Where you belong

Familiar face

Lily woke up and felt disappointed to not feel Jake’s warm presence against her.

As she sits up rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she spots him sat at the end of the bed. He is sat there quietly, with his head in his hands.

Seeing him sitting there looking so miserable, Lily immediately crawls forwards, and wraps her arms around him. As she rests her cheek against his back, the now so familiar rush of feelings, comes rushing through her.

She couldn’t understand herself, and why she’d done this, but something inside of her told her to help ease his sadness.

Internally she felt herself conflicted at how she was feeling, knowing how he’d behaved last time he had saved her. Fearing that it could happen again, and he would just dump her back into her normal life without him.

She let out a small sigh...

“Penny for your thoughts” she heard, as his voice broke through her conflicted mind.

She looks up and could see he was now peering round at her.

A small smile playing on his lips, but his face held a look of sadness.

Before she could realise what was happening he had moved himself back to the head of the bed, and had pulled her with him so that she was nestled into the crook of his right arm.

As she lay her head against his chest a small sigh escapes her lips again. This time, one of contentment.

She feels his fingers reach for the bottom of her chin and tilts her head up to look at him.

“Please tell me what you’re thinking Lily”

She sighs again, not knowing where to start.

How can she explain to him that for the first time in her life, she feels like she is where she is meant to be?

How can she explain how right it feels being curled up in his arms?

‘I don’t want to sound like a crazy b***h’ she mutters under her breath.

“You won’t” he quietly states.

Her cheeks blush, at him hearing her quiet mumbles.

Before she pulls herself together, and decides to explain herself. She needed to set him clear on how she was feeling and how much he hurt her last time

‘even if it means he sends me home again’ a sad voice in her head states.

Just as she was about to speak, he opened his mouth.

“Wait!”

She paused and looks up at him again.

“First please let me say something” he pleaded.

She slowly nodded. At this, his words rushed out in a tumble. Pain and sorrow heard in every part.

“I’m so sorry at how I acted before. I know the way I behaved was wrong. I won’t try to make excuses for it, because there is nothing that could excuse my behaviour towards you”

Lily watched his face as he spoke, the sadness etched into every part of it. Every part of her being, wanted to comfort him and make him smile again.

She goes to speak, to tell him it’s fine, that he doesn’t need to apologise. But he quickly pleads over her before she can.

“Please Lily!” he sobs out.

“I need you to hear why I behaved like I did first, and then you can decide if you forgive me or if you want me to leave you be”

The last part of his sentence made her heart sink, she couldn’t understand the sudden rush of pain at the mere suggestion of losing him.

She slowly nods her head, urging him to go on.

“You see, that first moment I saw you. I knew you were the one Lily.”

At this comment, she looked into his eyes and could see only honesty and sincerity staring back at her.

“I was so happy to have found you, and those moments we shared when you woke up. But when I went downstairs that day, I let certain people point out to me how you could weaken me. That if I accepted you into my life, it could endanger you, and everyone I hold dear”.

Lily found she was scowling at this, and anger bubbled through her.

“The only thing from that which got to me, was the thought of endangering you! I thought I could save you by shutting you out, keeping you away from this life. But I was so stupid!” at this he broke down, tears fell down his cheeks and Lily pulled back.

The pain he was feeling was causing her heart to hurt. She reached up, and cupped his cheek before placing a gentle kiss on his lips. His glazed, weeping eyes focused in on her and the gold spread over the hazel. The tingle on her lips increased as he pulled her closer, their lips fitting together perfectly.

Each time his lips moved against hers it sent shivers through her spine. He sucked on her bottom lip pulling it into his teeth where he tugged on it.

A small groan escapes her lips.

She feels his jaw clench and looks into his now jet black eyes.

She finds herself puzzled why she does not find his ever changing eye colour confusing or scary. But she does pull apart from him. As she pants trying to bring air back into her lungs, she hears him groan. She looks up to see him sat there with his eyes closed, clearly composing himself.

He opens them again, looking at her with his now hazel eyes.

“Sorry” she mumbles, trying not to smile.

“I think I need to tell you everything Lily, before we get carried away or anything. I need you to decide if this is what you want”

Lily goes to stop him, but he looks at her pleadingly and she nods.

He jumps out of bed and pulls on a tshirt and some jogging bottoms over his boxers.

He rummages in his drawers and then throws a tshirt and some shorts at her.

She looked down and saw she was still wearing the clothes from when she was taken.

She turns round on the bed, facing away from him and takes off her top and bottoms.

She hears a low growl escape his lips, and turns her head to look at him quizzically.

“I’m so sorry” he sobs, “seeing you covered in bruises and scratches from that time, I.... I.... don’t know what I would have done if....” he trailed off.

Lily jumped up and ran to him, wrapping her arms around him.

“It’s okay, it’s over Jake. It’s not your fault!”

As she holds herself tightly against him she feels something harden and press against her stomach.

She steps back and suddenly realises that she is still in her bra and pants.

