Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you.

Jean-Paul Satre

"You know, only because you said yes to trying and being his mate, it doesn't mean that Luke has the right to...push you into anything you aren't ready for."

Oliver's words pulled Daphne out of her worries for that first school day. She hadn't slept more than a few hours that night, her hand never straying from Luke's fur.

Still, that hadn't kept her from repeatedly waking herself up with a wildly beating heart and fear gripping her.

She hated this. She hated that she was using Luke as some kind of crutch that magically made everything better. It was ridiculous...and she couldn't help herself to want him around her as long and as often as she somehow could manage.

But still...

"What do you mean, Ollie?" Daphne asked her cousin and he sighed, staring out of the windshield while they were stuck behind some grey pickup truck.

"Wolves tend to move... fast after the initial meeting. I just want to make sure that you know that you can tell him to stop. Whatever you are doing. Luke doesn't want to hurt you but his wolf can get a bit...overzealous at times."

Oh god.

Really, that wasn't a conversation that Daphne wanted to have with Ollie. Or with anybody for that matter. But especially not with her .

"Ollie, it's...nice that you are trying to look out for me but...the only thing we have done is holding hands!" Daphne cut him off before he could get any other ideas.

"That's good! It can stay like that for a little while," he told her enthusiastically and Daphne bit back a retort about Ollie and Grace doing far worse than Daphne holding hands with Luke.

The two of them were well-known for kissing at practically every opportunity that presented herself.

She didn't say that though, only amused smiling, a bit touched that Ollie was trying to look out for her even when it clearly made him uncomfortable.

It was sweet and well-intentioned, even when Daphne didn't want to think about that part of her life right now.

She wasn't ready for that or anything else that came with mating with Luke. She just...She just wanted to try and figure out their relationship before she threw even more into the mix. Werewolves were enough right now. Thank you very much.

Still, she couldn't help herself from smiling brightly when she saw Luke as they arrived at school.

She happily jumped out of the car, careful not to fall on the ice that was on the parking lot and then smiled at him.

"Hey," she brought out, and he leaned down to hug her tightly.

She loved it when he did that. She just wanted to bury into his arms for as long as he led her, closing her eyes and breathing him in.

He smelled like the forest and the ocean and something else that she couldn't place, a smell of wilderness that was...very attractive.

It made her feel safe and protected and a part of her brain wanted that smell around her always. Daphne didn't want to think about that part of her brain anymore.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly as she held on to him for a moment longer and she nodded.

"Just...a bit worried," she admitted hesitantly.

Even Ollie had told her that it would be fine that morning on their drive to school while she had silently freaked out on the seat next to him. But that hadn't helped.

She was worried. About how the school would react to her and Luke's fledgeling relationship, to what gossip would be there behind her back...Because Daphne knew that wouldn't happen.

All of them would wonder why a boy like Luke was interested in a girl like her.

"It will be alright," Luke promised her. Daphne wished she had even an ounce of Luke's optimism. She didn't.

She was expecting the worst.

"It will be alright, I promise. Nothing is going to happen," he told her again, leaning down to press a kiss to her hair and she let him do that, her hands still fisted in the hoodie he wore underneath his parka.

He smoothed down the messy blonde hair that Daphne had thrown back into a French braid that morning, not in the mood to have it hanging around her

It tapped into some kind of her brain, somehow telling her that she was safe and that he was going to keep her that way.

"You can't always protect me," Daphne whispered. He couldn't. He wouldn't be able to always protect her...

"No. But there is pack here as well. And we protect our own," Luke said, meeting her eyes. His eyes were green and brown, golden flecks throughout and finally, she nodded her agreement, pulling her hands away from his hoodie and crossing her arms. She was being ridiculous. She was needy and...

"Stop it," Luke said suddenly and she looked up. What had she done? "You are allowed to be scared. After what happened to you...it isn't much of a surprise," Luke whispered. He reached out to touch her cheek, his thumb gently rubbing over her cheekbone.

"He won't ever come near you again." The promise was clear in his voice. "Ready to go inside? Nobody is going to do ."

Not really. She would much prefer to go back home and hide in her room for a little while longer.

"Can I have another hug first?" Daphne brought out hesitantly, really not sure, if...but his touch was the one thing that made her feel safe. That made her feel taken care of and safe and like she belonged somewhere.

Thankfully he only smiled at her, a wide happy smile, opening his arms and letting her hug him again before he folded his much bigger arms around her tightly.

"You can have a hug you want, Sweetheart," he whispered.

Oh.

There was a weird sense of warmth building in her chest at the use of that endearment that stayed even when he let her go and instead slipped his hand in hers.

"Come on."

He grinned at her widely and she couldn't help but smile back, walking in the school building, tucked against his side, her hand in his.

It shouldn't have surprised her in retrospect how many of the other students openly stared at them.

But at that moment she just looked down on the floor, her face probably beet red at the whispers seemed to grow in volume. She pushed them away, instead concentrating on Luke.

What were they thinking at that moment? Were they wondering what Luke had been thinking? Were they considering what kind of...benefits she must have so that he was her...boyfriend? Was he her boyfriend?

