Mate of Honor

Mate of Honor Ch. 13

Roxie blinked at the sunshine hitting her face and groaned. Turning over she buried her face into the warm bed and sighed in content. She felt refreshed, replenished after the best night sleep she could ever remember having. Sighing again she moved hugging the pillow next to her. She tensed when the ‘pillow’ moved and wrapped his arm around her hugging her close. Hunter was awake and overjoyed to be this close to his mate, waking up to her next to him.

            Roxie’s heart was pounding in a near panic attack catching Hunter’s ear. He moved back quickly and looked down at her. Roxie glanced up pulling her knees to her chest quivering. She relaxed when she saw Hunter’s face and stretched out again. Roxie hated how comfortable she felt, but at least it was only Hunter. A flash back of the night before made her shudder. Hunter had saved her. That along with the mark had installed a new level of trust in her for him. She felt it was mostly that he had proved able to protect her more than him biting her.

            Hunter slowly edged back down to lay on his side gazing at Roxie’s face lovingly. His hand reached up to cup her face, thumb stroking her cheek lightly. “I do not remember going to sleep with you in the bed,” Roxie muttered giving him an accusing glare.

            “I don’t really remembering coming to your bed either, my wolf must have taken over,” Hunter grinned sheepishly and Roxie huffed not believing it. “He wants to be close to you just as much as I do.”

            Roxie sighed, there wasn’t much arguing about his feelings or pushing him away for it. “Thank you for saving me last night.”

            Hunter smiled softly still stroking her face. “Anything for you, I will never let anyone hurt you ever again my mate, my love.”

            Never again, she had to admit she liked the sound of that. That didn’t stop her past from still being wounded though. “I believe you when you say that.”

            “And yet you still get scared when I get close.” Hunter mussed a flash of sadness in his eyes.

            Roxie bit her lip wondering how to respond. “I get scared when you trap me.”

            Now Hunter’s eyes flashed with anger, his whole face becoming serious, body tensing. “Why?”

            Roxie gulped and eased back not liking the angry side of Hunter. Hunter’s hand moved from her face to her back stopping her retreat and pulling her closer. “Hunter….”

            “Why does being trapped scare you? Is it just me or is it in general? Why should you be scared of being trapped?”

            What could she tell him? Roxie knew she should tell him everything, right then and there, but she couldn’t. The guilty side of her whispered that people could still be getting hurt and no one was stopping it. ‘You could stop it if you told someone, someone who could protect you from them,’ the little voice in her whispered. ‘He won’t let them lock you up. You won’t get hurt again.’ Still, she wouldn’t tell, but she had to give him an answer, and he would know if it wasn’t the truth.

            Yet, would he know if it wasn’t the whole truth? He probably would, but a few changed details and facts left out wouldn’t hurt him. “I was trapped once, in our old orphanage.” Truth, though it wasn’t the only time she had been trapped. “There was a fire; Ella and I were trapped inside the building.” All truth, Ella and her had been locked in, unable to escape the hungry flames.

            “Do you want to talk about it, it will help.” Hunter’s face was softening and his hand returned to stroke her face comfortingly now.