TTMA [Complete ✔️]

25. Morning II

Knox's P.O.V

My mate and I laid in bed for a while, a comfortable silence stretched between us. No one dared to speak, in fear of ruining the moment and I was perfectly fine with just listening to the beat of her heart. For once, it was calm. It wanted to stay in her chest, rather than leave it.

She stared out the window over the dresser, observing each bird that flew by and tracing the clouds with her thumb, shutting one eye closed. All I could do was look at her. No cloud, no bird, mattered when I had the most gorgeous girl in front me, finally mine.

Not being able to resist any longer, I kissed the top of her head, catching her by surprise. Instead of being scared, however, she giggled, turning to gaze into my eyes. One night was all it took. One night was all it took for my life to feel complete, for me to understand the true meaning of love and happiness, otherwise just empty words.

The second our eyes locked, the room disappeared. It was only her chocolate brown orbs and my light grey ones in a heated staring contest, which I won.

"I beat you!" I laughed, tapping her nose as she blushed and sat up. I watched as she crossed her arms in front of her, mumbling a 'not fair' underneath her breath.

Her stomach grumbled, demanding to be fed. She blushed, trying to hide away from me as she covered her face with a pillow. I laughed again, the sound not seeming to stay away when I was in her presence.

"Hungry?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and putting the pillow back on the bed. She nodded, her face completely red from embarrassment.

"Hey, being hungry is nothing to be embarrassed about, love!" I reassured her, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead.

"And now her face is red for a different reason" Kane smirked. I put our wall up with a smirk of my own.

"Would you like to take a shower before breakfast?" I asked, turning my attention back to her.

"That'd be great!" She smiled.

"I'll go first, but I'll be quick, I promise!" I winked at her, leaving her embarrassed again as I ran in the bathroom.

The bathroom had dark blue tiles, that matched the bedroom. There was a huge shower on the left, in front of which were two grey sinks and mirrors. The shower had grey tiles and a black shower head, it was also slightly raised than the rest of the bathroom. The door stood next to the sinks and on its right was the toilet, in front of which there was a black marble bathtub with a window over it.

I liked the bathroom and my room, they were designed completely by me and although they lacked decor, they gave me comfort and privacy. As the leader of the largest pack, the attention was always on me, whether it was by other pack leaders, who wanted to be more like me, or my own pack members seeking praise and attention.

I leaned my back against the door, myself calm down. Her being next to me made my body completely relax, except for my stomach, in which butterflies were having a dance party, and my heart, which refused to slow down.

Each look, each freckle, each stare in those gorgeous eyes of hers makes me lose all senses. I wanted to stay in our room forever, where she was only mine, safe.

I took a deep breath before getting undressed and leaving the clothes on the ground so I could take them to the hamper in our closet later. Now naked, I let my body feel the spring's cool weather, hopefully get rid of the burning sensation I felt wherever her hands or head had rested.

I finally made my way over to the shower, remembering that I had promised my mate not to take long. I also wanted to get back to her, missing her already.

"What the heck happened to mister always-grumpy Alpha?" Kane teased.

"Her!" I shrugged, brushing him off so I could collect my thoughts in peace.

I turned the water on, letting the warmth engulf me for a bit. My eyes closed, recalling yesterday's events. Recalling the way my heart broke when she told me I could do whatever I wanted to her, use her the same way those bastards had. Recalling the wounds in between her thighs, the broken ribs, the black eye, the malnourishment, the burned skin on her ankles and wrists, covered in blisters, the wolfsbane infected wound on her stomach, the marks of being hit with a belt and so much more I never wanted to recall.

It made me angry. Angry at her that she would assume I would hurt her the same way they had, angry at myself that she needed me and I once again wasn't there, angry at the doctor for not telling me she was in pain earlier. But anger didn't solve things. I picked myself together and did the thing I promised her I would, I was there for her.

I scooped her in my arms, I let myself drown in her scent once more as I finally cradled her to my chest like how I had dreamt of doing all those weeks. How she started calming down at the feel of my touch and how I placed her on the bed, where she whimpered because she wanted me.

Not because she was forced, but because she finally tried to trust me, because she wanted my help. I recalled how worried I got that she would feel scared because I had no shirt on so I got dressed and slept completely clothed, something I hadn't done since I was a child.

I remembered how she slowly felt better when I was next to her. How she let me rub her temples to soothe her pain, how she fell asleep in my arms, where she belonged. How I spoke to her wolf, who listened to me because she trusted me and the way I kept massaging because I was afraid she would start to feel pain again, disturb the rest she needed.

I was also scared that in the morning she wouldn't want me again, that she would be scared that I did hurt her while she slept. I thought that this was the only time I would get with her for a while, but that wasn't the case. Even when she wasn't in pain, she wanted me, trusted me. She knew I didn't hurt her and she knew she was mine and I - hers.

Then I scooted over to the edge of the bed, giving her the space she needed so she wouldn't feel trapped or intimidated when she woke up. I watched her chest raise and fall with each breath, peaceful. I went to sleep with a smile on my face, only because she was next to me.

I loved her. I was certain I did and nothing else, but her being safe and happy mattered.

I opened my eyes, shaking the thoughts away since I had already been away from my mate for too long.

"Fifteen minutes too long!" Kane whimpered. I completely agreed. I scrubbed my body clean in record timing and wrapped the towel around my body before leaving the bathroom.

As soon as I stepped out, her scent overwhelmed me, a smile creeping it's way on my lips, I didn't try to stop it. My mate had made the bed and was sitting on it, fiddling with her fingers.

