Chloe woke up with a start, the clock next to the bed indicating that it was 3:45 in the morning. As she looked around she realised that she wasn't in her own bed, and as the sleepy haze dissipated she remembered that she had gone back to Beca's so that Gail could use her medical expertise to do a proper patch up job.
Beca had been pretty banged up in the maul with the other wolf, but she insisted she was fine. Gail hadn't indicated anything was seriously wrong, but the cuts, scratches and bruises did little to ease Chloe's worried mind. However, after Beca had relented to their appeals to take a sedative, some pain relief and get some rest, she was able to relax a little more.
But Chloe could tell that Beca's mind wasn't completely at ease. She could feel it. Her girlfriend, her mate, was in pain. Not the physical kind, but the emotional kind. The kind that seemed to linger beneath the surface, never really fading away.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but Chloe could tell that based on what she was feeling from Beca, the source of her pain wasn't recent, but more than likely a deep gaping wound from her past that had yet to properly heal. Chloe had her suspicions that it was linked to the death of Beca's parents, but she didn't want to push her mate for answers.
Whatever Beca was dealing with, she needed to approach Chloe in her own time, when she was ready to talk about it, and when she was, Chloe would be right there to listen and hopefully offer some form of comfort.
After the initial onslaught of overwhelming feelings of love and happiness that invaded her chest after their bond had been sealed, Beca's pain had been the next thing to register with Chloe and it instilled a sadness in her she couldn't quite shift.
Because her mate was hurting, and Chloe never wanted to see Beca suffer. Unfortunately this was a pain that had preceded their relationship, so it was inevitable that there would be baggage or scars from Beca's past that Chloe had yet to unpack. She had some catching up to do, and Chloe was prepared to go the distance to get to that place.
Glancing around, her gaze landed upon Beca's silhouetted sitting quietly on her cushioned window ledge, knees pulled up to her chest and tucked under her chin, staring out into the black abyss. The only source of light being the full moon that was casting a glow around the otherwise dark room.
Climbing out from under the bed covers, Chloe wiped at her sleepy eyes and pushed a hand through her tousled waves before slowly padding her way across the room towards Beca.
"Hey," she whispered, as if afraid to burst the tranquil bubble the brunette had made for herself. Midnight blue eyes turned in her direction, a ghost of a smile turning the corners of Beca's lips upwards.
Chloe took a seat on the cushioned ledge, briefly glancing out at the wilderness below before turning her attention back to her mate. She could tell Beca was in some discomfort, one of the benefits of being able to feel her emotions.
"Are you okay? Do you need anything? Pain relief?" Chloe asked as she tucked some hair behind her ear. Beca just shook her head. She knew there was no point lying about being sore, Chloe could now feel the discomfort she was in, not literally, but the emotion attached to it was there.
"I'm fine, it would be a waste of a pill anyways," Beca replied and Chloe looked at her questioningly. "Wolves, we metabolise faster than humans. Food, medications, they work through our system at a quicker pace. That's why we need to hunt, even if we have just eaten in our human state. So taking a pill would be pointless because I would only get half the benefit of it."
Well that sucked, Chloe thought. Although it did explain why Beca and everyone in her pack could eat everything in sight and not gain a single pound. Sounded pretty awesome in that respect. Still, it didn't stop her concern over the obvious pain Beca was in.
Her body had been littered with cuts and scrapes, there wasn't a part of Beca's body that could've possibly been comfortable. Standing up, Chloe walked over to where Beca was leaning, the brunette watching her with a sceptical eye.
"Sit up," Chloe said, and Beca raised a brow at her. Chloe rolled her eyes and gestured with her hands to sit up. Beca sat up and edged herself forward and instantly felt Chloe settle herself in behind.
Two arms wrapped around Beca's midsection and coaxed her to lean back, the wolf giving in and pressing her back against Chloe's front. The redhead settled herself with her chin resting in the crook between Beca's shoulder and neck.
"Legend has it that cuddles can cure anything," Chloe stated with a matter of fact tone. Beca chuckled as she laced her hands with the ones resting gently against her stomach.
"Is that so?" Beca replied, an air of playfulness to her query. She felt Chloe give a firm nod against her shoulder.
"Oh yeah. If anything they should prescribe it. I'm no doctor but I think several times a day indefinitely sounds about right," Chloe said, her arms squeezing Beca tighter.
The brunette chuckled and then slid her hands along the arms wrapped around her, pulling them tighter and snuggling in. She couldn't help but smile to herself when she felt the synchronised beating of their hearts, the physical manifestation of how content they both were in that moment, and she wanted nothing more than to make it last forever.
"Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me," she replied and relished the soft kiss that was being placed against the skin of her neck. Even though they had only sealed their bond mere hours ago, it felt so natural the way everything just fell into place.
Like they were two halves of a whole that were just waiting to meet. Beca had been taught all about mates growing up, and she thought she had been prepared for what it meant, but actually feeling it, the emotions tied to it were indescribable.
It was a feeling Beca never wanted to let go of, a connection she would die protecting and a love she would hold above any other. Chloe Beale had begun to make Beca feel whole again. Ever since the loss of her parents she had been so lost. Merely trudging through life just trying to make it to the next day.
Gail had been more than great, the best stand in parent Beca could ask for. But none of it compared to a mate. That one person who is and was everything. She just wished her parents were around to have witnessed Beca finally find her mate.
"Hey, where are you? I can feel your emotions dipping and diving like a wave pool," Chloe spoke quietly into Beca's ear. Beca sighed and turned her head out towards the window, gazing up at the full moon.
"It's nothing. I just, I wish my parents could be here to meet you. All they ever hoped for me was that I would find my mate, someone to share my world with. It just sucks they're not here. They would've loved you."
The comment brought a sad smile to Chloe's lips, because she had often thought about what Beca's parents were like. If Beca was anything to go by, they must have been incredible.
The brunette was everything Chloe could have ever hoped for in a partner. Thoughtful, kind, polite. When Beca listened to her, she wasn't simply trying to sate her need to talk, she genuinely consumed every word and offered up thoughts, suggestions or advice, or simply just remained silent when she knew Chloe was just venting to offload.
She respected Chloe's comfort zone, never encroaching on her space unless invited and never without asking. Every touch was thought out and delicate, never rough or giving any indication that Beca was seeking more than just her company.
Just like she had done for years as Bella, Beca waited for Chloe's consent to engage in anything. At times Chloe wished Beca would be a bit more forthcoming with physical affection, but she knew deep down that the brunette was simply ensuring that Chloe never felt uncomfortable around her.
Chloe had more or less revealed to Beca over the years in her wolf form, that the redhead hadn't always been treated with the utmost respect in the past. Guys tending to put their hands on her, pushing to see how far they could step beyond her boundary's.
They never forced themselves on her by any stretch of the means, there was nothing malicious in their intentions, they were testing the waters as horny teenagers do, but it was in the way they did it that bothered Chloe the most. There was never any real concern for her wellbeing or her comfort. The incident with Chicago had also played a big part in that, because that had taken pushing her boundaries to a whole other level.
So she would take Beca waiting for her signal any day. Because at least in that, she could comfort herself with the knowledge that Beca respected Chloe's body as much as she respected Chloe's heart and mind.
Anyone with those qualities could only have been raised by the kinds of people who taught their kids core values, whether those people were actual parents or guardians or simply carers. The level of integrity of which Beca lived by, instilled in Chloe a sense of calm and peace when she thought about who she was committing herself to.
Carefully tightening her hold around Beca, Chloe nuzzled her nose into the crook of her mates neck placed a kiss upon the pale skin there, feeling Beca's emotions evening out again.
"Me too," she replied, an earnestness to her voice that let Beca know her words were genuine. With a quick glance at the clock, Chloe noted the time and began to sit up, coaxing Beca to do the same.
"Come on, lets get some sleep. It'll make you feel better."
Beca simply nodded and allowed the redhead to guide her towards the bed, both girls climbing under the covers and settling in. Once Beca had laid down, Chloe snuggled up into her side and rested her head on her shoulder.
"G'night," Chloe mumbled sleepily as she finally succumbed to the darkened and fell into a peaceful slumber. Beca gazed down at the sleeping form wrapped around her, a soft smile taking over felt her mates heartbeat settle into a slow steady rhythm. Beca didn't know what heaven was like, but she was sure this was pretty close.
When dawn broke, Chloe made a dash home to beat her parents back to the ranch. The last thing she needed was a stern talking to about staying over at her girlfriends house without having discussed it with them first. Heaven only knows what they would say if they knew the whole truth.
It was worth it though to keep them on side. As soon as they had finished breakfast she excused herself to go over to Beca's, wanting to check in and make sure that the nights rest had helped with her discomfort.
Pulling up at Gail's house, she noticed a car and a pick up that didn't belong to either Gail or Beca and curiosity rose in her. Beca must have sensed it because before she knew it, her mate was communicating with her.
Don't worry, Gail just rounded up the pack to warn them about what happened yesterday...
