Free mate

Stay

When I open the door Daniel is standing in the living room, staring at me. I can see he almost moves towards me but stops himself and waits there while Sera rushes past him to me. I instantly felt horrible seeing how worried she looks.

"Kate, I was so scared before Lina told us that you're with her. Sorry for fighting like that." I smile at her but it's hard to focus on her when Daniel is standing there with an expression I can't read.

"It's okay Sera", I say as we walk and she sits me on the chair to look at my arm. I'd just pulled my sleeve over it in the cafe but now I revealed the chaffed skin. I try to keep the side with the big burn scar turned down but I saw the change in Daniel's face when he ground his jaw at the sight of it. I turned away, it was shameful to see him looking at me like he hates the ugliness of it.

"I can't believe none of them did anything for this, Matt will hear about first aid once he gets home from school", Sera mutters as she disinfects it. It wasn't his fault that I didn't clean it once we got to the cafe but I didn't have the energy to argue now.

"At least Matt made sure she's here now and not under a car", Daniel says. His tone is even and quiet but I can see Sera tense. It hadn't crossed my mind that he might be mad at Sera and Oscar for losing me like that but now Sera fell silent. I remember what it was like to have an alpha be angry at you and even though Daniel was younger than Sera he had power over her.

He was probably mad at me too, for running off like that. Technically I probably wasn't supposed to go out at all but especially alone.

"It was my fault for running, don't blame them", I look Daniel in the eye. He raises his brows but stays still, just crossing his arms again. I'm grateful that he doesn't approach, just speaking up against him gives me an adrenalin rush and I might die if he would confront me physically.

"I'm not happy about that either but they were supposed to look after you. You could have died." He's so tense, I can feel how he wants to come closer.

"I didn't." He takes a deep breath, looking at the ceiling. Sera is silently cleaning my arm, not making eye contact.

“Please, don't do it again”, his voice is so deep and quiet. This escape wasn't planned and there wasn't anything I could have done to stop it but I don't say that. I just nod, trying to give him some comfort. He's being patient and I need to give something pack for the restraint he shows by not coming any closer. He seems to breathe a little easier after that.

"Where's Oscar?" I ask, bracing for a new tension.

"Out", Daniel growls. Sera raises her gaze and we lock eyes. She still doesn't say anything but I think she's trying to reassure me, I'm just not sure if it's to say that Oscar is fine or that I'm fine and he's not here to stress me. Looking at Daniel who's jaw is still tight I decide to drop it and trust that he wouldn't do anything bad to his pack member.

Sera finishes with my arm and taps my knee before going to the kitchen and leaving us alone. I sink further into the chair, pulling my sleeve back to cover the arm.

"Can I sit", Daniel points at the sofa and when I nod he sits down, leaning his elbows on his knees and looking at me.

"You don't have to talk to me or touch me or even like me but please Kate, just stay safe. If you trust anyone in the pack take them with you when you go outside." My heart breaks a little hearing him like this. I don't know how to explain all the fears and thoughts running in my head and how I don't control myself nearly as well as he seems to. Daniel exhales and is about to get up again when I don't say anything.

I'm not the only one running. I know he thinks he's helping me but I need to stop him from running away every time I'm difficult if he wants any hope for me to trust him.

"Will you wait for me?" I ask. He frowns, leaning back down.

"What do you mean?"

"I told everyone I need time to figure out how to... be. I don't know how long it takes, will you get bored of me?" He's about to speak right away and I know what he'll say.

"Think before you say anything", I talk over him and he tilts his head in a confusion that makes me think no one has ever done that before, "How long can you take this?"

"As long as you need." He didn't think about it and I want to argue but he continues before I can.

"I've thought about it enough. I don't care if you never want to be with me, I'll still keep you safe." I blink back tears that I don't understand. Now is not a moment to cry, I've made it years without crying. At least if I ignore the tears in my eyes when I ran from Jason but this feels different.

Still, I can't talk so I just nod. It wasn't true, I knew that. He was blinded by his idea of having a mate but there was no way he would really accept me or keep me around forever. But for now, even though there was a pressure inside of me that made me want to dart out of that door again I wanted him to stay. So I said it to him.

"I'll stay." He's so gentle again, smiling at me but keeping the distance. I try to avoid the yawn but fail and he laughs.

"Tired?" I was exhausted, even though it was only afternoon, but my mind was racing too much to even consider sleep.

"I'm not in shape enough to run like that", I confess. He's fit enough that it must seem silly to him but he doesn't mock me.

"Did running help?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious. I think about it, leaving out the part where I almost hit a car. It had cleared my mind and after stopping it felt like I would die there on the sidewalk but my mind was clearer than it had been in a while.

"Yeah, it did."

"Helps me too", he says it like it's a big confession. Maybe it is, an alpha saying he needs something to help with the pressure. I want to ask if it's hard, if he ever crumbles under the pressure of protecting his family. I'm about to talk when the door opens and a light brown wolf comes in, making me jump up and back up.

"It's just Oscar, you're fine. No one is going to hurt you", Daniel's soft voice reaches me. Oscar sits down on the hallway, head low. I calm down enough to convince myself that he's not going to hurt me.

"Sorry", I whisper and Daniel gives me a reassuring nod before turning to Oscar. He kneels in front of the wolf and I'm sure they talk as he runs his hand on his fur. Putting aside all my feelings about Oscar I'm glad they seem to be friends. I'd worried that Daniel would've blamed him for my disappearance and caused trouble for them but Oscars submission seemed to be enough for Daniel.

I say a soft bye to make sure they know I'm fine before going to my room where I sit with my back against the door, staring into space while an image of a big grey wolf walking into the apartment plays in my mind.