SLEEPSONG (BoyxBoy)✔️

Chapter 180

Chapter One Hundred and Eighty

It was raining.

It seemed to have been raining every single night, despite Christmas being only two days away.

I listened to the sounds of water falling on the balcony behind the closed blackout curtains, unsure of what time it really was or even how much time had passed. My hair was bunched around my ears and neck, cool silk that brushed my skin pleasantly every time I moved.

Jak's gentle snores and the sound of pages being turned saturated the dim rumbles of thunder that occasionally broke through the plinking and splattering and plopping of rain hitting the glass and wood just beyond my room. I didn't have the energy or motivation to move, so I lay on my back and counted the ceiling tiles to give my brain something to focus on while I waited.

There were forty-seven of them. I'd counted them three times... but wait, was it forty-seven or forty-eight? Had I counted the half-tiles as one each or added them in as halves?

Well. Better count them again.

At tile number seventeen and a half--since I was counting half-tiles as halves now--Richard finally closed the journal with a snap, which halted Jak's snoring and made his head come up. I didn't look away from the ceiling tiles to look at either of them, lest I lose count.

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Richard finally growled, fiddling with his phone before putting it to his ear. "It's been five hours since he left and nobody's picking up my calls. The sun is already up... someone should have answered."

"I got a text from Leonardo an hour ago," Jak sleepily noted. "He said that Louise and Sebastian fought and it got real bloody real quick. He managed to subdue her, of course, but both of them need some time to heal up even though the sod has been bugging them to let him come back."

I had to fight back a wash of extreme anxiety upon hearing that. "Are they okay?"

"No idea, but since they can both heal up and talk, I assume they're fine," Dick grunted, fiddling with his phone. "Either way, they'd better get their shit together and he had better come the fuck back before I lose my God damn temper. My boyfriend and I have more important things to be doing right now than babysitting you and a couple humans."

"Like what?" I asked, confused.

"Is your brain scrambled?" Richard snapped. "Christmas Eve is tomorrow! For one thing, your family is gonna be coming back up here to spend it with you! For another, we're all gonna have to figure out how to celebrate it with you being stuck in the hospital, and lastly, gifts, you idiot... gifts! None of us have really gone shopping for anything!"

I had to fight down a smirk that made my lips twitch on instinct.

"That... actually makes me feel better," I said, ignoring the scowl I saw out of my peripherals. "I haven't been able to look for anything nice, either. I was really upset about it, but I've also kinda been writing a song I intend to sing for all of you on Christmas to make up for no real presents."

"Wow. You spew so much fuckin' corn I'm surprised your shit doesn't come out with kernels stuck to it," Richard deadpanned; he only rolled his eyes when I gawked at him. "A song, he says."

"Well if you don't wanna hear it you can wait outside while I'm singing it," I snipped, folding my arms and glaring back up at the ceiling. "Dick."

"That's my name," he mocked. "Get used to it, bitch."

"DICKY!" Kyle's very distant, very muffled voice bellowed threateningly. "BE NICE!"

I fought to hide yet another smirk when the leather-wearing bald man flinched.

"Yeah, Dicky," I quietly teased, sticking my tongue out at him. "Be nice."

If looks could kill, I'd have been little more than a burnt wisp of a person.

"You're damn lucky I love you," he seethed, eye twitching with leashed fury. "Shut up."

I rolled my eyes just as the doorknob turned and suddenly clicked. I heard growls from both the guys as the door swung open until a familiar female voice nervously cleared her throat.

"Well, t-this is certainly an interesting welcome," Nurse Clifford said a little awkwardly, and I finally looked away from the ceiling as she approached. "Good morning, Aerin."

"Hi," I greeted, giving her a faint smile. "Sorry about the chaos a few hours ago. Is the nurse who got yelled at doing okay?"

"Mary Beth?" she asked, blinking. "Honestly, I think she handled the situation very poorly. She should have gone to go get the doctor so something could be arranged or, better yet, discussed it with you and asked for your input. She's only an intern nurse here, after all."

"Oh..." I said, frowning. "Sorry. I'll talk to Bash about what happened, okay?"

She simply gave a smile and went about unwrapping my legs.

Jak and Richard both glanced away when she pushed the hospital gown high enough to reveal my groin and the tops of the bandages, but I was quick to cover my privates with both hands.

She said nothing and was very professional, focusing only on undoing the bandages and carefully unraveling my legs one careful movement at a time. Once that was done, I pushed the hem of the gown back down and covered myself, flushing with discomfort at the unwanted exposure. Her eyes remained trained on the burns and I noticed she was chewing on her cheek.

"Hm," she said, frowning. "I'll be right back."

"Huh?" I asked when she turned to go, eyes bugging. "Why?"

"Wait here," she said, not giving me a response. "I'll be back in a second."

"Hey!" Jak barked, rising to his feet. "He asked you a--"

"I'm sorry, sir," she said, casting a look over her shoulder, "but I'm not a doctor so I can't honestly give you an answer, hence why I'm telling you to wait right here."

And without another word she left the room, leaving the door open. Doctors and nurses moved back and forth along the brilliantly pristine fluorescent-lit halls, some of them casting curious looks into my room while others ignored the open door entirely.

"What the hell was that about?" Jak asked, looking rather tense. "Are you in pain?"

"No," I told him, "but like I said earlier, my legs are numb in most places below the knees."

Before he could give me a response, a dark silhouette came into the room and flicked on the lights. I winced, covering my face as my eyes smarted horribly, cringing inward. A very light sting crept along my skin and I sighed, recognizing it as a problem with fluorescent lights.

They emitted a very small amount of ultraviolet.

It wasn't enough to do damage during a short period of time, but it was enough to sting a little and do damage in long periods of exposure. Hence why most of the time, the lights in my room were almost always kept off at all times.

Normal light bulbs and yellow artificial light as a whole didn't hurt like fluorescent bulbs did.

"Good morning, Aerin," my visitor chimed. It was the doctor again, Mr. Markson. "How are you feeling today? Are you... tired? I've heard you haven't slept yet."

"Um..." I droned, still covering my face to shield it from the light. "I'm... fine, I guess, but I can't sleep. I'm tired but I can't sleep. Bash isn't here and... and I'm anxious because things are happening at home, you know? I'll go to sleep once he comes back."

"Ah," the doctor said, snapping his fingers beside my ear; it startled me out of my reverie and I lowered my hands, squinting up to see him leaning over me to block out the light with a frown on his face. "Understandable."

"Mr. Markson, am I okay?" I asked, still squinting under the brightness. "Are my legs in bad condition or something?"

"That has yet to be seen," he said, pushing his little glasses up his nose with one finger, his other hand holding a clipboard. "How are you feeling today?"

I shrugged. "My legs are burnt."

"I mean... yes, I suppose so. I guess we can just go through the list, then." He walked across the room to grab one of the chairs, eliciting a menacing growl from Richard, and dragged it over to sit down next to the bed. I awkwardly sat up as he asked, "How does your head feel?"

"Fine, I guess," I said, blinking. "I don't have a headache or anything, if that's what you mean."

"Alright. Are you seeing alright?" I nodded. "Hearing?" Again, I nodded. "Good, good." He paused, scribbling on his clipboard. "I've noticed you haven't been using the restroom."

I gave him a funny look. "Um... yeah, I don't eat, remember? Plus, no way to get around."

The doctor hummed. "How often do you typically urinate?"

"Huh?!" I asked, flushing as Jak coughed awkwardly. "Um... well, I-I dunno... I guess once every four to five days? Sometimes longer? I mean, I can go whenever I want to in between, but, like, I never get to that 'oh,shit, I need to go or I'll burst!' point like I did when I was still human."

"Hm..." Markson droned, scribbling something down. "Do you need to go right now?"

I analyzed myself and blinked, realizing that I did. Shockingly badly, in fact.

Weird, how had I not noticed it?

"Actually, yeah," I said in a very thin voice, alarmed. "Really, really bad."

"What?" Richard hissed, instantly standing up. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

"Because I didn't notice," I said, barely hearing it. "I didn't notice I had to, my mind was--"

"Blocking out your physical needs," the doctor finished, setting his clipboard aside. "It's actually quite a common side effect that people deal with after an extreme injury. Your brain is blocking out much of the sensation you still have in your legs because its unconsciously expecting pain. Due to that, many other discomforting sensations in your body are also being blocked."

I wriggled, knees together, mortified.

"Dude, I have to pee, like, now," I squeaked. "Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! How did I not feel this?! What the fuck?! I'm actually at the 'oh, shit I'm gonna burst' point! Fuck!"

"You haven't urinated even once since we removed the catheter after your first week here," the man said flatly, and I flinched, shocked. "Before you head down to the bathroom to shower and relieve yourself, I'll need to check your legs."

I blinked, then blinked again. "What do you mean?"

"You've healed to the point where I think we can try to help you walk a little," the weedy man said with a faint smile, blue eyes crinkling. "I'll need to test your skin, first, and we'll have to do a few exercises to make sure you won't tear your skin, but I think you might be ready."

There was a small stretch of silence where I just looked at him with my mouth open.

"Really?" Richard asked, sounding pleased. "You think he's at that level?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Doctor Markson said, and with a careful movement he lowered the metal bars keeping me from falling out. "Swing your legs over the side of the bed."

I hesitated for a second, then carefully did as he asked, sitting up with my hair tumbling forward and letting my knees bend. I kept my eyes on the ceiling, refusing to look at my damaged limbs as they dangled above the floor, even when the doctor knelt and started prodding at them.

I watched as he picked up a hammer with a rubber head in the shape of a triangle and a steel grip off the table; a reflex hammer, I deduced. I'd been on the receiving end of one before.

The doctor hunched over to get a good look at my kneecap, scars and all. The taps he pressed to the withered flesh beneath it were rewarded by twitches of my muscles, one of which nearly resulted in a kick to his shin. I watched as he did the same to my other leg.

Then he put the hammer away and pulled my legs out one at a time, maneuvering my foot in different directions while feeling my calf muscles.

"Flex," he told me curtly, and I did, curling my toes and making my leg tighten. "All right, good."

He did the same to my other leg, even going as far as testing the flexibility of my feet and toes.

He frowned a little when I tensed my muscles a second time, then rose and looked at me.

"What?" I asked, hesitant. "Am I okay?"

"As far as I can tell," Doctor Markson said in a careful tone, "so far, everything looks good. Your burns have mostly healed and begun turning into scar tissue but I still need to test your mobility and flexibility. I want you try standing. Can you do that for me now?"

I swallowed hard, still sitting on the edge of the bed with my horribly withered legs hanging off.

For the first time in a long time, I actually decided to look down... and then I just stared, ogling them. It was like the leathery flesh that had once been smooth and perfect no longer belonged to me. Blotched and wrinkled and puffy and terrible, browned and bleached in turn, as if stained by the fire that had marred it.

I shuddered and somehow managed to whisper, "sure. Whatever."

I slipped off the bed and landed, barefoot, on the tile floor.

I felt nothing beneath the soles of my feet, no cold or heat or sensation, just an odd pressure.

Well, more like a phantom of what pressure had once been on my skin.

The doctor spent a good while stretching me in different ways.

He kneaded my thighs and calves and even my butt and the base of my spine with his fingertips, looking for abnormalities in my bone structure and joints, but given that he said nothing other than the occasional "turn around" or "bend" I didn't think he found anything amiss.

It was awkward, though.

I mean, really, how could it not be when he had to touch me so much?

It was only when he stepped back that I allowed myself to relax.

"All right," he said, straightening his coat. "Try taking a few steps forward."

I swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and tried to do so to the best of my abilities. It came as a horrible surprise to discover that I couldn't stretch either of my legs as far as I used to because my ability to bend them at the knees was far more limited than I'd been expecting.

I would have fallen over and hurt myself had Richard not seen it coming and lunged at me.

I fell over his arm like a dish towel, quivering as I tried to bend my knees. Standing still, it was fine, I could do it farther... but in motion, with my leg already outstretched, it was like I was pulling my tendons too far to do anything more than some simple shuffling baby steps.

Richard carefully set me back on my feet.

"Try again, but this time take a smaller step," the doctor told me, and I nodded, doing just that; he watched as I wobbled unsteadily, finding it hard to walk without feeling what was happening below my knees aside from the occasional sharp pain. It was bizarre and unpleasant.

"So, what's the verdict?" Jak impatiently demanded. "Can he or can't he?"

"Well, from the looks of things, the medicine did wonders at lessening the contractual damage done to his legs," the doctor said a little quietly, "but he's still going to need intensive physical therapy and a great deal of surgeries to lessen his mobility issues."

"And will he ever be able to run again?" Tobias suddenly demanded, stepping out from behind the wall and filling the doorway, russet brown crew cut gleaming. His blue eyes were hard as he stepped forward with Horst and Kyle peering in behind him, looking apologetic. "Will he ever fully regain the same use of his legs that he had before the fire?"

