Simply Mates

SIX

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask before noticing him looking down at my naked body. I feverishly try to cover myself up by dipping lower into the water and wrapping my arms around my chest. "Eyes up here, asshole!"

He smirks - fucking smirks - before turning to Derek and nodding. "Derek."

"Hey Callum." Derek says as he gets out of the water. I turn my head quickly, not wanting to see that. "How's it going, man?"

I can physically feel Callum's eyes on me when he replies. "As good as can be expected, I guess."

"I got your clothes if you want to put something on, Ands." Derek calls out to me and I can hear the soft thud of presumably my clothes fall to the ground near the water's edge.

"Yeah." I say, turning back to them. Derek already has his shorts on and is currently slipping a shirt over his head. "Can you guys turn around?"

"I'm rather enjoying the view though." Callyum says with a devilish grin. Derek backhands his chest, making him groan. "What was that for?"

"That's my sister, fucktard." He growls.

"She's my mate, dickwad." Callum replies as he turns around.

"Sister trumps mate, cunt nugget." Derek says as I step out of the water, raising my brow at his choice of words.

Callum turns his head to Derek and gives him a disgusted look. "Cunt nugget? Where the fuck did you come up with that?" He asks incredously.

"I don't know." Derek replies, shrugging his shoulders. "It kinda just popped into my head. I kinda like it."

"Of course you would." Callum says. "You like anything weird. You like liver."

"We're werewolves. We like meat."

"Liver is not meat! It's an organ!" Callum says as I finish putting my clothes on. "And it's absolutely replusive."

"It's a delicacy, jackass. Maybe you just don't have good tastebuds to-"

"Liver is gross, Derek." I say, interrupting their argument. "And, am I missing something?" I gesture between the two.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Derek says, wrapping his arm around Callum's shoulders, but Callum playfully pushes him off. "We're best buds, Ands!"

"I am not your 'bud'." Callum mutters, shaking his head. "What are you...five?"

"Seriously, man?" Derek says, his face contorting. "You gonna nit pick everything I say?"

Callum smirks. "It's my job, 'best bud'." He says, wrapping his arm around Derek's neck and giving him a noogie.

"Okay, really? How on earth do you two know each other?" I ask. "Cause, this" I gesture between them, "Is really fucking weird."

"I met good ol' Callum here on a run - what? Ten years ago now?" Derek asks, turning to Callum. "We've been really close ever since."

"Nifty." I say sarcastically, folding my arms again. "And why the fuck are you here?"

"I felt your turmoil and had to go on a run." Callum says, his face growing serious as he looks me deep in the eyes. "Then, I heard your howl and, without hesitation, I came running."

"Stupid wolf." I mumble under my breath.

Callum takes a slow, careful step closer to me. "Are you alright? I felt your fear and worry? It twisted in my gut and I couldn't go to you to make things better. It killed me, Andy. It was like a knife to my soul." He says as he takes another step closer. "What happened?"

"I'm fine." I say and Derek scoffs loudly. "Fine, I am not fine, but I will be. I don't need you here."

"Don't be a stubborn idiot, Ands. He's here for you. Talk to him. He's a good guy. He's good for you." Derek says before turning on his heel and walking into the forest.

"You are just going to leave me with him?" I ask in bewilderment, gesturing to my mate who is inching closer and closer to me. "What the fuck, Derek?"

"You will be fine." Derek calls over his shoulder, before stopping and turning around. He narrows his eyes on Callum and says, "No sex." Then, he turns around again and disappears into the trees.

"What an asswipe." I mutter, looking down at the ground. I don't notice how close Callum is to me until I feel his fingers touching mine, followed by the pleasurable sparks that course through my body. The feeling brings an instant calm that disappears when I jump away from him.

"Don't touch." I say weakly. I want his touch. I want his touch so fucking bad that every hair on my body is standing on end, waiting for it again. My entire being is being pulled into him, like a moth to the flame. I have to fight it with everything I have.

And it's a losing battle.

"I need to." He says. "I have to, Andy. I need to...for you and for me."

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't. You didn't mark me. I can feel everything you feel, Andy. I can feel your fear, your anxiety, your sadness and your anger." He says as he looks at me desperately. "And I could feel the fraction of happiness you had earlier in the day, but it was gone in an instant. It killed me that I couldn't be there for you then, but I can be here now. Let me be here now, Andy. Please."

A rogue tear escapes my eye and runs down my cheek and before I can react, Callum engulfs me in his strong arms - pulling the moth into the flame and setting it on fire. I can feel the bond we share hum and my wolf purrs in satisfaction as his arms hold me tight to him. His scent surrounds me, making me forget everything but it's musky scent. And his heartbeat is a lullaby that I never knew I needed.

"I'm here." He whispers into my hair before planting a small kiss on my head, opening the dam that I have built and held strong for the day. The tears flow freely and a sob rips through me. I grip tightly onto his shirt and I let myself cry into my mates chest. I never want to let him go. I never want to let this go. I want to stay in this moment forever and spend the rest of my days with him and only him.

And I allow myself to cry. I allow myself a moment of weakness in his arms and I let out all of my emotions out as I give in to this bond that I have been fighting all day. I just let it all out - all my sadness, fear, anxiety and anger. I let everything go as I stand there, in his arms and bawl my fucking eyes out like a three year old toddler. 

Callum holds me as tightly as he can and I am thankful for that. Just his presence alone is enough to soothe me and comfort me, but his touch brings it to a whole other level. He's right. I need him - need this - more than I ever thought I did and it scares me. Never in my life have I felt like I needed anyone, but here I am, finding out that I cannot live without this man in my life.

And it's terrifying.