Battle Field

My neck was stiff and throbbing when I awoke next. My body was hot and sticky, but I could thankfully tell that I was in control of it. The wolf inside my brain was dormant, almost like she was still sleeping. It hasn’t been so quiet in my head since I was human, and that was one thing that I missed. Groaning quietly I stretched, untangling my body from tight blankets. My heavy eye lids forced open, finding myself tucked carefully in Ryder’s bed. My body was basically naked, on my torso I found one of his oversized tee shirts and on my bottom half I found that I was stark naked. That’s when I began to panic; if we had….slept together I don’t remember anything about it. Hopefully that was not the case, I want to be able to trust him still and if that had happened I don’t know if I would even be able to look at him.

Sighing to myself I began pushing myself off the bed, finding myself so week that I had to use all of my strength just to sit up. My body shook with the effort and I was surprised to find that I was out of breath by the time I achieved my goal. The spot where my shoulder connected to my neck pounded with pain, enough to where I felt tears welding in my eyes. I could defiantly tell that Ryder had his fangs buried in my neck. God! How could I have let Pandia take over like that? I could have ruined our relationship.

“Avery…” My head shot up to the voice, terrorized for a moment. That was until I found Ryder standing in the doorway of the bedroom, his head hanging in shame. He was dressed in very low hanging flannel pajama pants and no tee shirt. His chest out in full attention, drawing my eyes to it and just about making me drools. He had a four pack that I longed to graze my fingers over, and he had that perfect V that pointed right to the area that had me excited. Slowly I raised my eyes back up his body, stopping at his neck where he had a thick white bandage. I had marked him as well; our wolves had defiantly taken over.

“Did we…um…” I just wanted to know if we had sex, I need to know the answer to that. My voice was weak though, proving to me that my body was tired and overworked. That was pointing me to the fact that we probably had, the only thing that wasn’t was the fact that I didn’t feel any pain in my middle area. From what I had heard, when you have sex for the first time then you are sore the next day.

Shock washed over his face and he just about rushed over to me. “No no! We didn’t I promise!” He was in font of me in a split second, kneeling in front of me and leaning forward to kiss my clammy forehead. The sparks that had once shocked through my body when he touched me were now ten times stronger, my body almost shook when the need to be closer to him. By the way Ryder paused after touched me indicated that he was feeling the symptoms as well. “We…they just marked each other.” He breathed, leaning back away from me and reaching forward to hold my thin arms.

I let out a breath that I hadn’t realized that I was holding, and then I tucked the blanket tighter around my waist, hoping that having nothing on my lower half wouldn’t affect him to much. As much as I wanted to crawl into bed with him and literally jump his bones I wasn’t ready for it. If mating was just like they had told me it was, then he should understand that I need him to wait for me.

“Then why am I…um…naked?” I hummed, trying no to blush too much.

He smirked largely and laughed a little, blushing himself and running his fingers through his soft brown hair. “Well, you had blood all over your clothes when I woke up, and I thought it would be weird if I put you in my underwear so I just kind of…didn’t.”

My jaw dropped and I felt my face turn a million shades of red. If he had changed me then he would’ve seen everything on my body. The few scars I had from my abuse. Cigarette burns and a couple scars I had received from being pushed into things, or hit. Secretly I was hoping that he hadn’t noticed them, but I knew he had. They weren’t exactly hidden, but if he had already seen them then that took off some pressure about the whole sex thing. Now that he has already seen my body I just have to make sure I can trust him.

Ryder chuckled again then shook his head, standing up and smiling at me. “You are beautiful when you blush.”

That statement made me blush more of course, but I pushed it aside. Forcing my shaky legs or hoist myself off the bed and stand, feeling myself wobble a little bit. Ryder was suddenly in front of me, holding my shoulders to steady me. I was surprised by his speed; it was giving me whip lash. Although I was thankful he was there when I fell into his warm chest, wrapping my arms around him to steady myself. My cool cheek pressed to his warm skin, and my fingers spread out to feel the muscles on his back. My body felt like it fit perfectly into his, even more so now that we were mated. I was proudly marked as his own now, and god did it make these feelings all the more intense. I liked it though; I liked knowing that if I went out into public everyone would know I was Ryder’s mate. It made me feel not only safe, but proud. He was strong, incredibly sweet, and down right sexy. What woman wouldn’t want to be his mate? I wonder if he felt the same about me, gosh being a werewolf was so complicated.

“Sorry.” I whispered, not making any attempt to move. His arms tightened around me, pulled me closer into his chest. My nostrils breathed in his sweet scent; it lured me closer to him. Leaving me weak in the knees. I felt like I would do anything he asked of me. Because of this marking I have a strange feeling that it has bound me to him in more ways then one, I made a mental note to ask Pandia about it once she came back to me.

I felt his lips press to the top of my head, fireworks exploded inside my stomach once more. “Don’t be, Avery. I like feeling you in my arms, makes this seem like less of a dream.”

