The Hidden Gem

Chapter 16

Conner POV

The moment I walked into the kitchen and layed my eyes on her, I knew she was mine. Her beautiful blond hair covered a part of her face and her blue gray eyes that had an innocent shine. She was mine and I knew that, but when she cringed away when I approached I knew to stay back. Her eyes held pain, hope, and uncertainty. Three things that I knew wasn't a good mix. It was then, when I decided that I was going to keep my distance. There was no need to make her pain any deeper or pour salt in her open wounds. It was better to just stay back and let her recover first. But when she stumbled back afraid of Ashlynns necklace, all of that went down the tubes. The way her soft skin felt against my legs was enough to alert my wolf. He wasn't going to let her go by no means. That's why I ran away as fast as I could. I had very little control over him and if I lost that control it wasn't going to be good.

I ran as fast as I could through the woods, Letting the Wild animal out inside of me. Following my scene, I tracked the smell of the baby bunnies and birds. Although I thought it was gross to eat the animals, my wolf was in control and that's what he wanted. It was a fun battle though, chasing them down and playing with them before their death. It sounds cruel, but I'm still part animal no matter what way you think of it. I was munching on the bones of the half eaten bunny, when Danny linked me through the Alpha beta link. 'Where are you? We need to talk.' Looking around my surrounding I noticed the Rabbit hunt took me only a minute away from the pond we usually meet at, when we are hunting or just running. 'Meet me at the pond.' 'I'm already there.'

His message came to me as I walked towards the pond. He was laying in wolf form staring at the water. His sliver like fur was reflecting off of the pound. I took my spot next to him and looked down at my face. My entire snout and teeth were blood red. I even had a piece of light brown rabbit fur stuck in my teeth. It was the perfect image of a wild animal, even down to the crazed look in my eyes.

'Conner, do you see this?' Danny asked through the link. 'See, what?' 'We are animals, possessed with a curse, really. We are over protective, irrational, possessive, controlling, short tempered. We are part wild animals that are held in a calm body. A body that is suppose to have rational, calmness, willingness, open mindedness. It's suppose to balance out, but that can't and won't happen if you keep the one thing that wild animal has away from them.' He looked up from the water and cocked his head to the side waiting for my response. 'I'm not keeping anything from my wolf.' 'Your Mate?' My head sunk down as I looked more at my reflection. He was right, in a way, but he didn't understand why I was staying away. How could he understand why, his mate was in completely different situation. His was shy, lonely, pained and damaged too, but the difference was Ashlynn still had fight left in her. She was thick head and strong willed, I expected her to come out of the ruins. Lauren, though looked warn out. Her fight was gone and all was left was sadness. I just couldn't bare to make it worse for her.

'I can't...I can't hurt her more." This caused a deep wolf like chuckle to rumble from him. 'The great Conner, my beta is afraid of hurting his mate, by being with her. I thought you were smart.' A growl rumbled through me at his comment. See, he just doesn't get it. 'Conner, you do realize you avoiding her is actually causing her more hurt, right? You ignoring her and running away from her is tearing her a part.' His words stung. I didn't think about that, I just didn't want to push her. Unintentionally, though I was causing more damage, by trying to avoid causing damage. 'I screwed up, huh?' Again Danny laughed. 'You think?' I gave him a wolf like grin before taking off. Dashing past trees and out of the woods. I needed to get home and fast.

Once I found my clothes I stashed, I quickly changed and ran up the back porch of the huge house. Ashlynn was sitting on the swing, swaying back and fourth. "Where's Danny?" "On his way. Where's Lauren?" "Asleep in the second room on the right." "You, mean my room?" Of course her and the girls would do something like that, not like I was complaining. I needed to be with her and in my bed was the only bed she belonged in. "Oh, is that your room. See, here I was the whole time thinking it was a guest room." She had on a sinister smile and sarcasm twinkled in her eyes. See, she was strong even in the hardest and weakest moments where she should be freaking out of the future she had a smile on. "I could do without the sarcasm and sass mrs. Luna." "Why is it that I always find you two fighting?" Danny asked as we walked up. "I don't like calling it fighting, it's more a friendly hassling." "Whatever you say, sweet pea." Danny said kissing Ashlynn's cheek.