Chloe released the breath she had been holding and then sighed. If the pack was there that meant Calamity was inside, and that meant being looked at like she was public enemy number one.
Climbing out of her car, Chloe bounded up the steps to the front door and knocked, she knew it was open but thought it impolite to just walk in like she owned the place. Even though she knew Beca and Gail wouldn't have a problem with it, she thought it best not to rile Calamity up by acting like she had the run of the place.
She could see Beca coming down the hall through the glass at the side of the large oak door and chuckled when she saw the brunette roll her eyes, knowing exactly what would come out of her mouth as soon as she opened the door.
"Dude your part of the wolf pack now, you can let yourself in you know," Beca said, lacing her hand with Chloe's and tugging her inside the house. The redhead just tipped her head and then leaned in to press a kiss to her mates lips.
"I know, I just, this is all still pretty new. I don't wanna step on any toes by making myself at home like I own the place."
Beca just shook her head and lead her down the hallway through the living room and along the walkway down towards the kitchen. It was there that Chloe's eyes settled on the rest of the pack. Theo and Luke tipped their heads in a submissive manner along with Serenity. Calamity looked like she had sucked on a lemon as she too begrudgingly bowed her head.
"What's with the bowing?" She asked nervously not quite sure what was going on. Theo was the one to respond.
"When a wolf finds its mate and they seal their bond, the mate emits a scent that lets other wolves know they're off limits. In packs, the other wolves bow in submission as a sign of respect that they have a new member of the pack and that they won't interfere."
Chloe's mouth formed an O shape as she digested the new information, then her face began to scrunch up as a thought crossed her mind. Beca snorted, obviously having heard Chloe's thought.
"Don't worry Chlo, the scent can only be picked up by other wolves like us. It's kind of like a mark to let other wolves know you're off limits and to let them know that you belong to a pack. It also means we can always track you down, with or without the necklace."
Well that put Chloe at ease. The last thing she needed was to feel self conscious about smelling a certain way. Before anyone could say anything else, Gail came walking over with two cups of coffee in hand.
"Alright, you guys get out of here and hunt. Be careful and if you see or sense anything odd, don't even think about playing the hero," she warned. When no one moved, she rolled her eyes, placed the cups down on the table and slapped her hands together.
"GO! Get out of here!".
With that everyone began scampering off. Chloe watched on in amazement as Theo and Luke leaped off the balcony and transformed mid jump, Serenity following behind. Calamity glared at Chloe as she slowly stood up and sauntered our to the door.
Beca watched Calamity go, shooting her a glare of her own. She was about to turn to Chloe and suggest going upstairs when a stern look from Gail had her changing plans. Beca took hold of her mates hands and pressed a quick kiss to the redheads lips.
"I'll be back soon. Wait for me?" She asked, and Chloe replied with a nod of her head and a kiss to the brunettes lips. With that Beca walked out onto the balcony and shook her head as Gail's voice sounded out from behind her.
"You and Calamity better play nice or I will make BOTH your lives hell."
Beca rolled her eyes and leaped over the balcony, changing into the wolf form that Chloe had loved for so many years. The redhead chuckled when she heard Beca respond to Gail.
Sir, yes sir!
"Smartass," Gail mumbled as she turned away from the open balcony door and made her way towards the kitchen table, gesturing for Chloe to take a seat, pushing one of the cups of coffee towards her.
"Thank you," Chloe said as she gratefully took it in both hands and took a sip. Chloe glanced around at the space around her. It was weird, somehow, even though the architecture screamed modern design, Gail had found a way a way to make it feel homely with the darker wood floors and little decorative features dotted around.
It was a far cry from what she grew up with on the ranch. Gail was clearly a very successful surgeon, which was something she often wondered about. How could a wolf with altered DNA work at a hospital?
Gail gazed over the rim of her cup at Chloe, assessing the cogs that were clearly turning. Taking a sip of her coffee, she placed the cup down and gazed straight at the redhead, her posture calm and relaxed. She knew she could come across as intimidating and the last thing she wanted to do was scare the crap out of her nieces mate.
"Go ahead, ask me anything you want," she said, the statement obviously surprising Chloe who looked a little bit like a deer caught in headlights.
"We're family now Chloe. To be a part of this pack you need to know everything. You need to be able to trust us just as much as we need to be able to trust you."
Chloe heaved out a relieved sigh. It comforted her to know that everything was a two way street, that she wasn't the only one who had ground to break. Hearing Gail actually consent to her asking questions, to learning about the world she was stepping into relaxed Chloe.
