Frail Acceptance

Chapter 23

A/N: I am sorry for the long hiatus, you lovely people; try and hate me less.

⚠️Trigger Warning (Mentions of child abuse, attempted sexual assault, blood, death, etc.)

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, kindly skip this chapter.

Aldric's POV

Just as Noah opened the knot of the bathrobe, it slipped down his shoulder. I was very confused about his intention in doing so, and I was about to ask, but as more of his started to show, what I saw was shocking.

There were scars scattered all over his beautiful skin, claw marks that still looked painful even when they were old.

I just sat there for how long I don't remember; a lot of emotions passed through me. I did not blink my eyes for too long, which I realized only when my eyes started to sting and water a little.

As time passed, my emotions were becoming hard to control. At first I was surprised, shocked even, and then a little aroused as well looking at Noah's beautiful skin, but then sad when I saw how much he had suffered, and I knew it wasn't just physically but mentally as well. But then I was angry, and not just angry and fuming, and I lost control over it.

My breathing became erratic with how angry I was. Axe was growling as well and scratching my mind to gain full control and tear every person who did this to our mate limb by limb.

I could not think straight, and with Axe fighting for control and the anger we both were feeling, before even knowing it, my anger seeped through my pheromones, and the whole room was filled with them.

I had completely lost it and almost given my control to Axe when Noah whimpered, and it felt like I was snapped out of some daze that had formed due to the overwhelming emotions.

I knew I needed to be in my right mind at that moment in order to keep Noah grounded, so I immediately took a few deep breaths and dug my nails into the comforter of my bed to help keep myself calm.

I also had to convince Axe to calm down so that we can tend to our mate first before we do anything to those bastards that did this to our sweet Noah.

I took a few more deep breaths to completely calm myself down, or at least pretend to be calm and also control my pheromones.

Once I had it all in control, I looked over at my mate, who was shivering uncontrollably and had his eyes clenched shut.

I cursed myself for not being able to control myself earlier and letting Noah fall into this state because of my silence and the angry pheromones.

As I kept looking at him, all I wanted to do was pull him close and cuddle with him until he calmed down. But I couldn't do that because when he is in this state I need to always check with him before entering his personal space; that is what Ken had told me.

So without making any sudden movement, I slowly opened my mouth and asked him with a very soft and gentle, "Is it okay if I touch you, baby?"

There was no response from him for a while, but then I saw him move his head in a soft nod.

I took one more deep breath and then slowly reached my hand out towards him.

I kept it at a feather touch first, but then when he moved a little towards me, I completely engulfed him, and he instinctively buried his face in my neck, and I instinctively started rubbing his back.

I slowly brought us up on the bed in a lying position and cuddled him closer to me.

He kept hiding his face from me, and I knew the tears were still flowing out of his eyes, but his breathing had at least come back to normal.