"With time and energy and dedication, I believe so," the doctor said with a genuine smile. "It'll take effort for him to get there, but I truly do believe he'll be able to return to how he was."

"Really?!" Erika screeched, instantly wheeling around the two guys peering into the room and practically crashing into her father's legs. "So, Grannyuncle's gonna make a full recovery?!"

"The chance is likely," Mr. Markson chuckled. "And with consistent nano tech procedures, the damage done to his nerves, tendons, and muscles will slowly begin to heal. If I had to estimate how long it'll take for his recovery, roughly two to five years, give or take."

"That long?" Tobias asked, instantly looking disheartened. "God... "

"Don't be disappointed," I said, unable to think, to process. "We just found out that I'll be okay, that I'll be able to get my legs back to normal, minus the scars. I'll be able to run again! To be able to go at supernatural speeds if I ever need or want to! I'll be okay, Toby!"

"Good to hear," Horst whispered, giving me a grin and a thumb's up; I noticed that he was wearing contacts and a hat that covered his horns and ears, as well as clothing. "Be sure to call Sebastian and let him know!"

"I'll do that right now," Richard immediately chuckled, grinning as he pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and stepped out of the room. "Hey, Doc!"

"Yes?" the doctor called back.

"Take him to the bathroom!" he ordered. "Poor bastard hasn't been able to take a normal piss or shower since he got here and his hair is looking more than a bit greasy!"

I flinched, resisting the urge to reach up and touch my hair.

"Wait here for a second," the doctor said, smiling at me. "I'll go get you some bath slippers."

He hastened past my nephew and the kids, who scrambled inside with Kyle close behind.

I gasped and stumbled back when Erika lunged out of her wheelchair and wrapped her arms around my middle with a screech, squeezing me tightly. Horst followed, smashing into both of us and knocking me flat on the bed, holding us smushed together. They were laughing hysterically, jostling me, and holding me so tight I thought my head would burst.

Can't breathe, I mentally complained, head lolling. Can't breathe! OXYGEN!

"Oi, oi, be easy on him!" Tobias barked, instantly rushing over and fighting to peel them off of me to no avail. "Come on, get off! He's still in the process of healing!"

"Sorry!" Erika giggled, pulling back and giving me a huge kiss on the chin. "I'm just super glad he's gonna get better!"

"Ease up, I still really gotta pee," I complained, and they got off me immediately.

"Sorry, but for real, this is something to celebrate about!" Horst exclaimed; he grinned and held up his hand for a high-five, which I gave him after pushing myself back into a sitting position. I gave his jeans and sneakers a look, wondering why he was dressed in a disguise.

"Why are you wearing that?" I asked, nodding at it. "I don't think I've seen you in pants since Thanksgiving."

"This?" he asked, looking down at himself. "Egh, it's because Erika wanted to visit Michael."

"Who?" I asked, confused.

"Ah, Mr. Burton's son," Erika explained, flopping back down in her wheelchair with an 'oomph' of visual delight. "We've been keeping him company since he's stuck in bed."

"Oh," I said, then chuckled and shook my head. "Good for you two."

As I spoke, I looked down at my legs and felt my knees and burned skin with my fingertips. The scarring flesh was surprisingly hard and rough to the touch, unlike the smooth and squishy skin of my thighs. I listened to the chatter of my nephew and his daughter, of my satyric werewolf friend and his father, of Kyle's cheerful quips and Richard's occasional bellow from the hall.

It hit me, the way it always did in a weird roundabout way, that I loved these people.

I loved poking fun at them, I loved joking with them and listening to them talk and playing with the kids. I loved the idea of growing closer to them, of being strong, of making them proud. I loved their smiles and quirks and even their bad sides, their anger and snappishness and pain.

The good and the bad both, I loved in all of them.

My werewolves were all broken people in some way, but they were broken together. Each piece of them that wasn't right or normal or perfect fit together with another broken piece from someone else within our pack, a psychological or emotional bridge, a connection that instilled understanding and empathy. They all leaned on one another even when it didn't show.

My wolves relied on each other, jumbled together like pieces of broken glass.

The fit wasn't and never would be perfect, but it was better than being broken and alone... and the glue that had kept them fused was Sebastian, who had brought them together in the first place. Sebastian, who loved me and wanted me to be happy, who spent millions on protection.

Sebastian, my mate. My fiance. My werewolf. My man.

Sebastian, who was mine in every way.

I wanted to see him, to hear his voice, so I turned and reached out for my phone, taking it off the side table while everyone was busy yammering away. I turned it on and scrolled through my contacts with shaking fingers, hardly able to move right, but why I couldn't really say.

I was in shock, I was sure... the good kind, but still, shock.

I selected his contact number and pressed the call button before holding it to my ear.

It rang... once... twice... thrice... and then I heard a click.

"Is everything all right?"

I blinked. That was the first thing he asked? 'Is everything all right?'

Still, the worry in that familiar gravelly baritone somehow ignited a spark of pleasure that quickly fanned into a flame that grew and grew and grew, rising up from deep within, the curve of my mouth lifting as my eyes fluttered halfway closed, obscuring everything with a filter of ghostly white lashes.

I grinned broadly, showing all my teeth, on the verge of tears as pulses of warmth and happiness and relief and anguish flooded through me in waves, so full of rich feeling that I could barely even breathe.

"Babe," I breathed, voice juddering as the first tears ran down my cheeks. "I'm gonna be able to walk and run again. I'm gonna be able to feel my legs and feet again. The doctor said I'm gonna make a full recovery... I'm gonna get better."

Silence met my ears, but I swore I heard a rustle and a small choking sound on his end.

"Beloved," he said in a thick tone. "I am so happy to hear that... and I'm sorry I... couldn't be there when you were... told. I..."

His voice trailed off and I felt my stomach sink when a small juddering exhale met my ears, sounding oddly like a string of sobs. I clutched the phone, eyes widening, holding it to my ear and twisting in concern and confusion.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. "Hey, are you crying?"

"I... every time," he shakily said into the phone. "Every time I'm not with you, I miss something wonderful or terrible and I'm never able to hold you or celebrate with you. I am not good enough of a man to be yours, Aerin... I am always failing you... always, always, always failing."

None of that. Not having it. I was gonna cheer him the fuck up.

"Then get back here and hug me already, you goofy idiot," I laughed, and his mournful voice fell silent in an instant. "So what if we had a few hiccups before? There's always tomorrow and the day after and the day after! We have plenty of time to make mistakes and fail each other, but the fact is that I'm never gonna give up on you! You already know that so come to me. Come here."

Silence met my ear, filled only with his breathing.

The chattering around me had grown silent after I'd begun talking but I hardly cared.

"As you wish, my Sunflower," Sebastian croaked. "I'll be there shortly."

"See you soon, Babe," I chirped, and with a click, he hung up.

"So?" Erika asked, giving me a look. "What'd he say?"

"That he'll be here soon," I said in a dreamy tone, letting my head fall back on my neck so I could stare at the ceiling with a smile. Hair slid back and off my shoulders as I sat like that, just focusing on my breathing, palms flat behind me to brace my weight. I poked my sharp fangs with my tongue, feeling them while I thought and daydreamed and pondered.

Christmas was in two days which meant I had a week before the end of December.

"Hey," I said, not lowering my head as I thought, deep in my head. "Do you think Bash would be okay with us planning a little get together for the thirty first?"

"A get together?" Kyle asked, low-set ginger brows furrowing even deeper. "What for?"

"A wedding," I said with a slow grin, and a collective set of gasps filled the air. "I'm gonna marry him on the thirty first no matter what. I want to belong to him, legally. I wanna say those vows you see in movies, to give him not just my mind and body and heart, but the very essence of my soul. I want to give it all since I'm in this relationship for the forever haul."

"Er, a-a-actually, uh," Kyle stammered, looking flustered, "well, um... y-yeah, we could do that."

I closed my eyes, delighted. "Okay... I'll start--"

"No, let us handle it!" he squeaked, red-faced. "We'll take care of it!"

I gave him an odd glance but I saw that everyone seemed really uncomfortable I frowned.

"Is... is it a dumb idea?" I asked a little hesitantly, and Horst winced; Jak seemed reticent and averted his eyes when I glanced at him questioningly. "Is it too soon to want that?"

"N-no," Kyle mumbled, fiddling with his fingers, "but... well, you should focus on getting better and coming home before you start planning any sort of wedding party, okay? Even if its not this year, you can always make your wedding day the best around this same time next year."

I deflated and lowered my eyes, hair falling across my face.

As much as I hated to admit it, he had a point... but still... it made me a bit sad.

"I guess," I allowed, swallowing hard. "Maybe you're right. Maybe rushing into marriage with him is a dumb idea, especially after everything that's already happened."

Nobody said anything to protest my suggestion.

I stared at my legs, the wind taken right out of my sails.

I couldn't feel anything in my feet or calves or left knee anymore, but I wasn't stupid. Even with treatment, it would take years to relearn how to walk properly, much less run, and I wasn't exactly the best student. I'd barely learned arithmetic, how could I re-learn walking?

How could I expect to get married before focusing on myself?

Before trying to get completely better?

I sighed, then raised my eyes and pushed my hair out of my face. Everyone was looking at me. Nobody was really saying anything and they all looked rather uncomfortable and dismayed so I forced a smile for their sake, all while knowing they'd be able to see right through it.

"So, where's the doctor?" I asked, putting a hint of cheer into my tone. "I still have to pee."

"I'm coming!" Markson called in response from somewhere down the hall; Tobias stepped aside when the Doc came in, white coat fluttering behind him. "Here, I have your shower slippers."

So saying, he held out a pair of white crocks, which I took with a grateful smile, but when I bent down and tried to put them on I couldn't properly reach my feet.

"Shit," I muttered, and on instinct I attempted to pull my leg up sideways; I jumped when the scar tissue on my calf tightened and a small line opened up, causing a small drop of dark red blood to run out and trickle across flesh the color of ivory, leaving a scarlet trail behind.

"Aerin, you're bleeding!" Erika exclaimed unhelpfully. "Ah, Doctor! Can you get him a band aid?"

Jak immediately lunged at me, knocking the doctor aside, and pulled my leg out and away before raising it up. I snatched the hospital gown hem and crushed it down over my privates as he licked the rip in my skin, but from tearing to healing I felt absolutely nothing. He pulled back moments later and just stared at me, flicking his tongue with a grimace lining his nose.

"Be careful," he warned, slipping the cheap white shoes onto my small, warped feet. "You don't have the same level of flexibility that you used to so unless you want to constantly be tearing your skin open you'll need to watch how you move."

"Okay... and, uh, thanks for healing me," I said simply, and he gave me a leer.

"I don't wish to make a habit of it," he said with a curl to his lip. "Your blood tastes like Sebastian's scent. It's... well, not to be rude, but its rather disgusting. To me, anyway."

I flushed in embarrassment when Kyle giggled and Horst face-palmed.

"Really, Pop?" the kid asked, irritably shaking his head. "Really?"

"Just saying it how it is," Jak growled, putting his hands on his knees and standing up. "You've got your shoes on, Aerin. Go. Do your business and get yourself cleaned up."

I blinked a few times before nodding and sliding off the bed, ears still burning. "Yeah, uh... okay, thanks."

As I spoke, the doctor walked over to my side and helped me out of the room. I hobbled into the hall, finding it hard to walk, hating the tightness in my skin. Doctor Markson kept a steady hand on my arm as he helped me to the end of the hall and through a door labeled Men's Bathroom.

The inside of the bathroom was huge with small beige tiles and a long row of sterilized shower stalls. In a different section of the bathroom and well around the corner through another door were toilets sitting in four huge private stalls directly beside very pristine-looking urinals.

I was a little baffled by the layout of the bathroom.

"Is this a public area?" I asked, baffled. "Do patients shower in here together?"

"If they're not ill with anything contagious, yes," the man said, giving me a nod. "Go do your business. I'll be waiting for you to finish in the shower room."

I watched as he let go of me and walked away, white coat fluttering as he left. I sighed and quickly waddled over to the nearest bathroom stall.

Let me just say, I was amazed my kidneys hadn't failed and even more shocked that my bladder hadn't burst. Once I was finished, I hobbled out of the stall and thoroughly washed my hands before slinking back into the shower room. The doctor was waiting with folded arms, writing something down on his clipboard.

"Towel is on the counter beside the door, as are typical toiletries such as soap, shampoo, and conditioner," he said without looking up, gesturing at the stuff. "Put on the plastic wrap to cover your cast, then take your shower and get yourself cleaned up."

I blinked, immediately feeling uncomfortable. "Aren't you gonna leave?"

He paused, then raised his eyes to peer at me through his glasses.

"No. I can't, unfortunately," he said with a shrug. "I have to be here just in case something happens since nobody else is in this bathroom but you. It'd be a different story if one of your visitors was capable of coming in with you, but considering they're werewolves... and you're mated with an alpha werewolf... erm, I don't need or want any new patients, after all."