“Woops” she giggles, as she looks up into his intense gaze.

She rushes back to the bed and yanks the tshirt and shorts on.

As the tshirt slides over her head she can’t help but sniff, and smile at the thought of wearing his clothing and smelling of him.

Confused at these thoughts, she finished pulling the clothes on and looks up.

“Where are we going?”

He strides over and picks her up in his arms.

“You’ll see”

He opens the door and strides out, carrying her with ease along the corridor and down some stairs.

He walks out the back of the house and along a path that clearly leads through the garden and into the forest.

He steps through the forest lightly and with ease, even whilst carrying her.

Coming to a stop when they came out into a clearing.

The clearing was round, circled by the trees and covered in a rich carpet of green grass.

He placed her down on the grass and steps away. She could see he was worried, and couldn’t understand why.

“Lily, you won’t believe me if I explain it. So it’s just better if I show you. I need to show you what I am, so understand my behaviour last time. Understand what I am, and can decide if you want me”

This speech, did not make things any clearer for her. But she nods at him, encouraging him to continue.

He looks at her and hesitates, she can see fear in his eyes.

She nods again, with a look that (she hopes) is filled with encouragement.

“Could you maybe turn away?” He shyly mumbles.

She turns around, now facing the trees, waiting for him to tell her she can turn around.

Lily waits for what feels like forever, eventually getting bored with waiting.

“Can I turn round yet Jake?”

When there was no response she slowly turns around. As she looked to where Jake had once stood, she found the space now empty.

“Jake??” she called out, and she received no response. Stepping forwards she could see his clothes in a pile on the floor.

“Jake?!?”

As she took another step, she hears a twig snap to her right. Spinning round she sees a huge wolf staring at her.

Lily jumped backwards tripping over her own feet.

As her back hits the ground the wolf approached closer.

Lily sat up and looked at it, amazed at how timid it was acting towards her.

She gazed at it, a sense of familiarity coming to her, as she did. As she looked closer she saw the wolf was brown, brown with flecks of colour to it that looked almost golden. It was beautiful. It’s eyes were gold....

“Why the heck have I seen you in my dreams before wolf?!”

The wolf came up to her at this, and sat down. She could have sworn it seemed to look pleased at this comment.

Lily reached out with her hand wanting to touch it, she couldn’t understand why. But instead of feeling any fear regarding the wolf she felt a sense of safety and calm.

Her hand came up to it’s head, and the wolf leaned into her touch. She felt the familiar sparks she got whenever her and Jake touched.

“I feel like I’m mental to ask this, but is that you Jake?!?”

All of a sudden the wolfs shape started to change. The fur under her hand gradually changed into hair and she found herself holding Jakes head.

“Jake? What just happened?!?”

“I’m a werewolf Lily. I can shift into a wolf. I am stronger, faster, enhanced senses and I heal much more quickly. I......I am sorry I didn’t tell you sooner” he hesitated and looked down before mumbling “I understand if you didn’t want to know me anymore, now that you know the truth”.

Lily was shocked, her view of the world slightly skewed considering she’d just found out things always thought of as fantasy were actually real.

But she knew one thing for certain and that was that she never wanted to not have Jake in her life.

“Jake listen, I know I barely know you. But I‘ve never felt like this around somebody before. I don’t understand this feeling but I just feel drawn to you.”

The corners of Jake’s face twitched up into a small smile at this comment.

“Lily, I feel the same way. It’s because you’re my mate. The moon goddess chose you to be my second half, and I’m very glad she did”

Not understanding why she felt so happy at this, Lily sits down and looks at Jake intently. Trying to see of there is any sign that he is playing a joke on her. All she sees is honesty in his gaze.

“What’s a mate Jake? And what’s an Alpha as I’ve heard people call you that?”

“I will answer all of your questions treasure, but let me get some clothes on first, yes?” he laughed out.

Taken aback, Lily looked down and suddenly noticed that he was completely naked.

A blush crept up her cheeks, and she wanted to avert her eyes. Except they got stuck taking in the full extent of Jake’s body. Every muscle was toned and visible, he was tanned and just looked like he was hand sculpted to perfection.

Her gaze slipped slowly down when it stopped and she took in how large he was down there.

She involuntarily gulped, and tried not to let her mind wander.

“Earth to Lily!?!”

She looked up and saw he’d managed to get up, get changed and was stood there laughing at her all without her noticing.

She groaned, which only made Jake laugh harder.

“Like what you see then?” he smirked.

She blushed more and playfully slapped him.

“ Come on my little pup” he grabbed her waist and threw her onto his back. She wrapped her arms round his neck, rested her head on his shoulder and he held her legs around his waist.

He ran back towards the house and rushed them back up to his room. Lily was surprised at the speed he was able to go with her clinging onto his back, even taking the stairs two at a time.

He opened the bedroom door and placed her back on the floor.

“Get yourself comfortable Lily, I”ll be back in a sec I promise”

He bounded out the door, and Lily went and sat on the round seat he had in the corner of his bedroom.