Her Protective Mate

Nineteen

Walking through town, I smile and give a little wave at the people that walk by, hoisting the bag further on my shoulder. I catch a few eyes from people who knew me, some walking up to say hello, asking where I've been, and how I am doing.

Passing through the brush of trees, I let out the breath that I did not know I was holding, and stepped onto the porch, stopping.

"What are you doing here?"

Sebastian looks up at me, a small smile breaking out on his face. "I heard you were back in town, and I wanted to see how you were doing. When did you get in?"

I shift the bag, letting him take the groceries from my arms so I could open the door. "Not too long ago."

He places them on the all to familiar counter, the two of us looking around the kitchen. Words run through my mind as I watch Sebastian put the food up, my heart aching for the familiarity that we once had. When he pulls out two glasses, I smirk a little, crossing my arms over my chest as I watch him pour some orange juice.

When he hands me the glass, I smile in thanks. "Can I ask you something, Sebastian?"

He nods, peering over his glass at me. When he shifts the glasses with his finger, I look away, staring out of the window.

"How long have you been able to turn into... a... wolf?"

"Would you like the short story, or the long story?"

I think about it, chewing on my nail. "Give me the long story."

Taking a seat next to me, he leans back in the chair, brushing his hand through his hair with a sigh. "Back when I was seven, when my parents and I moved to this town, I loved playing in the woods. I would go out, pick some herbs and flowers for my mum, and then I'd race home when it started to grow dark.

"A few months after moving here, I was out collecting some water for my dad, and then I heard the howls start. I was scared, and dropped everything I had, and then started running. But they were so much quicker. I wasn't expecting the attack, and all I remember is one wolf – it was huge, at least twice the size of a normal one – attacking me.

"I woke up, covered in my own blood, with a couple scratches and a bite mark along my ribs. After that, it wasn't until I turned twelve that I became furious at my father that I shifted for the first time. They were afraid of me at that point, and wanted nothing to do with me. I lived with my aunt for a while until she passed away."

I nod, remembering a little bit of his family. Chewing on my lip, I finish the orange juice in the glass and stand up, rinsing it in the sink. "Can I see it?"

"What?"

I blush a little, looking at him. "The bite."

Sebastian blushes as well, nodding. When he stands, I watch him walk over, pulling the shirt over his head. It had happened so many times between us, but my face still grows red, and I still find myself smiling. On his chest, the one scar that I always knew as a dog attack, now stood out, and I ran my finger over it gently.

"What happened to us, Sebastian?" I whisper, feeling the sadness wash over my body.

The sadness seemed to mimic itself on his face as he looked over me, brushing his hand over my face. "I don't know, Sofia."

Tearing up, I pull him into a hug, hiding my face in his chest. "It's all so complicated. I miss it just being us, laughing in my room on the bed as we watch crappy comedy movies."

I feel him nod against me, hugging me tighter. He sighs, burying his face in my neck. Immediately, as his lips grazed the area where Fynn has always kissed, there was a searing pain that shot through my body and I push him away, hissing in pain.