I blinked, realizing he had a good point, but I didn't miss that he was overlooking someone.

"What about my nephew?" I carefully asked, and he paused. "He's very much a human. If he'd be up for it, I think I'd rather have him in here."

The doctor blinked, then nodded and left the bathroom, squeezing out and shutting the door. I sighed and shook my head, figuring I might as well hop in the shower before they could get back. Half the trouble was the fact that I didn't want unwelcome eyes looking at me naked.

Just as I pulled the gown completely off and set it on the counter, the door flew open yet again and the doctor waltzed right back inside. I gasped and my hands immediately went to cover my privates as I hunched forward to cover everything else with my hair.

Markson blinked at my actions, ogling the way I was standing, and I thanked all the stars in the sky that I'd grown my hair out as long as I had since it hung well below my ass and covered literally everything I needed it to. My doctor, however, failed to suppress his eye roll.

"Mr. Vanderhill, please," he said flatly, pushing his glasses up his nose. "You had a catheter in for a week. Do you think that happened magically?"

I felt my face heat as I looked away, definitely not pouting. The doctor chuckled, briefly, but fell quiet when I didn't move or make any sort of effort to unfreeze myself. He seemed to grow serious after a few seconds, apparently coming to some sort of internal realization.

"Oh," he said slowly, and I glanced at him warily. "Oh... uh... I can step out if... if you're not... if you don't feel safe around me. Is... is that what this is about?"

"Um... no offense, but yeah," I said awkwardly. "I don't feel comfortable being naked or even showering around complete strangers, doctor or not. So, is Tobias coming in? Did he say no?"

"Actually, he agreed to it," Markson said. "I'm simply waiting for him to come in. It's hospital protocol for patients to be monitored when they're in here since the room is soundproof."

That caught my attention.

"Soundproof?" I asked slowly. "Why?"

"Well, we often have patients with a mate or a partner on this floor," he told me, going back to writing on his clipboard. "Many creatures from Merfolk to sprites, sirens, nymphs, sea drakes, fairies, werewolves and a great number of other fantastical beings visit this hospital. In truth, you are the very first vampire on any sort of record who has ever required emergency care."

"Wow," I said, amazed, but then I caught myself and urgently shook my head. "Uh, that still doesn't explain why the bathroom is soundproofed, though."

The doctor flushed a little and sighed through his nose before saying in a clipped voice, "It's because many creatures, such as myself and your werewolf friends, have intense hearing and more often than not... couples tend to use this bathroom for... ah, intimacy, if you will."

He fell quiet, nose reddening, furiously scribbling on whatever paper he was writing. I frowned, very uncomfortably, but luckily the door opened and Tobias came walking into the bathroom with Horst close behind. He looked around, raising an eyebrow at the look of it.

"Fancy shit for a hospital bathroom," he said, glancing at the shower stalls. "Looks like a gym locker room without the lockers."

"Doesn't smell like one, though," Horst said, sniffing. "Smells like Clorox. Gross."

"Yes, well," the doctor said, clearing his throat, "I'll be going now."

I hunched forward when he squeezed out the door and shut it.

Tobias cast a single look at me, standing frozen with my hands and hair preserving my modesty, but immediately looked away and swaggered over to lean against the wall. I was a bit surprised when he sank down to the floor and got comfortable, Indian style, before closing his eyes.

"Take your time," he said in a gruff but gentle tone. "If you need anything, we're right here."

"Not me," Horst laughed, already in the process of throwing his clothes off; he shook his sweat-plastered curly black hair free after dragging the beanie off his head, pushing it off his dark skin. His horns gleamed like ribbed ebony under the soothing yellow light as he bent down, dragging the sneakers off his hooves and kicking them away.

The pants followed.

"What are you doing?" I asked, not daring to move. "Horst, why are you undressing?"

"Because I'm taking a shower!" he exclaimed, raising his arm and taking a whiff of himself; he cringed, shuddering, and looked at me in frustration. "I've been sleeping here all freaking month and I haven't showered even once in like two weeks. I feel super gross so I'm hopping in."

"Er, okay," I said a bit awkwardly, albeit I did straighten my back and reach around to grab the soap, shampoo, and conditioner. They were all really, really tiny and there wasn't any extra which meant we would have to share what little we had. I frowned, touching my hair. "Hey."

"What?"

"Er, you can shampoo and conditioner yourself first while I use the soap, and then we can trade off."

"How?" Horst asked, stopping dead. "I'm not showering with you. Weirdo."

"Dude! I wasn't suggesting that we do!" I shrilly spluttered, but he merely smirked and I flushed, immediately realizing he'd got me. "You were totally teasing me just now... weren't you?"

"Bing Bong, we have a winner!" he yodeled, ears bobbing playfully when I puckered my mouth like I'd swallowed a lemon. "Oooh, scary face, what'cha gonna do?"

"Chuck this bar of soap at your smug, jerk face!" I snapped, angrily raising it. "Don't make me!"

"Oh, noooo!" Horst moaned, gasping, clutching his ears with wide eyes. "Don't throw the soap, Aerin! That's the same as dropping it! Yah nasty!"

I did a double take, and then a triple take, and then gawked at him stupidly and he roared with laughter.

"You are so grounded!" I screeched, and he only laughed harder, turning dark red.

"You ain't my dad, Fang-Face!" he wheezed, positively howling. "Oof! You can't ground me, you love me too much, yeah? You loooove me!"

"Shut up, you furry idiot!" I squeaked, flushing with embarrassment. His tail flapped back and forth as he happily clopped into the first stall, still cackling like a mad man, and drew the curtain closed. I heard a metallic squeak and the hissing of water, followed by a yelp.

"Holy FUCK that's cold!"

"Serves you right!" I angrily shouted, grumpily wrapping my broken arm in plastic before carrying the toiletries into the second stall; I thought I heard quiet snickering coming from Tobias behind me but didn't care enough to check. I looked at the soap and shampoo, then carefully bent over and held them under the edge of the shower stall. "Here, the shampoo and conditioner. Take it."

"Why do you want me to use it first?" he asked, voice muffled by the splashing and the wall.

"Because if I use it first there'll be none left," I told him. "My hair needs a lot of shampoo and conditioner because of the length."

"Ah, gotcha," he said, and his dark hand reached out and took the stuff from me. "Thanks."

"No problem," I said, turning on the water and jumping when it hit me. It was like getting a bucket full of ice water dumped on my chest. "Ah! Yikes!"

"Ha-ha, serves you right," he laughed, throwing my own taunt back in my face. "Cold, ain't it?"

"Dude, shut up," I complained, but he only cracked up again.

"Nah, I'm having too much fun," he chuckled amidst the sound of water hitting tile, and then his laughter faded into something a bit less happy-sounding. "I'm really glad you're gonna be okay. It's nice to get good news about shit for once, you know? We've been really worried about you... especially after that night."

"Speaking of that, how are you holding up?" I asked lowly, and all I heard was running water. "It... it can't have been easy for you. Going through something like that, nearly being crushed, and then being attacked and held hostage by a psycho with a gun... are you doing okay?"

More silence.

Then...

"No," he said in a somewhat shaken tone. "I... I've never... I was scared, Aerin."

"Anyone would have been," I soothed, but his silence wasn't comforting.

"When he came in, I tried to fight him," Horst told me, "but one punch to the gut and I was out cold. I couldn't stop him, and when I next woke up, Erika and I were tied up and he was right there, telling us all about how he was going to hypnotize you into forgetting Bash, that he would step in and do everything in reverse, that he would take you away from all of us because you didn't belong there. He said that you would never be happy with werewolves. That you would come to hate us all someday, that we were stupid and would... drive you off.."

"He was wrong, on so many levels," I muttered, gut churning angrily. "I'm pretty sure he's clinically insane."

"But, he had a really weird point, though," Horst hesitantly told me. "I mean, you're almost always getting hurt around us, Aerin... broken bones, bruises, accidents, even outbursts... you take so much. Can you really be happy around people like us? Truly happy, I mean?"

"Yeah, duh, of course I can," I said, pausing with the soap under my arm. "Accidents happen, Horst, and anyway, things have been really good lately."

"How?" he asked, sounding forlorn.

"Well, for starters," I sighed, "I feel like I have a home with Bash and the others, you know? When I think of the word home, its Sebastian and all of you guys that I think of."

"Really?"

"Yeah," I snorted, smacking the barrier between us. "Really really. People aren't perfect and I get that. I mean, fuck, I'm no exception."

"Are you kidding me?" Horst scoffed. "You're like the definition of perfect! You're so fucking perfect its annoying sometimes!"

"Dude, shut up," I laughed, rolling my eyes when he snickered. "I get myself into trouble constantly because I do look on the bright side of life. I get myself into trouble because I wanna believe that everyone has good inside them, that everyone can be forgiven and redeemed. I fuck up constantly because I have poor judgement when it comes to other people, you know?"

"Then why do it?" he asked, and I had to think about it.

Really think.

It wasn't too hard to find an answer though.

"Because for all my mistakes, and all the times I got hurt," I said in a distant tone, "there were times when I found people like you and your father, Horst. Yeah, so you guys are all a little too aggressive, and sure, you're definitely a lot to deal with... but that doesn't mean I love you guys any less. I mean, you're all werewolves. I knew what I was in for and I still chose to stay. Being hotheaded and territorial and fiercely loyal assholes is your whole fucking thing, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, we're basically animal people," Horst laughed. "Some of us more than others. Hint hint."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you and your legs," I said, then paused as I thought about it. "I really don't think you have anything to be self conscious about, though. You're a smart kid, not to mention good looking, sweet, and thoughtful."

"Ummm, are you hitting on me?" he deadpanned, and I choked on my own spit.

"No way!" I squawked. "Who's being weird now?!"

He burst into another fit of laughter and I flushed, feeling angry.

"You're so defensive!" he teased, cackling. "Was I too on the nose?"

"I can't talk to you," I muttered, ears burning as I viciously scrubbed myself down.

"Aw, come on, Aerin, I was just teasin'," he pouted, and I heard a weird clack as he moved his hoofs against the tile. "For real, I mean it. I actually really appreciate that you think I'm... not ugly, or that I'm a freak. I mean, it's mostly because of you that I don't... feel like a failure as much as I used to, you know? You changed my whole life, Aerin... like, the whole thing."

"Um... I wouldn't go that far," I said in a small voice. "Thank you, though."

"Are you freaking dumb?" he asked, sounding dead serious. "You should definitely go that far, because its the truth. My dad is... well, being my dad because of you. My whole family has got a brand new freaking beach house to live in thanks to you, because if it hadn't been for you , Pop never would even have started getting along with Sebastian. And now, there's Erika!"

"Ohhh?" I asked, feeling a knowing smile break out across my face. "What about her?"

"She's... well, I mean, she's... I dunno, awesome?" he proffered, sounding confused and a little giddy all at once. "She looks at me and doesn't think I'm weird, and she's always following me around asking me questions, treating me like I'm normal. Not to mention, she's totally hot."

"Heeey," Tobias called in a warning tone, eliciting a startled squeak from the kid. "Keep it PG, brat, that's my daughter you're talking about."

"But it's true!" Horst called, sounding intimidated. "Erika's adorable, Mr. Robertson!"

"I know she's adorable," the man growled, instantly going into protective-dad-mode. "Just keep those thoughts to yourself. You're still far too young to be talking about her that way."

"Too young to say a hot girl is hot?" he asked, sounding a little perplexed. "Is that a thing?"

"No," I laughed, cracking up due to the absurdity of this situation. "He's just being a dad."

"Huh? Pop doesn't act like that, though," he said in confusion, and I only laughed harder.

"It's a father daughter thing, dude," I squealed, finding it hard to draw in air. "Oh, oh, my lungs, fuck... I can't breeeeheeheeheeheeeeathe!"

"You two are equally annoying," Tobias deadpanned and this time we both lost it. Our laughter rang and echoed throughout the bathroom for what felt like hours. Maybe being able to walk around was an early Christmas miracle or something, I didn't know. What I did know was that, for the first time in a very long time I felt hopeful, like things would finally be all right.

My laughter soon cracked and changed and, within seconds, I was crying hysterically, covering my face with both hands, listening to their worried exclamations and inquisitions about whether or not I was okay, about what was wrong, about why I was crying.

I couldn't answer, because I was okay. More than okay.

So okay that I just... broke.

Fell to pieces, just like that old song.

Tobias and Horst both came rushing in and dragged me out of the shower when I collapsed, unable to keep standing or even breathe, and after much fretting I'd been wrapped in the towel and pulled into my nephew's lap with the kid directly beside me.

I've never cried as hard as I did on that bathroom floor in any of my years long past. Both of them held me, rocking me, trying to calm me down as I heaved and wailed like a fucking toddler, clutching at Toby's shirt with violently shaking hands and violently shaking everything. My whole body practically convulsed as I bawled, jerking in a way I'd never before experienced in my entire life. Pain, pain, pain, pain, pain... so much of it, breaking out of me and raining right out of my eyes, so much bottled shit I hadn't even known was there.

