Earning Her Trust

Chapter 9

AVERY POV:

"Now you're all mine"

I remember how many times Alpha John has told me that in the past and how much I hated it. How many times he told me I belonged to him and him only. He never marked me and it was the fear he had instilled in me that was claiming me as his. I was too scared to be with someone else and too scared of what he would do to me if I refused him.

But for once those words don't scare me as much. The thought that someone has claimed me, made me theirs, is actually comforting. Derek's strong arms are wrapped around me, hugging me to his body and for once I feel safe. I feel like I'm at home in his arms.

He suddenly stills and I hear a low groan come from him.

I pull back, "What is it?"

He grimaces, "I can feel-" he groans in pain again and rests his head against my shoulder, "-your pain" His breathing is coming out in short gasps and his body is starting to tremble.

I gasp in shock, I had completely forgotten marked mates feel pain. I hadn't even thought about my injuries and how they would affect him.

"Please tell me-" he groans, "-those pain killers are still in your system-" he hisses a breath through his teeth, "-and you can't feel all this too" he clutches his ribs and my eyes water at the prospect of him feeling my bruises. I know he's an Alpha but I hate the thought of my mate being in any pain, especially if it's because of me.

I close my eyes and concentrate on Ava, she immediately realises what I want and absorbs my pain. I blink my eyes open and I carefully climb off his lap and next to him on the couch. I sit cross legged and look down at my hands in my lap avoiding his gaze.

"Avery."

I quickly glance up at him and shrug, still not answering his question from a moment ago.

"Could you feel it?"

I nod cautiously, "yes"

"Why the fuck didn't you say anything about it when we woke up?" He says steadily, obviously trying to keep his cool.

I flinch slightly at the tone, "I-I don't know, I didn't think much of it"

"Didn't think much of it?!"

"I-"

"Avery you were in pain, and a lot of it, how could you possibly think it wasn't important?!"

"I'm sorry!" I whimper as I curl my legs up to my chin, avoiding his gaze, hating that he's upset with me, "I didn't do it on purpose, I'm used to being in pain, okay? It didn't even cross my mind to tell you"

"From now on you tell me the very second you have a god damned paper cut. Understood?"

"Yes"

We are both silent for a bit until he says much calmer, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" I ask in confusion

"Stop the pain like that. It's like it just disappeared"

Now I'm really confused, "What do you mean?"

He turns to face me fully, "How did you stop feeling the pain, Avery"

"Ava's absorbing it" I shrug, holding back the 'duh' that was on the tip of my tongue.

"What do you mean?"

I frown, "She just absorbed the pain for me so I can't feel it, she does it all the time"

He looks at me like I have three heads and I say now much more unsure of myself, "You can't do that?"

"Sweetheart I don't know anyone who can do that"

My eyes widen in surprise, I thought that was a thing most wolves can do...

He pulls me back onto his lap, "Come to think of it the moon goddess mentioned it in my dream. I was wondering how you managed to nearly out run my Beta, especially with so many injuries" he smirks

I frowned, "I would have actually outrun him if I wasn't so weak"

He smiles down at me, "I don't doubt that"

Carefully he holds my hand and lifts it up to his mouth, kissing the top of it and then very carefully unravelling the bandage around it. I wince as he pulls away the gauze and the cool air hits the raw skin. This is the result of being tied up with ropes all the time. He growls and presses his lips to my wrist.

He grunts as the hold Ava had on my pain drops. The pleasure courses through my wrist in the spot he kissed and I look to see the cut has closed up in that particular spot.

'Im sorry Avery, but I can't absorb your pain whilst he does that'

'Why? I don't want him to be in pain because of me!'

'I don't know, maybe the moon goddess made it that way so we can feel our mate healing us?'

'I suppose that could be true...I just hate the idea that it's my fault he's hurting'

'He will heal us soon enough'

I gasp as I feel his lips against the same spot. I feel a tingle and then the bruise that's remaining completely disappears in that little spot.

"I-I'm sorry she can't stop the pain at the same time as you healing us"

He kisses my wrist again but this time next to where he just healed and the raw skin closes up again, "It's alright, it's not so bad. I just want to heal you and then you wouldn't have to worry about any of the pain. It was just a huge shock to my system to feel it all at once"

He kisses the spot again and it disappears. Derek holds my wrist up for a third time but this time he places an open mouthed kiss on the area. When he pulls away I see even the bruise is completely gone. I hold my wrist and stare at it in shock. The top side is clear of bruising for the first time in years and the underside is dark purple with red raw skin. I keep turning my wrist over again in shock.

"Kisses heal, but saliva works twice as fast."

"It doesn't even hurt" I mumble as I run my finger over the newly healed spot.

He holds my hand still again and runs his tongue across the entire damaged area that's remaining and it disappears. I twist my wrist around, testing it's limits and find not an ounce of pain for the first time in I don't know how long.

Tears spring to my eyes and he instantly picks my hand up again examining it in a panic, "What's wrong? Is it still sore? Do you want me to kiss it again?"

I shake my head, "The opposite actually. It doesn't hurt at all"

He looks adorably confused, "So why are you crying"

I wipe away the lone tear that managed to roll down my cheek, "I'm fine it's just...I don't remember the last time it wasn't sore"

He sighs, "Baby girl" he says quietly, cradling my face in both his hands, "I won't let you be in pain ever again."

He brushes his lips against my own and then starts unravelling the bandage on my other wrist. He repeats the same process and heals it for me.

"Ok I know you're covered in bruises and cuts but tell me what hurts the most and I'll heal that next for you"

I nervously pull up the tshirt I'm wearing to reveal my ribs. He absentmindedly rubs his own ribs, feeling all my pain.

"Lie down sweetheart"

He guides me to climb off his lap and lie down on the couch. I gulp as his body hovers over mine and his face lowers down to my ribs. My breath comes out in a hiss of pain as he licks the skin. His saliva healed it too fast and it was too much of a shock to my system I suppose.

"Sorry, I'll kiss it instead"

At that he begins placing gentle kisses all over the area. It still hurts a little as it heals but because it's healing gradually it's not so bad. He kisses down and across my stomach as well. Within minutes I can take a deep breath without feeling like someone's stabbing me. The bruising is completely gone, the skin completely clear.

I stare in shock and he kisses the top of my head, "What next?"

I think of the killer headache I've had for a while now and gesture to my face.

He gently holds either side of my head and begins softly kissing all over my face, my eyelids flutter closed as he kisses my black eyes, down my cheeks and across my jaw. I'm astounded I can now open and close my mouth without my jaw clicking funny.

He smiles at me affectionately, "And I thought you were already beautiful before"

I barely register the compliment.

"What's wrong?" He questions at my astonished face

"It doesn't click anymore!" I gasp

He frowns in question, "Why would your jaw click?"

I shrug, "It's been dislocated one too many times and not set properly so it hurts if I open my mouth too much and makes a weird clicking noise"

"My poor baby. How was it dislocated?"

I hesitate knowing he won't like my answer, "it um...was forced too wide open to um a-accommodate h-him"