Chapter 71 Her Broken Mate

"This is all your fault!" His mother cried out as her fist landed on his small body. Her blows echoed through the room.

It hurts...

Please stop...

Whimpering, Seth curled up as he took her blows. Tears streamed down my face. "Mom, I am sorry..."

Suddenly, he was punched in the stomach. He was gagging and coughing up blood.

His back bounced against the wall as the force of her kick hurled him across the room. A crack sounded in his frail body as he cried out in pain.

"Don't you dare call me by that name. I do not remember ever having a son like you. If only you did not exist, life would be so much easier."

Slowly, he opened his swollen eyes and stared at the woman he thought loved him. Who claimed she would never hurt him. His sworn protector. The person who gave him life in the first place.

What had he ever done wrong?

His mother walked over to him, swaying, and bent down to where he lay. Her liquor bottle was not far from her and her breath smelled of all the alcohol she drank.

"Why don't you do mommy a favor and just die?"

Suddenly her hands wrapped around his little throat and she squeezed them tight.

Gasping, she tried with the last of her strength to pry her hands away from him. His hands tried desperately to get her to let go of him, but to no avail. The wriggling he did only caused her to tighten her grip even more as his vision blurred.

Is this how he dies?

Maybe it's for the best. Everyone would be happy. Nobody loves him and wants him here. He would be less of a burden in any case.

Who would even care that he is gone from this cruel world?

As the world darkened, the last thing he saw was his mother's smile.

Is it so wrong to ask to be loved?

_ _ _

His body jerked upright as he gasped and struggled for air. Sweat soaked his clothes. He felt his hands grip the back of his neck, knowing that he had almost died at the hands of his mother.

A dream...

It felt so real.

"Seth? What's wrong?" A sweet voice rang out.

He turned to his left and saw his companion. She was standing there with a tray full of food. The smell of breakfast was in the air as she set the tray down on the nightstand. He looked around and realized it was morning and already past 11 on the clock. When was the last time he had slept this late?

He felt the bed move as Sarah sat down close to him. Not as close as she knew he craved to be touched.

"Did you have a nightmare?" she asked.

Her voice was intoxicating and her wolf longed to hear her continue. The scent she left behind enveloped him like a blanket of bliss. He nodded at her question, forgetting his dream for a brief moment.

"What were you dreaming about?"

He pursed his lips, not wanting to remember the ordeal he had been through. He shook his head and refused to write anything on the notepad beside him.

Sarah smiled kindly at him, "That's all right.

Whatever you dreamed is in the past. It's not real now. You are safe and I will protect you."

The warmth in his chest grew as his heart raced at her words.

He thought - Protect me? She's not going to hurt me like she hurt my mother, is she? Can I believe her words?

Uncertainty and doubt flooded him.

When Sarah noticed this, she reached out to him. Just inches from his face, she asked, "May I touch you?"

He hesitated, unsure.

He thought, she has not hurt me yet. I am afraid if I let her in, she'll hurt me. What are the chances that she's just like the others?

'She's our companion. She will not hurt us, human.'

His wolf assured him that he longed for the touch of her mate. He blinked once and nodded in response to her question.

Sparks flew as Sarah gently caressed his cheek. Her thumb caressed him in a loving way. Without realizing it, he leaned into her touch and reached out to clasp her hand. She froze, shock written all over her face.

Her face quickly turned red, but soon she was smiling.

"Seth, I know you can not trust me now, but I promise I will never hurt you. You are my mate, my other half. As partners, we help each other become better. I am not only your friend, but also your lover. My words may mean nothing, but I will prove to you that not everyone here will hurt you. However, if anything happens to you, I will also consider it a direct attack on me." Kylie spoke and her eyes did not leave his.

She breathed in and out and stroked him again. "In return, I hope you can do the same for me and have my back. I will do my best to be patient with you and if you need me to step back or understand, please talk to me. That's all I ask."

He was speechless and did not know what to say.

'You can not say anything. Why don't you write it down or show it to her?' Virus, his wolf, scoffed.

He rolled his eyes and disconnected.

He gripped Sarah's hand tightly and opened his mouth to speak.

Fear quickly grew inside him again as he remembered his mother's words and began to tremble.

"Seth, it's all right. Do not rush it."

He frowned and sighed in disappointment.

He grabbed his notepad and quickly wrote down what he wanted to say. Sarah sat there waiting in anticipation. After a few minutes, he handed her his notepad.

'Having you as my friend is something I could not ask for more. Thank you for being yourself. Although we have just found each other again, I look forward to all the days I will spend with you.'

Sarah nodded and smiled brightly again as tears suddenly ran down her face. Without thinking, she jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly. He stiffened, fear flooding him, but with the sparks he calmed down again.

Slowly he raised his arms and hugged her back.

It would not be so bad... To open up a little. Maybe she's not like the others, he thought, as he experienced true happiness for the first time in many years.