I screamed out my sobs, blinded by my own tears, hair sticking wetly to my red-flushed cheeks. I was ugly crying and beyond the point of return, mouth open and rapidly shaking, nose running, eyes scrunched up as I wept and trembled and shook as the knot inside me came undone.

"Shh," Horst soothed, brushing my wet hair off my face. "Shhh, you're okay. It's okay."

"What prompted this?" Tobias tried to ask, but I only cried harder and curled up more, clinging to him for support, for something to ground me. I just couldn't stop, I was so overwhelmed... but I could feel. Reality had finally hit me in the gut with that brick I'd been missing, had smashed my numbness in two and let loose the wall of repressed feeling I'd been blind to.

My sister's death, Jasper raping Sebastian, the hypnotism of my wolves, my family's betrayal and redemption, finding out that Louise had been diagnosed with cancer, the whole issue and anxiety around her turning, the abuse, the pain, the kidnappings and attacks and near-deaths...

My legs.

My burns.

My scars.

My ability to dance. To run. To walk. To do something as simple as put on my own shoes. I'd lost so much too quick.

The sound of my crying echoed throughout the bathroom like the hoarse, shrill screeches of some unknown bird, horrible and awful, ripping out of my body from a place I'd buried deep within my chest. It felt good to cry, wrapped up in a towel and the arms of my sister's son, there in that bubble of secrecy, far away from the world.

For a few minutes, I could fall into arms that would pick me back up. I could let it out. I was safe now... I was truly safe, I could feel it, I didn't need to worry anymore... I could break.

I could break.

I was breaking and it felt good.

At least, that's what I thought until the door suddenly smashed open and I saw Sebastian standing there, looming like a hulk in leather and jeans. He froze on the spot but I hardly noticed, hell I could hardly see through the film of wetness in and around my irritated eyes.

Within a split second, he was on me, snarling at Tobias and Horst and pulling me close.

One arm came around me, securing me, and the other was planted firmly on the floor as he hunched like an animal, barring the two of them from coming near me. He growled like a wild dog and I heard a crunch, making me look up to see his eyes were wide and yellow, teeth bared.

"What did you do to him?!" he demanded in an insidious voice that wasn't even remotely human-sounding, feral and vicious and full of blood thirst that chilled me to the core. "What did you do to make him cry?"

"We didn't do anything!" Horst piped, raising his hands in alarm. "We were talking while we showered and I teased him and he laughed... and then, out of nowhere, he just started crying like this and won't stop! He's been doing it for almost an hour now!"

I wanted to tell him it wasn't their fault but every breath I took was choked out in a watery fit of sobbing and blubbering that just wouldn't stop. Sebastian's boot slid outward as he leaned down, chest parallel with the floor, holding me against him with his body over me.

He was breathing hard, sharp nails almost an inch long digging into my skin, shaking.

"You swear to me?" he hissed, seething. "You swear to me that it wasn't you?"

"It wasn't us," Tobias said calmly. "We've been trying to calm him down. I think it's something much deeper than any of us could have caused, to be honest. He's crying like some people I served with years ago... people who bottled shit up for way too long."

Sebastian let out a snort that I barely heard past my coughing and weeping and the overall mess I had basically become, but I noticed that his hand didn't change. Nor did his posture. He carefully rose to his feet from his position on all fours, save the arm keeping me against him, but he kept himself hunched protectively over me, using his other limb to hold me like a child.

I reached out with a shaking hand, hiccuping, still bawling, and clutched his shirt.

His head snapped down and I saw his face... beastly, partially shifted, eyes narrow and fuming and also in agony, helplessness that wanted to do something but couldn't because how? I leaned into him and buried my face in his shirt as I cried, and I felt him jostling as he loped away from Horst and Tobias to curl up with me in the corner, keeping his back turned toward them.

His hands caressed me, carefully, sharp claws dusting my ears.

"Beloved," he whispered, shaking slightly. "Beloved, what's wrong?"

"I'm... happy..." I somehow managed to choke out, and he froze; I heard a confused 'hah?' and a low snort from across the room. "It's all... over... I don't... have to be... scared... anymore..."

My words slowly devolved into hysterics that had me using his clothing to muffle it all. He sighed, slumping over me, deadly claws slowly retracting and taking the shape of normal finger nails as he ran his hands across the back of my head and made himself comfortable right there.

Big hands, comforting hands, hot hands fisted in my wet hair and rocked me back and forth.

His chest expanded as he breathed in, and then he started humming.

Low and soothing, his deep timbre filled the room as he kept me close to his chest, caressing me, holding me close as he kept me away from everyone and everything.

"Ísychos tóra, agápi mou," he sang to me, husky voice cutting through my sobbing. "Min klápses. Eímai edó. Ta chéria mou eínai to katafýgio sas, i kardiá mou eínai to spíti sas, ta cheíli mou eínai o thisavrós sas. Epitrépste mou na filíso ta dákrya sou, na sou stegnóso ta mátia ... na sou stegnóso ta mátia ... kai me afíste na do éna chamógelo."

I didn't understand but his tone was undeniably loving and it made me feel better.

His hands came up and clutched my head, forcing me back.

I hiccuped in surprise when he kissed my eyes, gently at first, brushing them with his lips even as he continued humming, deep and rich. His gaze was halflidded and pained, darkened to its former amber but crinkled in such a sad way that it pierced me through.

He kissed me further, following a trail of tears across my cheek to my chin, mesmerizing me. I inhaled a shaky breath and let it out, no longer sobbing, feeling slightly better, but still trembling from my lips to my toes. He kissed my tears and even flicked his tongue out beneath my eyelids.

The barest hint of a warm lick caught more before they could fall, all while humming.

I looked at him. He looked at me.

And for what felt like an actual eternity, time came to a screeching halt and suddenly stood still. I could only see his eyes, those sad honey-glazed hellfire eyes that looked at me as if feeling everything tearing my insides apart, as if sharing that anguish and wanting to banish it.

His throaty voice echoed all around me, making me tired, making me feel safe.

I reached out to those eyes, to that voice, to the one trying to soothe me.

Fingers the color of snow touched those dark, scalding cheeks covered with coarse hair.

My face screwed up again involuntarily and I pushed myself up, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face against it, pressing my face against his pulse, my lips right over his jugular. He held me steady, still singing gently, soothingly, caressing my back with blessedly warm hands that loosened the chilly knots making the hairs on the back of my neck stand tall.

"I finally feel safe again," I whispered into his throat, into my bite marks, into the places I'd always shown love and respect to. "I finally feel safe again. I'm still scared, but at the same time, I feel safe enough to break... safe enough to feel... I'm... I'm..."

"Shhh," he soothed, clutching the back of my neck and shifting his legs so he could wrap them around me, keeping me locked against him. "All that matters is that you're here with me, and Horst, and Tobias, and your family... your whole family. Blood related and not."

I choked out a watery laugh that was also part sob and cough.

Tobias and Horst tried to come closer, which made Sebastian tense for several seconds and bare his fangs threateningly, but to his credit he didn't utter a sound when they sank down beside and around us and reached out, leaning into us. Horst came at me from the side, Tobias from the front, and then I was being squished in a sandwich of hugs that my fiance put up with.

I rubbed my eyes as I was snuggled and patted and cuddled.

"You're gonna be all right, Squirt," Tobias told me, and I blinked when I saw the intensity in those eerily familiar silver-blue eyes. "You just need time to heal. Real time and real care. I honestly think the best thing would be a stress-free environment for a while."

"I'll do my best to create one for us," Sebastian lowly added, tipping my head back with a single knuckle he slid under my chin. "If crying helps you heal, then cry... I will be here no matter how much I hate seeing you in pain. I promise. No more uncertainty and foolishness."

"Okay," I sniffed, rubbing my eyes. "I'm sorry for breaking down."

"Don't be," Tobias said quietly. "Go ahead and cry. You've needed it a lot longer than you may realize."

I coughed, rubbing my nose and face, but then Sebastian sighed and shook his head before nodding at the hospital gown and giving Horst a look. The kid seemed spooked for a second until he realized what he wanted and then those eyes brightened. Without a word, he got up and clopped across the tiles, being careful not to slip as he grabbed my hospital gown from where I'd discarded it. While he was doing that, Bash snagged the towel the guys had wrapped me up and and used it to dry my damp body off completely.

I winced as the fluffy bit of fabric dug into my cheeks and ears with the motions.

His hands slowed for a second when I closed my eyes, sleepy and exhausted, suddenly feeling more tired than I could remember being in weeks. The towel was dragged across my head, drying my hair, and then Bash rose, lifting me up before carefully setting my legs down.

He was hesitant at first, checking to make sure I could stand, eyeing my scar tissue with guilt and remorse lingering behind the stone his facial features had suddenly become. He helped me put the hospital gown back on while Tobias and Horst looked away, the former even going so far as walking towards the bathroom door and silently heading out into the hall.

Bash gently pulled my hair through the neck hole once the cotton was covering me.

His hands steadied me, coming to rest on both of my shoulders, fingers tightening on my cast. I stared at the dark t-shirt and the leather of his jacket, sleepy and increasingly disoriented, eyes fluttering and spinning oddly. I put a hand to my head, hiccuping past a stuffed nose.

"I'm tired," I mumbled, letting loose a heavy sigh. "I wanna go to bed."

"It's way past your normal bedtime," he agreed, and with a flourish he bent down and scooped me into his arms, carrying me towards the bathroom door with a no-nonsense swagger. "Come, let's get you back into bed and tucked in. Anything else that needs to be said or done can wait."

"Um, its pretty active in his room," Horst noted, loping to keep up with him as we left the bathroom; he paused only to snag his clothes from where he'd discarded them before hurrying after us, hooves clopping on tile. "You'll probably have to shoo everyone away."

"So be it," Sebastian uttered, giving the boy a momentary glance. "I apologize, by the way."

"Huh?" he asked, furry ears bobbing before pulling back in confusion. "For what?"

"My aggression towards you."

"Oh... that. Yeah, that was terrifying. I've never seen you look that pissed."

"I couldn't help it," Sebastian muttered, unhappily averting his eyes. "The moment I saw him crying, wild instinct to protect him and kill whatever did it took over. I was... more animal than man for a few seconds, I was... furious. His tears and struggles are my undoing, always."

"Yeah, I get it," Horst said with a shrug as we approached a few nurses who stopped to stare at us with their mouths slightly open. Sebastian glared viciously, baring his razor-sharp fangs, and I had to fight the urge to duck and hide my face in his shirt. The nurses quickly scurried away.

"You shouldn't do that," I whispered, ears and cheeks burning. "It's not nice."

"Well, they shouldn't look at us like that," he grumped, giving me a glance without moving his head, only a flick of his stoic eyes. "More specifically, at you. Not when I'm in this sort of mood or dealing with the sort of shit I've been feeling these last few weeks."

"I get it, believe me," I said softly, "but don't take it out on people who don't deserve it."

"I can't say that I won't," he uttered. "I'm beyond the point of giving any sort of shit about maintaining good behavior or treating strangers in a courteous way. If anything or anyone even looks at you sideways, I'll fucking decapitate it. At least until we can go at least three months without some sort of premeditated disaster befalling the people in and around our household."

"But--"

"Nope," he interrupted, letting his eyes dart back to the hallway. "It's not up for discussion. You are the most important thing to me in this world, Aerin. You are my life. I have been careless with you and I am done. I will be the animal that I am if it means keeping people away from you."

I decided not to say anything else and let him do what he wanted. He was justified with his behavior, after all: I'd scared the living shit out of him lately too many times to count and this was the price I had to pay. I didn't think it was a bad thing. I should have been complaining, probably, but to be perfectly blunt... I kinda liked this new possessiveness of his.

It made me feel safe. Made him seem serious. As well as badass.

Sue me for finding it hot.

Cheerful voices met my ears the moment I was carried into the room and I blinked when I saw Erika sitting sprawled across Richard and Kyle's laps, hands behind her head, babbling about some sort of Christmas thing she'd seen on the hospital television in her room.

Richard glanced at us, mouthing a desperate, 'help! Make this annoying thing go away!' which made me giggle despite my puffy eyes and stuffed nose. Tobias saw the request and glowered like a man ready to kill, but for the most part, my ragtag group of furs were looking happy.

It was Christmas, though.

Maybe I should let go and be all cheerful and stuffs after a very long and extensive rest.

"All right, people, either clear out or pipe down," Sebastian growled, and everyone shut their yaps to stare at him as he settled down in my hospital bed and took a moment to unlace his thick black boots; he kicked them on the floor within seconds, then removed his jacket one arm at a time to reveal his powerful biceps and then, finally, he flopped back.

"Mmf," I mumbled, bouncing on his chest. "Rough landing..."

