Chapter Eleven: Zaks POV

Zak's P.O.V

I groaned as I woke up wrapped in Nova's arms. His body was so warm that I hated moving from it, especially when the weather was cold. I shifted slightly to get comfortable but regretted it instantly as a pain hit me. My back and ass hurt like hell. My face blushed hard as I recalled the events of last night, my mind replaying the events in extreme detail. In embarrassment and frustration I hit a sleeping Nova who woke with a start before grinning and faking a shocked and hurt look.

"What?" He pretended to sound hurt. But we all know my puny self couldn't hurt him even if I tried.

I scowled, "my ass hurts like hell you moron!" I growled which only made him laugh.

"I love you baby." He said sweetly and kissed my forehead gently, warming my heart for a brief moment. "Sorry but you did ask for it. And you did repeatedly tell me to go harder so I was only obeying your every command." He chuckled, only to laugh harder when I hit him again with my pillow, my face burning hotter than before. "Come on, have a shower and get dressed there's people I want you to meet today." He kissed my head again and got up leaving the room presumably for the bathroom downstairs, thankfully leaving me the one attached to my room. I don't think I could manage going down those stairs right now.

I got up stiffly and shuffled into the adjoining bathroom. The warm water helped relax me a little but I was beginning to worry about who he wanted me to meet and this ruined what should've been a relaxing shower. My thoughts were going crazy and in the end I gave up, scrubbed my body clean and got out of the shower. I dug out a nice outfit, not too fancy though, just some nicer jeans, a T-shirt and a nice light grey cardigan to go with it. I didn't know who we were meeting so I needed to look a bit presentable for once.

"Where are we going?" I asked as I walked awkwardly downstairs after getting dressed. Nova was in the kitchen plating up breakfast and setting it on the table. I sat down in front of a plate and began eating slowly.

"To meet my parents." He sighed as he dug into his own breakfast.

I choked on a piece of bacon as he said those words. "W-what!?" I began to panic. My mind spiralled through every bad scenario that could occur from me meeting his parents today and then it tuned darker, with my thoughts heading straight to Derek and the possibility that he could be there today.

Nova, seeing my panic growing out of control, reached his hand across the table and took mine in his, "it's okay baby, there's nothing to be worried about." He smiled reassuringly finishing off his food and giving my hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He took my half finished plate and piled the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, scraping the left over food into the trash first.

My mind took me to my own parents, especially my mother. My father hadn't bothered to stick around long enough to get to know me and my mother was so self obsessed and absorbed in her own little world that I was never a priority. In fact my presence from an early age was a great source of inconvenience to her.

"B-but what if they don't l-like m-me?" I whispered. I mean my own mother didn't so why would someone else's?

I heard a small sigh before Nova knelt beside me, his head resting on my knee and taking my hands in his as he looked up at me. 'They'll love you, Zak, trust me. Now stop thinking silly things, your only stressing yourself unnecessarily," He cooed softly before he stood up and pulled me into a tight hug. And that was the end of that conversation as far as Nova was concerned. But it wasn't in my head.

We got into his Beatle without further discussion and drove, in silence, to his family home on the outskirts of town. My mind was still whirling throughout the journey no matter what I tried to do.

It took an hour to get there and by the time we did I felt sick to my stomach thanks to all the horrid scenarios that tormented me along the way. Nova pulled up to a beautiful house that lay hidden amongst the trees. It looked more like a hotel than a house as we got closer but Nova had thankfully explained that this was a house for the whole pack to live in, plus a few smaller buildings dotted close by in the woods for the families.

"Ready?" He asked as he pulled up by a garage and turned off the engine. He looked at me concerned as he reached for my hand, giving it a small squeeze before letting go.

I nodded reluctantly and gulped, following as he got out of the car. I half ran round to meet him as we walked to the front door, a little afraid of being somewhere that was home to a pack of wolves that may or may not like me. Nova must have sensed my fear because he pulled me close, wrapping a protective arm around my tender waist.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Nova called loudly over the hustle and bustle as we entered the huge home.

My jaw hit the floor at the sheer sight of the entrance. It was kept neutral in terms of colours, simple wooden fittings and fixtures gave the house a earthy and peaceful vibe. It was nice. It wasn't in your face but you could tell it was expensive.

"Nova!" A little girl squealed as she ran into the large entry hall and towards us.

He released his hold on me and caught her as she jumped up to him, "Hey lil lady." He held her high in the air above his head making her giggle. "Hows my baby sis?" He carefully brought her into his chest and hugged her tiny form as she wrapped her small arms round his neck.

"Im better now your home," she giggled then looked at me, tilting her head to one side as I felt fear creep through my chest, "whose he?"

"This is Zak, my mate. Say hi and introduce yourself." Nova said, making me blush a little at how straight forward he was.

"Im Melany nice to meet you." She said in the cutest little voice ever and shyly hid her face in her brothers chest, making him chuckle.

