His, Eternally [18+]

Chapter Seventeen: Who I Am

Thaddeus' Point of View:

        I sat at my mahogany office table, mindlessly flipping through the papers as I signed off. It was late, and I could feel my eyes begin to close on me as I leaned my forearm against the table, running my left hand through my overgrown hair. I could not stop thinking about my little mate. Every time one of my pack members had summoned a rogue to me, I could not help but think of her as I ripped their throats out, teaching all other rogues a lesson. I would think of her opinion, how frightened she would be if she knew who I was, and what I did to others. Because of her, my subconscious was rising; making me feel weak. I had respected her enough to leave her be after I had hurt her like that, as much as I wanted to run to her. However, I had still watched my little one, protecting her — like an unwanted guardian angel. She was so small, yet the power she held over my heart was undeniable. I began to think of her beauty, the way her two-toned eyes glistened, and how her long, dark hair cascaded down her back to her waist. She looked so beautiful, even when angry or upset.

My thoughts were soon interrupted by a loud knock at the door. I became irritated instantly, the image of her face in my mind leaving from the loud noise. "What?" I roared, slamming my fist down onto the table, hearing a loud crack when the wood split underneath my hand. "Alpha, we saw her, your mate." I heard a panicked and nervous voice of a female pack member say. Instantly, I swung the large padlocked doors open, coming face-to-face with a middle aged woman who I had seen at pack meetings before. I glared at her, waiting for her to continue.

"She... She pepper sprayed Jaxon, Alpha. She was out on a run, and we had found her. Jaxon thought she was a rogue, so he made her fearful." Her voice was quiet as she looked down, trembling like a leaf from my direct gaze at her. As soon as I heard those words, a deep chuckled began to build in my chest. My, my, little one. She looked up at me, startled from my laughter as I felt my smile grow wider. The woman's face was absolutely stunned, like she had never heard someone chuckle before.

"Let it be known to the pack what she looks like. If anyone dare hurts her again, or even makes her slightly anxious, I will execute them, in front of their wives and children." I said sternly, trying to not chuckle again as I thought of my five-foot mate spraying one of the most terrifying, intimidating men in my pack. "Yes, Alpha." She nodded, her fearful eyes still widened by my reaction before bowing her head in respect for me and briskly turning away. I shut the door behind her, unable to control one more chuckle before opening the window and jumping out, shifting in mid-air to land on my paws. I had to make sure she had gotten home safe, whether she wanted me there or not.

The breeze brushed against my skin, it was cold out. I tried to not internally groan as I thought of how cold Indie must've felt. Does my mate not take precautions to care for herself at all? I ran, the wind running through the thick fur coat as I followed her vanilla scent until I reached her cabin. She was inside. I breathed out in relief, knowing she was safe and okay. I saw her sitting at her small kitchen table, her eyes widened and her knees to her chest. I had noticed she had done that many times before, holding her legs close to her — in a protective manner. She was scared, and stunned. I shifted back, not caring for the clothes I lacked before knocking on her pale yellow door. For a few moments it was silent, before I heard her hesitant footsteps approach near me from inside. I caught another strong whiff of her scent, a smile tugging at my lips. She barely cracked the door open, her hair now in a messy bun. Curly strands had managed to escape the bun, framing her heart-shaped face as she peered at me intently, hiding behind her door.

"I will call the police." She said, her voice shaky. "Stop fucking terrorizing me with your cult." Her fingers held the door, not allowing me to see the rest of her as she shifted her weight onto the other foot. Her pupils were dilated, getting larger the longer I stood there.

"I came to apologize to you. For everything." I said softly, silently praying she wouldn't slam the door in my face. She was silent for a few minutes, her eyes still glued to me as I stood there. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?" She gulped, realizing I was naked as I heard her pulse quicken. Her eyes trailed down my body unintentionally, her face and ears flushing the bright pink — something I had been fairly familiar with already.

"I need to explain some things to you, Indie. I can't hold back any longer." I said, a growl rising in my chest as I tried my best to suppress it. "I'm going to get you some, uh, joggers." She squeaked, shutting the door before I had the opportunity to reply. She appeared again, this time holding black joggers in her hands. A growl rose in my chest, they were male joggers. "They were my late fathers." She said awkwardly, avoiding eye contact. I nodded, wanting to sigh in relief as I quickly pulled them over me.

"So, some explaining, I suppose?" She opened the door a little wider, turning her back and walking into her kitchen as I followed her. She leaned against the counter, pulling her oversized hoodie over her hands as she stared at me with curiosity. Fuck. I had no idea what to say. How could I tell someone what I was? She had no idea, and would most likely even view me as crazier than before.

"Indie, I-" I began to speak, running my hands through my hair yet again.

"You know I am telepathic." She blurted out. She pull her hand over her mouth, closing her eyes as I stood stunned. Telepathic? How was that even possible? After all I had been taught of the supernatural world since I was a young child, I had never heard of someone being able to read minds. My mouth quickly fell agape, trying to think of what to say. I knew she was different, from the very moment I had laid eyes on her. I didn't know what she was, however. "I didn't know that, Indie. All I knew was that you were different, different from any human I had ever seen in my existence."

"The way you have looked at me, Thaddeus. I felt so cautious around you. I tried to blend in, but you couldn't stay away from me. I only assumed that you knew, and I need to know how you know what I am. It's for my protection, okay? I could get kidnapped or something, someone could blackmail me and use what I have against me for their own needs." Her voices cracked, sounding helpless as my heart began to pang with pain for her.

"Indie, to start out, not in a million years would I ever let anyone touch you, therefore no one will ever hurt you. No one told me anything, Indie. In fact, I had no idea of what power you possessed." I looked at her soft face, watching her eyes shoot across the room nervously before looking back at me.

"Then why do you keep attempting to get closer to me? Why are you trying to charm me? I feel like I'm being manipulated, Thaddeus, and I'm quite honestly terrified of it." She said, focusing in on the clock on the wall behind me that seemed to tick agonizingly slow. "And I'm frustrated as all fuck because I feel a weird pull to you that I can't understand. I don't know what you're doing to me. I haven't felt like this before, but if you're trying to manipulate me, please stop. I can't take this anymore." She said, as her eyes glossed over with tears. "I don't want to be hurt."

"Little one, I could never hurt you. What you're feeling... the way I feel is the same, and I need to explain this to you carefully, but I am unaware on how to." I stepped closer to her, wanting to hold her face as I saw how pained it looked. "Okay, well stop making me cry and tell me then." She sniffled, letting out a fake laugh as she stepped back from me.

"I am a werewolf."