Sure Beca had encouraged her to ask questions, and she did where Beca was concerned. But she was never really sure whether or not that applied to the whole pack. Having Gail validate her place within the pack, more or less telling Chloe she was entitled to know these things as Beca's mate, made her feel more secure in her place at the table.
"You said that with Beca's DNA that hospitals were a no go zone. But you work as a surgeon," Chloe said, watching Gail for a reaction. The blonde nodded and took another sip of her coffee.
"You wanna know how I get away with it," Gail states and Chloe nodded, curious to know how that whole situation worked. Gail sat forward, resting her crossed arms on the table.
"For generations, wolves have always had a healer amongst the pack, someone who could treat injuries and illness. As time passed and we integrated into the human world, we had to learn to adapt. So healers became "doctors". Back in the day the idea of testing the blood of doctors was unheard of."
Chloe nodded as she listened intently. It made sense that healers would become doctors, it leant itself to the role they played in the wolf world.
"By the time it became common practice to conduct random blood tests on doctors to ensure they weren't taking drugs or carrying any disease they weren't aware of, wolves had established enough of a foot hold in the medical profession that we now have wolves working further up on medical boards. People who have access to and the ability to swap blood samples."
Gail paused and watch as it dawned on Chloe what she was saying.
"Nowadays, healers, or doctors, practice where there is a history, a lineage if you will. Somewhere we know we can practice with help from the top. They keep our real DNA under wraps and we can continue to work as healers for both wolves and humans."
Chloe furrows her brow in thought.
"Isn't that risky though? I mean there's still every chance you could get caught," she replied. Gail nodded her head and sighed.
"It's a very big risk. But wolves need healers and we need to keep our foothold in the human world. Being a doctor gives us the best of both worlds. As long as we can keep an insider at the top at all times, we can continue to hide. It's not ideal, and there is always the concern that one day we'll be ousted. That's why many of us move into private practice, it offers more overall control. But we still need surgeons. That's why I have to stay inside, why Beca's mother stayed inside for so long."
Chloe's head snapped up at the mention of her mates mother, eyes widening with enthusiasm at gaining potential information on Beca's lineage.
"Beca's mom was a doctor?" Chloe asked and Gail snorted.
"Doctor? Beca's mom was one of the top surgeons in the country. She was the reason I wanted to become a doctor. Always wanted to follow in big sisters footsteps. She always had this natural instinct for helping people. Like it was gut reaction or something. Wasn't one bit surprising when she decided to become a doctor."
Chloe smiled at that, seeing the twinkle in Gail's eye as she spoke of her sister. She could tell from the blondes body language that Beca's mother was obviously someone Gail idolised as a child. She had that look in her eye, the one younger siblings would get when they were proud of their big brother of sister.
"What about Beca's dad, was he a doctor?" She asked, deciding that if Gail was in a talking mood, she may as well try and learn as much as she could. Gail scoffed and waved her hand as if to brush off the though.
"Oh god no. Cal couldn't bandage a sprain without screwing it up. No, Cal was a lawyer. Started off in the big firms doing corporate stuff to bag the big salary to supplement opening his own practice. Then he moved into civil rights cases. He cared more about people and keeping the peace than making money."
It was all beginning to make sense to Chloe, Beca's kind spirit, it was inherent in her DNA. She was born of two people who, even though they were outcasted and hunted by humans, still chose to help, to heal, to make better.
The way hunters treated wolves, Chloe could understand any bitter or ill will they may hold towards humans, but she never felt that from Beca or Gail. They always seemed content to just go along and get along. Keep the peace instead of upsetting the system.
In a way, Chloe almost felt resentful on their behalf. The wolves meant no harm, had no intentions of causing my harm, but yet were forced to hide because of their supernatural state of being.
But then, Chloe didn't know all wolves, she couldn't speak to the intentions of an entire species. She could only speak for those she knew, and the wolves she knew, were kind, peaceful beings. Chloe could only hope that it wasn't a fluke.
Thinking back on her thoughts from the night before, Chloe decided to dip her toes into murkier water. She didn't want to outright ask a question she didn't yet feel she had the right to ask, but she needed to feed the hunger in her gut to put her mind at rest until the time was right to delve deeper into Beca's past.
"Beca's parents, their death, it was more than just unexpected, it was traumatic wasn't it?" Chloe asked and she could see Gail about to go on the defensive in order to protect Beca but Chloe quickly intervened.
"I'm not looking for details, I would never go behind Beca's back like that. It's just, last night, she talked about wishing I could've met her parents and I couldn't help but get this feeling from her that, whatever happened, it was painful. I just, if it really caused that much hurt, I want to know how to navigate the conversations we do have about them. I don't...I don't want to do or say anything to cause her anymore hurt."