I smiled shakily at her, "n-nice to meet you too Melany." She giggled sweetly and jumped out of Nova's arms before running off into the house, yelling for her mother and father to come look who was home. To my utter dismay, Nova began walking off further into the house, leaving me standing by the doorway. In fear I ran after him, pulling the material of his cotton shirt into my fist as i caught up to his large form, pulling him as close to me as I could. My hands trembled slightly as he shushed me and pulled me into his chest, surrounding me with his large muscular arms. He whispered reassurance into my ear which allowed me to calm down a little. It was short lived however, as a woman's voice made me startle and cower behind Novas hulking frame.

"Nova, sweetie, it's nice to see you home again." A lady emerged from one of the many doors that lead off the entrance hall. She was followed by a tall, muscular man. They both smiled softly when they saw me hiding behind Novas huge frame. "Aww don't be scared sweetie, we're not going to hurt you. I'm Amanda, Nova's mother and this is my husband, John." She cooed and smiled sweetly, her voice was soft and gentle as she spoke.

"H-hello." I stuttered barely audible, feeling very overwhelmed, "Im z-Zak."

She squealed suddenly at my words and ran towards me, making me flinch back into the wall that was behind me. As she got close she shoved Nova aside before throwing her arms round me in a huge hug. "Your my boys little mate!" She pulled me out of the hug, holding me by the shoulders, while looking me over, "Its lovely to finally meet you. Aww your so cute!" She kissed my cheeks, making me blush.

I was too shocked and nervous to move. Nova and his father laughed. "Come on Amanda, your scaring the poor boy." John, Nova's father, laughed holding his hand out for his wife to take hold of, which thankfully she did before going to stand beside him.

"Sorry, got a little excited." She giggled and nuzzled into his side.

I jumped a little, my nerves still very much on edge, as Nova wrapped his arms round my waist, pressing his body into my back as he rested his chin gently on the top of my head. His scent and warmth surrounded me, making me feel safer and helping to calm my racing heart and mind.

"Its nice to finally meet my sons mate, he's been talking about you non stop since he met you. "John chuckled. I dared not look up at him out of fear of disrespecting the Alpha in some way. "We'll leave you two to get settled in and take a look around." I peaked up a little to see John smile down at me before he nodded to Nova a little as he walked away. Amanda waved at us before following him into the house.

I breathed a sigh of relief as they disappeared making Nova chuckle. "Sorry about my mom, she's a little full on." I smiled as the nerves were soothed a little by Novas touch. I snuggled closer to his body as his arms gently squeezed me for a moment. After a second they fell from my body before his hand took mine as he pulled me into the house, "come on, I'll show you around." The smile on his face made my heart melt. He looked so happy to be home. His happiness made me smile too.

We spent the next couple hours touring the huge house. Nova showed me his old room and I listened excitedly to each little story he told me about his childhood in this house. We met some of his friends who, surprisingly, accepted me instantly, greeting me with huge bear hugs and genuine warm smiles. I've never seen a group of people look so happy to see me in my life. Not even my own parents were this pleased to see my face. It felt nice. This feeling of being accepted and welcomed was something that I craved unknowingly and I was happy to accept it. But at the same time my heart broke a little as a thought crossed my mind. My parents didn't know that I was gay and they certainly didn't know about Nova. Hell, they hadn't even contacted me since I'd move here, well apart from the quick call I got from my mother on the first night. I had no friends to speak of back where my mother lived as I was always deemed the outcast. It hurt to see these strangers greeting me so kindly and accepting me so easily when the people I grew up with never could.

"Hey you ok?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Leo, Nova's best friend and beta (once Nova took over the pack). His emerald eyes looked softly into mine. The concern in them just made my heart hurt all the more.

"Y-yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something." I sighed, feeling suddenly drained, all the happiness that I'd felt suddenly gone.

Nova appeared in front of my face making me startle. He placed his hands gently on either side of my face, looking at me with concern. "You don't look well, are you alright?" His voice was filled with worry but I smiled a little at him, nodding yes, not trusting my voice much. "Alright." He sighed, not seeming to be convinced he kissed my forehead before turning back to Leo. They were discussing some pack business and I didn't really understand any of it so didn't bother to listen, I just leant against his warm body and enjoyed the feel of his body against mine.

"Hey Zak." I felt a tug at my jeans. Looking down I saw Melany's cute little face staring up at me.

"Hey Mel, you ok?" I crouched down so I was more to her height as I spoke, not wanting to speak down at her.

She smiled cheekily at me, "come outside, daddy wants to speak to you." She tugged my hand, urging me to follow her, i looked up at Nova to tell him that his father wanted him but the little girl in front of me stopped me, "not Nova, just you."

My heart sank at her words. Why would he want to speak to me alone? I gulped, trying to push down my fear, but not succeeding very well. I left Nova, who glanced questioningly over his shoulder as I left, and followed Melany through the maze of a house and outside into the back garden. John and Amanda were sitting cuddled together on a blanket, watching the younger members of the pack play and fool about.

