Thirty-four

Darkness.

That's all Whisper could remember when she woke up. She didn't remember her nightmares or the monsters. She only remembered darkness. So when she woke up to find darkness all around, she thought she was still unconscious. Relaxed, she closed her eyes and fell back into slumber.

When she woke again, it was daylight and someone was carrying her. Her eyes saw that of Zane's face from below so she snuggled closer to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She didn't see the joyous grin on Zane's face as he looked down at her. Whisper didn't fall back asleep, but just let Zane carry her to wherever they were going.

"You're welcome back anytime, Zane," said a voice Whisper didn't recognize.

"Thank you for everything, Luna Rosetta. I am grateful."

"You helped save my daughter, it was the least I could do."

Whisper tightened her arms around Zane, hoping he wasn't going to leave her. But Zane kissed her cheek and said, "Still, I am grateful."

"Zane," she heard a somewhat familiar voice say.

"Reed, take care of Simone. You're a lucky man."

Reed chuckled. "I am. I just need to wait for that baby, then I'll be luckier."

Zane laughed. "Congratulations, by the way. And thank you."

"No problem. See you around."

Zane started walking again until Whisper felt herself being lowered onto a soft cushion. "Relax. We're just in a plane," he whispered in her ear.

Whisper shook her head.

"We're going home, Little Wolf. There's no need to fear," he said and grabbed her wrists.

Now Whisper opened her eyes and looked at him. Blue eyes met hers and she felt lost in them. She spoke for the first time since waking. "Where are we?"

"At a different pack. You were here for a day or so with a friend while I dealt with a few things at home. When I finished, I came and got you."

She looked around the plane then out the window. When she looked back at him, her eyes filled with tears. "I'm scared to go home."

He knelt in front of her and took her hands. "You're safe, Whisper. Your brother cannot hurt you anymore. Neither can the mean doctor. No one is after you anymore. You're never going back to that hospital again, and you're never going to be hurt by them. You're safe, I promise."

Whisper took in what he said and felt a weight lift off her shoulders. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes grew big with shock. She couldn't believe what he was saying. For so long, she was scared of the man who unknowingly was her brother torturing her everyday with his friends. When she was at the hospital, she was terrified of the Doctor and what he planned to do with her, even more so when she saw him months after escaping.

Zane smiled at her. "My Little Wolf, you're free of them. Go ahead and smile, squeal, laugh. No one will hurt you because of it."

"Really?" she breathed.

He nodded and cupped her face. "I promise, Whisper."

She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight, crying out her joy. He pulled her close, chuckling and letting her calm down. The pilot told them they were about to take off, so Zane put Whisper back in her seat, buckled her in, then got in next to her. After he buckled himself in, he wrapped an arm around her and held her as close as he could.

Whisper fell asleep crying on his shoulder and woke up right as they were about to land. She held Zane's hand until they were safely on the ground before he lifted her up and carried outside.

They were greeted with cheers and applause. She looked about to see Zane's pack around them, Nico the closest. He smiled at her, truly glad to have her back and alive and awake. Zane put her on her feet, but kept his arm around her waist as they walked forwards.

They were almost to Zane's house when Nico whispered something in Zane's ear. Blue eyes lit up and he thanked Nico, then hugged him. Afterwards, Zane steered Whisper in a different direction. Confused, Whisper stayed close to him before she saw a cozy little cabin. Her gasp caught Zane's attention and he smiled at her. "Welcome to our new home, Whisper."

Looking up at him, she saw him gesture for her to have a look. Squealing, she ran into the house and the first thing she saw was a beautiful living with plush rugs and a crackling fireplace. On one wall was a large bookcase full of books, while the wall with the front door had huge windows.

Zane came up behind her and kissed her head. "Keep going, Little Wolf."

