Protect the Ones You Love

Thinking About the Past

Jacob’s POV:

I woke in the middle of the night. I don’t know what woke me, but I was looking around the room until I found what did wake me. David was standing over me and he pointed towards the door and he left. I looked down at Riley, she had her head on my chest and one of her legs was thrown over both of mine. I could actually love to wake up like this with her on me. Her scent was on my shirt along my tears when she tried fighting me off. I really want to know scared her like that, but I have to wait until she is ready to tell me herself.

I slowly get out of her bed, trying not to wake. I walked out into the living room and saw David and Charles sitting on the sofa. Charles looked eyes were closed and his head was bobbing forward. Poor guy is trying to stay awake and David was glaring at me, wide awake.

“What type of Wereshifter are you? David asked straight to the point.

“I am a Werebear.” I answered back not going to back down by Riley’s brother so he can bring all the shit he wants at me.

“Why did Riley calm down when was held by you? Are you her boyfriend because the only person she lets near when she has a panic attack is family, not even Charles could calm her down.”

“I am not her boyfriend, her boyfriend is right there, falling asleep on the sofa.” I pointed to Charles who was asleep now with full of pride in my voice. I could calm my mate down and her boy toy can’t.

“That leaves you with another question to answer” David snapped not liking to repeat himself.

“I don’t see the point of answering that question. You are lucky I am giving answers because I don’t answer to anyone besides my Alpha.” I snapped back letting him know I will not back down or run scared from him. “Now I am going back to my apartment, I had enough drama for today.” I said, not really meaning it. My mate was scared of something, and I would like to know what, but I had to wait.

I walked to the door and left her apartment, walking towards mine. I really wanted to go back to bed with her on top of me, but I don’t want to take Alpha role if my dad finds out that I found my mate. So I can’t accept her yet. Anyways I have a date tomorrow with my girlfriend and that means I am going to have fun.

David POV:

Jacob left the apartment, the way he didn’t back down from me only means that he is Alpha of his pack. I sat there thinking of what I should do next. I didn’t want to go and leave Riley along here with Charles and Jacob from across the hall. Over that he is a Werebear. The laziest Weres in the shifter world so he will never be useful if something goes wrong.

I still remember the first time I saw Riley. I hated her on site. She was someone I didn’t want to accept. Everyone loved her when she showed her childish innocence’s. As for me, I stayed away from her and much as I tried that is how much she showed up around me. I wanted her gone so our family could back to normal. Dad loved her the most. After mom passed away, nobody actually needed him 24/7 until Riley showed up. He used to take her everywhere and showed her off. She also loved Kathleen, but dad had a very special place for her. To her, he was the one how saved her from Brenda. Then dad took her to meet Brenda, after she begged him to meet her for the last time before she got admitted into the hospital for her treatments.

Dad didn’t want to take. He knew the Riley was scared of her, and he didn’t want to shake her feeling of being safe around us. I personally never care. I was willing to take her there to meet her real mom, but dad wanted to be there in case Riley gets really scared. I was happy when they left. There was peace in the house for me even though the rest of the family were mopping around the house. It was finally quiet and I got a lot of work done and I also could walk in the dark in my bedroom without stepping on toys.

Then we got a phone call that changed all that. All of us tried to get to the hotel room as fast as we could, but it was not fast enough. When we got there, there was blood everywhere. We were in shock; we didn’t know what to do. It was a good thing the Richard took charge as the next Alpha or else we wouldn’t know what to do. Near the door Brenda lie motionless and next to bedroom door was dad. There were other dead shifters so we know that dad went down fighting.

Anthony went into the rooms looking for Riley, but no one could find her. That is when true panic set into everyone. And Riley scent was strongest around dad and the blood near the door so we knew it was hers. I felt so guilty about all the things I thought about her and she actually disappeared. We spent all day looking for. Every contact and allies also joined us to look for the little girl everyone fell in love with. I never knew how much I loved that little girl until I thought I lost her forever.

We were giving up hope until we found a lead to a warehouse and that is where we found our baby sister. She was naked on a dirty blanket with so many cuts and bruises. The cut were stitched poorly back together and she was so pale. At first we thought we were too late for also, but there was a low pulse and low hopes for her to survive. The cuts looked so fresh and there were bottles of medication and chemicals all around the room. They were experimenting on a two year old child. I remember the tears going down my face when I felt so helpless to do anything. Every bodies face had the same expression even the ally packs.

When we took her to the hospital the doctor quickly went to work. We brought back most of the meds and chemicals in the bottles so the doctors could get an idea of what we in that small body. It took months until we finally got to bring her home. But it wasn’t the same. She was so quiet and she always held on to someone even in her sleep she held someone’s hand.

When she use to wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, she would cry silently in her room until she got tired and fell asleep in the corner of her crib with her blanket wrapped tightly around herself. I knew about this because one night I also had a nightmare about her and went into her room to check of her. When she saw me, she raised her arms and I picked her up. She held me as tightly she could with her arms. I tried to make her go back to sleep but she started to cry more and wouldn’t let go. So I took her to my room and she fell asleep in my arms after she knew I wouldn’t leave her alone in her room. From that day I would always get up in the middle of the night to check on her, and every time I walked in she would be up in her crib cry. So it became a habit for me to take her to my room and she would sleep in my arms. The doctor told me that it was a bad idea and she would not get over her fears, but I just couldn’t see tears in her eyes.

We all tried to make her talk, and she did try for us, but she would always started to get a panic attack. So we all learned sign language and taught it to her also. Over the years her panic attacks got less and she became a happy child again. But we all knew that she missed dad, she would go to his room and talk. She actually talked in his room. Sometimes we all would listen to her; her voice was beautiful, those are the times we knew that she will talk to us one day.  But that day has not come yet. I asked her one day that I heard her talk in dad’s room but she never talks to us. Then she signed me that dad didn’t learn sign language before leaving so he would not know what she was saying so she talks to him, so he knows how everything is going on in the family and pack. We never pushed her to talk to us, because we are waiting when she is ready.

But today seeing her crying and someone else take my spot, hurt the most. I was always the person she came to when she was scared and now the guy from down the hall was taking my place. I know I should be happy that she is starting to open up to people, but I still wanted to be the one person that she came to when she was scared.

I looked at the sofa and Charles was asleep so I went into his room and laid down on his bed. I know I give a hard time to the poor kid, but he pisses me off every time he brings Riley into something.I fell asleep deciding that i will talk to Richard about what i will do before leaving.