Alpha Savior (Under Reconstruction)

Chapter 30

I awoke in the comforting arms of my mate. By the dull light shining in the room I decided it was just past dawn. Feeling the cold against my naked skin, I snuggled closer to him seeking warmth. I wanted to stay in the position forever. Eventually though my bladder decided to make me move. I tried to wriggle my way away from Sebastian but, like a boa, every time I moved his arms tightened around me. After awhile, Sebastain was sqeezing me so hard I felt like I coundn"t breathe. Gving up on not waking him, I leaned forward as far as I could, took a deep breath, and screeched as loud as I could right in Sebastain's ear. Suddenly I was roughly pulled from the bed and slammed against a wall. I gasped when shot through my back from the doorknob of the bathroom door stabbed into me. I heard a gasp under me and saw my mate go from crouching in a defensive manner to grasping his back as if he had been thrown into the wall. I leaned down and placed my hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean to frighten you. I just needed to use the restroom. I am so sorry. Are you hurt because of me?" I rambled. Sebastian's eyes softnened and he smiled.

"I'm alright, love. Just got a sharp pain in my back, that's all. Go ahead and shower and do what you need. I will wait out here." He said. I nodded and grabbed clothes before going into the restroom. While I waited for the water to get hot I stared, astonished in the mirror. In the month that I had been here my appearecne had changed so much. Instead of the dull brown hair I've had all my life I have beautiful midnight blue hair filled with purple hues and small white streaks. My lifeless blue eyes had been replaced with a vibbrant, captivating yellow color. Other than my hair and eyes my body had changed as well. I still had the scars covering my entire body but my skin had lightly tanned making them less prominate. When I escaped Blood Moon, I had been almost imactiated. You could visibly count all ribs with no trouble. But now my body had filled in a bit. I was still skinny but I looked like it was less forced upon me by years of abuse. Each day I was here the evidence of my abuse faded away into thin air. Eventually, in time, all of the evidence, both physical and mental, would disapeear all together. Suddenly the door knob started to turn causing me to shoot around. Sebastain opened the door and took in my surprised expession. He gave me a worried expression but it quickly faded when he saw I was still naked. He looked me from top to bottom. Feeling uncomfortable under his intense gaze I wrapped my arms around myslef creating a barrior between us. He growled and and grabbed my arms forcing them down to my side.

"You are mine!" He said. "Don't ever hide yourself from me. I should always be able to see your beautfiul body." I laughed dryly at his last statement causing him to give me a confusde look.

"I am not beautiful. I am hideous!" I said. Sebastain growled again and his eyes darkened.

"Of course you are bea-"

"NO I'M NOT!" I screamed. "Just look at me!" I quickly spun around showing him the perminate marks of my abuse. I didn't have to look to know that his eyes darken. He was seeing the horrid scares covering my back. Jagged scares from the whip. Straight, thinned lines from the knives. There was even a splotch on my back from when Markus poured gasoline on me and set me on fire leaving me to put myself out. I suddenly felt a feather-like touch traveling up my back sending sparks throughout my body. I heard Sebastian sigh then his arms wrapped around my waist pulling me towards him. I leaned against his touch. He rested his chin on my head shoulder and looked at me through the mirror.

"You, Ari, are the most beautfiul thing I have ever laid my eyes on, both in wolf form and in human. I am so sorry that I wasn't able to protect you all those years but I am here now and I will protect you with my life. These scars mean nothing to me. I love you with them and I would love you the same without them. I have loved you since the day I found you in the woods. Please believe me." He whispered in my ear. Tears streamed down my face but he only reached up and wiped them away never breaking eye contact. I tried to speak but he stopped me with a look. He then gently pushed me towards the steaming shower and left the bathroom without another words. Numbly I climbed into the shower and let the warm water run down my body. After awhile of just standing there, I washed my hair and body using Sebastain's soaps. After I was clean I climbed out of the shower and dried off before changing into an over-sized black sweater that said "I'm not a princess, I'm a Khaleesi", (apparently referring to a TV show Hazel and Vera both watched called Game of Thrones), white skinny jeans, and black converse. I walked out of the bathroom, towel drying my hair, to find my mate sitting on the bed practically jumping in excitement. I gave him a confused look and he smiled wider.

"Don't you know what day it is?" He said. I shook my head. "Ari! It's Christmas eve!"

"Christmas?" I asked. He nodded. "Am I supposed to know what that means?"

"Well...I suppose not. There aren't many packs that celebrate the holiday. It is a Christain holiday after all." He said, mostly to himself than me. I shook my head in confusion.

"Christian?"

"It is a human religion. We have our Luna and they have their God. Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, or the son of their God." He explained. Looking to me to see if I was following what he was saying. I nodded and he continued. "The humans get together on December 25th and celebrate by giving gifts to one another and spending time with each other. Now, obviously, we aren't celebrating the birth of their God but we do like the concept of spending time with your family and mates. We adopted the celebration when my grandmother or my father's mother, who was raised in a human-rich environment, came into the pack back in 1960."

"Oh...so we give presents to each other?" He nodded. "But...I...I didn't get you anything. I...I didn't know." Sebastian smiled slightly.

"Arina you have given me everything I could ever ask for just by allowing me to make you mine. That is the greatest present I could ever ask for. The mere sight my mark covering your shoulder is a present in itself." He said before coming towards me a wrapping his arms around me. I relaxed into his arms and let him stroke my wet hair.

"Sebastian?" I asked.

"Hmmm?"

"Can we go for a run? Anja has been itching to get out and with my new necklace for control she can't force herself out anymore."

"Well. Sure. But not right now. I have to attend to some Alpha duties and you, my love, are going to experience the tradition of putting up the christmas tree." He said. I nodded, a bit excited at the thought of doing something new, and let Sebastian pull me down the stairs.

****************************************************************************************************************

Two hours later Frannie, Vera, Hazel, My mother, and I had the tree and all the decorations up. From what I could tell Christmas decorations were mostly made up of a fat man called Santa, who went around sneaking into peoples homes at night leaving gifts behind, his reindeer, who fly him around, a snowman called "Frosty" and a lot of greens and reds. The tree, which was at least 8 feet high and the width of Vera and I combined, was covered with beautiful glass orbs called ornaments and smaller items children had been making since the first Christmas the pack held. My favorite part of the decoration was the mixture of lights throughout the house. White lights on the mantel, colored lights on the trees, and creative lights that represented icicles dripping hanging from the awning over the front door. After all the decorations were up, Frannie and the others began putting boxes of various sizes wrapped in beautiful paper and bows under the tree. Hazel explained that these were the presents and that they would be handed out tomorrow morning. When we were finished we sat down on the couch and began watching some Christmas special on a channel called Hallmark. Halfway through the movie my stomach began to growl so I decided to go into the kitchen and fix myself a sandwich. I wiggled out of my spot between Vera and Hazel quickly made my way into the kitchen. I dug the ingredients to make and PB&J. As soon as I started slathering grape jelly onto the bread a disgustingly familiar smell raced into my nostrils. As soon as the scent registered in my mind a snobby voice filled my ears.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mate stealer."