She had no idea. They held hands. He never tried to kiss her. But she was willing to try and be his mate and that...that probably made them boyfriend and girlfriend, right?

Right?

"Let them stare. They'll find something else to gossip about soon enough," Luke told her softly and she nodded her agreement as they reached their lockers. She carefully unloaded most of the books in her locker, not wanting to think about it anymore.

She also didn't want to think about what Haley would do once she found out.

"How are your senses?" Luke asked her and Daphne managed to put a smile on her face.

"All good, I'll be fine," she told him. She didn't believe her own words, but he didn't need to know that.

"Tell me, if that changes, alright?"

***

Daphne was doing much better than he expected to be honest. Luke had half expected her to run away screaming that morning, but her hand had just tightened around his in a vice-like grip and he happily lived with that tiny bit of discomfort if it comforted her.

By the time lunch had come around, the gossip seemed to have completed his round around the school and while there was still whispering, the staring had stopped at least some. And Daphne was giggling and chatting with Kiana, who was telling his mate all about the disastrous date she had gone on a few weeks ago.

Date...he should probably take Daphne out on one.

The problem was only that he had no idea where to take her.

He didn't want to go too far away from home, didn't want to go anywhere where she didn't feel safe, which directly started to rule out somewhere with a lot of people.

There was no way he was dragging her to a cinema, that would just promise disaster. Sitting in a dark room with a lot of people was not his idea of a fun time either...

Daphne stiffening beside him pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned towards her, her skin colour turning sickly white with every passing minute.

And then he could hear Haley.

Two tables to their right, the conversation clearly intended to be overheard by other humans and Daphne and him in particular.

"God, she must be good in bed. That's the only reason why he would want to be with her," Haley snorted loudly and Daphne just kept staring at the table, while he could feel the fury started to burn in his veins.

There were a hundred reasons why he wanted to be with Daphne and not a single one had anything to do with that.

"She isn't even pretty!" Tiffany, one of Haley's friend agreed with her and he couldn't help the growl that escaped him.

And then suddenly, there was Daphne's hand on his, her much smaller one grasping his.

"Don't, Luke," she whispered. She looked at him with these startling violet eyes, clearly trying desperately to put on a brave face for him. "It's okay."

It was obvious how not okay it was, but she still grasped his hand and so he took it and brought it to his mouth, pressing a kiss against it. He let her soft milky white skin and the scent of cinnamon and home soothe the wolf that was railing against the disrespect of his mate.

Oh, how Luke wished he could do something against it.

"Ollie, you neither," Grace hissed at that moment, holding back his best friend of making his displeasure clear at Haley.

Luke was not going to fo beat up a human or a girl for that matter, his father would kill him. And his mate had asked him not to as well. So he pushed down the fury, his wolf growling in displeasure at the fledging bond that he and Daphne had formed to be disrespected like that.

His mate was being disrespected and he would love to do something against it, but he couldn't. Not right now. A full cafeteria was not the place for that.

Instead, he pressed another kiss to her hand, enjoying how her pulse seemed to jump at that, her heart beating in a wild and fluttery rhythm. She was blushing again but didn't pull back her hand.

And then pushed a muffin his mother had baked nearer to her.

"Eat some more, sweetheart," he told her softly, ignoring whatever else Haley and her friends were saying at that moment. Daphne was starting to protest but he just prodded the muffin closer to her again. "Just a bit. Please?" Luke asked softly, trying his best to make puppy dog eyes at her and she smiled, taking the muffin.

She was too thin. The winter was arriving fast and quick and she needed the energy. She was so tiny that she seemed fragile and easily breakable, like a bird. And while he had seen how strong she was, how much she had survived...he didn't want her to just survive any longer. She deserved a soft place to land, somewhere where their finals were her only worry.

And he and Haley would have a talk soon, Luke vowed. Less he was really going to end up being killed by his father.

Thankfully (or not thankfully, Luke wasn't sure if that was the right description for what he was feeling) he got that opportunity that very same afternoon.

He wasn't stupid enough to do it alone. That would allow Haley to open a can of worms that Luke had no interest to open. Instead, Grace and Ollie were both having his back, his sister's arms crossed in front of her chest, a hand on her mate's arm as well. It was as much soothing as restrained.

Grace would have no problem putting Ollie down onto the ground if he suddenly decided to wolf out at Haley.

"Haley!" He called out for her after practice and she turned, her normal gaggle of girlfriends around her that was giggling and chatting again.

"Luke, what do you want?" She asked him a winning smile on her face, obviously expecting him to ask her to take him back. That was never going to happen. Not in a million years. And then she opened her pink painted lips again and Luke remembered why. "Aren't you busy with your charity case?"

"My charity case?" He asked softly, crossing his arms and fixing Haley with a look. Everybody that knew him at all, knew that now would have been the time to back off. Luke was easygoing and nice most of the time...until you really, really, really managed to piss him off.

