WILD

Progress -(Storm's Point of View)

I woke up happy. Happy and excited because I had a mate! Not just any mate, Kai. The man I've always wanted and dreamed about. The one I had specifically pleaded with the Goddess to give me.

Makai is my mate! Just the thought fills me with joy, and I'm so happy I laugh giddily. When I remember that he is going to give this a chance, I want to dance and shout it to the rooftops, because now I can admit it, at least to myself, that the man I love is going to be my mate!

I'm going to show him how awesome having a mate is, and I know that we will be great together.

I dance happily to his bathroom and do a quick wash, all the while thinking about all the things we can do together now.

I would love to take a trip outside the pack with him. We can even take a road trip, see sights that could inspire his next collection, go to cinemas, and try out different restaurants. There are so many things we could do together, and I can't wait!

I will have to run all the ideas by Kai and see which ones he was comfortable with trying first.

We're going to have so much fun together, I think giddily as I go in search of him. I know he's most likely in the kitchen, so I head there when I leave his room.

My nose is immediately assailed by the smell of delicious food, and my stomach grumbles in expectation.

When I get to the kitchen, Dera is sitting on one of the kitchen stools drinking juice from a glass, and Makai is turning the bacon.

I was just about to say a greeting when I heard them talking.

"Well, I'm glad you're giving it a chance. It should be easier for you since it's Storm." Dera was saying, and I smile at that until Kai's response breaks my heart into a thousand pieces.

"But that's just it, Mom. It's a lot worse because it's Storm. It's more difficult for me to accept the mating. I would have preferred if it was anyone else but him,"

I couldn't have stopped that shocked gasp even if I had tried. Nothing could have prepared me for his admission.

Everything else after hearing that piece of information is a blur, and I find myself in the woods where we had first met as kids.

Memories started to flood my mind as sobs wracked my frame, because even though he hadn't said it outright, it was a clear rejection of me as his mate, and for the first time I wonder if I'm being selfish for wanting this so much. For wanting something that Kai obviously didn't want.

Was I giving him too much pressure? I had been convinced that we would be happy together because we already had a friendship to build on, but what if even that friendship was a bother to him?

Maybe there was some miscommunication somewhere and everything I felt made us compatible and perfect together was just a figment of my imagination.

I hate doubting myself. Storm Hakhan never doubts himself, but here I am, doubting myself over the one thing that was supposed to be a given; my mate.

Numb. That's how I feel. I feel so numb and disillusioned, and tired of wiping the tears so I just leave them to fall.

I don't remember ever crying this much. I don't have very strong memories of crying. This feeling of sadness and hurt is so alien to me that I don't even know how to handle it.

I feel like the wind has been let out of my sails. I now understand that expression when people say they feel as if the rug had been pulled from under them because that's exactly how I feel.

The fact that my mate, one I had prayed for, would want anyone else but me is a knowledge that breaks my heart into pieces and chokes me out of breath.

All along I had assumed that it would be better for him, that since he seemed to already like me and care about me to an extent he would find it easier to make me his mate. Boy, was I wrong.

What was wrong with me? Why didn't Kai want me? What was so undesirable about me that Kai would want to be mated to anyone but me?

That part hurt so much, that he would have preferred anyone but me.

Was it something I did? Or was it because of how my family treated him?

Goddess, why should finding my mate, an event that is supposed to be marked with joy and contentment be the most painful experience I've ever had?

Sitting on the bench, I draw my knees to my chest and rock myself slowly, wondering what I am going to do next.

I hear rustling and raise my head to see a blue-black wolf coming toward me.

Makai

I quickly try to control myself, wiping at my face impatiently, too nervous to remember to use magic to clear my face until he had shifted and was in front of me. I cleared my face quickly, not wanting him to see me in that pathetic state.

As I stare up at him I notice that there is something different about him. Something more- primal. This wasn't my Kai.

"I'm sorry, Storm."

"Kitai?" I ask, and he gives me a warm smile that makes his eyes glow gold.

"The one and only. I'm so excited to meet you, but I think you and Makai need to sort things out."