"Mommy, daddy I got him." Melany sang in her sweet little voice as we came close to them.

They looked up at me with smiles, Amanda patting the space in front of her, urging me to take a seat. I did. I looked at them nervous as hell. Would they reject me? Did they not like me? My mind just continued to spiral out of control and I had to fight the urge to run back to Nova.

"Zak, honey, relax. We only want to know a bit more about our future son-in-law." Amanda beamed, patting the back of my hand, which gripped my trouser leg.

"O-okay, what did you want to know?" I asked, taking a couple deep breaths to force myself into relaxing a little.

"How old are you?" She smiled.

"I turned twenty this year. February 4th." I replied, adding my birthday just in case that was her next question.

"Hmmm, that makes you four years younger than Nova." John added. "Where'd you live before moving here?"

"Canada." I smiled, "my mother remarried and me and her new partner don't really get on so I moved away from them." I grumbled.

"Did you make the choice to move out here or," Amanda began but cut off. Her eyes showed a sadness that only a mother can show.

"Well it was a bit of that but I was also kinda forced to move out too. But I'm not too bothered by it, really." I smiled at Amanda, not liking the fact that she was somewhat sad. "I didn't really get on much with my mother after the divorce and my father just disappeared before I had a chance to find out where he was going." I sighed. "My mothers new partner had a nasty personality and he didn't like that she already had a son, so he made my life difficult from the first time she met him. But it doesn't matter now."

"Im sorry to hear that Zak." John sighed. I knew he meant his words, he didn't look like a man that'd say things needlessly. "So how do you like it here? Your renting Nova's old place right?" He swiftly changed the subject, thankfully seeing that it was a bit of a sore topic for me.

"Honestly, I didn't like it at first, but I think that was just because I had no other choice and was feeling a bit put out. But now I love it here. Despite everything that's happened." I chuckled, but stopped short when they looked at me puzzled.

"Have you already had a bad experience here?" Amanda asked, something like anger mixing in her words.

Shit. That one sentence sent the subdued panic spiralling out of control completely. Didn't Nova tell them about what had happened with Derek? My blood ran cold at the thought of him walking up to me at any moment as he was a member of the pack. I began to frantically look around the garden for any sign that he might be there as the painful memories flashed through my mind. My mind suddenly fogged and went blank, my chest constricted painfully and I couldn't breathe! I hunched over, hands grasping at my shirt, trying to force air into my lungs.

"Zak! Sweetie are you alright?" Amanda's voice held worry and my whole body jerked away as I felt her hands rest on my shoulders.

"Zak, calm down. Take deep breaths. In through your nose, out through your mouth." Johns deep voice was suddenly closer than before and I realised he was kneeling down next to me now, a gentle hand rubbing circles into my back while the other rested on my side, keeping me steady.

I tried to do as he said, but couldn't seem to tame my breathing, making me panic which in turn made it worse. Their voices went funny as my sight blurred in and out of focus.

"Zak!" I heard Nova's panicked voice shout from somewhere. "Baby whats wrong?" His voice startled me as it was closer than I expected. I felt him place his hand on my knee, the other brushing my bangs out of my eyes. "What happened? Why is he in this state?" Nova growled out.

"We don't know. We were just chatting about his home and how he was liking it here when he suddenly went pale and began hyperventilating." His mother told him. "Come on, lets bring him inside."

I felt myself being hoisted into the air and into Nova's warm chest. My body trembled in fear and pain as I struggled to force air into my burning lungs. All the while my mind continued to taunt me with the fact that Derek could show up at any given moment.

"Doc, we need your help. Can you give him something to calm him down." John asked as we came to a stop.

''Alpha? What's wrong?'' A rough voice replied and I heard john answer but my mind didn't process the words he'd said. It just kept tormenting me with images of Derek.

'' Shh, baby. It's okay, sshh.'' Nova whispered with his lips against my head. I hadnt realised that I was whimpering loudly.

''Lay him down on the bed and I'll give him something.'' The rough voice grumbled, sounding very unimpressed about the situation, which didn't help my current state of panic.

I whimpered as Nova lay me down, not wanting to be separated from him.

''I'm right here.'' He whispered as he took my hand in his, squeezing it gently, reassuringly.

I suddenly felt a sharp prick on my arm, causing me to whimper and pull my arm away, hugging it to my chest. A sudden sense of calm crashed over me in waves making me feel uneasy.

'It gave him something a bit stronger so he'll sleep for a couple hours but he'll be fine when he wakes up.'' That unimpressed voice grumbled.

Sleep? I didnt want to sleep. What if Nova left me here alone? What if Derek came again. My eyelids grew heavy, but I fought hard to keep them open.

As if reading my thoughts Nova placed gentle kisses on my head while whispering, ''Sleep baby. I'll be right here don't worry. I wont leave your side, I promise.'' Finally with those sweet whispered words I lost the battle and drifted off into a restless and forced sleep.