He could smell her scent, the iciness of the bluebells she smelled like, whatever perfume she wore piled on top of him but also the pheromones she was throwing off. . Clearly.

A few months ago, Luke had still been on board to get laid by her. He had been willing to put his...dislike of some of her traits behind him and focus on...the physical pleasure. Now...Now Luke just wondered what he had been thinking.

"Or what do you call Daphne?" She asked him with a fake smile and he just raised an eyebrow.

"My girlfriend." That did make Haley's jaw drop but she recovered quite quickly. "And I would appreciate it very much if you could keep your mouth shut," he added carefully.

"And why should I do that?" She questioned him with a snort and he met her eyes, staring her down.

"Because if you don't it would, really, really, piss me off. And you want to do that," he answered matter of factly. "We are not going to get back together, Haley, even if I ever should break up with Daphne." He wasn't planning on ever doing that, to be honest.

A small part of him was already thinking too far ahead about something that involved white picket fences and rings. He didn't tell that to anybody.

Not yet. Maybe one day he could share it with Daphne without having her run away screaming but he really wasn't so sure about that.

"What do you want with her?" Haley asked him aghast. "She's a , Luke. She only drawing in her weird little sketchbook. Her mother died and half of the time she isn't even talking. And she isn't pretty. She doesn't even wear makeup!"

Luke could have laughed at the ridiculousness of the whole situation but he couldn't. He just shook his head.

"Because clearly makeup is the gold standard for beauty," he said, sarcasm dripping from every word. "Haley, I couldn't care less is Daphne suddenly decides to put two inches of makeup on her face every day. She's not just beautiful because of the way she looks but because of the way she interacts with the people around her."

Like Daphne's face was the only thing that had pulled him to her. It was the way she had an unending patient with Thalia, how happy she was to be with her family, how easily content she was...

"She's so much than you are. And that's what I want. A nice girl. Somebody who loves her family and friends...for whom that is the most important thing." He cocked his head to the side, taking in how Haley was just staring at him. "You called my sister a . That's ."

"I..." Haley stuttered out.

"My family is the. You can't get along with them, this would have never worked out," Luke told her truthfully. "Leave Daphne alone. She isn't the one at fault that we are a completely and utterly incompatible, Haley."

He turned around to walk away and for once in her life, Haley was quiet. He felt a bit bad for her to be honest.

Luke had no idea if she actually was in love with him but he was quite certain that at least she believed herself to be.

Whatever it was, he had never planned to hurt her. He had made it clear from the beginning that their relationship was fun but not really serious and she had seemed alright with that. She had wanted the of being the quarterback's girlfriend and that probably should have been a bright red warning signal.

"I think you gave her something to think about," Oliver told him and Luke shrugged.

Maybe she was finally going to leave Daphne in peace. Luke could only hope so.

***

It was like a switch was flipped.

Suddenly Haley had moved on to completely and utterly ignore her.

Not that it bothered Daphne. She was very much on board with that. Haley could never speak to her again and Daphne would be content.

And with that stopping...school wasn't that bad anymore either.

She got to study and do her homework, she got to hold hands with Luke during lunch break and she got to paint during Art Club with Kiana. She got to come home, a fire on in the fireplace and hot chocolate on the stove waiting for the four of them. She got to have family dinners with Caroline and Matthew and Ollie...she got to curl up on her bed and have Luke with her, right beside her.

She never asked him to go away, and he never asked her if he shouldn't come. He made the nightmares stay away and while Daphne couldn't help but feel guilty for using him as her own personal security blanket....she always wanted him there with her.

All in all, ...it was pretty great though.

That Friday, there had been talks about some kind of werewolf football games with the cubs and Daphne had no desire to be there for that. She was still grappling with the whole concept of werewolves being real, even when she had one sleep in front of her bed for two or three weeks now.

So she laughingly begged out of it, told Luke to have fun and kissed his cheek. "You'll win," she told him sure of it and he grinned at her widely and happily.

"What do I get when I win?" He asked her playfully and she leaned back her head, biting her lips.

"What do you ?" She asked him, trying her best not to let the nervousness show.

He leaned down so that his lips could brush over her cheeks and then the shell of her ear. She was unable not to shiver, her mind suddenly empty as she could feel him so very close to her.

"Another kiss," Luke whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her face. A kiss. He wanted a kiss?

"You win, you'll get that," she brought out, trying to ignore the fluttering in her stomach. He really wanted to kiss her?

As an answer he pressed a kiss against her cheek and then stood up straight again, still grinning again.

"But " Daphne told him, poking him in the chest with her pointer finger and he laughed.

"I ," he told her earnestly. "I'll earn that kiss fair and square. See you this evening."

Ollie dropped her off at home before he went to the Schuyler's and Daphne opened the front door quietly, hanging up her parka and her scarf, both still courtesy of Caroline because they hadn't found the time to go shopping again.

Daphne heard another voice coming from the living room as she slipped out of her shoes.

"Well, you know how my brother can be," a woman said, amusement apparent in her voice and Daphne needed a moment to place it. Oh, wasn't that Leda Randall? Caroline's editor?