RAIDEN ||

Happiness.

An emotion I didn't think I would ever feel again. Being in that cell for all of that time really took its toll on me. Losing Onyx, dealing with the wolves here and their hateful comments, the occasional or rather regular beatings I grew accustomed to, not being able to eat anything and the worst of all- feeling rejected and betrayed by my mate... All of that and more had my mind in a blender of emotion.

Happiness.

Not one of the emotions in that blender of misery, but for the past four days, it has been and it's slowly becoming more and more frequent.

Onyx still wasn't back with me, but hope was alive within me. I could feel him now, even if it was faint. I could feel him. I assumed that I just need to heal a little more before he would return fully.

Dylan hadn't left my side the whole time I've been in the pack hospital and he's been really attentive to my needs. Making sure the doctors and nurses bring my pain meds on time and making sure they bring me an all raw diet.

______ FLASHBACK_______

YESTERDAY MORNING

I woke up in pain because the nurse was late with my meds.

Trying to sit up was a task in itself. The pain that radiates through my abdomen had me clenching my jaw and holding my stomach in desperate need of relief from what had taken over.

"Raiden?" Dylan asks, sitting up from the pull out bed and rubbing his eyes.

"Pain." That was all I could muster up before I clenched my stomach tighter.

Dylan shot out of his bed and ran to my side, looking over my body.

"What can I do Raiden? What do you need?"

"Pain Dylan. Pain." I breathe out, clenching my stomach even tighter.

"Why are you in pain? They didn't bring your meds yet? What time is it?" He asks frantically then looks up at the clock that hung above the bed before he lets out a growl.

"Those fuckers are late. I'm sorry Raiden, I should have been woke. I'll be right back." Dylan panicked as he rushed out of my hospital room. It didn't take him but maybe 2-3 minutes to return dragging one of the doctors by his collar.

"Give my mate his pain meds now!" He yelled shoving the doctor forward. Once he got close enough, I seen that he had two cups in hand. One with pills and the other filled with water.

I grabbed them from him and quickly downed the medication.

"If any of you are late giving my mate his pain meds again, that will be your ass. Do I make myself clear?" Dylan growled in the doctors face and he nods quickly.

"Y-yes Alpha. M-my apologies Alpha." The doctor stutters through his words before rushing out of my room.

_____END OF FLASHBACK____

I honestly don't even know what he did or said to his pack members here that made them figure out how to bring me an all raw diet, but watching him in action, catering to my every need making sure everything was taken care of, all I did was smile without questioning anything.

Besides the crazy times when he was going all "Alpha" on everyone, he was pretty good company. Ok, really great company.

I learned a lot about him over these last 4 days.

Like the way he sleeps, he always starts on his left side but ends up on his back with an arm draped over his face. Literally every single time. His snores sound more like mewls, they're really soft and gentle and cub like.

The way he eats, his food can't touch each other, like literally, nothing can touch or he won't eat it. He said it's because the flavors mix and he doesn't want his steak tasting like asparagus or his asparagus tasting like mashed potatoes. I honestly think he has some form of OCD or anxiety.

Like the way he folds his clothes, they have to be perfect. Literally perfect, no wrinkles, his shirts have to be folded so the pattern on design faces upwards. His pants have to be folded in halfway, but backwards so that the back pockets are outwards, then he folds them again but that time, the pants fold downwards, in half again.

It's the strangest thing.

Dylan blushes whenever I give him a compliment or tell him thank you. Even when I tell him I appreciate him or that he's done a good job on something. Like last night when he finished up all his pack finances and was truly happy about it, I told him that I was proud of him and he did a great job keeping up with his pack paperwork and that beautiful blush crept up my pup's cheeks, neck and ears.

He's super shy about it too. On the outside he seems like this hard, tough exterior kind of guy, but as soon as you give the man a compliment, he turns to mush. It's adorable really.

Then there's these little subtle things his face does when he's deep in thought or happy. Any emotion I've seen from him these last 4 days, he has a subtle way of showing it so that it doesn't completely take over.

The way his eyebrows meet slightly when he's deep in thought or the way his lip twitches when he's angry and trying to hold himself back. The way his eyes dart around when he's nervous, almost like he can't look you in the eye until the nervousness is completely gone. The cute little way his nose twists side to side when he's happy and the way it wrinkles when he smiles really big.

I learned that Dylan really likes bunnies too. He said his wolf, Maddox loves to hunt them, but whenever he catches one, he just releases it. Dylan is also a big fan of snakes, which gives me the creeps, but if my pup likes it, then I would learn to like it.