The icy breeze rolled up my spine, making me shudder as my skin tightened.

"You all right?" Sebastian lowly asked.

"I'm fine," I admitted, shifting against him. "I'm just cold."

"If you want, I can find more blankets somewhere," Kyle offered. "It shouldn't be too hard."

"I just need to be cuddled, I think," I mumbled sleepily, yawing once. "I'm super tired. I'll probably fall asleep before you get back either way."

"Yep," Sebastian agreed, grabbing the hem of his shirt and raising it. "Come on in."

I blinked, sleepily raising my eyes to stare at that impressive eight pack and that inviting looking cavern of cloth so much bigger than my own torso. I wriggled and inched my way across his belly, right into the scalding and deliciously sinful heat of his shirt, moving until my head poked his neckline and came to a rest just beneath his chin. I kept my face against his neck, not bothering to go all the way out since he smelled amazing and felt even better.

Before I could react, he had his arms wrapped around my middle and was pulling the blanket up and over the two of us, refusing to stop until it was draped across my back and shoulders. I sighed in blessed relief, relaxing against him.

I breathed in the heavy musk of his natural rain-dampened firewood smell, softened by the sweet fragrance of apple-scented shampoo that lingered in his hair and beard. His body was firm beneath mine, arms like steel bars that protected and sheltered on equal terms.

God, he was so warm.

I could hear his heartbeat, slow and steady, and when he set his chin down against the top of my head I wriggled further into his warmth and nestled more comfortably into his chest, curling on my side. There was a huff next to us, and then a mutter and a sudden gasp, followed by a yelp.

"Ow!" Erika squalled. "Hey!"

"I said get off me!" Richard snapped. "I meant it!"

"Dicky, you just pushed a little girl onto the floor," Kyle scolded. "Apologize!"

"Yeah, douche-wolf!" she grumbled, sounding rather vexed. "My ass hurts now!"

"I'm gonna pretend like this is normal and just walk out and get us all some sodas," Tobias said in a tight voice, "but if you ever do that again, expect me to punch you in the face, Dick."

"Sure, sorry about gettin' rougher than necessary," Richard said flatly, "but maybe teach your spunky little crotch goblin not to crawl onto grown men's laps without permission and start ranting about random toys and other Christmas shit none of us really wanna hear about."

"Noted," Tobias said in a curt tone. "Erika, apologize. Same goes to you, as the adult."

"Sorry," Erika said in a hesitant tone. "I didn't really think it was bothering you that bad."

"Sorry for pushin' ya off," he said back. "I don't like excessive physical contact with people I don't know well, and I have issues with high-energy and hyper people. Keep that in mind."

"She will," Horst said, and with a clopping sound and a thud, I heard a gasp. "Won't you?"

"Hey! Ooof, you're heavy!" she warbled. "Hello?! Horst!? Crushing! Human! OFF!"

"Are you calling me fat?" Horst quietly mocked, and she wailed playfully amidst what I assumed was the sound of her kicking her good leg. "How rude!"

"You're the fattest fatty to ever get fat!" she squealed. "You're... squishing... meeeee."

"Fine, fine, drama queen," he snorted, and then she started heaving for air.

"Any longer and I'd have been a pancake," she wheezed in an over-exaggerated tone. "Owww."

"Awww," Kyle quietly crooned. "Dicky, they're bonding!"

"Shut up," the bald man grumbled.

"But Dicky--"

"Oh my fuck," he groaned. "Kyle, I love you, I really do, but you need to either zip those lips about all this cutesy crap or stick 'em on mine. Pick one and roll with it."

"Well, in that case..."

I muffled a laugh when I heard the sound of a muffled grunt followed by both kids groaning.

And they say romance is dead, I thought, amused.

"Come on, let's head back to your room and give Aerin some rest," Jak muttered, speaking up for the first time. "They both seem to be rather tired."

"Sounds good to me," Horst gagged. "These two sorta need a room to themselves, anyway."

Muffled giggles and a low snicker met my ears, followed by a rumble of annoyance from Bash.

"Keep it down," he said softly. "Please."

"Will do," Richard said curtly, and with that the playfulness stopped. "Get some sleep, buddy."

"Hn."

My heavy eyes fluttered shut. I was having trouble keeping them open anymore, but it didn't really matter since I enjoying the warmth coming from the werewolf beneath me. Sure, I was exhausted, right down to the bone, but I was safe and comfortable. I drifted deeper and deeper, slipping away and off into the vast reaches of my own abstract dreams.

🌘🌗🌖🌕🌔🌓🌒

Ah... darkness.

Coils of familiar warmth wrapped around me, keeping me safe, sheltering me, giving me strength and care and protection. I basked in the feeling of soft fur and muzzles against my existence, against my being, my soul, whatever it was that I had become.

I drifted between them, hovering.

"Welcome back, la," Feng-Feng's familiar voice murmured, and the rasp of a giant tongue caressed me, sweeping up a side of me that didn't feel like skin any longer. "Pretty baby."

The dragons... why was I here again?

The danger had finally passed, right?

"Life is full of many dangers," Anurak said quietly. "You have overcome much and survived with our help. Chernobog is in custody... but due to the nature of his being, as well as what he truly represents for his entire race, he has unfortunately been sentenced to be locked in an Underground facility for the next two hundred years."

What?

Two hundred years?

Only two hundred years?

Dread ran through me and the world flickered violently.

He would come back and do this shit all over again once he was released.

"You no worry, you safe, laaa," Feng-Feng's voice soothed, and then a giant sapphire eye was right in front of my consciousness, beautiful and scintillating and glittery. "You not like other vampires. You not even like Chernobog."

Confusion prickled through me.

A thought bubbled up and burst.

'Why am I different?'

"Because he is the embodiment of darkness and pain," Anurak said quietly. "One of the original damned. A deity to some. You were born of his blood and venom, a poison that changed you... and yet you defied his power for the sake of another. For love."

The prickle became a boil that had me spiraling.

Thoughts bubbled.

'It was you guys who gave me the strength to break free!'

'I couldn't have done it without your breath!'

"Oh, la, is that what pretty baby think?" Feng-Feng giggled. "No, no, no, real strength came from you!"

"It's true," Anurak chuckled, coils shaking with his laughter. "You broke free of him because light can never be swallowed by darkness. You are, at your core, a good man... full of love, and hope, and optimism, never straying into the dark surrounding you. Because of that, he could not control you as he wished. He could not and cannot break your spirit."

I was out of sorts. I didn't understand.

"You not need to know it all right now," Feng-Feng told me with a nuzzle. "We have many, many years to take hand and pull into big life full of good happy and safety. We teach you as years go by, teach to use true strength, to protect family, maybe even whole world."

A wave of calmness crept over me and I faded away, locked in the coils of their bodies.

"When you next wake, my son," Anurak called, "we will be by your side with gifts that may just change everything for you. We will talk in the waking world. For the time being, just rest and enjoy the arms of your lover, for you are finally, truly, safe."

That was the last thing I heard--

I jolted awake, roused by the feeling of a sharp sting in my thigh.

"Owww...." I whined, trying to curl my limb away only to find I couldn't move it. Something tightened around my back, keeping me from moving as the pain intensified. "Ow, ow... ow..."

"Shhh," Sebastian's voice hissed through what I thought sounded like clenched teeth. "Be still, it'll be over in a second, just bear it, please."

"Babe?" I asked, opening my eyes and squinting tiredly at his dark skin from within my cocoon. A horrible burning ache slid into the muscle of my thigh and buried itself deep into the bone of my hip, spreading outward in a sickening wave. "Ow... ow! OW! OWWW! What the hell?!"

I started to struggle as the heat under his shirt became suffocating, but strong arms held me still. Terror suddenly came over me when another sharp pain hit my other thigh, sinking in deep. I shuddered and let out a yelp, which turned into a scream.

"OWWWW!" I wailed, fighting to move. "STOP! STOP! IT HURTS!"

"Hold him still!" Doctor Markson calmly ordered. "I need to inject him four more times for the nano treatment to be fully effective in the necessary places."

"I've got him," Richard grunted. "He ain't movin'."

"Stop it!" I cried, struggling to see, to breathe, but I was trapped. "What are you doing to me?!"

"Biological repair treatments," Sebastian growled, squeezing me tight. "It's nano tech, Beloved. He's injecting the first of many necessary serums so your legs can begin the long and extensive healing processes you're going to be in for."

"Ugh," I groaned, burying my face against his pecs and grasping his hips with shaking fingers as another sharp pain bloomed just above my left knee pit. I dug in, clenching my teeth, and then a fourth acidic prick on the other leg. My toes curled, my ass clenched, I tensed like a string drawn tight as I dug my fingers into his jeans and clung for dear life at the unexpected pain.

It hadn't faded yet, instead it had just balled into several unpleasant charlie horses.

I didn't feel the last two pricks on my legs, but maybe it was because of the nerve damage.

Didn't know, didn't care, I was just grateful when I heard the doctor say, "finished."

"Is the paperwork for his discharge done?" Sebastian growled. "Is it all filled out?"

"Yes," Tobias said in a quiet tone from somewhere across the room. "He's actually allowed to be discharged right now if he wants. We can pack up and go, but the sun comes up in less than two hours so I wouldn't recommend it unless you intend to leave soon."

I paused, then groggily tried to wriggle up, finding it easy now that my legs were free.

I pushed my head through the collar of Sebastian's shirt and groggily peered around, blinking through puffy eyes and bleary vision. Kyle was no longer in the room and Tobias was in the process of putting his jacket back on, but Dick seemed rather disgruntled as he sat down.

I watched as the scarred man folded his leg across his knee and crossed his arms.

"What's today?" I sleepily asked, uncurling my toes as the pain in my thighs faded bit by bit.

"Christmas," Richard grunted, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Today is Christmas?" I asked, startled. "It's... it's the twenty fifth of December?"

"Yup. You slept clean through Christmas Eve," Richard grunted, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "It's four in the morning on Christmas Day."

"Eh?!" I asked, raising my head to the best of my ability and looking at Bash's bearded chin; he craned his neck down and raised a bushy black eyebrow at me, disheveled brown curls hanging in his face like some sort of unruly mop. "So... it's Christmas?"

"Yes," he said, and then his whole face softened; lifting his arms and sliding them around me beneath his shirt, he shifted my body so I was lying on my side instead of my stomach before sitting up and cradling me against him. I yawned while he made himself comfortable, snuggled up inside his shirt with only my head poking out of the neck hole.

"Yikes," I muttered, trying to wake myself up. "I've been out of touch with time."

"I have to go pick everybody up from the airport," Tobias said, and I glanced up to see him striding over; with little warning he leaned down and kissed the side of my head, which made Sebastian utter a threatening rumble. My nephew pulled back with a glare. "Knock it off with that growling bullshit. I can show affection to my uncle if I want to."

"Keep your foul lips to yourself," Sebastian said distastefully. "He's mine."

"I'm gonna pretend you weren't just insinuating something disgusting and say fuck off," Tobias said in a deadpan, eliciting a display of bared fangs and angry yellow eyes from my lover. "Keep an eye on him while I go get everyone, got it? And be sure to text if our destination changes."

"Wait, Aggie and Ralph are coming?" I gasped, instantly a little more awake. "And Nikki, too?"

"Yep, all of them," he called as he left the room. "We're spending Christmas with you."

"Shut up and get going!" Richard snapped, glaring at his phone. "Yo, Bash."

"Hn?" my mate grumped. "What?"

"I'm gonna head down the hall to check on Jak, Kyle, and the kids," he said, rising back to his feet. "Spend some time with Aerin while you have the opportunity. I think there are things you need to talk about and things you need to get off your chest."

To my confusion the hands wrapped around me flinched.

I tried to look up at him but his head came down on top of mine and his chin kept my cheek and ear against his throat. Richard walked out and closed the door without another word, leaving the two of us alone. All I could really hear was the ringing in my own ears and our breathing.

"Are you okay?" I finally quipped. "What did he mean?"

A small skip in his pulse and a juddering breath was all I received.

Then, he relaxed a little.

"I'm scared to leave you alone," he said in a slow, agonized tone. "I've... started to develop a terror that won't leave. I'm afraid of taking my eyes off you. I'm afraid of other people coming near you. It makes me angry and panicked and I go blind. I kicked your doctor when he first tried to come at you with the needles a few hours ago, hard enough that it knocked him out."

"What?!" I scoffed, trying to move, but he held me still. "Babe!"

"Don't scold me!" he uttered, pressing his lips against my tangled hair. "I cannot help it! I know it was wrong, and I know that my actions are well out of line, but I cannot. He understood my behavior and accepted my apology when I gave it, but... truth be told, I am still scared."

I frowned, turning my head slightly.

I noticed something, then, now that I was closer to his face. Little hairs here and there were bleached completely white, but there were so few of them spattered throughout his beard that it wasn't visible from a distance. Guilt pulsed through me and I sagged, curling into him.

