Earning Her Trust

Chapter 7 (Part 2)

I'm so sorry the chapters haven't been regular. I try to post a chapter every week or so but I've been having some family issues and haven't had much time to write between hospital visits and school. I just haven't had the time to sit and write a full chapter.

This is part two of chapter 7 and I'm just warning you that there will be a section that's for mature readers only and is about how Avery was treated by Alpha John. I have a little warning thing right before it and at the end and will do a quick summary at the bottom of the chapter so you get the idea of what happened.

xx Marie

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DEREK POV:

I lie here wide awake, not being able to close my eyes incase she disappears when I open them even though it's been a few hours and she hasn't gone anywhere. I was ecstatic when she decided to sleep in the same room as me. It feels as if we have made so much progress in such a short time.

Liz was right, simply caring for her has made her more comfortable around me.She's the most vulnerable while she's asleep and it feels amazing to know she trusts me enough to not hurt her or take advantage. I can't help thinking about what it would be like to fully mate with her eventually. I've grown so accustomed to my ways that I'm scared I'll slip straight into the dominate role I usually play and scare her.

I wasn't lying when I said not one of the girls I had been with were in my bed. They were all downstairs in the playroom. I found it to be the easiest and most satisfying way. I got to let off some of the anger and steam caused by my mateless wolf, and the dom/sub relationship allowed for no feelings to be involved. It felt more like a business transaction. But the more I think about it the more I think about how amazing and fulfilling it would be to take Avery down there. It would be completely different to any other girl because feelings definitely would be involved. To know she trusted me so completely with something like that would be a dream.

I'm lying on my side and facing the couch across the room. I can't take my eyes away from her. She looks so peaceful while she sleeps. Her beautiful face is so relaxed, not a worry line in sight. It makes me think about how relaxed her face would be after I spend hours worshiping her body and pleasuring her. I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to make her come again and again and again.

But she sounded so broken earlier, and it shocked me that she thinks she isn't worthy of me or my love. I thought we had covered that in the bath earlier but it's becoming apparent that I have a lot more work to do in convincing her.
'She's still so weak Derek' I hear drake say softly in my mind, 'I can't believe that's all she's been eating, no wonder she's so tiny'
I feel my lips curl into disgust, 'The monster that did this to her will pay'
He growls, 'Most definitely.'

I look back over to her and see her move in her sleep only to wince at the pain the movement causes.
He whimpers at her pain and discomfort, 'She's barely healed at all, don't white wolves heal at the same rate as an Alpha?'

'She's as weak as an omega right now. Like Liz said, Avery needs nutrients to survive and to be at her full strength. It could take weeks to build that up in her state. You saw her, she can barely have half a bowl of soup and a couple bites of bread!'

'So what are you saying?'
'I'm saying we need to mark and heal her. I don't know about you but I can't stand by and watch her be in pain for weeks until she heals herself.'

'Alphas are known for taking what's theirs and sometimes marking their mates by force. I won't lie, I've wanted to mark her since we first laid eyes on her but fuck, Derek, I can't do it. I can't do that to her. I can't hurt her and ruin what little trust she has for us.'

'Don't worry, I promised her I wouldn't force her into anything at all and I meant it. But I'm just saying we need to work harder in convincing her she's safe here and that she can trust us'

'I agree but we need to be careful. We have to wait till she's completely ready or we could ruin everything.'

I sigh, 'I know I just didn't think finding her would be like this. I thought when we found our mate she'd just leap into my arms and everything would be perfect.'
'She is perfect Derek, she's ours.'
I smile, 'Yes she is'
I feel my eye lids become heavy and finally allow sleep to overcome me.

~*~

I look around. I'm still in my bedroom except all the furniture is gone and it feels as if I'm surrounded by a purple fog. My eyes dart around in panic trying to see where Avery is when I hear a soft melodic voice,'Relax child, she is safe, this is all in your head'

I spin around trying to pinpoint the voice, 'Am I dreaming? Where are you? Who are you? What do you want?'
'Questions, questions, calm down my child and let me speak. Is this a dream? Yes, but I am real.' The angelic voice informs me.

I'm still spinning around trying to see who she is when suddenly a burst of white light forces me to close my eyes. When I open them I see a beautiful woman standing before me. She's wearing a pale purple coloured dress that's long and flowing around her ankles in an imaginary wind.
"I am the Moon Goddess."

