Captured (BoyxBoy)

Empathy

man·i·fes·ta·tion
ˌmanəfəˈstāSH(ə)n,ˌmanəˌfesˈtāSH(ə)n/
noun
an event, action, or object that clearly shows or embodies something, especially a theory or an abstract idea.
•the action or fact of showing an abstract idea.
•a symptom or sign of an ailment.

I woke up next to a very muscular naked man on the forest floor. I automatically freaked out and screamed trying to get out of his arms. I didn't realize it was Damien until he started asking me what's wrong while crouching into a defense position. I put my hand to my chest trying to calm my breaths before realizing that I was naked and moving my hand to hide my privacies.

"What happened?"

"Mmmm, nothing". He looked at me and rolled his eyes while running his fingers through his hair.

"Don't do shit like that! I thought you were hurt, and then you weren't in my arms and-", he rushed his words and rubbed his face. "Shit, just don't. Just don't do that". I nodded my head quickly and asked for us to get going. He agreed and we went back to get our clothing.
While on the way to the house I was wondering why I wanted to be all close to him in wolf form, when right now I couldn't care less. It felt so nice and comfortable to be all wrapped up together in our wolf forms, but right now I feel slightly uncomfortable next to him. I could feel him staring at me, but I didn't look back since I was too deep in thought. It was so weird, maybe I should ask him about it. But I don't want him to get all mad at me. I don't know what to do. I'll figure it out once we actually get into the room.

We walked into the house listening to what I assumed a husband and wife chattering amongst themselves about their children's education. Damien told me to head upstairs while he talk to the man out of the pair. I bowed my head in acknowledgement and smiled at the couple before heading up the old wooden staircase. I sat on his bed thinking of the things he's must of done up here; it didn't even affect me in the slightest. I think I will tell him; if there's consequences for asking I won't care. They say curiosity killed the cat, but I've also heard that satisfaction brought it back.
He didn't come up too long after I made my decision on asking him. He stared me down like he already knew that I had something to tell him. I blurted it out before I could back down.

"What does it feel like to have a mate?"

"Why do you ask?"

"No reason really."
"Well without a reason I won't answer."

"Can I tell you the reason after?" He stared into my eyes for a few moments then abruptly looked away.

"Having a mate is like well ... Think of someone with asthma that has it very well under control. No asthma attacks everything is fine, but you still have asthma. Now there is normally something that triggers an asthma attack. Your mate can either make the asthma go away or bring it on full storm. When you're with them and they fully accept you can breath and you're happy and everything is perfect, but if they reject you or start to pull away from you the asthma attack begins. You're barely getting in enough air and you have to use an inhaler to help you breath, but sooner or later even an inhaler won't work, and you'll die."

I was shocked. Is that how he feels right now because I don't fully accept him. I felt terrible, but I can't change the way I handle this. I swallowed deeply and looked at the floor while feeling my chest tighten in pain. "A-and how do you feel when they fully accept you?"

"I wouldn't know", I looked down in shame before realizing this wasn't only my fault.

"Okay, then how do you feel in general around a mate?" I said with more power.

"You feel like you're the happiest person on earth to be with your other half. They are the reason you're living, you never want to be away from them, and just their scent, the feel of their skin calms you down or makes you burn with a lust filled fire". I could feel my cheeks warm and tingle into a blush. I felt kind of turned on when he said that.

"Now it's your turn to tell me why you wanted to know". I walked over to the bed and faced the headboard. I didn't want to say it, but I knew that I had to be straightforward with him.

"My animalistic side likes to be close to you". All of a sudden I felt a body hovering over my back. He wrapped his arms around me and put his lips near my neck.

"Are you lying to me?" His tone demanded an answer.

"N-no sir!" He chuckled and pulled away from me.

"I have a theory." I stared at him in confusion and gestured my hand in a spinning motion for him to continue. "Since you never went through your endurance testing, you and your wolf side never got to connect during a time that's very important for bonding between your animalistic side and human side. So, since that's never happened and it's kind of too late the animal in you has never had to bother you. And since mates are for wolves and not humans only your wolf can feel the pull, but it's still not strong enough since you aren't connected. I think your wolf side is trying to push into your human side and connect".
He went over to a book in his room and opened it up wide. It was a blue leather book with red writing on it in symbols I couldn't understand and the pages looked old and crunchy. He flipped a large chunk and few more pages before reading a few lines. "If you don't connect during endurance testing and you have the wolf gene then you're supposed to naturally connect in some form. I don't know what has blocked you". I shrugged my shoulders and held in my bewilderment not wanting him to know that I cared. What does this mean?
He put the book away and came over to me pulling my hands into his. "I'm going to call one of elders and figure this out. You'll be able to feel the mate pull soon". He stood up and took out his phone.

"No!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said no."

"But, why?"

"Is it so bad that I don't want to only like you because I'm forced to. I actually have a chance to like you for you and not some stupid mate pull. I don't really like the way you are right now, and I don't want to be confused and wonder if I would even feel some way for you if it weren't for a mate pull." He stared at me in shock and walked over to the table dumbfounded. He put his chin in his hand with a thinking face on.

"The day you can actually say you have strong feelings for me is the day we'll begin. The exact moment that you have feelings for me you will come to me deal?"

"Deal." And I meant that, by then I'd probably want it just as bad as he does. I'm glad he's actually considering my feelings on the topic.