Free mate

History

I was worried when Sera peeled back the bandages that evening. They were stained in blood but to my surprise the cuts were already healing. They were still deep enough to make my stomach turn but when she cleaned them again I understood why she didn't bother with stitches. At this rate the wounds that almost killed him would be healed in a week.

“We heal fast”, Daniel smiled at me, amused by my shock. If I had that speed my life would have been much easier before. Maybe if I eventually could shift I'd get that perk of being a werewolf too. The whole day I stayed next to him, though he slept through most of the day. Holding his hand in front of the others was too embarrassing to me but I was starting to honestly relax with him, not just calm down enough to stop thinking that he'd hurt me. Daniel was like a rock steadying me through the bond, his unshaken strength easing my anxiety.

“Do you always take care of everyone's injuries?” I asked when I watched Sera's experienced moves. She wrapped the bandages with steady hands and I had figured she was also the one who took care of me when I first arrived in this place.

“I'm a nurse. There are others that can do it but most of the time yeah”, she says, “I used to help my mom as a kid too, I learned first aid then.” She said it casually but it was the first comment about their parents. I had wondered what happened to them. Sera was Matt's guardian and the twins lived together when Hanna stayed home but there was no sign of anyone older than Oscar being a part of their lives.

“What happened to your parents?” I asked carefully. Sera wasn't offended but there was a short pause where she considered her answer. Daniel was quiet too and I was about to say that she didn't have to say when Sera spoke.

“They died a few years ago in an accident, I had turned 19 when they passed so with the help of the pack we got to keep Matt and keep living here.”

“Do you miss them?” When I was a kid I stayed awake dreaming of my parents coming to find me and take me home. Growing up I figured that if they were alive they didn't care enough to find me so I stopped thinking about them. At least I tried, there were still times I missed the idea of having loving parents.

“Sometimes. It was hard at first but we had each other.” I nodded. Sera finished wrapping Daniel's leg and got up.

“If you want to sleep in a real bed you can go down. Only if you swear to use your head and not strain yourself”, she said to Daniel with a stern voice. Sera could be scary when she wanted to.

“Thank you Sera”, he replied easily. She narrowed her eyes and I almost expected her to take her words back but she just sighed and shook her head. I feel Daniel looking at me and the bond pulling me. He's not asking out loud but there is an offer. He wants me to go with him.

It's in the same building. Really not that different from sleeping with him on this couch and I know he won't try anything. It feels like a big thing and I don't know what to do, the safety of this apartment that I'm used to as opposed to being alone with him. Daniel takes my silence as an answer and leaning on the couch stands up.

“Don't worry, I'll be fine”, he reassures the frowning woman who looks like she's already regretting letting him go.

“Let me know you're okay.” I watch as he limps down the hallway, only a pair of sweatpants that Hanna brought him on. He's already on the door when I make my choice.

“I'll come back tomorrow, good night”, I say to Sera and rush after him. I hear her call good night with a laugh, happy to see me go with him. Daniel stops at the door, with a wide grin even when he's leaning hard against the doorframe. It's contagious and I can't resist smiling back at him.

When I thought about being with Daniel I had assumed it would be controlling. I had been reluctant to change one cage to another and the freedom I had suffered to be taken away. He could have kept me locked here where I would be safe but eventually become miserable. Last night when I accepted that I couldn't fight the attraction it wasn't anything like that, it was freeing. It even helped me connect with my wolf, far better than the nights staring in the mirror and cursing when I felt nothing.

I didn't fool myself into thinking I knew Daniel, just like he didn't know me. It would take a long time for me to trust him entirely but for now I just felt good with him and I started to see the possibility of starting the long road to moving on from my past and being with him. The way he made sure not to touch me without permission even now when we were standing in the elevator, going to his home warmed my heart.

“Do you not lock the doors here?” I asked as Daniel pushed the door open without a key. He shrugged.

“No, we come and go too much. Been fine so far.” I make a face at his nonsensical explanation. There were so many people coming and going in the city, I thought they were crazy to trust people like that. The thought of Jason being able to come here made my stomach hurt and I pushed the idea out of my head. He didn't know where I was, he couldn't find me here anyway.

“Remind me not to leave anything valuable anywhere”, I say. Not that I have anything, valuable or not. We step in the dark apartment.

It's smaller than the others, which I wasn't expecting. Simple decoration with only a combined kitchen and living room and two doors I figured were the toilet and bedroom. It was light and colorless, shining surfaces and barely any clutter, just a few clothes thrown around. Daniel made his way to a table and turned to give me something.

“I got you a phone. It has all of our numbers in already”, he handed me a slim black smartphone. I stared at it, stunned. I knew Lina had told him to buy it but I didn't think he would actually do it.

“I can't, it's too expensive”, I try to push the phone back to him. Daniel takes my hand, closing them over the phone. We're standing close, my heart is racing again but not out of fear this time. My breathing is shaky when he leans closer and kisses my forehead.

“I would like to to have it”, I feel the air ticking my hair.

“Okay”, is all I manage to say, my defenses were broken with the sincerity. The air feels electric again and I step back. Daniel is leaning against the table and his hand is pressing on his side again.

“Get to bed now, you still shouldn't be up”, I say with more authority than I feel to break the tension. Daniel grins again, lopsided relaxed smile.

“Yes ma'am”, he drawled. My smile falls when I see how he struggles to move. The wounds might have healed incredibly fast but he was still hurting. I step closer again and he not only accepted my help but actually leaned on me as we made our way to the bedroom. The simplicity continued there, a big bed taking most of the room. It was more cluttered here but it was still mostly clothes and stacks of paper covering a table.