Chapter 45

I listened to Raph's story about the Elf that he had met. The Elf's appearance matched up with the man who'd just been in my room. I gasped suddenly when I felt a hand move across my waist and send a spasm through my back. I made a strangled gasp and moved quickly to get my robe. Raph let me out of his grasp easily.

I turned back to him after securing the robe around my body. He wasn't saying anything so I did, "Why-why couldn't I sense you?"

"I'm not sure," Raph looked away, at the door, "I couldn't smell you anymore either. And the door was incredibly hard to break down." He paused, "There was definitely magic involved."

I widened my eyes, magic. For some reason it made me nervous, the idea that magic could do something like that.

"Most likely a Pixie. Nasty, little imps." Raph said, running a hand through his hair agitatedly.

I smiled slowly, "So… I take it your not friends with the Pixies too."

He looked at me with a slightly exasperated face, I knew he wasn't entirely serious. "No." He said dryly.

I giggled, "So who are you friends with?" I asked.

"The Faerie, and other Lycans." He said proudly.

I looked at him expectantly, waiting for more species, although I knew that it was probably that short a list.

Raph laughed at my expression, "Okay, goodnight honey." He said, I smiled tiredly.

"Goodnight." I whispered back.

I closed the door as best I could, "Sorry about that." Raph said at the end of the hallway, "I'll fix that tomorrow." He smiled sheepishly.

"Haha, it's okay." I laughed quietly. I shut the door with a smile. I changed into my pyjama shirt, made of the same grey material as my pants.

I turned my light off, and crawled into my bed. I kept looking at the corner where the Elf had first appeared. I swallowed, 'Come on Brooke you can do this, you've seen the Abominable Bride and the Sixth Sense and lived, you survived all those nights you can do this.' I told myself, and closed my eyes. But all I kept seeing was those terrifying white eyes. And I kept imagining the smell, even though it was long gone.

I began hyperventilating, I had a fear of not sleeping, and over the years it has gotten worse.

'I couldn't do this.' I shut my eyes tight and still saw those white eyes. I sat up on my bed and tried to calm down, I rolled over and faced the wall, but that was worse I kept feeling like something was creeping up behind me.

Eventually I just laid down facing the door and tried to calm my breathing.

I wanted to call for Raph, but that just seemed childish.

But just before I drifted off to sleep I felt someone's arms around me and a minty scent enveloped me.

~~~~~~~~~

Raphael lay there trying to get to sleep. But he could hear her rapid breathing and slight whimpers, he needed to comfort her. He couldn't just sit here when his mate was so scared. His wolf agreed and was pacing in his mind.

He tried to stop himself but eventually he gave in. 'I don't care what her parents think, she's my mate.' He said in his mind.

He opened the door and saw her, she was hyperventilating and squeezing her eyes shut, her body was facing the doorway where he was standing. He walked forward slowly and slid into her bed and pulled her into his arms. Her cinnamon scent was everywhere in her house, but now that he was holding her, it was ten times stronger.

Brooke immediately calmed down and fell asleep. He relaxed and soon fell asleep also.

~~~~~~~~~

He woke up and Brooke was still in his arms, he nuzzled her hair and she stirred.

She hummed and squinted her sleepy eyes open.

"Oh, you came." She said, in a tired voice, "I thought it was a dream."

"No, I came." He said, with a small smile.

She smiled and closed her eyes again.

He looked at the clock on the wall in front of him and saw that it was quarter to eight.

"Brooke." He whispered, "Brooke it's eight 'o' clock."

She groaned and rolled over out of his arms. She stared at the ceiling for a while, then said, "Fine. Wait, but it's Saturday."

He laughed a little and left her room to get dressed.

Once he was done he walked upstairs and into the small kitchen. The kitchen itself could probably only fit two people comfortably, but somehow they fit their entire family in there.

Kelly was sitting at the dining room table, eating her breakfast and a sleep-walking Bradley was frying up an egg while wearing a grey baseball cap, 'Why was he wearing one inside?' Raph wondered.

"Morning, Mr. Rivers." Ulyssa stood in the doorway squinting her eyes, and her hair looked a little crazy.

"Good morning, and please call me Raphael."

"Alright then, Good morning Raphael." She said with a bleary smile.

He looked at Ulyssa. She had bronzed skin and wore a tank top and short shorts that showed off her long legs. She had shoulder length, chestnut coloured hair. He wondered why Brooke had such long hair when all the women in her family kept it shoulder length. Not that he was complaining, he loved Brooke's hair. Ulyssa had hazel eyes like her parents and they had an intelligent gleam to them, along with a youthful, playful one.

He noticed that Brooke was very modest, in the way she dressed, compared to Ulyssa.

He heard footsteps then smelled his mate's scent getting stronger.

"Hey sweetie, how you doing?" He heard Kelly ask, he assumed she was talking to Brooke. "Your dad said that you had a nightmare."

'Did her dad tell her about me? And how I wouldn't let him near her?' Raph wondered, listening to Brooke's response, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Came her response. Her voice was strong and 'Maybe she really was alright.' He thought, hopefully.

He left the kitchen and was proven right.