Broken Halves

Chapter Forty-Three

POV: Cole

"Cole bambino, please sit." The voice of Nona catches me off guard as I wasn't expecting anyone to be present in History Hall at this time of night. "What are you doing awake Nona?" I question as I sit beside her on the velvet red Victorian couch. The couch is the one I sit at every time I visit the room as it yields the best view of my mother's portrait. She is beautiful of course in the picture of both her, my father, and me, but the one I prefer to visit is the image of my mother in her armor. She has her helmet off allowing for her blonde hair to cascade down her back in waves as she stands with her shield in her right hand, sword in her left.

"I could ask you the same question bambino." Her words cause me to smile and I am reminded that my grandmother is a force to be reckoned with when she needs to be. Growing up the way she did, the youngest of twelve in a world that preferred boys to girls taught her to be quiet and docile. But, nobody messes with Nona. Whether it's from the respect she has earned over her time here at Blood Moon, or the memory of her lethal wooden spoon, everyone in the pack knows that her word is to be followed with no complaints.

"She has been scarred bambino. She has been hurt in the past and you will need to be gentle with her, slow. Show her what love is as she barely remembers." My heart squeezes painfully and I know without a doubt that she is referring to my mate.

Earlier tonight Nona and Grandad brought her back with them from the diner. She was covered in blood and shaking as Nona led her into the house and gave her a room. She briefly explained to me in passing that Dani would be staying here with us from now on, but wouldn't elaborate further when I pushed. She even went as far as banning me from the floor that Dani is sleeping on to ensure that I'd leave her alone; hence why I am currently awake at three in the morning wandering around the house.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not naïve enough to believe she is ready to jump headfirst into a romantic relationship with me. I know Nona probably banned me from seeing her as she fears the poor girl will wake up with me in her bed scarring her further. I'm sure Nona thinks I can't keep my hands to myself, and she's right. But not for the reasons she thinks.

My mate, the love of my life, my future, was hurt tonight and I am not there to help her through her pain. She's probably terrified right not. Goddess knows what happened to her earlier today that caused her to show up covered in blood and shaking, she is obviously affected by that. But also, she is spending the night in a new house, with people she hardly knows, after experiencing something traumatic.

All I want to do is gather her in my arms and reassure her that she is safe, that everything is alright. That she isn't alone and she never will be again. But I can't. I am forced to be under the same roof as her, so close yet so far away. Unable to comfort her the way my body yearns to do; all because my grandmother thinks she knows best.

Nona knows I value her opinion. She knows I love her. But when it comes to my mate, she is my responsibility. Mine to comfort and worship, not my grandmother's. I was born with the skills necessary to soothe my mate through distress, and instead of putting them to good use, I have been forced to sit idle on my hands as I watch her suffer. My body physically aches that I cannot go comfort her in her time of need.

"I know. She is the one who is meant for me Nona, I will take it as slow as I need to, but I need to see her. I need to let her know that she isn't alone. That she can share her fears and unleash her burden onto my shoulders as I will always be there to pick her up." Tears run down Nona's face as she raises her hand to soft caress my cheek.

"Oh my sweet boy," Nona mumbles through her tears. "You are so much like your grandfather. I am going to tell you something you have never been told." She moves her hands to grasp both of my own on her lap as she begins to speak.

"When I turned 14 my father thought me old enough to move out and be a wife. All of my sisters were mated to Alpha's and therefore it was suspected that I would also have an Alpha mate." She squeezes my hands as if she is fighting through her own emotions before continuing.

"So, that summer he began parading me around to all of the Alphas to see who claimed me as their mate. After a year of trying, he moved his search to the states where freshly turned 18 year old Hank Richards claimed he was my mate. I was 15 and too young to know for myself, but my father took his word for it and left me here. I barely knew any English and I was completely terrified as I was we were expected to mate instantly."

"Hank wanted to worship me much like you want to worship Dani. I was his mate, he was in love with me instantly, but I didn't reciprocate his feelings. I had no intuition that he was my mate, I didn't even have my wolf yet. I was a late bloomer and didn't shift until a few months after I met Hank." She released a laugh and once again her hands tightened around mine.

"Of course he was patient. He courted me and he was by my side throughout the entirety of my shift. I know you have your issues with your Grandad Cole, and they are justified, but Hank was just perfect back then." She breathes in deeply before continuing.

"Eventually, I began to gain feelings for Hank, but I was still terrified of mating with him. He had put it off for five months before his father forced us together. He was gentle and perfect of course and I was soon pregnant with your father." She smiles sadly and I mirror her watery smile as she releases our hands to wipe her tears.

"My point is Cole, like Hank, you feel the bond. You are ready to jump right into a romantic relationship and worship your mate like you were taught from a young age. But like me, Dani doesn't feel the bond. She doesn't return those intense feelings yet. You need to go slow with her, win her over. Prove to her that you can be someone she can depend on before you take that leap." Nona leans forward to kiss my cheek gingerly.

"You must be even slower with her than Hank was with me. She is human, she doesn't understand our ways at all. You must teach her, you must be gentle." Before either one of us can speak again, the door to History Hall opens and Grandad walks in with a frown on his face. "Loretta? Are you alright? I could feel your sadness through the bond." Nona smiles before standing up and hugging her mate, my cue to leave.

Slipping through the doors into the hallway, the only thing I can think of is how I will show Dani that I can be dependable. I will gain her trust before I gain her love and then I will worship her how she is meant to be worshiped for the rest of our lives.    

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