We are the Answer {boyxboy} ✔ (Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series, Book I | Rhys)

Chapter 42

A/N: I've been gone from the internet society for a while (sick) and I don't have WiFi on Ella (my laptop) today so I haven't had the chance to answer comments. I thought you'd prefer an update so I saved the MB of my phone's WiFi to upload Ch. 42. I'll catch up on comments when I can so thank you for leaving them; I really appreciate the feedback!

Enjoy the new chapter ^_^

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The curtains softened the light that came from outside. I'd been awake for a while now, but I stood still, afraid that if I moved, I'd wake Riley. His shoulders were going up and down with each steady breath he took. I inhaled deeply the sweet aroma of his shampoo mixed with my mate's natural scent. Even in human form, I was able to enjoy the odour, branding it as my mate's.

His breathing pattern changed and he yawned.

"Good morning," I murmured, kissing the back of his head. He turned to me without breaking from my embrace, a huge smile on his face.

"Good morning," he greeted and pecked me on the lips.

I could get used to that.

"How did you sleep?" I asked him.

"Surprisingly well. I thought that with all that happened yesterday, I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink, but I guess having you here helped."

Warmth swelled in my chest, my heart dripping with pride.

"I'm glad to hear that." I let him go to caress his cheek. "Are you hungry yet?"

"Actually..." Riley pulled slightly away to get a better look at me. "You promised me to share a story of your own, remember? I'd rather listen to that than have breakfast."

I nodded, remembering how after he'd calmed down last night, he'd asked me about my own scars. It had been late at the time and both of us had been drained - physically and emotionally - so I'd given him my word to answer him in the morning.

"Not much to tell, really," I started, wrapping my arm around him again. "One of the times that Everett tried to connect with Alec and convinced Anastasiya - that is Alec's mother - to let him stay with us, Jasper Owens spoke in some not so flattering terms about my brother. At first, he was talking about how now that Everett had fallen out of grace, he would inherit his father as the Alpha. That wasn't that bad; it was annoying more than infuriating. But when he called Everett a traitor, I snapped."

I had to pause to collect my cool, to attempt to remove the anger and embarrassment from my tone. My voice was shaky when I continued:

"I was a teenager, hormones were rushing and he had just insulted my brother. I faced him and told him to shut up. He laughed and said 'Or what?', I pushed him, he pushed me harder, I pushed again and he found himself on the ground... A moment later, he was already in his wolf form. He jumped on me, clawing my face and leaving these beauties." I trailed a hand over the places on my face and neck where the scars were. "The fight didn't last very long. A little after I shifted, the adults intervened and put an end to it."

"Was Jasper punished?" My mate laid his head on my chest, a comforting, supportive gesture that took the brunt of my bad mood away.

"Both of us were," I replied, sparing him the details. "And justly so. He was the one to shift first, but I was the one to push him first; he'd called Everett a traitor, but I shouldn't have started a physical altercation."

"But he scarred you!" My mate's protest was loud. "Now you have to live with these for the rest of your life."

"And now they serves as a good reminder of why one should not to rush into things. Besides, at the time everyone thought they would heal. They should have healed, perhaps leaving a very, very faint mark; no one knows for sure why they didn't."