Can you heal old scars?

Chapter 26

Slowly Quin began to calm, the warmth coming from Ryan seemed to radiate through him, chasing away the iciness that had settled inside him.

Quin lifted his head, pulling back from Ryan and clearing his throat. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his jumper, sniffing and still trembling.

Ryan was still looking at Quin, he still couldn't believe what he had just heard. He felt... he didn't even know how to explain what he felt, other than it hurt him to know that his mate had gone through such terrible things.

"Sorry... I made your jumper soggy..." Quin mumbled, seeing the damp patch on Ryan's red top.

Ryan softly chuckled, shaking his head. He was still baffled as to why Quin was apologizing for things.

"It will dry, don't worry about it." Ryan said, smiling gently.

"Do you have.... have any questions..?" Quin said slowly, still having to work on his breathing.

Ryan honestly didn't know, what do you ask when you hear something like that? Anything he could think of just sounded selfish...

Did Quin even want to be with him? Ryan wouldn't blame him if he didn't, not after everything he had endured. Was he resentful for everything he had to do to try and fix things?

He sighed and frowned, trying to figure out what to say next, but found himself simply shaking his head.

"Then we need to discuss where things go from here, b..between us I mean.." Quin said nervously.

Ryan looked at Quin again, a mixture of worry and hope and sorrow swirling inside him.

"If you want to leave, I won't blame you. There is an office here where we can sign the necessary paperwork, it's a quick ritual from what I looked up... I won't make a fuss and I won't bother you again." Quin spoke softly, Ryan shuddered at the suggestion.

"And what if I don't want that?" He said taking one of Quin's hands in his, rubbing his thumb across Quin's soft skin.

"Then I... I need to set ah.. boundaries. There are some things I just can't do right now, and some things that I may never be able to do..." He looked at Ryan, catching his gaze.

"I need to know you will be ok with that, and respect the boundaries I have. It's important to me, if we are to build any trust between us then I need to know you won't cross those lines."

Ryan nodded, after everything Quin had endured this was understandable and expected. Things would be difficult for Quin, and Ryan wanted to make him feel as comfortable and safe as possible.

"The biggest thing, and this might be difficult for you... I don't mean it as an insult in anyway but... I can't have you bite me. After what Callow did to me I..." Quin sighed and reached for his phone.

Snow grumbled inside Ryan, the thought of not being able to mark his own mate didn't sit well with him at all. Ryan felt that discomfort too, but he also felt for Quin, he was afraid and Ryan didn't want to frighten him further.

"That's... I mean I get your scared and I don't want to scare you, but I will admit it's a little upsetting.." Ryan said, he had to be honest with Quin, he owed him that.

"I know, which is why you need... to see..." Quin handed Ryan his phone and Ryan's heart stopped.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing, the jagged lines of teeth, the deep indents from large canines. He almost choked on his own breath as he saw the bastardization of a mating scar that Callow had forced on Quin.

"Holy shit.... Quin that's... Fuck.." Ryan couldn't speak.

That fucker had practically ripped through Quin's neck and shoulder, the scar as ugly as Callow himself.