to be about spreading the wealth in our little packs but now is mostly about handing out envelopes of money to show off and giving your little ones new clothes, toys, and supplies they need as a way to splurge with a purpose. One year I asked for a purple dragon and ultimately was given a stuffed purple dragon. It was my prized possession until I lost him on a school trip in second grade. I had cried for ages and I found myself having insomnia.

It wasn't long before my family gave me a new stuffed animal. They were tired of my pestering at night. I wasn't one to stay in bed while awake and would often get into trouble. It's weird to me the details I do remember. Most of it seems inconsequential but it's what makes me who I am. All these little things seem to matter so much. I simply never thought of it like this before.

I tried to picture myself again this time remembering that I had long brown hair. I tried a bit harder and remembered I had a freckle on my ear. Just the one. My mom would say that's where the Goddess kissed me before I was sent to her womb. It was a beautiful way to look at it. Something as simple as a lone freckle, turned into something simply wonderful. My uncle would tease me when I was younger and say that he stole my freckle. He would pretend to hold it in his hand and hold his hand way high above his head. It was way more effective than the nose trick as I couldn't feel if my freckle was still there or not. One day my aunt gave me a mirror to keep in my pocket so I wouldn't fret so much about my freckle around my uncle. It was a cute little game we played and as I got older it became a game of keep away with my mirror. The other boys in the pack would tease me relentlessly saying things like I was just a pup still or saying my eyes were like a puddle of moss and mud. Oh! That's right my eyes are hazel with more brown then green. Hm... still not sure what I look like though. I hope I am pretty. Whoever I end up with will surely find me relentlessly attractive. Mates were always infatuated with each other. An endless puppy love that never died only changed and molded to each other through the years. It was what kept our species alive and thriving while hiding away from the humans.

Which is why I originally never shifted to human form. I was always under watch whether by a human or by cameras. I wouldve rather died than reveal my whole species to the world. Although, the monsters threatened to do so, from time to time, it was always decidedly a ruse as they would be found out as well if they ratted us out.

When I was little a monster once visited the kings palace claiming to be king of the monsters. It was supposedly just an introduction but several pregnant wolf mothers were stolen from their packs. The king at the time threatened them with war and some where returned but not all of them came back until after the babies were born. It was a slap to the face but the king decided it was best to just tighten security for expecting wolf moms. Many nowadays shift as soon as they find out their pregnant, to avoid being taken by a monster. The humans gave them the nickname, Vampires. Us wolves refused as the monsters adapted the name for themselves liking it.

Quinton sighed as he gave up on giving her the pill, figuring that it would be best to just focus his efforts on what he could, which was comforting her.