Uncaged

I can show you

Unedited. Thanks for reading. Pls vote and comment!

As we walked back I couldn't help but ask, "What was it that you called Jack?" I had heard her mumble it in her sleep a number of times. She looked up at me with furrowed eyebrows for a moment before her face softened with understanding. 

Her soft voice held a faraway sadness as she answered, "It means little one." I held in a growl and pulled ever her closer into my side. The porch steps creaked under our feet as we made our way into the house. She separated herself from me and pulled off her boots and socks with a grateful sigh, setting them beside the door and wiggling her toes gleefully and making her way into the house. I chuckled taking off my own footwear and walking through the open door after her.

Her light footsteps halted in front of me accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. I worked quickly grabbing her arm and pulling her behind me to shield her from harm but relaxed when Collin's scent drifted into my nose.

"It's okay, it's only Collin," I assured her.

At the sound of his name, Collin walked down the hallway towards us. Jocelyn let out a breath of relief before stepping out behind me, just enough to get a look at Collin. He was about to open his mouth when Jocelyn spun around abruptly at the sound of footsteps making their way up the front porch. 

"I heard you used your new magic powers on a pup today." Dylan's continually chipper voice filled the room. Jocelyn glanced back at me and Collin before nodding up at the cheery wolf. Dylan bounced excitedly on the balls of his feet before continuing, "That's so awesome, what did you do to him?" Collin shook his head disapprovingly glaring at Dylan. I growled lowly while grabbing hold of her hand. 

"I didn't do anything, I just made him feel better." Jocelyn reasoned with her shoulders
squared defensively.

Collin interrupted before Dylan could interject again, "We are having trouble finding anything about your new abilities, maybe if we had a better understanding of it, it would make our hunt easier."  

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other while biting her lip in thought. The contemplation lasted a few seconds, "I don't have a great understanding of it myself," she said.

Collin smiled at her answer before replying, "Anything is better than nothing."  Dylan gave an enthusiastic 'yeah'. She nodded in agreement before looking up at me.

I smiled down at her, "Let's go to the living room, where we'll be more comfortable." We settled into the overstuffed couch with Jocelyn leaning into my side and Dylan and Colling situated across from the coffee table. They both leaned forward in anticipation while Jocelyn's hands' fidgeted, her thumbnail scraping against the top of her pinky anxiously. 

"Okay, so you said that you made the pup feel better, how did you do that?" Collin prompted his eyes flickering between the two of us.

She pushed off of me and scooted to the end of the cushion and said, "I can just show you if you want."

Collin looked up at me silently asking for permission to touch my mate. Jasper flicked his tail in agitation, reticent of Collin's experiments. I nodded in consent if it helped Jocelyn I was willing to attempt to control myself. She stood up from her spot and shuffled closer to the two boys with a glance in my direction she reached a slender hand and placed it gently atop his.

Closing her eyes in concentration, her hand suddenly beamed with a faint white glow. Her eyes opened just as a laugh bubbled up from her chest, the sweet musical sound fluttered through the air like a butterfly.

Her serene voice was almost medicinal, "You don't have to be worried, I won't hurt you." It's smooth, even temperament was narcotic. 

Collin's eye grew wide in surprise, almost popping out of his head, strongly resembling a cartoon character. I smirked at her candidness, it seems we share that in common.

He sputtered, "I'm not-I wasn't," Jocelyn's sweet smile silence him, "and If it's Allison you're missing you can invite her here, I won't mind."

Collin looked over to me for an explanation while Dylan gazed at Jocelyn in child-like wonder. 

"One of her abilities is to read your emotions." I offered. 

Dylan grinned in amazement, "One of them?"

He questioned peering over Collin to get a better look at Jocelyn's hands. She glanced up at Dylan before turning her attention back to Collin and asking, "Do you want me to stop?" She questioned.

He shook his head and urged her to go on. The white flecks in her eyes sparkled with radiance, their allure becoming more and more intoxicating. Collin's reaction was immediate, his cool grey eyes grew dark, swimming with a thick layer of tears.

I tensed, moving further along the couch closer to Jocelyn. His shoulders slumped with a ragged breath that quickly turned into a laugh that verged on manic. Jocelyn withdrew her hand jerkily turning back to me, features hard with anxiety.

 My inner wolf was rapidly becoming less and less compliant with our mate being used as a test subject, his lips twitched aggressively as barred his teeth in warning. "Are you okay?"  I asked her through mind link hoping to easer both her and Jaspers' tension.  

 Her worried eyes flickered over to me while her now tight voice filled my head, "I'm fine, I think." Jaspers fur ruffled at her less than satisfactory answer urging me to send the males away and comfort our mate. I forced him down. I refused to control her like some mindless animal.

"What just happened," Dylan asked, drawing out each syllable as if he was trying to decide mid-sentence whether it was a good idea to voice his concern or not. Jocelyn shifted in her seat uneasily, looking around the room as if she were searching for an escape route. Collin cleared his throat and turned to Jocelyn gazing at her in awe. She returned his stare wearily with her head turned slightly to the side and her eyes darting as she examined his posture.

With a strained voice that sounded almost pleading she said, "I'm sorry, Collin I-" He quickly shook his head dismissing her as he swiftly reached out to take her hand. She flinched violently, her whole self tensed as she backed herself into the couch, curling up and trying to make herself as small as possible. A growl tore its way out my chest as I swiftly moved down the couch and gathered her in my arms.