That was the truth. To be honest I was still waiting to wake up and realize that this wasn’t a dream. I was waiting to either wake up and find myself as a lone wolf in the woods, or to wake up back in my mother’s house. If the second one were to happen I think I would die, I never want to go back to that place. It was terrible, simply a place of uselessness and hatred.

“You know I believe Pandia chose you as her vessel to save you, she knew you were abused and wanted to protect you.” He whispered, starting to rub soothing circles into my back. I hummed quietly in response, knowing already that her reasons were that. Pandia was telling the truth when she said she was my friend, she had been caring for me since the change as most likely before then. Whether I knew it or not she was already there, before my change. She has probably saved my life on countless occasions.

“I know.” I hummed.

I pulled away from him so I could look into his perfectly golden eyes, there were so beautiful. Even coated with his concern for me I still found myself loosing my train of though as I looked into them. How I wound up with such a beautiful mate is beyond me.

“When Aetes comes back to me he will be in trouble or marking you, I wanted so much for that to be a romantic thing.” Ryder growled, wrapping my arms for around him.

He grabbed me by the elbow and steered me back to the bed. I found my body still shaking, though I wasn’t cold at all. I was actually quite hot and the covers on that bed looked so unwelcoming. A thin coat of sticky sweat had found its way onto my skin, and I knew I was going to be too uncomfortable to sleep there. Yet I allowed my mate to help me into the bed and tightly tuck the hot blankets around me. The blankets did not help the heat that was seeping out of my skin, but when I tried to loosen them off me Ryder gave me an unappreciative look. It wasn’t my fault that I was so hot, I didn’t mean to offend him.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered lowly, trying not to offend him any more then I already had. “I’m just hot.”

Ryder’s eye brows rose on his forehead and I found him kneeling next to me on the bed once more. He’s cool hand took mine, and his free hand lifted to press to my forehead. “Your body is so cold though, Avery.”

I shrugged, nuzzling closer to his hand that rested on my face. “I feel hot.”

He stood up then and I found an involuntary whine escape my lips. I wanted him to stay there and keep his cool hand on my face. At the very least I wanted him to keep holding my hand. Even that simple gesture had my heart fluttering, and I wanted to keep feeling close to him. Groaning to himself he rubbed his face, shaking his hand and seeming to growl a little.

“God damnit, Aetes.” He hissed, shaking his head a little more. I could tell he was having an inner conversation with himself, maybe his wolf was back. In that case, where was Pandia? Ryder looked back down at me softly, his features filled with a hint of worry. “I bit you to deep…I think it’s just the pain from the mark, its making you a little ill. You should try to sleep it off, I’m sorry.”

He turned quickly on his heels and began to leave. For some reason that act left panic in my heart, the thought of being alone was a dreaded thought. “Ryder no.” I called quietly. Those two words stopped him in his tracks, which surprised me. I expected him to keep walking, but he turned right back around and tiled his head at me. “Don’t leave…”

A huge smile erupted on his face then, flashing me his pearly whites. “Really? You aren’t mad?”

I watched him then, clearly seeing the dominate side of him fade away and turn into what seemed to be a normal human. He didn’t feel like an alpha anymore, he just felt like my mate. A person who I was so undeniably in love with. That was the weird thing about being a mate with someone. It was like all my feelings for them just suddenly appeared by looking at him, I didn’t have to know anything about him to know that I was never ever going to leave his side. Hell, I wouldn’t have cared what or who he was. If I had been stumbling along in the woods and he had turned out to be rouge then I still would’ve followed him to the ends of the earth. I didn’t care; I just want to be with him.

Nodding I flashed a smile at him as well. “Of course I am not mad; I was already yours before all of this mating stuff.” That was the honest truth there. Even as Pandia was absent from my mind and I was just human I still felt a love for him like no other. It seemed to me that the moon goddess made Ryder specifically for me, not for Pandia. I wonder, if Pandia had never come to me would Ryder have found me? Would I still be wound up about him?

Just as he smiled back at me and began walking over to the bed a loud knocking echoed through out the cabin. It was a hard, angry knocking. When it had happened both of us had just about jumped out of our skin. Wasn’t Ryder’s cabin supposed to be secure? I had witnessed how well people patrolled around his home already, we were well protected. So what had allowed this angry knocker to arrive at our door, and what had them so pissed off? Ryder’s head tilted back as he sniffed the air, ignoring the second loud knock. I watched carefully as the skin over top of his nose rolled up, a growl of annoyance lifting from his chest. It was clear to me that who ever was here was not welcome in Ryder’s mind. He spun around on his heels once more, casting a glace at me from over his shoulder and frowning a little.

“I’m coming!” He roared when the knocker banged on the door once more. Ryder quickly stalked over to his dresser and opened the first drawer he found, ripping a pair of large sweatpants out of them and tossing them to me. I caught them as best as I could, feeling the soft warm fabric in my fingers. “Put those on, and stay in here. You are in no condition to stand up for yourself if a fight breaks out.”

