Those In The Forest

Part 34: Rose

Reagan was about six yards ahead of us. I forgot how fast she actually was. It was amazing seeing how fast and hard she ran. Her long, muscular legs were covered in a pair of swears, so we couldn't see her muscles ripple with every step, but it was fun to imagine.

          We were all shifted into our wolf form, watching her every move. We promised to be within our eyesight just in case something happened.

          Listening to that conversation she had with Celia really put some perspective on our relationship with her. Avah and Lennox's comment earlier helped as well.

          All of us have always had a sense of comfort and family. Of stability. Reagan hasn't. She's moved from home to home all her life with no knowledge of when someone would actually want to keep her. Why a family wouldn't keep her is bizarre.

          Reagan is perfect—everything about her. She's a perfect match for us and our little makeshift family.

          I want to be her comfort. We all do. We want to be the security she needs in life, and we should have realized sooner that she may not think she has that with us. To her, we are just another passing thing, but we will change that.

          It's all about the small things, right?

          So, hopefully, this run will help.

          We were kind of dicks, when we told her we would have to think about it first. Yeah, we have our concerns, but she isn't some pet that needs watching and taming. She's our mate, and she needs our trust and support.

          If anything were ever to happen, we would be there to protect her, always. So why did we worry so much?

          It's been about twenty minutes. That's nothing for us, but we could hear Reagan's heartbeat picking up. I'm shocked she's lasted this long without a break. Her stamina isn't as bad as I thought it was.

          Well, she proved that during our rut. Where the hell all that energy came from, I will never know. It may have been because of her heat, but I have other suspicions.

          Reagan was panting a bit. I could hear her trying to control her breathing. I huffed. She did something awfully familiar when she was getting ready to take our cocks in her mouth.

          It was like a preparation breathing technique.

          I wonder if she's used that tactic for other things. Suppose it was a coping mechanism for her growing up.

          How she managed to make it this far without having a thousand mental breakdowns is a miracle. How she hasn't broken down with us is also just as shocking.

          "You doing okay up there, Reagan? Need a break?" Ivy asked through the bond.

          We could have run faster. Yes, Reagan is quick, but her pace was extremely slow for us. It was almost more tiring, but I didn't mind.

          She huffed out a laugh. "I'm great, actually, better than I've felt for a while. I really needed this." Reagan responded through the bond. She picked up her pace ever so slightly.

          I was almost offended by that statement until I realized she was smiling. She really did need this.

          I feel bad. Her argument after we said no was that she felt like a hostage.

          We're mated. Her feeling stuck with us against her will is something I would never want. I want her to feel free, and it seems like we've found a small outlet for her.