"I understand the feeling," I rasped, wrapping my good arm around his chest. "I've felt the same way for a very long time now, but everything is fine."

"How can you possibly know?" he demanded, shaking his head. "Not even I do. That is why I am afraid. I've laid down every possible form of protection I can think of and he still managed to find a way to get you somehow. The only way I feel I can protect you is by... by not leaving you. By not letting anyone come near you, by hiding you away from any and all eyes aside from my own."

"Do you think that'd help?" I asked him honestly, and his breath caught. "If... if that's what you wanna do... then, do you really think it'd help?"

"You'd... let me?" he asked blankly. "For truth? You would let me... isolate you?"

"For a time, yeah, if it was really necessary for you to get yourself... feeling better," I admitted, and he immediately let out a groan of frustration.

"I could never do that to you," he spit, tensing. "I want to, but I never would... it'd be unhealthy. I would become unhealthy. We would, as a couple, become unhealthy. I will not allow that to happen under any circumstances. I desire to be good for you, I just... don't know how to be."

A smile slid across my lips and I sighed before raising my arms and pulling my head back into his shirt, hunkering down as I tugged it up and over me to extricate myself. His arms pulled back a little as I righted myself, snarled white hair falling over my face in messy strands.

I reached out and cupped his cheeks, leaning close... so close my eyelashes dusted his own, so close I could taste his breath, could feel the sparks between our barely touching lips.

And I just let all the love I had for him come rushing forth.

"We're safe," I whispered, staring into those unblinking pools of honey that blew open wide and very nearly hid the rings of fire I loved so much. He shivered as I shifted my body, bringing my chest against his, legs resting between his thighs. I gripped his shoulders and used them to pull myself up higher than his face, then used my weight to force him into laying back.

His head hit the pillow gently, but I still held his shoulders tight, still smiled at him.

He seemed frozen, staring at me with those dilated kitten-like pupils, as if taking in the sight of my face so close to his own and absorbing it like some sort of drug. I kissed him lightly without closing my eyes, feeling a strange burning sensation of pleasure filling my stomach.

Red began to haze over my vision as I kissed him again, nipping at his lips with my fangs.

He finally blinked.

"Your eyes," he said in a dazed tone. "They've turned red."

"I don't care," I whispered, letting the warmth of my love for him override everything. "I'm me, no matter what happens... red, blue, white, brown, blonde... it doesn't matter anymore. I'm yours no matter how I look, no matter what shape I take... forever. Do you understand?"

He blinked again, then lunged up and crushed our lips together.

My pulse skipped and I flushed as his hands gripped my butt for the first time in what felt like an eternity, holding me against him. His tongue sent sparks through my lips, sent me reeling into a place of euphoric bliss. My heart was in overdrive, pounding in my chest, blood rushing through my throat and wrists almost painfully. I arched, zapped by his fingers trailing down my spine.

He stopped when I hissed in a jerk of a breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "Did I hurt you?"

"Sensitive," I muttered, shifting a bit. "I'm fine."

His face went slack and realization dawned on him... and then, another realization followed, one that made his entire face shift into something far more mischievous and perverse. He raised a finger and traced it along the back of my neck, making me jerk and gasp.

Sparks danced across my nerves, borderline painful, and I shuddered.

"Well," he said in a sly, contemplative tone. "I have a new idea that I intend to try later, when we have time to be by ourselves. For the time being, bite me. Your eyes are red because you need blood again. Not really surprising considering the sort of stress you're under."

I glanced at his throat when he tilted his head aside.

The red film receded with a few pulses of my heartbeat, clearing my head a little. I leaned down and kissed his skin, fisting my hand in his hair as I gently pulled his shirt down. I licked him, listening to his even breathing, feeling the rise and fall of his chest beneath me.

His fingers gently brushed against my back, not exactly touching, but brushing just enough for me to know they were there. I nuzzled his neck with my nose, then licked his skin one last time before gently sinking my teeth in until it punctured through, sinking in up to my gums.

He grunted and I felt that telltale hardness rear up against me almost immediately.

His hands fisted in the back of the hospital gown and even my hair as I began to swallow the very essence of moonlight. It washed down the back of my throat like ice, rejuvenating me and tingling with life and energy that had my mind snapping into a far more wakeful state.

I licked around my teeth to soothe his wounds while I sated myself.

"I love you," Sebastian suddenly murmured, filling my ears. "I love you so much. I'll give you anything you ever want, Aerin... anything to keep you happy and healthy and yourself."

A flush heated my cheeks and ears and I fought to avoid smiling since it would hurt him. Instead, I held my feelings back until my stomach felt completely full and carefully pulled my teeth out, covering his puncture wounds with my hand as I raised myself over him.

His face was reddened, eyes glazed and full of lustful adoration, staring at me. Fringes of dark lashes accented those glowing eyes as he looked up at me, chocolate curls splayed across the white pillow beneath his head. He was so handsome that it made my stomach clench.

I had too much emotion for him and no way to get it out. I didn't know what I would do even if there was a way. It just bubbled out of me and I leaned in close, tasting those perfect lips.

"I miss... you... even... when you're... right... in front of me," I panted in between kisses. "God... I've never felt this way about anyone in my life. Only you. I think you're the first person I've ever loved this hard or deep."

"Am I?" he asked me in that husky drawl, raising a single eyebrow. "Not even your William?"

"No, not like this," I whispered, smiling a little more sadly. "We were together for fifteen years but we were never this intimate or even connected this deeply. I never felt like my insides would boil me alive just from him looking at me, never felt like my heart would leap out of my chest with a single kiss. I loved him deeply, but it wasn't electrical. It wasn't the same. You and I have incredible chemistry on top of the emotional connection...  or maybe because of it, I don't know, but the only thing that matters is that you're a good fit for me. We're... we're in a good place."

He smirked, lips quirking, and I almost groaned.

Why was he so handsome?

"So, what do you want to do for Christmas?" he asked me, staring into my eyes. "You're no longer in such poor health that we can't take care of you at home, and in truth there are many things I want to start doing."

"Like what, exactly?" I quipped, cocking my head.

"Looking for a new house or, alternatively, some wide-open land to build one," he said, staring me down. "I want to give you a home, Aerin... one that has no memories of times long gone. A new home, one for all of us, perhaps a beach house like the one I've given the Derkshires."

"That would be epic," I admitted, thinking about the two of us spending nights along the sand beside the ocean, perhaps even swimming and building sandcastles under the stars. Fireworks and sparklers, too... my mind was a whirl with possibilities. "I think a beach house would be... lovely. I actually really like the fact that your current home is so close to the ocean."

"Then I'll begin planning," he promised, stroking my cheek. "I want to take you home to a more protected environment. I believe that Louise has also been wanting to see you... she's been worried sick ever since she found out what happened."

"Do you think we should go home?" I asked, perking up.

"Well, you'd definitely be more comfortable there," he allowed, shifting his hands to my hips and holding me tight. "Will you let me carry you home?"

"Yeah," I murmured, nodding. "I think resting in our bed rather than here at the hospital would feel better after spending Christmas with everyone anyway. Plus, the fluorescent light bulbs are getting on my nerves and I'm constantly anxious about someone pulling the curtains aside."

Just as I said it there was an unceremonious knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Sebastian answered, refusing to look away from my eyes.

"Ah, um, Mr. Robertson requested that I deliver some stuff to you," a familiar female voice explained, and the door opened to reveal miss Clifford. For once her ponytail was completely undone and she kept her head down, hiding her face as she brought a bag in.

"Thanks," I sighed, raising myself upright; my nurse froze, staring at us through her hair, but she quickly held the bag out to me with her shoulders hunched. I noticed something off with the way she was standing, though, and frowned when she limped over to the counter. "Hang on."

"Hm?" she asked, pausing without turning around. "What is it?"

"Are... are you okay?" I asked, staring at her long blue scrubs, and then at her chest-length dark brown hair, curling the way it did at the ends in a rather cute way. "Miss Clifford, you're limping."

"Oh, that?" she asked, shrugging without turning around. "I twisted my ankle yesterday. I'm fine, I'm a nurse."

Concern flooded through me when she stiffly raised her arms and rifled through the clipboard the doctor had left on the counter, flipping the pages up, but when she twisted slightly I saw the skin on her neck through her hair and went rigid since it was black and swollen.

I immediately extricated my legs from Bash and carefully swung them out, putting them down one at a time on the floor as he sat up behind me. He didn't say a word, simply observed in silence as I hobbled over to her side without her noticing--odd, considering she was a werewolf--and gently pushing her hair back. She flinched away from me, dropping the clipboard.

Hands came up as she cowered against the wall, protecting, an instinctual response.

She shut down immediately, eyes becoming devoid of moisture as a dry glaze covered them.

"Miss Clifford," I whispered, staring in horror at the gaping cuts and burns on her throat. "Oh my God... what happened?"

Her breath caught and she slowly seemed to come back to herself. She inhaled once, then twice, and then a few more times, visibly calming herself down and straightening up. It seemed to take effort to lower her arms, but once she did she gave me a look I couldn't read.

"I'm an omega," she said with a simple shrug, slowly picking the clipboard back up.

Sebastian tensed and I heard a crunch.

"Are you implying that your pack did that," he rumbled, gesturing at her wounds, "to you?"

"Well, my alpha did," she said in a hesitant tone, scribbling something down. "I spoke out of turn, though, and... well, I... I kind of deserved it."

"What could you have said to deserve cuts from silver?" he scoffed. "Talk!"

She flinched at the harshness in his tone.

"I... uh, I said that the pack... treats me unfairly," she admitted, hand frozen over the paper. "I tried to tell him that... that... its not fair that vampires and hybrids who're actively living with packs among our own kind get better treatment than I do... and... well, I learned my lesson."

I felt the charge of energy in the air behind me before I saw it. I shivered when I heard the rustle of him getting up and then tugging his jacket back on, followed by the thudding of his boots.

"You," he said in a surprisingly soft tone, "are coming with Aerin and myself when we leave."

Miss Clifford paused, then whipped around with huge eyes.

"W-what?" she asked, shaking her head. "No, um, I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm a nurse at this hospital, not to mention I'm on--"

He was moving past me and looming over her in seconds, which made her flinch backwards. She huddled down, shoulders bunching to her ears, looking up at him in raw terror... but instead of getting angry, all he did was reach out and set a single hand on her shoulder.

She tensed, visibly confused when he just patted her arm.

"I could buy this entire building and all of its staff," he said in a quiet tone, and I smirked when her jaw dropped. "I'm not asking. You will be leaving with us and returning to my home, even if its only for today and tomorrow. It's Christmas, after all. However, I want to have a very serious talk with you about this 'alpha' of yours and whereabouts his territory is established."

"Huh?" she asked, wrinkling her nose. "Why do you wanna know a thing like that?"

Sebastian patted one last time. "We'll discuss it later. If you have anything you need to grab, best go grab it now. You have five minutes to be at the front entrance to the hospital."

"Um... o-okay," she said, arching a perfectly waxed eyebrow when he walked towards me; I squeaked when he scooped me off the ground and right into his arms, hospital gown and all, before snatching the bag of things she'd brought. He gave her a very loaded stare and gestured with his head, raising an eyebrow. She wasted absolutely no time hurrying out of the room.

"What prompted that?" I demanded.

"The possibility that there might be an unknown wolf pack residing in my territory without my permission," he said, carrying me out of the room and into the glaring light of the hall. "You may not know this but my territory spans the entirety of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia."

I buried my face against his shirt.

"What's the issue?" I mumbled into the pleasant-smelling fabric. "I've seen tons of werewolves before at Moonies and even all over that mall."

"True, there are several werewolf packs in this state," he acknowledged, "but none of them are near Jacksonville and I also know every other alpha residing within my territory by name. We are allied with many of the other packs, and none of them would do such a thing to their own."

"Oh," I said, realizing what he meant. "So, you're gonna step in?"

"I might have to," he grimly muttered. "If only to set an example that omegas are not to be used as pack slaves or punching bags. That nurse of yours is as honest and kind as they come."

I said nothing but he must have smelled how nervous his words made me because his posture immediately shifted and he sighed, rubbing my side.

"You don't need to worry," he stated as he stepped into the elevator. "Don't deny that you are, your scent is saying it all. "

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, my emotions reek," I sighed, placing my hands on his chest and lifting my head to peer at him. "For real, though, the fact that you can smell my feelings is a lot to handle."

Sebastian smirked and leaned down to kiss me after he pushed the button for the ground floor and the doors closed with a ding, but that sly little twist to his mouth broadened into a grin when my grip tightened in his shirt. I pushed harder into the kiss the more he pulled back, a continual tease before finally pushing back in.

I sighed in contentment as our tongues finally met. It wasn't graceful or slow, but rather passionate and perfect.

In a word? Electric.

As it always was.

We hit the ground floor and the doors opened, but he stayed leaning against the wall for about another thirty seconds. I didn't care that anyone could peek in and see us, I was too far gone.