My mouth open and closes like a fish. I have no idea what to say. I must be going crazy...
"You aren't crazy" my eyes widen in surprise. How did she know that's what I thought? "I created you, of course I can hear you're thoughts." She offers in explanation and then continues, "In some situations I visit my people in their dreams. Sometimes as a punishment for a severe wrong doing, sometimes to offer help and guidance where it is needed. It depends really."

"W-what are you in my dream for?"
Fear suddenly grips me that I've done something wrong in the past and she's here to punish me now by taking Avery from me.
She laughs, "Silly boy, I won't take her from you. She needs you more than anything."

It's my turn to laugh now except mine is sarcastic and bitter, "She's too scared to even breathe in my presence. I got excited when she spoke a full sentence to me earlier."
She smiles sadly, "You're wrong child. She loves being around you, she's just scared. Your touch soothes her wounds and your voice calms her but she's only ever known pain and heartache. Why do you think I gave her her wolf early? She needed the strength. She would be dead by now without Ava. She has feelings for you, I can assure you that, but she doesn't understand them yet. Her wolf has had to protect her for so long and she's being cautious around you. She doesn't want her human to be hurt again."

"I won't ever harm her"
"I know that, you just have to help her believe it too"
I sigh, "Do you know how fast she will heal?" I ask, hoping she has some idea if she supposedly knows everything
"You were right in what you said earlier, it could take a couple weeks to heal fully. She needs rest and decent food to even begin getting better"
"If I mark her though..."
"That's why I'm here. You have to mark her or she will be in a lot of pain. Ava is too weak to absorb it anymore so-"

"Absorb it? What do you mean?" I interrupt
She smiles softly, "She can explain it to you but long story short Ava can absorb her pain. She's been doing it since she first shifted but she's too worn out to continue. All her injuries have hit her full force. The sooner you heal her the better."

I shake my head, "She isn't ready for that and I'm not going to hurt her"
Her smile grows, "That's exactly why I am here child. I have a gift for you." She holds out a tiny bottle of light purple liquid and I take it, looking at her questionably and she continues, "Drink this, then kiss her lips. You have roughly five minutes to then mark her. It will have the same affect as if you were pleasuring her, and she won't feel the pain or run the risk of the bite not taking. When she is ready, then you can give her the Luna bite as you normally would."

"So you're telling me, all I have to do is kiss her and then mark her?"
"Precisely"
"And I'll be able to heal her?"
"The effect of the mark will be no difference to a normal mates mark. You can most certainly heal her, that's why I have given you this gift."
"Wow..." I'm speechless.

This means I will not only be able to mark her without us having to do anything too sexual. She should be able to handle a kiss right? Then I can heal her!
I hear a scream and my eyes dart up to the Moon Goddess before me, "Oh dear..."
"What? What is it? Who screamed?"

"That was Avery, she's having a nightmare. It's a special kind. I must leave now, help your mate. She's going to need it. You may think all is lost but work together and you can do it. I will see you again soon."
At that she vanishes.

~*~ [warning, mature content below]

My eyes dart open and I immediately sit up and look over to the couch. My poor little mate is thrashing around the couch, screaming and crying. I'm about to rush over to her when I feel something in my hand. I look down to see the purple liquid in the tiny vial. Fuck. That means it wasn't just a dream.

My mind is suddenly assaulted with images, almost like memories but they definitely aren't mine. They're Avery's. A much younger looking Avery's. She's in a cold dirty basement with dim white lights. I see her being dragged by her hair off the old looking blue mattress in the corner.

"No no no please not again not again!" Avery is begging the man dragging her. I can't see his face nor can I smell him so I have no idea who he could be.
He quickly lifts her up higher by her hair and slaps her hard across the face, "Quiet." He growls out
I growl myself when I see the blood dribble down the side of her mouth from the slap.

She starts screaming again though when her clothes are torn from her body. He shuts her up this time by throwing her across the room and landing a hard kick to her stomach. I suck in a breath, not being able to handle seeing her like this but it's like I'm not even there. She can't hear me.

The man lifts her up again but this time by her throat and takes her to the centre of the room. I see a tangle of ropes hanging from the ceiling and I realise what's about to happen next. It's something I've done many a time before. But not like this. The ropes he's using are coarse and he has no soft leather cuffs. Her hands are tied together to the rope tightly which threads through a hook in the ceiling and attaches to the ground.