I scrunched up my nose at him then, just because I was a girl didn’t mean I couldn’t fight. I was only a little ill it’s not like I’m going to have no chance at all. “I beg your par-”

I couldn’t even get the full sentence out before he was out of the bedroom, leaving the door wide open to grant me a sight of the hall way. Groaning quietly I shoved my hot legs into the pants. Finding them to be extremely long and baggy on me, I had to tie the draw strings as tight as they possibly would go. They hung low on my hips, so low that I was frightened they would just fall off. Quietly sucking in some air I forced myself up, determined to figure out what was going on even if I had to hide in the shadows to figure it out. If it was about me like Jessie’s conversation last night then I wanted to hear it.

Just as my feet touched the cool wooden floor a familiar voice echoed through my head. Pandia was back now, and her feelings instantly over took me. She was excited, in total bliss. Her mate and true love had placed his mark on her last night; she wanted to proudly show it to the world. It took her a second to feel my body’s pain, and to feel my determination to get out of the bed. It was a surprise to find her scolding me.

‘We are not strong enough to be moving around, Avery.’ She snapped at me, sounding quite annoyed that I was even attempting it. I couldn’t help it though; I wanted to know what was happening.

The sound of Ryder opening the front door echoed through the house. It creaked madly, just like you would hear if you were watching a scary movie. I shuddered, wondering if that was a sign. The sound of someone growling at Ryder could be heard, but Ryder’s annoyed growl over powered theirs. He was alpha of course. No one was going to be able to over power him, unless they were insanely strong.

“You brought a rogue into this pack!” The low deep voice snapped, it left shudders going down my spine. They sounded like they were huge, muscle wise. I began second guess my choice to make my way out there but I forced myself up.

‘Avery no, stay put.’ Pandia warned, but I didn’t listen to her. Even if I didn’t get out to where Ryder was I at least wanted to be off the bed if the person stormed in here. At least that way I would have a chance to hide until Ryder got in here.

Ryder growled deeply, threateningly. “No, I brought my mate into this pack.” I could hear the low warning in Ryder’s voice. He was willing to fight to keep this person out of his house. Was I really causing so much negativity into his pack? I didn’t want to tear them apart just because I was here. “You will accept her with welcoming arms, she is your Luna and nothing is going to change that.”

I heard a push, and then Ryder’s growls got louder and more defensive. “I will not accept a rogue as my Luna!”

Another push and I heard something fall then shatter. I frowned and forced my shaky body to the bedroom door, leaning on the door way for support. Ever so carefully I peaked my head out, looking down the short hallway to see Ryder’s back. He we guarding the hall way, making sure the man in front of him could not come down it. I seen the man then, he was shorter then Ryder, but he was thick with muscle. He was bald, but covered in what looked like tattoos and grease from a car. His scent hit my nose and made me cringe, his scent was hidden by the smell of BO and gasoline. His eyes met mine then, they were small and beady. His wolf had taken over his body.

He shoved against Ryder then, making me jump back in surprise. This was really going to turn into a fight, and by the looks of this wolf Ryder’s human body would have trouble with him. Pandia seemed to freeze inside of my head, thinking up battle plans. She wanted me out of there, but I had no where to go. Suddenly the sound of a wolf changing echoed through the cabin, the sound of flesh tearing sinking in my ears. I watched in horror as the man in front of Ryder turned into a huge tan wolf, fat with muscle and patchy with dirt covered oil caked fur. I backed up a little back into the bedroom, feeling my body begin to shake as Pandia fought for us to change. Although due to my illness and fear of changing she was having quite the hard time.

‘It won’t hurt!’ She demanded worriedly, but she had lied the last time.

I know it is going to hurt. Last time I passed out from the pain! If I passed out again this time then we would defiantly be killed. My eyes grew even wider as my mate then changed into his wolf form, quicker then I have ever seen. Before my eyes he stood a wolf tall enough that mine could fit neatly underneath him. He was heavy with muscles that could clearly over power the other wolf, but Pandia was still worried. I watched as the midnight black wolf that was my mate growled at the other wolf, yet he did not back down. Pandia literally forced my body to change then, leaving me crumpling to the floor and a sharp whimper to slip through my lips. Thankfully it wasn’t strong enough for Ryder to get alarmed though, he was too focused on the other wolf.

‘Let me lead.’ She begged softly, listening to my shallow breath as I lay in a heap on the floor. My small furry body shaking from the pain of changing. It was honestly the worst feeling you could experience. The feeling of every bone in your body breaking, and the feeling of your skin literally ripping off and sprouting fur on every inch. Not to mention the feeling of being suffocated by the clothing you wore until it tore from being stretched so much. Because of the fact that I couldn’t push though the pain I allowed my wolf to fully take over, allowing myself to sink into the back of my mind. Surprisingly I heard a new voice in my head this time; it was Ryder’s soft sweet voice. The marking process had allowed him access to my head; I now had a link with him. He could speak to me where ever I was, I was completely his.

‘Avery, baby. I know it hurts but run.’ He demanded. Pandia did just that, turning to the one window that Ryder had in his room and bolting towards it. Crashing through and pointing herself towards the woods. She was running free now, and she did not plan on stopping.