The Unwanted Mate (The Mate Series: Novel 3)

Chapter 3: Comfort (pic of April)

But instead of trying to sleep, she asked questions. For an 11 year old girl who's been on the brink of death for 2 weeks, she sure seems more alive then most people. We had an hour and a half discussion about the Political views of Shifter's rights and what could happen in the future, if the government decided not to side with us, she finally fell asleep.

That was when I recalled what she'd told me in the lab... that she slept better when someone was talking to her. I clicked off the T.V. and got out of the bed carefully doing my best not to wake her up. Then I kissed her on the forehead and walked to my room right next to hers. I pulled off my clothes and threw them in the hamper only leaving my boxers on. In minutes I was asleep. It'd been too long since I'd slept in a bed. 2 weeks too long. But it had been worth it.

She screamed, I jumped from my bed and ran to her room. She was thrashing and kicking and yelling and crying. "Ow! No! please Don't! It hurts!" She cried. I caught her shoulders and held her to the bed.

"Nikole! Nikole! Wake up!" on cue her eyes snapped open, her breathing was rough and erratic as she fought to get a hold of reality. Then her pant turned into a sob. I pulled her gently into my lap and rocked her. "You're okay." I whispered into her hair, "You're safe. No one is going to hurt you anymore, Nikole." I promised, I held her against my chest rocking the terrified little girl back and forth soothingly running my hand through her hair.

When she finally calmed down, I laid her down again and pulled her comforter up. I leaned down and kissed her forehead carefully before going into my room again and falling asleep easily.

I woke up what seemed like only minutes later, to a soft poke to my arm. I sat up seeing Nikole in front of me holding her blanket around her shoulders.

I rubbed my eyes, "Nikole, You aren't supposed to be walking on your leg yet." I scolded gently.

She sniffled, "Can I sleep in your bed with you, Tony?" I could hear the tears in her voice, had she been awake crying and I hadn't heard her? Guilt washed over me, I was turning out to be a terrible guardian.

"Come here," I reached for her and lifted her effortlessly into the bed and lifted the blanket because she'd dropped hers when I picked her up. "Were you crying?" I asked as she snuggled against me.

She shook her head, but I knew she was lying. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you, Nikole."

"It's okay. You're tired." she whispered. I wrapped my arm around her and held her.

"But you were scared." I argued back.

"But you promised to keep me safe. I know you'll keep me safe, Tony. I just know." She murmured her voice going soft with exhaustion. "Goodnight, Tony."

"Sweet dreams, Nikole." I whispered back, as she nuzzled her head under my chin.

Nikole-

1 month later:

I had healed faster then the doctor had thought I would. I had been going to school about a week now and while the nightmares disappeared, the other kids picking on me only got worse. But I didn't tell anyone. Especially Tony. I knew he was busy with training the new recruits and working on 'damage control'. I didn't want to be a bother to him. I didn't want to give him any reason to not want me.

So I ignored the name calling, 'mutt', 'freak', or the worst, 'unnatural'. I knew what I was. I was the ugly duckling. It was just going to take some time for me to become accepted. I would find my kind, the people who accepted me for who I was, it was just going to take some time. I comforted myself with that thought. And I was going to keep the bullying to myself, but someone ruined that. I pulled on my coat and grabbed my backpack from the locker. I went outside where I knew Tony would be waiting to walk me to the car to go home. I saw Tony and he waved, waiting for me to get to him, until an older girl Rita pushed me. I fell face first in the snow, and turned over to look up at her.