Deaf One

~<Five>~

~<Juniper>~

I had never had a better sleep in my life. The bed was like a cloud compared to the stuffy mattress I used to sleep on. I was warm instead of cold and I could thank Vincent for that. I woke before he did, opening my eyes and nearly screaming. I thought it was all a dream, but was pleasantly surprised when it wasn't. I smiled at his adorable face, lips pouted and forehead smoothed out with no frown lines at all. He looked like a tough guy in front of others, but when it was just us he was someone else. He was free and fun, something I didn't know Alphas could posses. I had never really experienced anything good with Alphas considering the only Alpha I'd ever known was Alpha Mason and he is no longer over me. It was hard to really grasp that I was an Alpha Female now. Queen Alpha Female, actually. Such a dramatic change from Omega.

Vincent stirred and his eyes fluttered open to reveal his blue eyes. He smiled at me and I did the same. I'm not sure how we got into the position we were in with my legs over his and my head and his sharing a pillow. Well, the pillow was pretty huge, the biggest I've ever seen. Vincent promptly kissed my forehead and sat up, stretching. The crack of his neck and back, causing him to relax and fall back into bed which caused me to bounce about an inch or two off the bed and back down. I giggled and he smiled over at me.

"You have a beautiful laugh." He said.

"Really? I've never heard it." It was meant as a joke until I realized how true it actually was. I couldn't hear my laugh or my voice, but thing that upset me most is not that I couldn't hear my voice, but that I couldn't hear my Mate's. A tear slid down my cheek when I thought about our children. I would never hear their first cries of life or their first word or when they call for me because they are afraid of the dark. I was full fledged sobbing now. I didn't know what Vincent was saying as tears blurred my eyes so I couldn't read his lips. I felt him take me into his arms and stroke my hair in an effort to calm me. When my vision cleared I could see what he was saying.

"What is it? Why are you so upset? Please tell me, I can make it better."

"You can't!"

"I can!"

"No. I'll never hear them or you!"

"Hear who?"

"Our children, Vincent, our children! I won't ever hear them! I won't hear their laughs when they play in the backyard, I won't hear their first cry, I can't hear them!" I sobbed. "Why did the Moon Goddess make me this way?!"

"I think you're perfect. Deaf or not."

"No."

"Ju-"

"I'm deaf, Vincent! I can't even hear your voice."

He sighed. "I know."

"Doesn't it bother you?"

"No. You wanna know why? Because you're my Mate and the Moon Goddess sent me the exact person I needed." He said, grabbing my face in his huge hands. "You're all I've ever wanted, Juniper. I-I know this is too early for this, but...I love you and it's not because you're just my Mate it's because you're you. You brighten up every room you walk into with that bright smile of yours."

"I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything."

"I'll feel terrible if I don't." I chuckled.

"I can't help you with that." He laughed. "We should get ready."

"Yeah."