Simone

Reed finally left me in the little attic and did not come up again. I regretted very few things but having him as my mate is the biggest. I couldn't believe he lied to me about not hurting me! This wasn't training! This wasn't us sparring with one another to get stronger. This was him being selfish and cruel!

The only reason I panicked in the first place was I had thought I was back in Roniston's pack house and the males were drunken and pissed off because they didn't get the girl that night. I was scared one would come after me…like he always has. I couldn't tell if Reed was one of them, I didn't want to be near him if he was. Reaching for my foot, I had thought he was going to try and hurt me by doing what so many have tried to do. Thankfully, back then, Jerom was always there to get me out of situations like that. Now that he's gone, I thought I was going to be hurt for real.

I hadn't meant to scream in Reed's face, hadn't meant to be terrified of him. I hadn't even meant to stay in the attic if I did. I had just fallen asleep and woke up to hear something crash downstairs. It terrified me, so I didn't go down. I had meant to sleep in Reed's bed again, apologize to him in the morning and explain my actions to him, was willing to forgive him for leaving me alone in the house, was going to curl up in his arms and let him hold me while we slept like he did the night before. I wanted him back…

"Simone?" I hear and look up. Thrain was poking his head up to peer at me. "May I come over?"

"I want to be alone," I whisper.

"I understand that, but it's not safe up there. I don't want you getting hurt by some loose nail or something."

I close my eyes and turn my head away from him. "I don't want to see him."

I heard him climb up and sit down. When I glanced at him, he was sitting on the edge of the hole leading down into the hallway. "It is not Reed's fault for putting a dart in your arm. The doctor asked him to since you wouldn't let him touch you. He never meant to hurt you."

"He did," I say, and my voice cracked, once again feeling tears and a lump in my throat. "Reed lied to me."

Thrain shook his head. "No, he didn't. He was only trying to help you. Reed was worried about you, he thought something bad had happened to you. He panicked when he couldn't find you earlier, had Corey and I search for you. Do you really think he would hurt you on purpose?"

This made me ashamed which made me cry harder. I was ashamed for how I acted and what I said. I was ashamed and heartbroken, disoriented from what Thrain told me. It made my headache, my body shake, and my tears flow faster.

"Let me help you out of here," Thrain whispered.

I shake my head, curling up, not wanting anyone close any longer. "No! You should go!"

"I'm not leaving," he said firmly.

I glare up at him. "Go! It's only a matter of time before you're hating me too! Just leave me alone!"

His eyes widen and his body went still. I wasn't sure if the man was breathing but didn't care anymore. "Simone, Reed doesn't hate you. If anything, he's in love with you. Why do you think he hates you?"

"Because!" I gasp unable to breathe. "He's my mate! Jena was right! My mother was right! Roniston was right! If it wasn't going to be him pushing me away, it was going to be me pushing him away and making him hate me, reject me! It's no wonder why they kept me hidden!"

Thrain crawls forward slowly and carefully pulls me out of the little corner I'm in and into his arms. "Come on, Luna."

"Not to mention he's an alpha and I'm no body!" I hiss. "He must keep the pack safe, do things I can't be involved with, be gone for periods of time. I've just been wasting his time! I'm just a damn burden!"

"Are you talking about the phone call he had earlier?" he asks, and I stiffen. "Simone, that wasn't pack business, that was personal. He didn't think you'd want to hear about it. It was for himself, not the pack."

"What was it?" I ask, looking up at him.

Thrain sighed. "Don't you remember he said his mother was murdered?" I nod. "He's trying to find the person who did it, trying to give his mother justice for what happened to her. I only told you to wait in the living room so that you wouldn't have to hear the gory shit."

"Oh," I say after a moment.

"Why did you think I told you to leave?"

"Because he was busy doing something with the pack and he was going to be a while. I thought he didn't want me a part of it."

Thrain shook his head. "Think again, Luna. If something is going on with the pack, he's going to have you help. That's your job. If he didn't, the pack would rebel against him and he knows that." I nod and slump, exhausted. Thrain tightens his grip around me and starts to move. "Come on. Let's go talk this out with him."

"But I told him to stay away from me…"

"He isn't staying away, believe me." Thrain sat at the ladder and made me look up at him. "He's pacing the living room waiting for you to come down."

