Can you heal old scars?

Chapter 36

When Quin came round again he found himself in the family room, wrapped in a blanket near the fire. He could hear Niles crying softly, hear Dutch gently comforting him and hear the subtle crackling of the fire behind him.

Quin tried to move, he wanted to comfort Niles too. He let out a cry of pain however as his whole body seemed to burn and throb.

"Q..Quin?" Niles said quietly, Dutch turning to look at Quin.

He blinked wet eyes at them from the floor, a grimace of pain on his face. Yet he still tried to move, weakly reaching a hand out to Niles who reached back.

Dutch carried Niles over, laying him down next to Quin, who lifted the blanket and Niles crawled under it and clung to him.

He cried as Quin stroked his hair and cooed gently, the warmth and scent radiating from Quin seemed to comfort him more than anything else had been able to. Quin was the Lunar, his saviour and his best friend. He had never felt safer than when he was around Quin, his kind and caring nature mixed with a personal strength like nothing Niles had ever seen before, it made him the safest person to be around in Niles mind. He still couldn't believe that Quin was his friend, but he thanked the Moon for bringing Quin into his life.

They both lay together for what felt like hours, people coming and going around them, but neither of them registered.

At some point Niles fell asleep, exhausted both physically and emotionally. Quin however couldn't rest, clinging onto Niles as he fought with the thoughts in his head.

He remembered his own fear, how lonely and destroyed he had been left, how much he had hated himself and the world afterwards... He didn't want Niles to go through all that, he wanted to spare him as much pain as he could. But had he done enough, did he get there in time to stop the worst of what could have happened?

He quietly let the tears fall, there was nothing he could do to stop them, and in a way it was somehow cathartic. He had held onto all the pain of his past for years, finally letting those emotions flow, recognizing and acknowledging them for the first time and really mourning for what he had lost, helped him to truly appreciate what he had now, and how far he had come.

Slowly but surely the negative thoughts in Quin's mind faded away, and he was left with a feeling of purpose. He could be here for Niles, in a way that he wished someone had been there for him. He was in a unique position to help Niles to deal with his trauma, by using his own experiences to support and empathize with Niles in a way that thankfully most people couldn't.

Eventually Ryan entered the room, a grim look on his face. He was concerned and annoyed, Trent's invasion of his territory and the attack on one of his most vulnerable pack members had him concerned about what Kyle had been telling him. He was worried that Kyle would take this as another sign that he wasn't fit to be Alpha, he really didn't want to have to come to blows with his brother but he wouldn't simply lay down and give up.

But another worry niggled in his mind too... Did the other packs really see him as weak because he wanted to help and support others?

Regardless he wasn't about to stop helping people, besides Trent had pushed his luck because he knew Ryan owed his Father a favour. However after his last trespassing incident, Ryan had agreed not to call the Lunar Council and in return the favour was considered repaid. Now Ryan didn't owe Trent's Father anything, and he was going to make damn sure that Trent finally understood there were consequences for his actions.

He looked over to the fire and his grim expression softened, Quin's hazel eyes blinked up at him, Niles curled up asleep in his arms. Quin gave a weak smile and Ryan came to sit by his head, stroking his hair gently.