The Unexpected Inheritances

Chapter 17

Disclaimer:

- this - means thoughts

this means creature talking in head

"this" means normal talking

Severus's P.O.V

When he - my mate, Merlin, my mate - pulls away, it's like I'm breathing for the first time. Like I've lived a forever underwater amongst the Grindylows, and now I'm here and my lungs work and I don't have to choke anymore. His arms wrap tightly around my waist and his forehead rests against mine, still so close that I can feel his breath on my mouth.

"You okay?"

Yes, yes, more than, so happy, love him, our mate, Sevvy!

"I-I think so."

He starts caressing my hip with his thumb, and something inside of me snaps. Or, rather, something inside of Nat. Because suddenly I'm pushed to the back of my mind and watching as Nat falls into my skin.

Nat's grinning, almost maniacally, before practically collapsing against him, my mate -our mate- right, our mate, burying his face into his strong chest, wrapping your legs around his waist and arms around his neck.

"Oh, hi sweetheart." Mat chirps loudly.

He knows it's me, he called me sweetheart, he likes me, mate, dominant.

James chuckles. "And are you okay?" Nat nods wildly against his chest, his thought a blur of glee. "It's kind of hard on the ground, huh? You want to go back to the castle?"

-No, there'll be people there. And I'm covered in blood, and they'll stare, and... and if I go in with James they'll hate me, no, no, -and Luc won't know why I ran away, he'll be angry even if James wasn't, and...-

"Hey, you okay?" I realize that Nat is shaking, and that in my spiral of thoughts, I've blocked his out, and his are almost worse.

-take us away, need my mate, need him, they'll take me away from him, no, no, no-

I watch out of Nat's unseeing eyes as James frowns softly, raising a hand to stroke his face gently, lovingly.

"Nat, angel, what's up?"

-He's talking to you, Nat.-

Me, mate is talking to me?

Nat cocks his head James to repeat the question, and he chuckles. Just that sound makes me forget why I was even upset in the first place. Was I even? How can anything possibly be bad when my dominant is making that noise?

"Are you okay, you're practically shaking."

Nat whimpers. -Why? He chuckled; what's there to whimper about?-

He gave you permission to talk, not me.

"Talk to me, love, let me in. What's going on?"

Love!

"People in the castle. Don't want people, just you." He beams, and so does Nat, and so would I if I had control because I can't get over how gorgeous our mate looks when he smiles. I want to keep him smiling forever.

Our mate is happy. It is good.

"We can be alone in the castle, Nat."

I smile.

"If you want we can go up to my dorm and I'll keep you there forever, just us, my precious treasure."

Treasure?