I was sitting on Xavier's soft bed as Andrea hovered over my injured leg. Xavier had brought me back to the house once I had calmed down enough at the hospital. It turns out his mom used to be a doctor but retired a few years ago when Xavier's dad passed him the Alpha title. However she said she was more than happy to help me out given what went down with the doctor. Considering I had already begun to trust Andrea I was much more comfortable with her checking me out.
Once I was settled in the bed with Andrea beginning to tend to me, Xavier excused himself from the room as he had a meeting with his dad to discuss pack work. Whatever that was.
Andrea was being as gentle as she could as she unwrapped the gauze the hospital wrapped my calf in. She was doing it so she could properly examine the damage and change the wrapping. The silence was deafening as I watched my wound come into view.
Teeth marks wrapped around my leg, showing clearly where the beast had clamped down his jaw. The wounds were deep and stung as the fresh air hit them. I could see the redness of the wounds paired with dried up blood and the formation of bruises around the area. Though it was an ugly sight to see I guess it could have been worse. It didn't appear to be broken in anyway despite the uncomfortable pain I experienced at Andrea's movements with it. "Sorry, dear. I just want to get a better look at it to make sure it will heal properly." A sigh left her lips as she took in the way it wrapped fully around my lower calf. "I apologize that this happened. I'm not sure how the rogues got passed our borders. We didn't want anything to happen to you if you went outside. That's why I asked you to tell Xavier first."
At the mention of my rule breaking behaviour, I lowered my head. I guess this is my fault after all. Andrea simply asked me to inform Xavier of my walk and I didn't even do that. But then again I wasn't aware they were werewolves and there was actual danger out there.
Noticing my guilt covered face, Andrea stopped the examination of my injury and gently lowered my leg to the bed. "Oh no dear, I'm not mad at you. After all you didn't know we were werewolves and probably thought a walk was harmless." She slowly placed her warm hand on top of mine showing me she truly wasn't mad, a motherly smile enveloping her features.
A small smile formed on my face as I grasped her hand back. Maybe I didn't trust her fully but she was more of a mother than my own and for that I wanted to show I was grateful. "Thank you."
Her smile widened as she gazed at me with warmth. She patted my hand and then removed it after a moment, heading back to my injury. "No problem dear. Thank god Xavier was able to find you in time."
As she walked to a cabinet to grab some ointment to slather on my leg, I cringed as I remembered those beady red eyes. I had a feeling I wouldn't be sleeping well tonight, or for the next couple of weeks after this occurrence. I quickly shook my head trying to shake the thought as I racked my brain for something else to focus on. Unfortunately it fell on Xavier and I turned beet red as what took place earlier filled my mind. I still couldn't believe I allowed him to hold me like that. Or even touch me for that matter. It confused me to no end.
Andrea turned away from the cabinet as she finally managed to find the ointment she was looking for. However as her eyes scanned my current bright coloured face, a large smile broke out across hers. "Oh I see. I mention Xavier and your face becomes a tomato. I take it that would have something to do with the fact he carried you in here, wouldn't it? Or was there more at the hospital I don't know about?" Her smile was now a sly one.
My face somehow managed to get redder as I wished I could hide. I avoided eye contact at all costs however this confirmed that her assumptions were spot on. "Oh my god! There was more wasn't there." She rushed back over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. "Tell me everything, I must know the latest on my son and his mate!" She looked like an excited kid on Christmas morning, about to get the biggest present ever imagined.
A light chuckle escaped my lips, surprising both of us. Her expression was amusing and she seemed to actually care about what had happened. Andrea was someone I was growing to trust so I figure she would be the best person to talk to this about. Plus I have so many questions as to why I let him touch me in the first place and why I initiated contact.
"Okay." She clapped her hands in excitement as I let out another chuckle. "Long story short, when we were at the hospital everything was fine until Xavier brought the doctor in. I had a panic attack over it because it was a male and as you've already guessed I'm afraid of everyone but especially males. I was so caught up in my panic attack and pushing myself away from the doctor that I didn't realize I pushed myself straight off the bed. However, Xavier managed to make it in time and caught me in his arms." A blush covered my face as Andrea let out an 'aww.' "I began to calm down but when the doctor tried coming over to us I started panicking again and actually ended up wrapping my arms around Xavier's neck and buried myself in it as well. Then he held me until I calmed down."
Andrea looked like a proud mom as she heard of Xavier's actions. She clasped her hands together and held them to her chest. "Wow my son isn't half bad at the mate thing! I wasn't sure how he would do considering he is his father's son."
