Alone

Joe

So... Jax? He snarled in fury, awaiting the answer about who hurt his mate, he only half meant me. His main focus was on my wolf, Darcy. I cried as I realized the only person to blame... was me. "I just... there was no food. We were too weak... she tried to hold on. She went to sleep before I was brought here. If I'd been able to hunt like a normal wolf she would've had the strength to wake back up, but... I was..."

"Shut up!" Jax and Damien were one in the same now. Evident by the blue glow in his eyes, "You did nothing wrong! Now was it Andrew? Was Andrew the only person you came in contact with?"

I silently nodded. Scared of what this man would do. He twisted the door knob until it broke as he rampaged through the door. "Andrew!" Damien's body shook from the force of his bellowing, earth shattering growl. I stumbled along after him as he sniffed out Andrew, who I assumed was actually Joe.

I followed until the exertion of keeping up with his long strides became too much for my weak body, I still hadn't eaten in a week. I stopped trying to keep up before I fell, "Damien, don't be mad at Joe, he didn't know." He paused as I said Joe, but then continued his brisk pace, "Please stop," I gasped.

I sank down so that way if I fell, I wouldn't be too far from the floor. My head was spinning, I'd walked a little too fast and my body hated me for it, "Adriana, are you alright? Speak to me, tell me what's wrong."

I looked up and saw Damien's typical crystal blue eyes. I just puffed out air and grabbed his shoulders to help me stand. Apearently, that wasn't what he had planned. He scooped me up and shoved me in his chest, just like he had before. I relaxed as he carried me. Maybe I was a little delirious from lack of food, but in that moment, all of my worries faded as he held me.

"Andrew is Joe, right?"

He paused and shook his head with a grin, "Yeah... Andrew is Joe." He paced back into the room with the bed, I'm still not completely comfortable in here. Damien could easily over power me and do... whatever he wanted. I shuddered at the thought. He sighed, "Distract me, answer my other questions. Why were you in my territory?"

I glanced at him, fighting down the fear, "I wasn't trying to trespass, really. It's just," I paused trying to find a way to explain myself without giving him my whole life story, "I'm not the best hunter, and when I couldn't hunt from my home I left to try and find better hunting grounds."

Damien stared at me, the blue in his eyes striking against his tanned face and dark drown hair. He unrelentingly gazed at my eyes and face, memorizing every detail.

I needed to distract myself before I got too scared and ran. A small grin graced my face as a hummed a song my dad used to sing when trying to annoy my mom. It was a dumb children's song about a guy named Joe who worked in a button factory. My hand moved instinctively, with my index finger out, I made a repetitive button pushing motion, as I would when the song tells you to.

"What are you doing?"

I faltered in my song, unsure of what my answer was, "I think I'm calming down... but I'm not too sure." Why is it that only after I do dumb stuff, I realize how stupid it is?

He looked at me, slowly his expression fell, "I'm... I'm so, so sorry. I won't ever let you go back there. If he'd known you were mine, he never would have... I wouldn't have let him," he sank to his knees in front of me. Tears welled in his eyes as he held my hand in both of his, "I promise you, I will never let anyone hurt you. I will do everything possible to make up for what happened to your wolf. You will be loved, cared for, waited on day and night. I will do anything for you, just please, please, forgive me!"

A part of me screamed to forgive him begged and pleaded and tugged at my soul. That's when I realized that it would've been so much more powerful if my wolf was still here, but Darcy was gone. With her not here, I couldn't feel the force of the bond. Without my wolf, I'm even more weak than before. Without Darcy I'm just as weak with my emotions as I am physically. She made me better, with her I was strong, sure of myself. Without her I'm nothing.

I couldn't answer him. I erupted into a fit of tears and sobs. I could almost see his heart break as he watched me internally combust. He launched forward and crushed met into his embrace.

It's not that I blame Damien, I could never. It's simply the fact that I don't have Darcy anymore, it crushed me. Maybe I'd been denying the fact that she was gone all this time, and hearing him speak so heartbrokenly about her... it forced me to realize. I will never get Darcy back.