Who cares if they see me making out with my super hot boyfriend? Points for me, I thought, but it was over all too soon and I sighed when Bash pushed me away from him, our lips separating. He laughed very quietly when I let out a whine of disapproval.

"The faster we get home, the longer we can kiss," he told me a little playfully, wagging his brows as he carried me through the hospital lobby.

You and your perfect eyebrows. You perfect asshole, I thought; aloud I said, "Like a Christmas miracle?"

He did a double take and then let out a booming belly laugh that drew the attention of everyone around us. He didn't give a shit, he fucking howled, and when he finished he looked down at me, those eyes that mirrored endless rings of fire hidden beneath gorgeously thick black lashes.

Those damn eyes! I thought, blushing as I looked away. He could look at me and tell me anything and I would be lost in those eyes. Lost in Sebastian.

"I love you," I mumbled.

"I love you, too," he said, and then he stopped, looking at his watch. "She has a minute and thirty seconds left. That elevator is a long ride, though, so I'll give her an extra three."

"I am so ready to get home," I announced, shrugging myself inside the flap of his leather jacket and burying my face against his underarm. "Our home."

He adjusted my weight and, to my surprise, suddenly flipped me so my legs were dangling beneath me; he held me with one arm and with the other zipped up his jacket to seal me inside it, which both confused and alarmed me even though it was still rather soothing.

"Can you breathe?" he demanded, pulling me up and securely cupping my thighs. "Or do you want me to partially unzip it so you can get your head out."

"I'd like to have my head free," I said, and after a zipping sound I was abruptly bumped up about a head further, coming face to face with him. I slid my arms around his neck from beneath the jacket, being careful about my cast, and wrapped my legs around his back.

It was hard, however, because I couldn't bend properly. He seemed to notice but said nothing, just held me close and stared at me while other people just gawked and ogled and gaped as they passed. He shuffled aside as two nurses and a doctor came in, nearly bumping him.

"This place is more of a zoo than a hospital," he snorted, taking yet another step back as two other guys came rushing by, not paying attention to where they were really going.

"It's the holidays," I reminded him. "Specifically, Christmas day. People are probably grumpy, working a job like this so early in the morning. It's gotta suck."

He nodded, then lifted his eyes and they narrowed; he immediately unzipped his jacket a bit more and shifted my legs back to being cradled bridal-style, keeping me more secure. I followed his stare and saw Miss Clifford trotting towards us, dressed in a plain grey sweater and a pair of very dark blue jeans with a brown leather purse on her shoulder, hiding her face with her hair.

She's disturbingly thin, I realized, blinking at her willowy build. She looks like she doesn't eat enough to stay healthy.

I had to wonder if it was a choice or not, especially after what I'd already learned.

"I... um, so, where are we going?" she asked, not lifting her eyes. "Is it far?"

"Just follow me," he ordered, motioning with his head as he walked through the automatic glass doors and out into the pitch black parking lot. "We have a decent distance to cover and we need to cover it before the sun starts coming up. With that leg, I doubt you can run very fast, but we're still gonna try... and if you truly can't keep up, I'll carry you on my back."

"W-what?!" she scoffed, head snapping up. "Um... you're already carrying him, though!"

"So?" he asked, fixing a yellow-eyed glare on her. "I've carried more than eight grown men over very large distances many years in the past. You and my mate are nothing in comparison."

She bit her lip and looked down, nervous, but nodded. "I'll try to keep up."

"Then come," he said, and after making sure he was holding me securely, he leaned down. "Run with us."

With a concussion that rocked my body to the core of my bones, he took off into the lot and jumped, sailing so high into the air that the brightly lit windows of the hospital's floors began to drop down rapidly even as it grew smaller like the lights beneath us.

Wind roared in my ears, but I wasn't scared.

All I saw was the defined jaw and that outstretched neck, alert and full of confidence. As crazy as I was for it, I truly felt safe with him. I leaned close as we soared down out of the sky, curling up inside his jacket, arms still wrapped around his neck beneath the fabric, basking in the magic happening before me.

To be honest?

Jumping with Sebastian felt like what I imagined flying to be like. I began to notice it more and more the longer we ran.

We would be blurring and bouncing from rooftop to sparkly Christmas-decorated rooftop and then he would suddenly lean down, sprint for about three and a half seconds, and then, with an explosion of force, would propel himself nearly a hundred and fifty feet into the air.

My stomach would fall out of my body every time, and I'd cling to him tighter on instinct as gravity and whiplash tried to drag me out of his arms, but then the rapid heaviness would grow lighter, slowly, surely, and then there would be a weightless moment when the roaring air would died down slightly, a moment where I could feel and see and hear it all.

A moment of true suspension, where the two of us glided over glittering cars and buildings far, far below. That moment felt, to me, like the best part of jumping since it was the most unreal.

Then, the worst part came: falling.

It would start as something gradual, a sensation of momentary sinking as gravity once again took the reigns and started pulling us back down to Earth. My clothes would rise, my body would grow so light that I always got anxious about slipping out of his arms like it was nothing, and my stomach would start dancing in my gut as the vertigo took over.

The plummet always made me want to scream.

Sebastian, however, just laughed as we fell, taking amusement in my perpetual horror.

Then the cycle would begin again and we'd do it all over.

Run, run, bounce, bounce, run, run, sprint... lunge... soar. I would have wondered when we were actually going to arrive back at the house if I hadn't caught sight of the ocean and what looked like the wide expanse of forest stretching on for miles around Sebastian's home during one of the huge jumps into the sky. I also saw that dawn was coming, which made me nervous.

The sky was already dark blue with a splotch of periwinkle on the horizon.

The sun, I mentally noted, burying my face in his jacket. I wanna get home.

Another, harder, jump shattered my thoughts and made my body jolt. I felt the pull of our motion bending my middle, but Sebastian held me tightly and securely as we once again sailed into the air over a wide swath of trees, so much higher than before that I balked.

And then I saw it.

The driveway with its line of huge symmetrical trees leading to the enormous plantation house with its beautiful pillars and doors and windows, some of which were emitting soft yellow light, most of which were dark amidst the faint white structure.

I saw the land around it, the little cabin off to the left of the driveway with several more beyond, to my surprise. I saw the gate to the enormous garden to the left of the house, encircled by black steel bars. I saw what looked like an enormous car garage with the gravel driveway and a barn lingering at the very edge of the right side of the property, overgrown with ivy and other plants.

Several cars were parked in a row out front.

And then we began to descend, sinking down towards the gravel driveway, towards the porch.

I worried for a moment that we were going to crash into the house itself, but Sebastian easily twisted his body and caught the air differently, spreading his legs and preparing to land. His arms tightened as the ground came rushing up, and then, with the ease and grace of a feline, his boots smashed into the rocks, thighs juddering as they absorbed the shock of the impact.

His body curled down and rolled me against him in a bizarre manner and then we were still, me shivering from the cold in the air and him breathing heavily as he straightened out of his awkward crouch. I blinked a few times when I heard another thud and peered around the edge of his arm to see that Nurse Clifford had kept up, despite looking rather worse for wear.

"Are you okay?" I called, and she stared at me through sweat-slicked hair.

"Yes," she somehow managed to wheeze, shifting her purse as she fought for air. "Never... run... that fast... in my life!"

"I figured," Sebastian grunted, twisting around to give her a long look. "Come with me and stay close... am I clear?"

"Erm, yes," she panted, shakily limping her way over and following at a careful distance as he carried me up the familiar porch stairs and opened the huge double doors to the house. Warmth and familiar smells greeted me like an old friend and I immediately felt a bit more relaxed.

I heard familiar voices talking cheerfully from a distance, the voices of children and teens and slightly irritated adults with their grumpy attitudes. My heart suddenly began to swell and I swallowed a weird wash of tears that wanted to come up.

"Hey!" I somehow managed to squeak. "I'm home!"

The voices coming from inside the house went dead silent for nearly ten seconds... and then, there were crashes coming from everywhere and people began tearing around the corner, blurring into view with expressions of shock and delight and relief and surprise.

I saw Tiffany, Jun, Kyle, Leo, Diana, Cassidy and Richard. I saw Erika, Nikki, Agatha, Ralph, and Tobias. I saw Jak and Horst and even the Meyer brothers, followed by Sam and Darryl. I saw Chi, and to my shock, Feng-Feng and her husband, Rak, who both gave me smirks and waved. I saw Woody, who pushed past everyone and made his way to the front, glittering green eyes wide, a broad smile breaking his face and making his features light up.

I saw everyone, and more, a crowd of faces looking at me in delight.

"Welcome home!" everyone cheered, and my eyes widened as they came rushing forward, crowding Sebastian and myself. I was lost in a cacophony of hugs and kisses and head rubbings and laughter as my face met many armpits--hello, what a weird greeting--and many lips, including Feng-Feng's, who took a great deal of pleasure in crooning at me while she hugged.

I was smothered by a shrieking Tiffany and practically crushed right there in Sebastian's arms by Horst and Nikki and Erika all hanging off me. It was overwhelming to say the least, but to be honest I had never felt so warm or loved. So many people... so many of them, all smiling.

All happy.

When had I become a part of this? When had this many people come to genuinely love me? I couldn't place it, but seeing them all here, greeting me, welcoming me, loving me... it made me feel... good. Better than good. Alive. Like I was a normal person rather than just a vampire.

Like I was me. Aerin. The man with a huge loving family and buttloads of friends.

"All right, all right, give the poor bastards some room to breathe," Richard finally bellowed, shooing everyone back. "Sebastian's looking a bit claustrophobic, Aerin's still exhausted, and you all have things you need to be doing, anyway. Get back to it."

I heard groans from the kids and laughter from my wolves. Jak and Horst shared an amused look before heading down the hall with my nephew and his family following. Everyone slowly but surely began to clear out aside from Diana, Cassidy, Leo, Kyle, Dick, Tiffany, Woody, and Jun.

Only once the hall had emptied out did Diana seem to notice the woman behind us.

She tilted her head, blinking curiously.

"Oh?" she asked, glancing at Sebastian in surprise. "We have a guest?"

"Yes," he rumbled, hefting my weight and holding me more securely. "Renee Clifford. She's going to be sleeping here for a few nights and spending Christmas with us. I have some things I'd like to talk with her about. Now, where are Louise and Kip?"

Kyle shared a look with Richard, who frowned and sourly said, "where she's supposed to be. Her brother is still watching over her from the security cameras. Poor kid can't leave her alone."

"And how is she?" he asked, shifting his weight. "Calm?"

"Yes, for the most part," Tiffany said, nodding. "She's still adjusting to everything. The smells, the sounds, and even her new strength. She's struggling to adapt from the looks of things. Her movements are as shaky and jerky as a newborn kitten's."

"That's natural, especially from someone as impatient as her," Sebastian sighed, and without further ado he swiftly carried me past them towards the corner. "Someone, please get Miss Clifford situated into one of the available guest rooms in the west hall downstairs."

"Ah, I'm on it!" Tiffany chirped. "Come on, Woody, let's make her feel at home!"

The last thing I heard as we headed for the basement was a soft little wheeze-chuckle... and then we were heading downstairs into the converted basement arcade. I sighed as we weaved through the old games and past the broken gym equipment to the keypad hiding the isolation room. He shifted his weight to hold me securely with one hand and punched in the code.

With a clunk, the wall began to retract and started opening.

"Gonna let me out now?!" a familiar voice hissed, sounding somewhat strange and different; a new and very low rumble coming from a throat that had previously been unable to make such a threatening sound filled the air, and I raised my eyes to the white room.

To my shock and horror, it was splattered with dark blood stains.

The walls, the floor, and even parts of the ceiling were covered in dried sprays and drops.

Two of the beds had been removed, and the chains over on the wall were broken.

In the farthest corner, huddled up in a tight ball, was Louise. She was completely naked and bald, save for a thin white gown that ended just above her knees. Her eyes were scalding yellow, teeth elongated, shoulders bunched to her ears, growling at us like a wild animal.

"Lou?" I asked, and those threatening sounds stopped dead; her eyes twitched and she stiffened, finally seeming to see me, to see us, to recognized it all. "Louise?!"

"Aerin," she whispered, lunging up so fast that her feet left the floor; I gasped when she rocketed right into the ceiling and hit her head with a squeak before falling back down and hitting the floor with a groan. "Ow...."

"Oh, my God!" I shrieked, instantly fighting to get free. "Lou! Lou, are you okay?!"

"Yeah," she wheezed, shaking her head with a dizzy blink. "Still not used to the super strength."

"Babe, put me down!" I complained. "I wanna hug her!"

"You can," he said quietly, "on the condition that she keeps perfectly still while you do so."

"Really?" she snapped with a yellow-eyed glare. "I thought you'd be all pissy about it."

"He loves you," Sebastian said flatly, and she flinched. "I do have an issue with letting him do this so soon after your turning, but I'm not callous enough to keep him away from you. That's why the first thing I did was bring him right to you. So you'd know he's okay and he would know the same about you."

