Under the Skin

Chapter 18

Jonah sobbed at those words and clutched tightly on Alec's shirt, his forehead pressed against the man's chest. 

"Thank you," He whispered softly. 

For the next few weeks, Jonah spent his time trying to build himself back up again. All his wounds had healed long ago, but the trauma he gained from recovering all of his memory couldn't fade away so easily. 

As he laid in bed at night, his thoughts kept coming back to his parents. For most of his life, he couldn't long for their presence because he didn't know them. But now, he could remember their faces, and the love they gave him before they passed away. The pain he felt knowing he would never see them and feel their warmth again made it hard to breathe sometimes. 

His nightmares also became a nightly occurrence. He would wake up sweating and panting, his eyes wide with horror as the images of his parents and wolves dying kept replaying in his head. Most of the time, Alec would wake up upon hearing his cries and would hug him tight against his chest, whispering soothing words. 

The weight of his past pressed heavily upon his shoulders, and often left him lying in bed during the day as he lacked the strength to get up. 

It was hard for him, but it was also hard for Alec. Seeing his mate so defeated and depressed made him feel helpless, because he couldn't get rid of his pain. 

Nonetheless, he did his best to show a strong side for the omega's sake. The beta succeeded a few times to coax him out of bed, and he made sure he ate his three meals a day. 

Fortunately, their family and friends made sure to check up on them during that time. Alec's mother often came to keep Jonah company when Alec had to leave. After being away for a week to take care of his mate, the man had no other choice but to resume his duties as the beta of the pack. 

It took a long time, but finally, after a few months the omega was starting to comeback to his usual self. He still had his days when everything was too much to bear and he spent the whole day in bed, but they were becoming less frequent. 

Coming back to work at the nursery seemed to help him a lot, especially after he talked to the parents of the three pups who had been there when the rogue had attacked. 

Jonah had collapsed to his knees and begged for their forgiveness for endangering their children. One of the mothers urged him to get up and brought him into a hug. 

"There is nothing to forgive, dear. We're the ones who should be thanking you for saving our pups." 

Later that day, Alec happened to be passing by the nursery. He stopped in his tracks when he saw his mate laughing and playing with the pups outside. A smile formed on the beta's lips and his throat tightened with emotion. It had been a long time since he saw his mate looking so happy.

Alec continued to walk, knowing that his mate was finally healing from his trauma. 

A light dust of snow was falling from the sky. There wasn't any clouds hiding the orange and pink canvas above the three tops. 

Jonah bid the other caretakers a good night as he walked out. As he looked up, a light smile appeared on his lips as his eyes found Alec standing a few feet away from him.

"I didn't know you were walking home with me." Alec was smiling as well as he came closer and grabbed his hand.

"I know, I have a surprise for you. Come with me." 

The beta led them away from the camp and into the forest. After they both shared details about their day, a peaceful silence fell over them as they continued to walk. 

They must've been gone for a while now, because the sky had darken significantly, and the stars were starting to become visible. Jonah was glad that he had dressed well that morning, because the air was still quite cold.

After spending another hour moving through the forest, the trees started to thin as they finally arrived into a clearing. By now, the stars shone brightly against the night sky, and although the sight was beautiful, something even more spectacular caught Jonah's attention. 

Above them, lights of different colours danced in waves in against the dark background. Jonah was completely transfixed by them, his mouth slightly agape in awe.

"What are they?" Alec chuckled fondly when he saw how bewitched the omega was by the sight.

"Boreal lights. They're beautiful, aren't they?" Jonah nodded but didn't speak as he continued to watch the lights move across the sky. 

The pair continued to look at the scenery for some time, until Alec broke the silence.

"There's a reason I brought you here, actually." Jonah turned to look at him, and saw that the beta slightly nervous. 

Alec grabbed both of his hands, making them face each other. 

"We went through a lot these past few months, but facing these difficulties with you only made me fall in love with you more than I already had." Jonah smiled as his heart filled with emotion.

"I admire how strong you are. You don't hesitate to put yourself in danger to protect other people. I also love how dedicated and generous you are, always ready to help if someone needs it. I couldn't have asked for a better person to be my mate." A tear slid down the omega's face, and the beta let go of his hand temporarily to wipe it away tenderly with his thumb.

"That's why I'm asking you tonight if you want to complete the mating process, to seal the bond between us and spend our whole lives together. I'm not a perfect man, but I promise I'll always do my best to make you happy."

Jonah let out a sob as he wiped his tears away. Without warning, he jumped into Alec's arms. The man was taken aback by the sudden weight, and they both fell backwards as Alec's back hit the snow. 

The two of them were stunned for a second before they both started laughing. After their laughter died down, Jonah looked at Alec with a tender smile. 

"Yes, I want to." Alec's smile widened as he heard this. He slowly lifted his head until his lips met Jonah's. The kiss was short but sweet, and the omega was blushing as he laid his head against his mate's chest. 

Right now, nothing could erase the smile on his lips as his heart filled with happiness.