Love Is Blind....

4. Making Amends [Part 1]

---Niko's P.O.V.---

Waking up in the warmth of his study, his blanket wrapped around his shoulders, Niko blinked the sleep away, trying to recall how he had ended up here. When the memories slowly started creeping back as he stretched his slightly stiff limbs, he jerked suddenly upright, looking at the couch beside him, where she no longer lay. Feeling almost forlorn, he stretched his mind towards their link in search of her presense, and was almost relieved when he finally found her.

Flashes of splashing water sounds, and the scent of soap transfered over across the bond from her. Niko jerked in surprise, feeling her amazement as she ran her hand across the top of the water. Thoughts of streams and chilly water running over her skin in rivulets, filtered into his mind in a jumble of sounds and sensaions. He felt simply stunned. A mate bond as young and unsealed as theirs, shouldn't be so crystal clear in info transfer, not until it was completed anyways.

That being said, he wondered if she even knew that she was doing it, or if he was just sorta so to speak, eaves dropping on her thoughts and reminiscings. In which case, he shivered at the recollections of her past bathing expirences. He could understand her mesmerized awe at such a simple pleasure such as hot water. His heart suddenly ached for her. Niko's wolf stirred restlessly inside his chest, wanting to hold her again, and upset that she had left him, whilst he slept.

Standing, albeit reluctantly, Niko stretched with a groan, leaving the warmth of his blanket, saturated with her sweet scent, and shuffled towards the dining room, where he could hear dishes and silverware clinking. Entering the dining room, he stilled, his nostrils flaring as he caught her scent. His eyes locked on her small form, sitting in the chair across from his own, her hair still dripping with water. Well that was fast. He thought, standing as still as a predator observing its prey.

"Nattie practically dragged me to breakfast." Niko heard Tötti think back in reply to his thoughts, her eyes flicking towards the animatedly chattering girl that sat next to her. They suddenly both stiffened as they realized what they had done. Tötti's fork fell from her hand, she was so surprised. She ducked her head, her nails digging into the cushions of her seat as she gripped it so hard that her fingers turned white. Niko sat hastily across from her, loading up his plate as he slammed the bond shut, silencing their connection. She visibly flinched, and forced her fingers to one by one uncurl, as she placed her hands back on the table.

"Niko, why were you sleeping on the couch this morning?" Nattie suddenly asked, causing him to sputter before clearing his throat to answer her. He could feel Tötti's ears perk up to listen to him.

"Oh you know, just couldn't sleep. It was a little too hot for me last night, had to take a walk to cool off, then I must have just passed out on the couch." Niko lied smootly, he felt Tötti wilt a little, or was she relaxing? He couldn't be sure either way.

"Hm, I see, I just thought you might have been looking for Tötti, since she was wearing your blanket the other morning." Nattie replied smugly, sticking a ruefully victorious bite in her mouth as she grinned and batted her lashes at him. Niko felt heat crawl up his neck and ears as he glowered at his sister.

"I most definitely was not." He growled at her. She just grinned. He hated that she was halfway right, that he had been looking for Tötti, but not for the reasons she was thinking of. He'd thought that she'd been planning to run away, and he couldn't have that, she was his mate, whether he liked it or not.

Tötti fidgetted as they bickered back and forth, other voices pitching in to his sister's teasing of Niko, much to his obvious aggitation. His parents sat at the end of the table, chiding him for his behavior, and tsking Nattie for being an aggitater so early in the morning, but hardly anyone paid them attention as voices rose and arguements ensued, which lead to chest pounding and feral growls. The chaos of the rising noise weighed down on Tötti's sensitive ears, and grew to be too great for her to handle anymore, as she leapt to her feet with a shriek. Hands clapped over her ears, and shaking so bad with the tumult of chaotic emotions, and thoughts that swam through her body, she stood breathing laborously as it became silent with surprise, all eyes suddenly on her.