Hunting Mate

Chapter Fifteen

It was two whole days before Stuart woke up, as soon as I found out he was awake I went over to see him, I needed to find out what he knew, I needed justice. Damien needed justice as did he.

Stuart greets me with a weak smile as he occupies Joe and Sally's couch "how you doing?" I ask him he nods a little "I've been better but I guess it could have been worse, but I have you thank for that" Stuart replied, I raise an eyebrow "for making me better than it could have been" I nod and smile getting it.

Sally comes in with drink, handing Stuart and I one "thanks" I say but she just gives me a stern look, she was like our own personal mother and she hated being thanked for caring for us. I look at Stuart "so, umm, can you remember anything from what happened?" I question "Layton, don't!" I hear the Alpha, I sigh.

Joe comes over to us "Stuart needs to get better" he says I want to argue with him but I can't, when your Alpha tells you something as much as you try to fight it, you get a feeling like getting a knife into your chest the more you fight the deeper the knife gets. Stuart gives me a sympathetic look but I could tell that he was glad he didn't have to think about it.

I get up "since I can't do anything here, I going to go patrol" I announce, Joe looks at me I hold back a groan of annoyance as the look he was giving me told me he didn't want me to go patrol, but I needed to do something and I was free from work as the garage doesn't get much custom this time of year and the school was closed for Christmas break, Patrol was all I had left to keep busy around Christmas.

Joe pats my shoulder "no patrolling unless it's scheduled for you, why don't you go and see your imprintee spend some time with her instead?" he asks "you are down because you are wanting her comfort. Now go!" he says, I really wanted to say 'no I'm down because my best friend, the guy who is like my big brother, is dead' but instead I just nodded and walked out, I did want to see Pandora.

I walk to Pandora and message her asking her to meet me near the tree, as i got there I saw her sat by the tree "hey where have you been?" she asks as she hugs me "sorry I've had a lot on" I reply she looks at me sad "what's happened is it your brother? Your sister? Your niece?" she asks worried, I shake my head "my friend" I ask almost silently.

We sit down with our backs against the tree and I see her drawing pad on the floor "I drew you something" she says as she picks it up, she opens it and shows me a picture she drew, instantly I go pale "it may sound odd but I get similar comfort from you and Coby so I drew this" she says as I just stare at the picture it was like when you merge two pictures together; my wolf and my human.

I debated whether I should tell her, i sigh "Tink, can we talk about something?" I ask she looks at me and smiles "my eyes, my comfort, my being there is so sim-" I got cut off by her father "Dora?" she gets up and goes around the tree to see her dad, it wasn't long before he comes around, as I am opening Pandora's drawing pad looking at the picture she drew me, I close it so he doesn't see it "hi" I say he looks at me "you want something to eat?" he asks, I shake my head "nah, I'm full but thanks" I say.

As he walked off, I put my hand on my stomach, I had lied to Pandora's dad, I wasn't full, the true fact I was starving, I hadn't ate since the day before we found out that Damien had been murdered, since we found that out, I felt like I couldn't eat until I found the person who killed him, but now I could smell the food from the cabins, I wanted food.

The smell grew closer and then I see Pandora comes around the tree with a plate of food, she sat down "dad said that you were full but I brought you a fork out anyway" she said a little embarrassed I look at her "why?" I question "I don't know I just get the feeling that you were lying" she says I smile a little "see I knew it" she said as she handed me the fork.

We both eat the food off the plate; I only have a few bites because it was her dinner, not mine. She smiles at me "what were you going to say before my dad called?" she asks before putting more food in her mouth "ummm...I don't know how to say it but I need to" I say trailing off "you are scaring me a little" she says I put my hand on hers "it's nothing bad...well depends what you class as bad but I haven't done anything I could be put in prison for" I tell her.

Pandora watches me curiously "Coby hasn't been to visit you in a few nights, has he?" I ask she gets a confused look on her face "no, why? How do you know that?" I let out a trembled breath; Pandora was getting more anxious "I have a big secret that I need to share with you" I tell her I stand up "come to mine?" I question she looks at the cabins "it won't take long" I could feel the fear and anxiety coursing through her body 'please, trust me?' I begged her, mentally.

She looks at me "I'm just going to let my dad know where I'm going" she said, she didn't trust me, I start chewing on the nail of my thumb, I see her come back out and I see her dad behind her but he stops at the door "let's go" she told me I nod as we head back to my house, I open the door and let her in first.

She looks at me once we are inside "so what is this big secret?" she questions I look at her body trying to make sure she doesn't have anything that this could be caught on, something told me this non-trust needed to go both way. I walk over to her "I just wanted to give you a kiss and I didn't want it to be around your father because that would be a little uncomfortable" I say "a kiss?" she choked "just a kiss" I tell her, we sit on the couch next to each other and I kiss her.

I move my hand to her shirt and I feel something, I pull away "camera or microphone?" I question, she looks at me and jumps off the couch "I don't know what you're talking about" she says trying to sound innocent "don't lie to me, why don't you trust me?" I question, she looks down and then takes her shirt off revealing a little microphone and a little camera "I do trust you" she says I look at them "take them off, I'm not going to hurt you" I tell her, she stares at my reluctantly "I guess you lied about trusting me" I say.

I get off the couch and open the door "bye, Tink" I say, I couldn't even look at her it hurt me to push her away but she just nearly showed a load of poachers what we are "Layton, plea-" I cut her off "no don't beg me you are the one that doesn't trust me, I was going to tell you something that I wanted to stay between us cause I thought something was real between us but you were going to just let your dad and his friends see" I say.

Pandora comes over to me "Layton, my dad was scared you'd rape me" I scoffed I look at the camera "you thought I would rape her so you put a camera and a microphone on her, that's just a little perverted, don't you think?" I look at Pandora "you should have known I wouldn't do that too you" she had tears in her eyes "I'm sorry" she says weakly "just leave" I say to her, and she runs out crying. I wanted to run after her, hold her tightly and never let go but I had been hurt too many times before by people I should have been able to trust.

"Layton, is everything ok?" I turn around and see my brother stood there "she thought I was going to rape her" I say he raises an eyebrow at me "I love her" I say quietly, Lionel comes over to me and I see all the sweat on him "Lionel, let's go get you a nice cool bath" I say he looks at me as I make my way to the bathroom and run the bath for him, I needed to focus on helping my brother get through not having drugs, I need to focus on protecting the only family that I have.