Honestly, I'm not sure if I want to talk to Kai. I'm afraid anything he says would just hurt me more, and I don't think I can take any more hurt just now.

I contemplate teleporting somewhere else when Kitai's pleading voice stops me.

"Storm? Please just listen to him and give us a chance."

That draws a humorless laugh from me. "Give you a chance? Kitai, it's Makai who doesn't want this, not me."

He sighs. "He does want this, he just doesn't know it yet. Please don't give up on us too quickly. It's not as hopeless as you think if you listen to his reasons."

Feeling a little bud of hope bloom within me, I ask cautiously, "Can he hear us?"

"Usually, he would, but I've blocked him so we can have this little chat before I return control to him."

I nod. "Maybe after, you and I could be friends?" I ask hopefully.

He gives me a grin. "I would love that, mate," he replies, making me smile.

If only his human was this accepting.

"Storm?" I lose my smile when I realize Makai is back in control.

Maybe I should go on that trip with Kitai instead, I think impishly. Since Kai was such a party pooper who didn't appreciate me. Kit didn't seem to mind being my mate.

"Storm, I'm so sorry you heard that," Kai says when I don't respond. "Please promise me that you'll listen to me so we can talk this out okay?"

I shrug and he sighs. "I need you to promise that you won't teleport anywhere while we're talking. Please, just listen, okay?"

"Why? So that you can hurt me some more? I can't take any more today, Kai. I need some breaks in between hits," I bite out, still so hurt by what I had heard in the kitchen.

I feel his regret and sadness, and a little bit of guilt pierces through me for digging at him that way.

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but hurting you is the last thing I ever want to do. I care about you so much -"

He breaks off when I scoff and begin to laugh. "Oh, yeah right. You care about me so much that you would rather not have me as a mate."

"I know you mean that sarcastically, but that's exactly why I don't want to be your mate. You deserve better, Storm! You deserve better than me.

You're the best person I know, and you shouldn't be saddled with a wild recluse who nobody wants around them or their kids.

You deserve better than a wild beast with no friends or social standing who is not certain you'll be safe from his beast. And that's why I don't want it to be you, Storm. I don't want my sunshine to be sentenced to a life with me!"

My eyes widen as I listen to him, and through the flurry of everything he was admitting to me, my mind zeros in and focuses on one thing. His sunshine. He called me his sunshine.

That must mean he likes me a bit, right? He wouldn't call me that if he didn't like me.

Wait. He also said he cares about me. He admitted it. So he cares about me and I'm his sunshine. I feel that bud of hope blooming and spreading, just awaiting confirmation so it could become a wide, beautiful flower.

"Storm? Are you listening to me?" He asks in a worried tone, and I send him a warm smile.

"Sunshine. Did you just call me your sunshine?"

"What?" He asks in embarrassed surprise, heat climbing up his neck into his cheeks. I understood then that he hadn't meant to say it out loud.

But he had, and I wasn't going to let him off so easily. "You called me sunshine. Your sunshine," I repeated.

"I didn't mean to say that out loud. It's just a name I call you in my head sometimes."

"Sunshine! I love it! I want to be your sunshine, Kai."

He stares at me in confusion. "Why are you so happy about it? It just describes you."

"Does it? Is that how you see me?" I ask him, and he nods.

"Did you listen to everything I said? I don't want you to think you're not good enough or that I don't want you as a mate because there's something wrong with you. I don't want you as my mate because there's something wrong with me."

I look at him, his handsome features and golden eyes that I always want to get lost in. "There's nothing wrong with you, Kai. I know it might take some time for you to understand this and believe it, but there's nothing wrong with you.

We're all flawed. None of us is perfect. We all have our bad sides that others may not like as much as the good side."

"You're perfect," he whispers so softly that I almost didn't catch it, and I feel the flower of hope bloom wider.

"I'm not, trust me, and since we are going to spend so much time together now you will know soon enough."

He shakes his head. "You're perfect, Storm. You're so shiny and bright and pure."

I smirked at him. "I have impure thoughts sometimes."

I laughed when he ignores my interruption and continued, "You're just too bright, and I'm so dark, and I'm afraid I'm going to dim your light."