Dylan said his father taught him how to use a bow and arrow at a young age, as well as how to fight with various weapons. How to use the weapons he wields as extensions of himself. I couldn't wait to see him in action. The bow and arrow sounds HOT.

My pup also paints and plays the piano, which caught my attention because my father taught me how to play guitar, so I got excited at the thought of being able to play music together with my mate.

He takes family very seriously too. That little piece of information made my chest swell with pride. Nothing in this world is more important than my family, except my pup of course. Hearing him say that he values family as much as I do, brought so much joy to my heart.

Even if we do just continue this friendship that we're building, I'm beyond happy to be able to get to know my pup this way. The first day was the hardest because of how guarded I was with him.

I wasn't fully giving myself to him or even trying when he was, but eventually I had to push everything to the side and let my walls down with him and I'm so glad I did because these last 4 days have been some of the best days of my life.

"Raiden." My pup's soft voice brought my attention back to him.

"Yes?" I ask as I watched him make his way to the side of my bed.

"It's time for your physical therapy exercises."

I groaned and rolled my eyes at the mention of this crap. I hated getting out the bed and walking around the room, all for the sake of "working my muscles."

"Come on now, none of that. You know we have to do them or your muscles could lock up. You're still healing and it keeps the blood flow to your legs. So come on, out the bed." He instructed, earning a growl from me before I grabbed his hands allowing him to pull me off the bed.

Sparks from our bond danced around my hands and up my wrists as he held onto mine with such strength, it made me feel safe in his grasp.

The feeling was completely euphoric and I had to fight to keep my eyes from closing. It was difficult with his scent already filling the room, but to now be touching him and feeling the best version of our bond, I knew I was crumbling and this friendship thing that he wanted would only last for so long.

"I'm sorry I have to be the one to do this. I know the nurses usually do it, but they're late again." He growled looking at the clock behind me. I chuckled at his reaction, remembering how serious he's been in the past about the staff here being late to tend to me.

"It's fine Dylan. I would prefer it was you to help me anyways." I tell him the honest truth and he nods after searching my eyes for a few seconds.

"Come on, one step at a time." He whispers as he pulled my body into his and brought one of my arms around his shoulders so that we were side by side and he could support the majority of my weight.

After taking a few deep breaths, I swallow the lump in my throat and look into his eyes as his gaze met mine.

Shoot.. he's beautiful.

I hadn't been this close to him like this since the very first we met by the stone waterfall and I was the one to pull his body against mine.

I gasped when his hand that was wrapped around my back tightens as I swallowed the access saliva that had decided now would be the best time to invade my mouth as I continued to stare into my mates breath taking ocean blue eyes.

My eyes traveled across his face, taking him all in. His eyes that reminded me of waves crashing against the shore, his button nose with the sweetest little mole on the tip, his cheeks that were now as red as tomatoes.

I heard the way he sucked in a sharp breath when my eyes met his lips.

Those lips... dang it, how I've longed to kiss those lips.

I allowed myself to take in all that my mate was right now. Even the way his neck and ears were now the same color as his cheeks.

That was until my smile faltered.

Wait..

What is..?

What's in his ears?

"Dylan?" I ask, finally finding my voice. He hums in response, I guessed he was taking in my face the way I was his.

"What's in your ears?" I ask softly, not trying to ruin the mood, but by the way his eyes widen and his heart rate picks up, I can tell I did just that.

He quickly lets go of my body and takes a step back, causing me to stumble forwards and fall to the floor.

"Damn it." I cursed at the sudden impact, I hated feeling this weak!

"Shit I'm sorry Raiden. I'm sorry. Here let me help you." Dylan says grabbing my arms and helping me back to my feet.

I look back into his eyes, but instead of the wonder they held before, they were now filled with fear and guilt, maybe. Or was it regret or pain?

"I'm sorry Raiden... let me get you back to your bed and I'll call the nurses to help you with your therapy." He said, tearing his eyes away from mine and hanging his head in a way that blocked all sight from me.

I sighed and allowed him to bring me back to my bed before watching him walk out of the room, assuming that he was grabbing the nurses like he said.

The guilt that passed through me was enough to choke me, I didn't mean to ruin that moment with my pup. That was the first time since we've met that we've been in each other's arms like that and I ruined the whole damn thing with my annoying questions.

Whatever that was in Dylan's ears, whatever he was hiding, he didn't feel comfortable sharing it with me and I just had to open my big mouth and scare him.

It's obvious that he's insecure about whatever those things are and I just made him feel worse about it.

Just when I thought nothing could ruin our time together.

Nice going Raiden...

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