Her rigid body trembled and squirmed against my hold for several moments until finally, her chest rose in a deep inhale and her anxious form deflated in my arms. I held her tighter moving my hand to cradle the back of her head. She wrapped her arms around my neck and threaded her small fingers through my hair, "I'm sorry, please I didn't mean to," her quivering voice repeated softly in my ear on a continuous loop.

 I jerk my head up and glared at Collin, his stupidity has no bounds. Both he and Allison were seemingly unable to comprehend simple instructions. I fumed silently as I hushed her, rubbing my hand up the length of her back hoping the mate bond would calm her. Collins's eyes were glued to Jocelyn's shaking form, swimming with regret. He rose hurriedly from his seat ignoring Dylan's warning and knelt down in front of Jocelyn and me on the floor. He held his hands up in surrender at the feral look in my eyes. 

"Jocelyn, you didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm not upset..." He paused looking over her sadly before continuing, "you can even check if you want."

With a deep breath, the weight of her head lifted off my chest as she turned to look down at Collin. She eyed him skeptically before timidly reaching out her small hand and grabbing hold of his.

 Collin glanced up at me before going on to say, "They were tears of happiness Jocelyn. You made me feel...safe, something that only Allison has ever made me feel. Thank you, Luna." She quickly climbed off my lap with an embarrassed laugh.

"You don't have to thank me, Collin. I should be thanking you-and Dylan, without you two I wouldn't be here." At the mention of her death, Jasper charged to the surface snarling at the barrier of my mind. My fist clenched and claws lengthed and retracted with the effort not to shift. Unable to control it a deep rumble emanated from my chest, filling the silence of the room.

All eyes flew in my direction before the boys turned to Jocelyn in worried anticipation. My tense muscles melted under her magical touch, the thoughts of her death washed away. As her silky smooth hands ran up the length of arms. I nodded in thanks, unable to find the words while her light was being pumped into my skin. She let out a small sigh of relief before slowly withdrawing herself, turning back to my beta and delta. 

"So let me get this straight, you can read people's emotions and make them feel whatever you want?" Dylan asked a little wide-eyed in disbelief. Jocelyn shuffled in her seat and eyed the door subtly. After a small nod from Jocelyn, Dylan's comically large smile enveloped his face before he launched himself from his seat and around the coffee table.

"Can you make me feel something too?" He asked excitedly. 

"What do you want to feel?" She asked.

Collin cut in curiosity dancing in his eyes and a smirk on his face, "make him go to sleep." 

Jocelyn looked back at Dylan for confirmation seemingly unopposed to the idea. At the disappointed look on his face.

She made a suggestion, "I can do something different afterwards."

After agreeing Dylan settled himself on the couch for obvious reasons. His foot twitched in nervous suspense as she slowly reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. My jaw clenched, their scent was all over her now, seeping into her perfect skin.

Dylan's eyes slammed closed, his head rolled back and hung their limply over the back of the couch. Jocelyn spun around to see my's and Collin's mutually amused and shocked faces. Her face was contorted in a grimace as she asked, "can I fix him now?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her discomfort. Before saying, "yes and you don't have to ask."

She nodded, breathing out a deep breath as she woke him up. Dylan sat up with a yawn, stretching his arms wide over his head.

"Oh, uh why am on th.... what the hell that was awesome!" He shouted in amazement. She grinned back at him before turning away and bringing up a hand to cover her mouth, shielding it from view as she yawned. I cut off Dylan's rambling, they've got the idea. I'm not going to have her being used as a party trick. 

"That's enough of that now, she's done."

Dylan looked up startled before quickly bowing his head in submission.

 I went on, "She doesn't just manipulate emotions, the light inside her is a force of some kind. She broke the bathroom vanity upstairs with it this morning."

Collin hummed, looking deep in thought while Dylan broke into another smile declaring, "best Luna ever." I silently agreed.

I looked over at my mate to see a rouge blush spreading across her cheeks, which she tried to subtly cover by bowing her head so that her hair would fan in front of them. With a pointed look directed at Collin, he cleared his throat and motioned to Dylan, "I think we have everything we need now, thank you again, Jocelyn, for showing us your gifts."

She looked up at him shaking her head softly and replying, "It was my honour."

They smiled in unison, before making their leave. Just as the door closed you could hear Dylan snicker teasingly, "do you want to stop by the packhouse for some kleenex? Let it out man, it's okay to cry like a baby-"

Followed by a loud smack. "Ow- what the hell, Collin I was just joking."

A brief pause was heard before Collin joined in chuckling as he asked, "How was your nap?" 

I glanced over at Jocelyn to catch her reaction to find her already watching me. Her cerulean doe eyes filling the empty space in my soul. My heart swelled with unparalleled gratitude. My deservedness of this beautiful creature that sat in front of me was undeniable and beyond reproach.

I needed her closer. I wanted my scent all over her, warning all others that she was mine and I was hers. "Can I hold you?" Her thick eyebrows slanted upwards adorably just as a beaming smile overtook her face. Shuffling closer on the couch I scooped her up onto my lap.

"Thank you for asking me," She murmured into my chest. Jasper purr in contentment, pleased to have our scent masking the others.

"I hope this isn't all in my head," She whispered sleepily. I frowned in confusion and held her tighter running my hands tenderly across her back and up her arms until I felt her breaths become deep and even with sleep. Carefully I rose from the couch with her still in my arms and carried her upstairs to bed.