"Surprising," she muttered, then flopped back and sat still, looking right at me. "Come here, Aerin... give me a hug, okay? My new body is weird and freaky and... well, people smell different, and look different, and... I need a hug."

Sebastian let me down when I glanced at him, then folded his arms and dug his fingers into his jacket as I hobbled over to her. It wasn't until her eyes landed on my scarred legs that she went tense and her face cracked. I froze mid-step, tensing, but she took deep, sharp breaths.

Calmness came over her and she exhaled heavily before opening her eyes again.

"I can't get mad the way I used to," she said in a distant tone. "Every time I do, my body--"

"--begins to shift," Sebastian finished. "It's natural, but that's how it works. You need to keep a level head no matter the situation."

I continued forward until I was right in front of her, and then I carefully sat down with my legs off to the side and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her neck. I squeezed her softness tightly, setting my face on her shoulder and just resting there. I saw her hands twitching and also saw them go slack at her sides. I felt a little bad since I had a feeling she wanted to hug me, too.

"It'll be okay," I whispered, nuzzling her neck. "I promise. The worst is over for both of us."

"Your legs," she said thickly. "Are they--?"

"He'll make a full recovery," Sebastian promised her, and I twisted to see that he looked really uncomfortable and unhappy, glowing yellow eyes fixed on me and me alone. "By the time he can run again, I intend for not even a trace of those scars to be visible. He'll be fine."

"He'd better be," Louise hissed. "Otherwise I'll tear your fucking head off."

"Please don't," I piped, and she stiffened. "I love him."

She scoffed and then sagged, relaxing as she sourly muttered, "yeah, obviously. That's the only reason I haven't done it already, you dope."

I giggled and pulled back, staring at her perfect face, at those glowing yellow eyes. Lou's eyes, but at the same time, new... and completely unlike her. The brown of her humanity was gone, and in its place was the gorgeous fire of a werewolf. I swallowed the lump in my throat.

And then I leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

I heard a cough behind me, followed by a strangled sound, and to my shock Louise laughed.

"What the fuck kind of reaction was that?" she cackled, body shaking as I pulled away and twisted to see that my man had turned around with his shoulders bunched, arms folded. "Are you two years old on the inside?"

"Shut up," he seethed, not turning around. "Its my instincts. I know I can't stop him from giving affection to other people, but that doesn't mean I like it. Especially towards another alpha. It makes my blood boil... plus, I'm already messed up over what happened, pettiness aside."

"Well, it's Christmas, and I'm fucking hungry again, so feel free to hog him as much as you want to while I'm down here getting used to this insanity," she said in a surprisingly easy voice, which in turn made him look back with furrowed brows. "I've got my proof that's he's okay now, so go ahead and do whatever it is that you need to. Got it?"

"You're fine with only that?" he lowly inquired. "Truly?"

"Yep," she said, and with a movement that turned him into a blur he was right in front of me, picking me up yet again, and holding me close. "Go ahead. Most of my anxiety was from nobody telling me when he was going to come home or giving me information on his condition."

"We wanted to avoid stressing you," he told her.

"Well, for future reference," she said, making a sour face as she rose and carefully hobbled over to the only bed in the room, "not knowing important shit like that stresses me out far more than knowing it would. It's the not knowing that really gets to me. I can handle what I can process."

"Noted," Sebastian said, and then his countenance softened. "I'll have someone bring you more food in a few minutes. Just hang tight while I get him situated. Also, I think you're in control enough to finally visit with your little brother, albeit with someone in here with you two."

"Wait, really?!" she gasped, instantly whipping around; the movement was so sudden, however, that she kept spinning and ended up falling over on the floor with a grunt. I blinked when she let out a curse and pushed herself back up, scowling. "Yeah, I'm not so sure--"

"You're ready," he said quietly, and she stared. "As long as there's distance between you two and you're careful with your movements, you'll be fine. No physical contact beyond that first hug he gives you, and be sure to avoid making any sudden movements. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," she said, grinning a sharp-toothed grin. "Thanks."

"Hn."

And then we were leaving the room; he paused and hit a button on the keypad, waiting as the walls clunked and began to close her in. Soon, she was gone, and we were heading up the stairs and turning left down the hall. The familiar staircase to our bedroom... I couldn't wait.

I clutched the jacket I'd made for him, looking up at his face, at his fierce eyes.

He felt my gaze and glanced down, looking at me.

His footsteps stopped as we traded eye contact for several seconds.

Something sparked between us, something I couldn't see but could definitely feel. I swallowed hard and his eyes darted lower, as if to catch the gesture. He licked his teeth and his eyes grew half-lidded, but instead of kissing me he kept going, staring at the hall ahead as he made his way past the room full of my memories hanging by glittering Christmas lights.

A spark of inspiration hit me and I blinked, staring at the photographs.

Lyrics bubbled inside my heart and mind, and I grinned as the song I'd been writing over time finally clicked together in a way I knew would sound amazing. He opened the door to his room and then the scent of us filled my nose, sending tingles through my skin.

I shivered brilliantly as he finally set me down on the floor and stretched.

I watched him arch, saw his mouth come open in a yawn that made his eyes crinkle shut, and then he blinked past the wetness that glazed them after. He looked around his room, shoulder-length hair looking like a wild, curly mess. He ran a hand through it and frowned, letting out a snort through his nose as he pushed it out of his face and behind his ears.

I stood and simply watched as he took off his jacket and hung it up before flopping down on his bed and taking off his boots, unlacing them with languid movements. The tight t-shirt he was wearing inched up perfectly on his abs, revealing the trail of hair just below his navel. That damn trail I loved to follow like Little Red Riding Hood, discovering my own Big Bad Wolf.

I slightly shook the mental image, but my eyes slid lower, to the unmistakable bulge in his--

"My eyes are up here, Aerin," Sebastian purred, amused by me staring right at his crotch.

"Oh, shut up, you love it when I mentally undress you," I teased, sticking my tongue out.

"Aerin..." he said, and I immediately reigned the teasing in since he was using the gentleness that I only ever heard when we were alone. It was the tone he used when he wasn't keeping his perpetually in-control mask on. It was the scared, broken man hidden behind the badass Alpha mask... and I loved that I could experience him like this. "Come here. Please."

I did so, limping forward as he raised his arms.

I was pulled into the softest hug he'd ever given me within seconds, melting under the feeling of his lips pressing against my temple, of his arms holding me close and rubbing my back. I felt secure all of a sudden, secure and safe and fully one hundred percent grounded.

"You okay?" I asked, hugging him back.

"I will be, eventually," he mumbled against my hair. "You're still grounded though."

"Pfft."

"No, I mean it," he urged, and I stared at the frustration on his face. "I am tired of running across situations that make me feel helpless, or like I can't protect you properly. I know that I can't control you or force you to behave a certain way, and I don't want to, either... but can you at least promise me that you won't go too far? That you'll let me know if things happen?"

"Yeah, I can do that," I said, pulling back and clutching his beard. "I promise. I actually made a lot of mistakes recently. I could have... been smarter about things. We both could have, actually, but the fact is that we're past the dangerous stuff for the time being. Feng-Feng said so."

"Good," he muttered, cupping my own cheeks. "Good..."

In a flash, his lips met mine and I shivered, the shape of him scalding my mouth. I melted, sinking into him limply, kissing him back and wrapping my arms around his neck. He fell backwards and flopped down on his mattress, hands sliding down to my hips.

I shuddered as his fingers dug in, holding me against him, and then he rolled over. I blinked when he roughly straddled my legs and pinned me down by the shoulders, looming over me and locking us together in a cocoon of his body heat. His eyes were darker than black and staring at me with a wet glaze.

"I love you," I whispered, and he blinked. "So much."

"And I, you," he said a little breathlessly. "I... I have something for you."

I felt a little confused when he reluctantly rose, looking pained and sexually frustrated.

"You do?" I asked, and he nodded. "Uh... what?"

"A Christmas present," he told me, and to my surprise he got off me and stood up, opening the drawer of the nightstand. I felt a strange little pang go through me when he pulled a out square box decked out in shiny red wrapping paper. He walked back over to me, smirking a little uneasily when he saw me staring at him. "What?"

"You got me a gift?" I asked, dazed. "I was in the hospital. I couldn't get you anything."

"That doesn't matter," he told me, sitting down beside me and holding out the small box. "Your life and your love are the most precious gifts I've ever been given. I don't want anything else but to see you happy this Christmas. Here."

I blushed, sitting up as I took the box from his outstretched hand. It was heavy. Much heavier than I'd expected. I smiled, feeling somewhat disoriented by the sudden rush of glee that passed over him. I hadn't been given a Christmas present in more years than I could count, and as I looked at the gift I could feel the welcome rise of jubilation because this was just my first of many Christmases to come with Sebastian and all the people downstairs.

"Can I open it?" I asked in an excited voice.

Sebastian nodded, watching me eagerly as I dug in and started to unwrap it like crazy.

He seemed a little impressed by my ability to shred the gift of all its wrapping paper, like a carnivore cleaning something to the bone--there was none left intact. He watched my face as I opened the box, but I was honestly surprised that he actually looked a little nervous.

Inside the shoe box was a...

"The music box?" I asked, looking up at him in surprise. "You fixed the music box?"

He lowered his eyes and nodded, swallowing hard when I pulled it out. I tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge until he motioned at the keyhole on the side. I glanced at the container and saw a matching golden key with a pretty but sturdy metal chain meant for wearing like a necklace.

"Open it," he said a little anxiously, refusing to meet my eyes.

Okay... this was a new feature.

Curious, I did just that and used the key to unlock the box but when the lid popped open I nearly dropped it since a hologram flashed out of it and flew into the air, a three dimensional and brilliant CGI of the two of us dancing together in the room down the hall with the music tinkling an exact replica of the melody my mother's original music box had created.

It was different from the remade version he'd initially given me.

It was exactly like my mother's.

My eyes blurred with tears as I saw my smile, saw his face, the two of us spinning around on that night he'd shown me the room, our faces flushed with smiles and love. Pure emotion in every step, every kiss, every touch, all compiled to dance us in time with the gentle music.

"Baby," I whispered, eyes filling with tears. "The music... how did you--?"

"I had someone look for a replica of your mother's old music box," he told me, and I stared at him in awe when he rubbed the back of his neck, as if unsure. "I found one in an antique store and had someone replace the inside of the new box with the old, so it would sound more familiar and comforting to you. I had them upgrade the holographic projector, too."

So saying, he raised his hand and touched the projection, and to my shock I saw more scenes of us, video footage of happy times with the wolves. Making his jacket, eating dinner, Horst and Erika and Kip making Louise a get well cake, and so many others stretching back weeks.

Only the happy scenes. Only the good times.

And then there were pictures, programmed to come to life and smile and wave and gesture.

"You're amazing," I abruptly said as I moved closer to Sebastian, kissing him. "It's perfect. It's more perfect than anything."

I quickly kissed him again, clutching the key in my hand. He moved the music box to accommodate my body as I pressed into him. He curled his arm around me, resting his open hand against my back as he held us together closely.

"More perfect than anything' is quite a boast," he replied when I pulled back.

"It's an accurate one," I stated.

"I just wanted to get you something you missed," he quietly explained, staring right into my eyes. "To let you know that even though things changed, I'm not expecting you to. That the past is okay to hold on to."

His voice died down when he realized he was beginning to ramble. I looked at him, placing the music box frame to the side of our blankets before capturing his chin in my hand.

"You're the only person I would gladly change for," I said seriously. He looked at me, eyes growing misty when he saw the seriousness of my statement.

"I... feel the same," he admitted. "And that's why... that's why I want to follow through with your wish to get married at the end of the month. Will you marry me and become my husband on the thirty first? Will you walk with me forever and become a permanent part of my life?"

The world tilted and I stared at him.

There was suddenly a loud ringing in my ears, preventing me from properly processing his request. It didn't take long for my brain to catch up and begin a celebratory victory dance, though. He was asking me to marry him. Like, actually marry him... wedding and all.

For real. This was happening. He wouldn't just be my fiance or my future husband...

He would be my husband husband. Literally

"Yes," I said with the biggest smile I could possibly ever put out. "Of course."

Sebastian's eyes flashed and he leaned forward, capturing my lips, stopping me from saying anything else. He ran his fingers through my hair, holding me close, desperately.

"This is the best Christmas ever," I panted in between kisses, leaning my body into him.

"We'll have to try to top it next year," he murmured, pushing me down into the blankets. "May I make love to you before we start to celebrate the rest of our lives together?"

"Do you really need to ask?"

"Yep."

"Then my answer is hell to the fucking yes. Come 'ere big guy!"

He snorted when I pulled him on top of me, but neither of us cared that we had guests anymore.

We simply lost ourselves in one another, happy with our first of many Christmases together.

It felt good, more than anything, to finally be home.