"Even if you're dark, Kai, that makes you even more perfect for me. If I'm the sun, a sun's light can never be dimmed by darkness. It shines and illuminates in the dark, making everything bright. I want to be your sunshine, Kai. Let me share my light and take away this darkness you seem to feel you have.

I don't need a mate exactly like me or similar to me. I need someone I can share myself with, someone who knows me and understands me, and who will care for me. And there's nobody better than you."

He looks emotional, and I hope he believes what I'm telling him. I don't know why he thinks I'm so perfect, but I all care about is that I'm perfect for him and he's perfect for me.

"What about the pack?" He asks.

I frown. "What about them?"

"They may not approve of our union. I promised yesterday to give it a chance, but I need you to understand what it would mean to be associated with me."

"Why do I care about their opinions on my union?" I ask honestly. "Beyond Congratulations, why should my mating be anyone's business?"

"They're your people, Storm."

"Technically, they are Dad's people. And will be Quinn's in the near future. Don't get me wrong, I love the pack, but my mate takes precedence over the pack, always. And nobody's opinion of my mate is important to me."

"And your family?"

"Each of them is happily mated. It's my turn to do the same. They can all suck it up and be happy for me."

"Storm, it's not going to be that simple."

"I know that, Kai. I'm not that naive. I just need to know that you're trying this with me. You're the one whose acquiescence matters. As long as you're doing this with me, everything else pales,"

"So are we doing this, Kai? Are we trying out this bond?" I ask because I need to be sure that our agreement yesterday still holds.

He sends me a small smile. "Yes, Storm."

I jump up into his arms before he can stop me, wrapping my legs around his waist.

He laughs at my exuberance. "You have to stop acting like a little monkey."

"I'm just so happy!"

"Okay, but can you let go a little?" He asks, making me frown.

"Why?"

"We need to set some ground rules and decide on a few things."

I nod eagerly, finally releasing him. "Sure, what do you have in mind?"

"We can keep adding on to it as and when issues crop up. For now, the first rule is no teleporting when we're having an argument, okay?"

I flush and give him a small smile. "Promise."

He smiles back at me, turning my insides into mush. "It's your turn. Add a rule."

I think about it. "Honesty. We have to be honest and transparent with each other. Agreed?"

He nods. "Agreed."

"I can't think of anything else for now."

"Me neither. I'll let you know if I think of anything."

"Now, what are we going to do about the fact that we constantly need to be together? So far it seems we have a maximum of two hours before the pain starts."

"We can spend time at your place sometimes and at mine other times. I can teleport you to and from places. That will cut down the time you need to go anywhere."

I pause when I remember something. "I need to contact home now. They must be looking for me since I disconnected myself from the family link."

I link with everyone and tell them I am fine, that I'm with my mate and will be home soon, and quickly disconnect myself before any of the protests I knew would come could be voiced.

Then, turning to my mate, I give him my best smile and slowly climb onto his lap, watching to see if he would stop me.

He just stares at me, those golden eyes trained on me. I feel the s****l tension between us and my eyes drop to his lips, making me unconsciously lick mine. My heart thumps wildly in my chest, and I swallow hard.

I glance up to see that he is staring at my lips too, and I watch as he closes his eyes briefly and shakes his head as if to clear it. Oh, no. I don't need him clearing his head. I need him as hot and bothered as I am.

"Storm I don't think-"

"Would you please kiss me? We don't have to do anything else, just a kiss."

He stares briefly at my lips again and then looks back into my eyes, considering.

"Just a kiss?"

I give a mental fist-pump, excited that he is honestly considering it.

"Just a kiss," I agree.

I move my lips closer to his and stop when our lips are almost touching, my arms wrapped around his neck.

And there, in the woods with birds chirping and leaves rustling against the wind, Makai moves forward and takes my lips in a soft kiss that makes my toes curl.

In the woods where we first met, with my hips straddling my mate, we have our very first kiss, and I swear I can hear the birds cheering us on, and I feel several flowers of hope and joy blooming in my chest and around us.

I am kissing Kai. I am kissing Kai! My mate!