HIS Young Mate: "Sequel to Her Young Mate"

Part Twenty Seven: Small Steps

When I get to Danny's house I made a b-line for the stairs and my room. I had heard the little ones in the living room, so I knew I could sneak in. I didn't want another long winded talk from anyone right now. Focusing on packing up the last few years of my life was all that was on my mind right now. The fact that I couldn't bring my furniture, the paint on my walls, my bathroom, my view out the window, my personal space- it was all crashing down on me. I love Durst- very much, but this seems like another piece of my freedom gone. Even sharing a room with Kaylee didn't sound appealing- besides, how long would that last? She was happy with Hunter- so a few months at most?

Was I happy? Had I made a brash decision?

When I was with Durst everything made sense, but the second I'm all alone nothing does. It's like nature is the only thing that I can understand. Him, running, the ocean, the night- those things make sense.

I find a bottle and begin to drink. I know I'm not supposed to, and that it will only make matters worse, but at this point I feel like I have little to lose.

As I pack my room up into boxes all sense of security I have seems to be going with it. It's not as freeing as I always imagined it would be- leaving Danny's house always seemed like the next step to being my own person. This didn't feel like that. He was making this decision for me, forcing me to do it, and the security I felt knowing I'd always have him and the Luna didn't seem to be as stable anymore. When I first came here, to this pack, and this home, it felt like I was floating in the motions. Like I had been on an island my whole young life, and then suddenly thrusted into the ocean when they rescued me. When I got here and started setting in it was like I had found a row boat, but for a long time was too weak to pull myself into it. Now it felt like as soon as I got in, and rested, and started feeling like I could row to safety, the boat was tipped by a wave and I was drifting again.

"You alright wildflower?" Durst's smooth voice washes over me, and it makes the lightness in my head grow tenfold. I hadn't realized I was crying until I look up to my doorframe and realize my vision is blurred by tears.

"Yeah- yeah- I'm fine." I twist the cap back on the bottle of rum and wipe my eyes. "Why aren't you out with the others?"

"I told Danny I'd need the night off to help you."

"And he just let you have it?" I ask with a scoff. He sits down besides me, his face turns more serious, and when I hand him the bottle of rum he pauses before opening it and taking a swig.

"Of course he did," he says. "Despite my recent... endeavors, I'm the delta and he respects me. He's not so bad all the time. He's actually one of my best friends Lavender. You do realize that, right?" He says with a chuckle. He comes to sit down beside me, and rests his arm with the bottle one one knee, and stretches the other leg out among my mess. "Well- we were definitely on better terms before you became my mate- but I'm sure everything will smooth out." He takes another drink of my rum, closes the cap, and sets it aside from me.

"How can you be so sure?" I ask, leaning across him to grab my bottle from where he's set it, it's quite a reach because his arms are much longer than mine. He clears his throat, obviously flustered by my closeness, his cheeks red. I roll my eyes. "You're ridiculous," I say with a chuckle of my own as I resume my previous position and take another drink. He smirks and shrugs his shoulders.

"I'm sure everything will work out, because I have faith in us." He says firmly. He leans in to kiss me and when he does I feel the familiar spark of his lips against mine, the bubbly feeling in my stomach at his closeness, the rush of emotions I often get from his aura. I feel the warmth, the strength, the security he brings me- blanketing over me. He looks into my eyes before kissing me again and I completely melt as his hand reaches up to squeeze my arm. As my emotions melt into a soft warm glow inside of me I also feel my spirits lift, and it's as if an armor builds up around me. His strength becoming mine, his strength building my own back up. That feeling of being able to do anything with him there coming back. His hand moves to caress my face and when he pulls away and looks at me once again his eyes mirror the warmth he brings me. "You know Wildflower, I don't think this will take long... since you broke half of the things I bought you," he says mischievously. I roll my eyes and he bursts out in laughter. "Too soon?"