The White Wolf

Twenty-Nine: Friends with Hugging Benefits

Jay

A barely audible groan reached my ears.

My ears caught a sharp breath being sucked in and suddenly I felt a pair of small hands on my chest. Normally, I didn't consider myself very physically affectionate, nor did I enjoy being coddled, but this person's touch was comforting. I found myself curling and moving closer to the owner of those hands.

One of those hands left my chest making me whimper out, but then I found the missing hand combing through my hair.

I found myself cuddling my head into their lap. "Sydney," I mumbled instinctually.

"Jay, hey, it's alright. I'm here. I'm here." The stroking through my hair continued.

My heavy eyelids fluttered open and slowly my fuzzy visions cleared, and I saw it was Sydney staring down and holding me.

"Star," I coughed, wanting her to look me in the eye.

Her lively olive green eyes snapped to mine.

"Hey," She whispered brushing a tuck of hair out of my face.

I smiled up at her, happy to feel her around me so comfortably. Then I looked around the room. I saw my mother and father, along with my sister, Terrence, Mat, and Terrence's dad crowded around me.

"What happened? What's going on?" I asked trying to sit up.

"No-No Jaycen lay ba-" Sydney was cut off from my groan of exhaustion.

I fell back onto the bed. "How you feeling Jay?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mat bend over my mates' shoulder.

My body suddenly locked up and I furiously growled at him to back away from her. Mat immediately backed away from her showing his hands, surrendering.

"Man, I'm not going to hurt her." He told me, but it did little to settle down my still sleepy wolf.

Sydney's fingers dragged across my cheek pulling my attention to her for a mere second. Then it went back to him. "Jay, it's alright. You need to breathe and calm down. Mat's not going to hurt me."

My eyes remained unwavering from Mat while I answered my golden-haired mate. "My wolf and I don't like how he looks at you."

Sydney took my face in her hands forcing me to look at her. "Jaycen, listen, and really hear me. I don't look at him that way, and Mat doesn't look at me that way either. If he ever put the moves on me I'd slap him so hard he couldn't even fix it with plastic surgery."

There was a small growl behind Sydney. "You're lucky your mate could end me cause otherwise, I'd slap you upside your pretty little head."

Before a growl could escape me Sydney turned and glared at him. "Whatever, I'd hit you right the fuck back."

Mat smirked. "I know."

"Please get out," I whispered, my head started to ache behind my eyes and it felt like hundreds of voices were arguing in my head.

"Mat, could you give us a minute-"

"Could all of you give us a moment?" I asked. "Mom? Dad?"

Everyone nodded, but my parents seemed hesitant and wait for the others to funnel out first. My mom brushed the hair blocking my forehead and planted a soft kiss there before heading out of the room, my dad sent a little nod towards me then wrapped my mother in his arm and guided her out of the room.

After everyone left, I turned to Sydney and asked, "I'm sorry, I have no clue what's wrong with me. It's like the second some other guy is around you, my wolf takes over."