Runt (Completed & Editing)

Carry Me

Shane's POV

We merged onto the highway headed north, even though Nova never said anything about where she was from. I didn't force the issue because I wanted the destination to be a surprise. After several late night phone calls with her brother and a little help from Google, I finally figured out that she was from a small town in southern Minnesota. I gripped the steering wheel a little tighter as I remembered the arguments with her brother. He desperately wanted her home. I defended Nova's decision by sharing what I knew would be the right amount of information to get him to stop talking. I could tell that he was trying to be a good brother. I kicked myself and eased up on him. His protectiveness over Nova helped him gain my respect. I would've been the same way. No matter how much I may dislike the guy, he was doing the best that he could.

My wolf was kicking me, telling me this was a bad idea. If Nova had driven a couple thousand miles to get away from this place, why the hell would I bring her back? To remind her of all the fond memories she has? My wolf sneered at me. To put her through more pain and agony? I forced my wolf down, telling myself that I was doing the right thing. I would give anything to see my sister again, it was the least I could do for Chris. My wolf snorted at me, laughing at my ignorance. I had enough on my mind, I didn't need my wolf doing more harm than good. I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. Nova reached over and rested her hand on my thigh. I appreciated the gesture, knowing that she was only trying to comfort me. If only she knew what was going on, and how much her small gesture meant to me. I sighed contentedly, reveling in the bliss of finally having my mate at my side. I smiled down at Nova as I placed my hand over hers. I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles gently before placing it on my thigh again. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her cheeks redden. I loved to make her blush. She didn't do it often, but when she did, it only enhanced her beauty. I turned up the radio which was softly playing a country radio station, listening to Nova hum along.

Nova relaxed in her seat and closed her eyes. we had been driving for a good fourteen hours and were just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. I let her fall asleep as I continued to drive in the fading sunlight. I turned the radio off so I could hear her soft breathing from the seat next to me. I could tell she hadn't slept well the night before. I glanced over to her and smiled. She looked so beautiful when she slept. With her eyes closed and her faced relaxed she looked like an angel. I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand which was still resting on my leg. I forced myself to look away so I could focus on the road and let my mental block down. I had had it up all day so I could focus on spending the day driving with Nova.

Anything? I asked Eric, knowing that he would still be awake and running patrols. The man never stopped. I reminded myself to give him a few more vacation days so he could have some time for himself. Even with more time off I knew he wouldn't take it. Ever since his mate had died in his arms he hadn't been the same. He had felt the bond between them weaken and he rushed to her side. He was the one who had called for an ambulance. I'll never forget that day, mainly because his mate was my sister. Knowing that she didn't have much time left, as he had cradled her in his arms, telling her that it was going to be okay, help was on the way. Telling her to just hold on a little bit longer. When I finally burst into the room, it was too late. Andrea was gone and Eric was a disaster of emotions. That day he admitted to me that he knew they were mates, but hadn't done anything about it. They had become incredibly close, but never dated because he was my best friend. He didn't take Andrea's death well. He was dangerous, drinking heavily in the woods before stumbling back to the house. I eventually got him to stop the drinking, though it was no easy task. After that, he threw himself into his work, making sure that everything was perfect. He wouldn't rest until he knew that everything was how it needed to be.

"You don't need to worry about her safety. I will do everything I can to make sure Nova is safe, I promise. As my best friend I don't want to see you go through what I had to." He had told me before we left. I knew he would hold true to his word, he always did. I worried about him though. Normally when a werewolf's mate dies, it's only a matter of time before they went insane with grief. Eric hadn't yet, and it had been almost four years. I thought about the date today and kicked myself. Four years exactly. Shit.

Nothing yet. And don't worry about me, I'm fine. Eric replied. He knew what I was going to say before I said it. I smiled slightly, he was more than a friend to me. He was the brother that I never had. I read into his words a bit more, playing them over in my mind, hunting for any sign he might have returned to the bottle for the night. I processed what I was doing, realizing that as much as he is my best friend, he was also my Beta. He wouldn't dare drink when he was on the job. The patrol team was on high alert for anything that might be out of the ordinary.

I'm sorry. I mumbled back. Kicking myself for forgetting about my own sister. Guilt overtook me as I raked my hand across my face. My entire body slumped as I realized this would be my first time away from Eric on the day that I knew he needed me the most. How could I have been so ignorant as to what the date was? I never forgot it. I never could. It was burned into my memory like a branding of misfortune. 

I said I'm fine. He growled back. I felt him put up a mental block, knowing that he just wanted to be alone. I put up my own block, making sure that my thoughts were mine and mine alone. I thought of Nova and felt myself tighten up. I ignored the feeling and continued driving until I drove past a large sign welcoming me to Rochester, Minnesota. I thought deeply about my sister, trying to remember every little detail about her. Only to realize that the image I had was fuzzy. I was starting to forget, I felt a stray tear escape my eye as I looked down the road. I brushed it away quickly, now was not the time to get emotional. I glanced at the time realizing that it was well past four in the morning. I pulled into one of the various hotels in the city and parked by the door. I turned to Nova who was still sleeping soundly in the passenger seat. I turned off the car and stepped from my side to walk around to Nova. I opened her door and unbuckled her so I could pull her into my arms. I moved her slightly and she jolted away. She confessed to me that she hated being picked up, and I had already forgotten. I wrote it off as a momentary memory lapse due to driving across the country. I felt the exhaustion from the day as my legs stretched. Driving isn't hard work, but sitting in one position for a long time is hard on the body. 

She looked at me vaguely, her blue eyes filled with sleep. "Where are we?" She mumbled as her eyes drifted shut again. Her voice was soft as he leaned her head back against the seat. I pressed my hand gently on her shoulder, lightly rocking her awake. Her eyes opened half way to look at me. I felt my knees go weak at the sight of her gorgeous sleepy blue eyes looking up at me.

"We're at a hotel. I'm going to grab our bags and check in, will you be okay here?" I asked her holding her face gently in my hands to make sure she was paying attention to me. She groaned in response and I chuckled lowly. I reached across the console and pulled the keys from the ignition, placing them securely in my pocket. I kissed Nova's forehead softly and moved to pick up our bags from the back seat.

"Shane?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Yeah baby?" I asked as I grabbed both our bags and standing next to her again.

"Can you carry me?" She asked, both eyes closed as she quietly slumped into the seat. I smiled to myself and set the bags on the ground. I turned around and she wrapped her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist like a koala hugging a sturdy tree. I felt her lean her cheek against my back as I lifted her slowly from the seat before locking and closing the door. I hadn't carried anyone on my back in years, so the distribution of weight felt different. I glanced over my shoulder to look at her. She was barely awake.

I whispered down to her, "Hey, don't fall back asleep just yet. I know you're accident prone, but it wouldn't look good on me if I let a beautiful girl fall when I've been trusted to carry her." I felt as if this was a big step in our relationship, she was trusting me with carrying her. She opened her eyes fully, propped herself up and wrapped her arms even tighter around my neck. I leaned my face to hers as she tucked her chin in the crook of my neck. I took a mental snapshot, hoping that this is how I get to feel for the rest of my life. Completely and helplessly bonded to this being that clung to me so fiercely. I felt honored at the privilege, glad that she knew that I wouldn't drop her. I was surprised at how light she was, it was almost as if she wasn't there, but her soft breathing against the side of my neck reminded me otherwise. I half smiled before I kicked the door shut, grabbed our bags to continued into the hotel to check in.