Upon hearing my footsteps, her head raised. She looked at me, then at my abs and I could hear her heartbeat fasten, beating against her rib cage.

"What, love, never seen a man with abs?" I teased her with a wink as she grabbed the pillow closest to her and buried her head in it, causing me to chuckle.

"Go have a shower so we can eat. Take as long as you would like, I don't mind. You can also use anything you want, the pink toothbrush is for you." I told her, making her raise her head.

"I'll be quick." She mumbled before running into the bathroom, her face still crimson red.

Dalia's P.O.V

"What, love, never seen a man with abs?" His words rung in my head.

"Not as good as these ones!" Delilah licked her lips happily. I couldn't even recall how many times my face had become red this morning alone. Knox made me feel things I hadn't felt since losing my family. Perhaps things like wanted, loved.

He overwhelmed my senses, but in a good way. Everything in me was screaming, I wanted to run, but not from him, rather with him. He made my body have this energy I had no idea I could produce. He made me happy. I was happy. For the first time in almost nine years, I was truly, genuinely happy, all because of him.

I took deep breaths to calm my racing heart, as I undressed and stepped in the shower. The water was already adjusted nicely so I didn't bother, instead, letting my muscles relax under its warmth.

"I miss mate!" Delilah whined, but instead of being annoyed that she was whining, I agreed with her. A little smile crept on my lips as I recalled his body, wrapped only in a towel. He was a handsome man, in fact, the most handsome one I had ever laid eyes on. I had seen him many times before, but seeing his abs was a first and I was mesmerised. The image was imprinted in my brain, not that I was complaining.

"Deli, we finally found it! The thing we were living for, it was him. We made it!" I admit to her.

"I knew we would! Remember what I told you when we met?"

*Flashback*

"Hi!" A little voice whispered in the dark. I sat up with a wince, careful not to wake the other girls up or catch the attention of the guards.

"W-who s-s-said th-at?" I whispered quietly, my hands shaking in fear of getting caught.

"I'm your wolf." The voice replied, making me smile, as much as I could with a busted lip.

"I-I ha-have a w-wo-wolf!" I whispered happily, probably feeling happy for the first time since losing our parents. I needed to tell Alana! She would be so excited for me!

"What's your name? I'm Dalia!" I linked my wolf as I laid back down on the cold metal ground since I hadn't behaved well enough for a matress. The cold and pain didn't matter right now, all that did was that I was slightly stronger. I would be able to help my sister more, I wouldn't be completely useless and I couldn't ask for anything better.

"Delilah." She whispered, her mood faltering. Was she ashamed to have me as her human counterpart? My chest heaved at the thought that not even my other half wanted me. "Dali, I won't be staying." I nodded, a tear falling from my eye, which I quickly wiped away. Females weren't allowed to have emotions, if someone caught me, I would be in so much trouble!

"It's not because I don't want you, though!" She explained.

"Then why?" I whimpered into our link, all hopes and dreams vanishing. Our parents would tell us stories about how their first shift went and what it felt like to run, be at one with your other half. I had dreamt of it for as long as I could remember, anticipating this moment, but all that died along with Deli telling me she wouldn't be staying.

"You've been given wolfsbane, a lot of it. It's poisonous for werewolves and it's preventing me from talking to you. I'm sorry, Dali, but it hurts way to bad to be here! Listen, don't give up! You've got this. One day, somewhere, something, is worth living for, I can feel it." And with that, she vanished, my head feeling empty again.

"I'll see you again one day." I whispered as a final tear rolled down my cheek before I went back to bed.

*End of flashback*

"You were right!" I finally said, wiping a tear that had managed to escape.

"Hey, no crying! We're together now!" I nodded, a small smile replacing the sad frown. "Better!" Deli wagged her tail happily.

I looked through Knox's shampoos picking the one that smelled the most like him and bathed myself in his scent, enjoying the comfort it brought me. Finally, I wrapped myself in a soft, fluffy towel and brushed my teeth with the toothbrush my mate had prepared for me before stepping out of the bathroom.

He was sitting on the bed, dressed in blue jeans and a grey T-shirt, which flexed his muscles and arms, making Deli purr in my head as I tried to block her out. Dang it, my cheeks were already heating up!

He was doing something on his phone, but put it down as soon as I entered the room.

"Nice shower?" He smiled as he asked me.

"Yup." I replied, returning his smile as I searched for my voice. Apparently, it too got lost at the sight of our mate. He sniffed the air, his smile growing wider by the second before turning into a grin.

"You smell like me!" He exclaimed, pride laced in his voice.

"I-it just s-smelled the best!" I shrugged, secretly happy for making him feel proud.

"I brought you a dress from my sister's closet until I buy you some of your own. You can get changed in the closet." I smiled gratefully as I picked up the dress. It was a beautiful light-blue, knee length, off shoulder dress.

I walked in the closet, shutting the door behind me before changing into the beautiful dress. It was a tiny bit big, but not as much as it would have been before. Despite that, I still thought it fit me nicely as I looked at it in the mirror.

My appearance had changed. My hair was no longer super thin and falling in clumps, the bald spots also seemed to be gone. It looked... healthier and maybe even a little shiny. My eyes held a certain glow, no longer dull and lifeless, and my skin wasn't as pale as it used to be before. My body had gained a bit of weight and overall I was proud of the way I was recovering.

I quickly brushed my hair with a brush I found left for me and braided it into two loose Dutch braids, which my mom had taught me how to do when I was a little girl. I walked out, my knees almost giving out at the look my mate sent me.

A/N:

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! What do you think of this chapter and Dali and Deli's little flashback?

P.S If you want to see Dali’s dress I posted a picture of it in the group!