Deafening Silence

5 // The Truth This Time

The next morning, I awoke next to him in bed. No, it wasn't what you're thinking, it was just a place to sleep. He was sprawled out, but asleep which made me smile. It was obvious by the bags underneath his eyes that it had been a few months since he'd slept at all. As I checked my watch, I saw that it was already 11 in the morning. He awoke quickly, sitting upright as he looked over to me with curiosity.

"Hey." He smiled. "What time is it?" he asked.

"11." I smirked. His smile left him.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"I wasn't aware last night. Anything could have come in here and hurt you, but I was too far asleep to protect you." He frowned.

"Derek, I'd rather have you sleep soundly than be grumpy for the rest of your life." I assured, fixing his hair as I went into the kitchen of his apartment. As I rummaged through the fridge, I settled on making us omelets. He was sitting in the kitchen chair, smiling at me.

"What?" I asked, trying to laugh it off. He never smiled like that, ever.

"I didn't know you could cook." He shrugged.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me, Derek." I mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear. He obviously did, because that knee-weakening smile left his face before I finished the sentence.

As I slid the eggs onto the plates, I tried to make him eat, but he only pushed it away.

"What do you mean, there's a lot of things I don't know about you?" he hissed.

Looking up to him with the most innocent eyes I could muster, I sighed as his red-eyed gaze didn't falter. Setting down my fork and knife, I swigged my water and stared him back down. I was weaker than I expected, especially around him. Rubbing the back of my neck nervously, I finally looked him in the eye as I revealed the truth.

"I didn't exactly...I wasn't really...I wasn't an Omega for my entire existence." I muttered. Biting my lip in anxiety, my gaze travelling back up to him.

"What do you mean, Bryn?" he sighed in defeat, overcome by anxiety and exhaustion. "The truth, this time."

"I mean that I was a part of a pack...once. The alpha had a thing for me, and I didn't realize it until it was too late. When I tried to leave, they threatened to kill my mother, but I didn't listen. How could I believe that something like that would happen to her? She wasn't involved in the werewolf hunting, she had no idea that we had a secret room in the basement dedicated to wolf's bane and crossbows.

"I left, though. They killed her, and they vowed to kill me and my father next. After my father's drinking problem developed, I could care less what happened to him. So I left again, and now I have no idea of his fate." Tears rimmed my eyes as I looked up to him in a pleading manner. He took my hand from across the table, squeezing it with reassurance.

"So why did you come here?" He asked.

"I...I was afraid that they'd come after me, so I came here, looking for you. I—I needed protection." I was bawling now, and he came over as he picked me up. I linked my arms around his neck, and he laid me on the couch with him.

"I'll protect you, Bryn." He whispered. "But in addition, I'll teach you how to protect yourself." He added. I nodded, wiping the tears away as I looked up to him. He rested my head back on the arm of the couch, my legs strewn across his lap as he leaned down to kiss me.