Ch. 12

I woke to darkness. A familiar darkness that I know I have visited before.

'"Hello?" I called out. The word seemed to echo around me, hanging in the air around me yet traveling out in every direction. Seconds later my wolf stepped out of the darkness and into my line of sight.

"You're back again." My wolf said. Unlike in the past the atmosphere between us was not as tense, but more balanced. Both halves of myself were growing, becoming stronger. We have come to understand one another better, slowly becoming one like werewolves were meant to be.

"Why am I here?" I asked knowing my wolf would know the answer. The more instinctual half of myself, always seemed to have the answers that otherwise evaded me. I had asked Viviana about it and she explained that the wolf was able to see things that the human half missed. Humans and wolves were very different creatures, and as werewolves we were lucky to have access to the unique perspective the wolf offered.

"You should have let the vampire die. He deserved it," My wolf replied grumpily.

"Maybe but you know we couldn't let him die for us. He will always be the psycho vamp, but he has kinda grown on me. Even if I can't forgive him."

"We will be weakened from him feeding on us."

"Yes, but we are alive and so is he. It all worked out in the end."

"You should be more selfish. We can't be weak, we must protect the pack. Protect our mate."

"That is what this is about. Andrea," I said finally getting the point of this meeting. My wolf was finally talking to me in a way I could understand about Andrea. I recalled the flashes of indecipherable feelings when around Andrea. I had felt so torn whenever around her recently, my wolf trying to tell me something I just couldn't figure out. The situation with Viviana surely did not help.

"Andrea is our mate. It is something I have been able to sense since we were young. Her souls and ours, are intertwined. Being apart will eventually kill us, a true mate bond cannot be denied. She is ours, as we are hers. You let our human soul be in charge most of the time and if you let our human soul mess things up with our mate, I will take my anger out in a very unpleasant way."

The last part came out in a growl and emotions washed over me. The fierce determination, and blood thirst my wolf had when it came to Andrea's safety. The fear we felt over the idea something would happen to Andrea. The dedication my wolf half felt for Andrea. Wolves didn't feel things like human's did. They went about things like relationships differently. Even though Andrea and I had yet to talk or decide anything about our relationship, to the wolf half of ourselves we belonged to one another. She was the most important thing, even above the pack.

"I will do my best not to screw things up," I promised meaning ever word. Things may not be as uncomplicated for the human aspect of our relationship but I cared for Andrea just as much as my wolf half.

"Good. "

My wolf seemed almost happy with my response, nodding in agreement. No words were needed, we would protect what was ours. Andrea and I may not always see eye to eye, and we have had more than one road block along the way but nothing would keep us apart now. Neither half of myself could bare the thought of being away from her.

The blackness began to fade slowly but the words my wolf spoke stayed with me. The poltergeist would be gone but our problems were far from over. As the blackness leeched away my senses came more and more alive. I could feel the bed under me, scent the Juniper and a smokey pomegranate.  Corrigan and Viviana. As mire awareness came to me slowly I gained strength, and my eyes fluttered open. A part of me yearned for Andrea and I opened the pack bond wider looking for her. The feelings and information from the bond exploded, overwhelming me with the intensity. I hadn't felt this connected with the pack since Azarias made his proposal. I knew this meant he had formally rescinded the offer of becoming mates. I was no longer tied to him or the Last Crusade Coven.

I could feel Raiza's unease as she seemed to pace somewhere else in the building.  Out in the forest Sadie, Skye, Ryan, Aspen, Ember, and Carson were together, their worry mixing with each others. Feeding off each other and growing. I could tell that they were worried about me and they sensed the moment I woke up, their joy overwriting the worry. I could feel their love and happiness. Even with how distant things had been between us the last few months they still cared. Finally I found Andrea, she was further away than Raiza yet closer than the others. She seemed deep in thought but otherwise okay. It felt good to be connected to her through the pack bond, but my wolf missed the deeper connection the Sevari bond had given me.

"Kye!" Corrigan said her face coming into view. Her eyes were alive with happiness and she was stronger now than she had been last time I saw her. "You've been out of it for a few hours. We've been worried."

I sat up in bed and flashed a smile at Corrigan and Viviana, who looked like she was about to pass out from relief. She didn't pass out but she did settle down onto the bed next to me.

"What happened?" I asked looking between the two women.

"Azarias stopped feeding from you the moment he realized who he was drinking from. He's still healing but he'll live. He cancelled the mating and promised to stay away from you and the pack unless you wish otherwise," Corrigan explained. I could sense how happy she was over the turn of events with the vampires. She had never wanted me to be tied to Azarias, I could know tell just how much it had been eating her up inside. She saw me as a little sister and felt guilty she wasn't able to help me more when things with Azarias had come to a head.

