Alex

Silas, that crazy bastard. How could he not mark that girl? For months he would have been tormented by that long brown hair, bright green eyes, mischievous smile. Well, he probably didn't see her smile much. The pup was stronger than I gave him credit for. I marked my Julie mere moments after meeting her. The pull, my wolf, there was no way I could withstand either of them. How unfortunate it is that he still held on to those old, outdated beliefs about human mates. He could have been even stronger with his mate, even a human one. Just from my brief conversation with her, I could tell she was smart, and her sassy responses brought something out of me that I hadn't heard in months.

Laughter.

The poor girl didn't deserve the treatment she received. It was unfortunate that her opinion of wolves in general had been formed completely around such atrocious acts of abuse. What she experienced was not normal. But now I suppose she can return to her life, live amongst the humans, find a decent male to settle down with and leave this world behind.

I laid in bed, too keyed up from the fight to let my eyes rest. It had been a long time since my pack took part in such a large battle. We were a peaceful pack, living our lives, minding our own business. But when Silas' wolves started attacking our borders, trying to kill our patrol I knew something had to be done. I was stunned when I learned he was doing the same to other packs, ones much larger and vicious than ours. His fate was all but sealed at that moment. My thoughts hover over the human girl in the room next to mine. I placed her there when I wasn't sure if she was a threat, so I could keep an eye on her. After about thirty seconds with her I realized she was threat level zero and left her to her thoughts.

All of a sudden, a piercing scream ripped through the air and I jolted out of bed and into her room, ready to defend her if needed. She screams again and I look frantically around the room but see nothing. I flip on the light to look at her and realize she's asleep. The fact that she's having a nightmare makes my heart soften towards her and I move next to the bed, grasping her shoulders gently and jostling her a little.

"Leah. Wake up. It's just a dream." I say quietly, trying to soothe her. Her eyes open wide, fear more than obvious in their depths. She's panting and grips onto my forearms, her nails digging into my flesh. I flinch a little, but really her human strength doesn't hurt much. I watch as her eyes settle into the realization that she's awake and safe. Her breathing begins to settle, and I sit on the bed next to her until she removes her claws from my skin.

"I'm sorry." She says, looking at the small amount of blood dripping down my arm, then watches in amazement as the semi-circle wounds heal before her eyes. "Cooooool." She murmurs making me chuckle.

"Are you ok?" I ask her gently and she nods.

"I'm sorry I woke you up." She says diverting her gaze and tucking her brown hair behind her ear. She smells much better after bathing and she looks much better as well, beautiful even.

"I wasn't sleeping." I admit and her eyes meet mine before she nods in understanding. "What was your dream about?" I ask her gently, not trying to push her too hard. She clears her throat and readjusts her body, obviously uncomfortable by my question.

"Um... when S-Silas threw me in the t-trunk of his car. I thought he was gonna Ted Bundy me." She says and if her voice didn't quiver with fear I probably would have chuckled. I reach out to pat her shoulder, careful to rein in my strength. A single tear tracks down her face and she sniffles before wiping it away. I pull her closer to me, signaling she can use me for comfort if she wishes. She leans slowly into me, resting her head on my shoulder and taking deep breaths, but no more tears fall. She pulls away and smiles sadly up at me, slipping her thumb in between my thumb and pointer finger, wrapping her little hand around my wrist.

"Thank you, Alex." She says her voice thick from holding back tears. Then she rips her hand away from mine as if it burned her and I eye her curiously.

"I'm sorry. Your mate. I don't want her to feel me touching you." She says, her eyes flitting to my neck where my once bright mark has faded. I sigh and smile sadly at her.

"How did you know mates could feel those things?" I ask her and her eyes harden with anger.

"He may not have wanted me, but he wanted plenty of other women while he held me captive. I could feel it every time." She says bitterly and repulsion rises within me. I can't imagine cheating on a mate bond.

"He was disgusting, Leah. But he's gone and can't hurt you anymore." I say softly and she nods. "As far as this," I say taking her hand in mine again. "Thank you for your consideration, but my mate was killed a long time ago." Her eyes widen in surprise as she looks up at me.

"I'm so sorry." She says, the grief clear in her face. "If losing a mate I didn't even like hurts this bad, I can't imagine what losing one you loved feels like." She murmurs and I nod.

"What does it feel like? For you?" I ask curiously and she cocks her head to the side thinking about it.

"I feel... hollow." She says and I nod in understanding. I've never heard anyone describe it more accurately. "How long ago did you lose her?" She asks and I sigh.

"Twenty years." I say and she scrutinizes my face.

"How long were you together?" She asks curiously and I can't stop a little grin, knowing where her thoughts are headed.

"Thirty-five years." I say and her mouth gapes open in shock.

"How old are you?!" She screeches and I chuckle in response.

"Seventy-five." I answer and she gasps.

"But you don't look a day over twenty-eight!" She exclaims and I chuckle some more.

"And I will look like this until I die." I say nonchalantly.

"And how long do you expect to live?" She asks.

"Wolves live until we are killed. I've met wolves that are hundreds of years old." I say shrugging and she gapes again.

"So why are some of you given human mates? When we have such a short life span." She asks.

"When we mark a human mate, our venom spreads throughout their body, keeping them alive as long as we are." I explain.

"And young?" She asks and I nod.

"Fucking crazy." She murmurs and I smile again.

"So if that asshole had marked me, I could have lived forever?" She asks incredulously and I shake my head.

"The effects would have ended with his death and you would have a normal human life span again." I say and she nods in understanding. She yawns a little and I take that as my cue to leave. I stand, but she holds on to my hand.

"Can you sit in here for a few minutes? In that chair?" She asks, pointing to the chair I was in when she woke up. I raise my brow at her and even in the dim light I can see a faint blush on her cheeks. "I feel a little safer with you here. Must be that big bad alpha vibe." She explains and I smile before nodding.

"Sure. I'll stay until you're asleep." I answer and she nods before nestling back under the covers. I turn off the light and I rub my face, exhaustion finally starting to take over. I watch the gentle rise and fall of her chest before she slips into sleep. I exit her room quietly and fall into my own bed, deciding to leave my shirt on in case she has another nightmare and needs me again.

My thoughts don't stray from her until sleep eventually claims me, her knowledge of us impressive considering the conditions she was subjected to. I find her incredibly interesting, and hope I get to learn more before she leaves us.