She walked behind the couch to the open doorway to see a large kitchen, everything shining beautifully. She was then taken upstairs to the third level where the bedroom was and immediately jumped onto the bed, hugging the pillows. She hadn't felt a bed in so long…

Zane laughed and sat beside her. "Whisper, I need to explain something to you real fast."

She turned and looked at him. "Okay."

He smiled and brushed her hair out of her eyes. "You remember how your favorite story has wolves with mates?"

"Like the first female?"

He nodded. "You know how you want to be just like her?" Whisper nodded. "Well, you are. You have a mate."

She sat up and gave Zane a huge smile. "Can I guess?"

He grinned. "Sure."

Whisper already felt she knew who, but wanted to take out the possibilities first. "It's not Nico, right?"

Zane burst out laughing. "No, Little Wolf, it's not Nico."

She nodded in satisfaction. "Anton?"

"No."

"Not Reed, I hope."

Again he laughed. "He has a mate, Whisper. You'll meet her soon, I'm sure."

Whisper grinned, knowing she was right. "That leaves one man!" She giggled as he leaned closer to her and cupped her cheek with one hand. Looking into his eyes, she breathed, "You?"

He kissed her in response.

When he pulled back, there was something in his eyes Whisper hadn't seen since her mother was alive. "I love you, Whisper."

Her smile fell as her mouth formed and 'o' in shock. She hadn't heard those words in so long. She hadn't even seen the words written. Whisper was so in shock that when Zane pulled her into an embrace, she hadn't realized she was crying.

"Hush, Little Wolf. You're going to be okay," he said softly. "I'm not going to let you go."

She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight for dear life. "I love you too," she cried.

Zane pulled away and wiped her tears with his thumbs. "I need to ask you something important, okay?" She nodded her understanding, silencing her tears. "I had you bite me before you fell asleep, remember?"

Her eyes flickered to his neck. She saw the scar and rose her hand to touch it with her fingertips. He shuttered and she nodded, the memory slightly blurry.

"This is what mates do when they find each other and accept each other. Do you think you could let me do the same to you?"

After staring at the mark for a moment longer she looked back into his eyes. "Will it be like yours?"

He smiled. "Maybe a little bigger, but more or less."

"Did it hurt you?"

"No, Little Wolf. No pain. All you'll feel is something pulling you towards me even more powerful than right now. Afterwards, I'll show you what happens."

She nods and rests her head against his shoulder. Zane wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her flush against him, then kissed her neck softly. She felt his canines nip her skin and held her breath. He felt her hesitate and went slowly, letting her feel his teeth and reassure her that everything was going to be fine.

Once she relaxed, he kissed her again before biting into her soft skin. Whisper gasped then moaned, gripping his shirt in tight fists. He held her closer if possible and finished his task, licking away the blood. As he did so, Whisper felt her love for him heighten tenfold. "Are you okay?" he asked, kissing her hair.

"Yes," she said and looked up at him. "Is that how you felt?"

"Yes."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I like it," Whisper breathed.

Zane chuckled. "Good."

The doorbell rang and they both looked towards the bedroom door. Zane picked her up bridalstyle and walked them downstairs. She held onto him as he opened the door to see Kiera waiting there. "Hello."

"Kiera, what's up?" Zane asked.

"Um, I was just asking if either of you would like to go for a run with the pack?"

Zane looked down at Whisper. "Do you feel up to a run?"

Whisper hesitated. "My wolf, though."

"Kiera, can you give us a moment?" She nodded and he closed the door, then set Whisper on her feet. "What's wrong with her?"

"She hasn't come out since my brother hurt me."

Zane smiled. "She has, not fully. She helped you mark me. Don't worry, she's still there. My wolf can feel her."

Nodding, Whisper relaxed a little. "Okay."

He pulled her close and cupped her face. "Don't worry, my Little Wolf. Everything will be just fine." Whisper smiled and he kissed her, then opened the door again. "Okay, Kiera. We will go on a run with you and the pack. What time?"

"Eight?" she suggested.

"Great!"