"Andrea?" I asked barely daring to hope. When I realized she wasn't here I panicked a bit. Why wouldn't she be here? Wasn't she worried? It wasn't common because it was torturous but there have been times in the past that  a mate tried fighting the bond. Andrea could be stubborn and thick headed, she might just try and fight the bond. Hell, that is what we have both been doing since we met each other when I returned. It wasn't easy and lead to heart break but it was possible.

"Raiza ordered her to stay in her room. She tried to kill Azarias more than once for the whole feeding incident. A tad melodramatic of you ask me, but well she is my daughter. I may have slipped her something so she would fall asleep. She was unleashing so much power I was getting a headache," Viviana explained in a flippant tone. Her eyes told a different story, as did the few words she used. Such as referring to Andrea so casually as her daughter. Viviana was relieved I was alright and underneath it all she was pissed. Pissed I did something so stupid.

I moved closer to Viviana, who immediately wrapped her arms around me pulling me closer. We took comfort from one another but I needed more, the wolf needed more. After months of being so separated from my pack I needed a connection to my pack.

"Come," I said through the pack bond sending it to others around the compound. Corrigan's smile grew and she settled on my other side on the bed. Between us the pack bond thrummed with energy and my wolf further relaxed.

"Better?" Corrigan asked with a knowing look in her eyes.

"Some."

A few minutes later Raiza walked into the room her Alpha power swirling around her like a mantle. Her eyes already glowing as she studied the room looking for a threat. Her eyes settled on Viviana and I could see the distrust there. Raiza seemed to be recalling Viviana's promise to claim me when  the business with the poltergeist ended.

"Is something wrong?" Raiza asked eyes not moving from Viviana. "No," I replied nudging Viviana slightly so she wouldn't try and start trouble.  I could play peace maker most of the time but right now I just wanted my family, I didn't want trouble. Viviana knew exactly what I wanted and with a huff of indigence she unwound herself from me and stood.

"Your pup needs you Alpha," Viviana said as she leaned against the wall on the other side of the room. Raiza's eyebrows jumped in surprise but she didn't hesitate to take Viviana's abandoned spot next to me. With Raiza in the room the connection to the pack was stronger, humming through me.

"Oh, stop glaring Rai. I won't claim her. . .well unless she asks."

Viviana waved Raiza off trying to look uninterested, but I could see underneath the facade and could see she was put out. We argued but we understood each other better than anyone else. Raiza relaxed though and she wrapped and arm around me, strengthen the connection to the pack.

"Never do that again Kye."

The door crashed open and Andrea entered the room, her silver eyes locking with mine. For once we were both speechless. There were two many things we needed to say, and neither of us were good with talking. I kept my thoughts and feelings private, and Andrea just didn't know how to express herself.

"Matthis?" I asked. It was the most important question, at least to me.

"Went home. I don't think we will be seeing him anytime soon."

I nodded. That was all that mattered. He was gone and Andrea was fighting it. Fighting what was happening between us. It was odd, we had both been fighting things for so long.

"What happens now?"

It took me a second to realize I asked the question out loud. Corrigan, Raiza, Viviana, and Andrea were all looking at me. Each considering my question.

"Well," Viviana said with a smirk. "You could always come home with-"

"No!" Andrea growled slamming her mother into the wall her whole body twitching as she fought to keep her wolf under control.

"Oh relax, I was joking," Viviana said her smirk still firmly in place. "I think you need some time with Kye, your more hormonal than a pregnant wolf."

"Viviana!" Raiza snapped.

"What?" Viviana asked innocently.

"Giving them some time alone sounds like a good idea," Corrigan said.

It took a few minutes but Corrigan and Raiza managed to herd Viviana out of the room, leaving me alone with Andrea. She stood at the end of my bed not looking at me and her posture stiff. I honestly couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"So?" I asked when I could take the silence no longer. Andrea finally looked at me and all I could see was determination in her eyes.

"You are not going with Viviana," Andrea told me moving closer. "You are not leaving me, not again."

The bed dipped down as Andrea settled on the edge. Her eyes focused on me as she continued to move closer slowly. She seemed to be drawing out the moment, and her words made my heart accelerate in my chest. For once leaving was the absolutely last thing on my mind.

"You are mine," Andrea whispered her mouth coming to a rest on my neck, her body pressing into mine. "I want you to be mine. I have for a very long time. Say yes, Kye. To me, to this pack, to our future together?"

"Yes."

I breathed the word out and the very next second Andrea's teeth were nipping t the skin on my neck. My own teeth found her neck and I returned the gesture. The bite went on for far longer than was necessary. Neither one of us wanting to end the moment to soon. Finally it did come to an end and Andrea pulled away. A smile lit up her whole face and her silver otherworldly eyes where filled with so much warmth my breath caught.

There on the side of Andrea's neck a pure white, true mate's mark stood out. I knew that on my neck the matching mark would stand. We were stubborn and dysfunctional, and closed of. A feeling of belonging expanded inside of me. I was finally home.

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A/N- So I know I have sucked with updating this story and it isn't quiet as long as I had planned, but I hope you enjoyed it. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and Thank you for reading.