I chuckled at her words but let confusion display across my face as I played with my fingers. I wanted to ask her my questions but I was unsure if she was willing to do so. What if she got upset? "What's wrong dear? You look conflicted."
I looked up at Andrea, and asked, "Would it be okay if I asked you some questions about mates? I'm still pretty confused on how it all works."
"Of course, dear."
Taking a deep breath, I gathered my jumbled thoughts into proper sentences. "I hope this doesn't offend you but typically I would never let anyone who looked like your son touch me. I've learned that people of his height and build could easily do whatever they wanted to me if they could simply get a hold of me, something I always try to avoid." Noticing I was giving a piece of my past away, I drove the conversation in the direction of my question. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, why was I comfortable with Xavier holding me? And why would I initiate contact when I can barely handle it when people try touching me?"
A warm smile erupted across Andrea's face at my question. She softly replied, "It's because he's your mate. He's meant to be there for you and provide you comfort."
Upon her reply my eyebrows scrunched together as I returned to my thoughts, playing with my hands nervously. "Yeah but I've never allowed him to touch me before this. Every time he came close enough to touch me I would back away to make space and still be fearful."
Andrea looked to be deep in thought. "How scared were you, dear? Did you see the doctor as a threat?"
I nodded my head in reply. Most definitely. At the time I thought the doctor could easily take advantage of my injury and ultimately, take advantage of me. Hell, I still did.
"Ah, that makes more sense then. When it comes to mates, they are your other half. They are meant to guide, love, care for and protect you. After all they complete your soul, hence the term 'soul mates.' So because you felt at danger with the doctor and Xavier was in the room, your instinct took over and demanded safety from your mate. Despite being fearful of him, your mind was strictly looking to survive and threw all doubt and fear out the window once it realized Xavier was designed to protect you. That would explain why you hid in Xavier's neck as well. You could see the doctor in your eyesight which caused alarms to go off. By blocking your vision within his neck there was no longer harm within view and you could find comfort in his grasp."
Once again my mouth hung agape. You're telling me I was willing to make contact with him because of instinct and my body knew he could protect me? Mates were some otherworldly shit. Wait a minute. That's right, it is.
I close my mouth after I processed the information and a few minutes had passed. Andrea simply waited for me to reply, giving me a patient but comforting expression.
I open and closed my mouth several times before finally spitting out, "How does that even work?" I was so shocked about mates that I wanted to learn more. This whole mate thing was wild but highly interesting at the same time. It was something humans could never dream of having. Andrea laughed wholeheartedly at my reaction as joy filled her eyes.
"I wish I knew, dear. Only the Moon Goddess could answer that question. All I can tell you is that mates just know they are meant for one another the moment their eyes meet. Mates aren't taken lightly, they are sacred and highly respected among the community. I know you are most likely still conflicted on letting Xavier hold you, however I want you to know it is completely normal to have that reaction, especially when in danger. You may not trust him yet but he will always protect you and your instinct is already aware of it. Don't worry though, Xavier won't push you for anything. And even if he did I would have his behind for it!"
My mind relaxed as I took in her words. I was grateful she was willing to comfort me and explain away my inner conflict. We both laughed at her last statement, large smiles breaking across our features. For the first time in a long time I felt peaceful. For just a split second I felt like I belonged somewhere, laughing in the moment with Andrea. Maybe this wouldn't last but I would be happy with what I could get.
"Now, lets get this leg of yours fixed up. It may take a while from the looks of it." Andrea stood from her sitting position on the bed, fixing her clothing as she stretched. "And next we can remove your gauze from your bullet graze too. It will be all healed by now."
Despite the pain I might receive during this process, I smiled. Andrea was the mother I missed out on for the last eighteen years. But she was here now and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
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Alright, here is Chapter 13 guys! I hope you enjoyed, please leave a comment telling me how you feel about it. Is there anything you would change? Do you have a suggestion for the story or a part of this chapter? I'd love to hear it! I want to make this the best book you could ever receive from me. This is also one of the longest chapters yet! Also, I wanted to say THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 2.13K READS!! I know this may not seem like a lot but for me this is a huge accomplishment and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time to read my story. It blows my mind people could actually be interested in my writing! In celebration this chapter is actually 2.13K words especially now that I've rambled on here lol.
I hope you enjoy the budding relationship of Anna and Andrea. Personally, I love these two and I'm so happy to give Anna the mother she never had. I'm getting so attached to these characters lol. Does anyone else do this if you're an author?
Also how is the pandemic affecting you? I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy along with your family members. I've been in self-quarantine for almost 2 months and I may go insane lol.
Anyway, thanks for reading!
xx kerfuffled_