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I let him carry me down the ladder where the doctor is waiting with a glass of water. I take it gratefully then shakily follow Thrain downstairs. When I can see the living room, I gasp. There is glass everywhere and the walls are dented with fist-like holes. Corey is sitting on the armrest of a couch while Reed paces, muttering to himself. "Man, you're making me dizzy!" Corey grumbles.

"Too bad!" Reed responds.

"Why don't you sit down," Thrain growls. Reed looks up and his eyes immediately lock onto me. I gulp and try not to run back upstairs. My mate sits down beside Corey on the edge of the seat, watching as Thrain and I make our way over to another couch. I sit, but the big guy doesn't, looking at Reed. "Are you calmed down enough to talk?"

"Yes."

Thrain nods and turns to me. "I'm going to explain it to him, but then I'm going to leave with Corey into the kitchen to give you privacy. You need to hear him out and don't go hiding from him. He has his own reasons for his actions." I nod and he turns to Reed, explaining what he knows. I sit staring at Reed, watching his reactions flicker from one emotion to another and back again. I notice his jaw is clenched and his hands are in fists, but he doesn't interrupt or jump to his feet. He doesn't make a single sound as Thrain finishes his story.

When he is finished, Thrain gestures for Corey to follow him and I'm left alone with the Alpha. I'm terrified and keep my eyes averted to my lap. It's a long moment before I hear his gentle voice. "I'm sorry for hurting you."

I nod. "I know why, and I forgive you."

"Simone, why didn't you tell me what was wrong earlier?" he asks, and I go still.

"I didn't think it would have made a difference."

"I'm not going to beat you for telling me if you're hurt or scared."

I don't look up at him but say, "I'm sorry."

I hear him sigh then say, "What were you doing in the little space?"

"Hiding," I pause then say, "I was mad you had left and didn't want to see you. I found it and went up. I went to thinking and then fallen asleep. I-I didn't mean to stay there that long. I w-wasn't meaning to scare you or Thrain or Corey. B-but I heard something c-crash a-and got s-scared."

I heard heavy footsteps before the couch dips, and I feel arms wrap around me. "I'm sorry, Beautiful!" he breathes into my hair. "I thought you had left."

I shake my head. "I-I didn't. B-but the noise s-scared me and I-I had thought it was him again being drunk and coming for me. I d-didn't want to get hurt. I didn't want him to find me because J-Jerom isn't here anymore. I got more s-scared when you came and r-reached for my f-foot. H-He did that as well. I-I'm sorry!"

Reed tightens his arms around me, and I finally give into it, letting more tears flow, more sobs rack my body. My fists found his shirt and I held him close, not wanting him to leave me. "I know Jerom isn't here," he whispered. "But I am. If you're scared of something or someone, I need you to tell me so I can deal with it. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you, but I must know. If I'm not in the house or in sight, scream as loud as you can. Someone will come running and alert me. I need you to trust me with protecting you. I want to protect you. I want you to need me, but I haven't marked you, so I can't feel when you're in trouble or not."

I nod, relaxing my body a little. Reed repositions himself, then pulls me completely onto his lap, his head on mine. I'm still shaking, but it's not as bad as it has been, and my sobs have turned into quiet whimpers. When I'm finally able to speak again, my tears have also stopped. "I'm sorry. I don't really hate you. I want to stay here with you if that's alright."

I feel him kiss my head before he says, "You're staying, Simone. I'm not going to let you go. You're my mate, I don't want to let you go."

Sighing, I let go of his shirt and wrap my arms around his back, feeling safe and content in his arms. I only tense for a moment when I hear footsteps coming towards us before the front door opens and closes and the house goes quiet. I guessed the other two have left. Absently, I feel Reed's hand stroke my back, brush through my hair, and sooth me. It feels good. I feel safe. I feel significantly calmer. Taking a deep breath, I sigh and snuggle closer to him.

"Come on. Let's go to bed," Reed whispers. "It's been a long day and even longer night." Picking me up, he carries me upstairs and sets me on the bed, letting go only to go take off his shirt before coming back and holding me while he pulls the covers off. Lying me down, he gets in behind me and pulls me close, pulling the blankets over us. I curl up into him and close my eyes, instantly falling asleep.