Gail regarded Chloe for a moment. She could see it in her eyes that what the redhead was saying was true. She could tell in the way the redhead sat up a little straighter with a more set posture that Chloe was already protective of Beca's feelings. It settled some basic questions Gail had in the back of her mind.
"Yeah, it was. Which is why you need to wait for her to open up to you. Don't push her. Some scars never heal. They still hurt no matter how much time passes."
Chloe gave a solemn nod of the head, indicating to Gail she had every intention of taking her word for it. She wouldn't push the topic with Beca. It was up to her mate to decide when she was ready to tell her about it.
Besides, as much as Chloe hoped to be a part of Beca's future, she had to acknowledge the fact that, being a part of her present didn't necessarily entitle her to the finer details of Beca's past. She trusted that her mate would tell her all the important stuff in time and that was all Chloe needed for the time being.
A couple of hours later, having helped Gail prepare dinner to go for the others, Beca arrived back with the rest of the pack, all of them slinking off to various parts of the house to throw on some clothes. Gail handed them all their meals and watched as they all left to return to their own homes.
Chloe had learned from Gail that many packs were made of wolves that had left their previous packs in order to start a life elsewhere, usually being fostered into new packs. While the other wolves all had families somewhere, they had all left their homelands, and their packs behind, Theo & Luke having left the UK, Calamity from Australia and Serenity from Canada.
Integrating into new packs meant abiding by new rules that maybe didn't apply in their old packs, something Calamity had a hard time adjusting to. She'd had more free reign in her old pack, something afforded to her due to her father being the Alpha.
Stepping into Gail's pack had meant having to live with actual authority, and that hadn't sat well for a long time. There had also been underlying tension due to the fact that one day, as Alpha, Beca would soon be taking her place as pack leader.
This information had been surprising to Chloe, although weirdly not completely unexpected. She had always sensed from Beca that she was more than just a wolf, that she was a leader somehow. Maybe it was because she was wise beyond her years and carried a head upon her shoulders that was far beyond that of a 17 year old, but the feeling had been there.
It also explained the underlying tension that existed between Beca and Calamity, at least from the wolf's perspective. As she watched the others leave, Chloe felt an arm wrap around her waist and a kiss being pressed against her shoulder.
"Hey, sorry it took so long. Winter isn't exactly prime time for hunting," Beca said as Chloe turned around, wrapping her arms around the shorter girls neck and pressing a kiss to her lips.
"It's okay. It gave Gail and I time to bond. Plus we made dinner so I figured we could eat together as a family before you whisk me away for one on one time," Chloe replied.
A quirk if a smile began to spread across Beca's lips, her eyes glancing down at the floor to hide the shimmering of tears that began to build in Beca's eyes as the word family falling from her mates mouth settled in her heart. Chloe must have felt the warmth Beca was currently feeling in her chest as she bright her hands down to cup the sides of a pale slender neck.
"Hey, don't go getting all mushy on me now," Chloe joked, her thumbs softly caressing the skin beneath them. Beca huffed our a laugh and reached up a hand to wipe at a tear at the corner of her eye.
"Sorry, I don't even know why I'm getting all emotional. I guess I just never really realised how much I missed having a proper family."
Chloe tipped her head in acknowledgement. She understood what Beca meant. Even though the brunette had Gail, their family had always been a little fractured and incomplete. Being a surgeon, Gail often worked unsociable hours and with their lives as wolves and dealing with the rest of the pack, they didn't really have much time to be a family unit.
At least not in the traditional sense. Gail had been upfront with Chloe about the struggles of trying to be Beca's guardian without feeling like she was replacing the girls parents. It had been a hard line to walk, and both Gail and Beca were still learning.
It made Chloe even more determined to ensure that both women knew that they had a family, that Chloe was going to be more than just Beca's mate. The redhead had experienced such a happy childhood surrounded by immediate and extended family. She wanted that for Beca, and Gail.
As unconventional as it may be, this was Chloe's new normal, and one way or another, she would make both worlds fit. She loved Beca too much to accept failure.
"Hey, I'm part of the wolf pack right? That means we're family for life."
Beca smiled at this before leaning up to press a soft lingering kiss to Chloe's lips, resting their foreheads together and taking a moment to just be present. She didn't need to say anything else, Chloe could feel the happiness radiating off her mate, and that was enough for both of them.
"C'mon, foods ready and I'm starving. Not all of us packed in an appetiser before dinner," Chloe quipped as she dragged Beca down to the kitchen, forgoing the cold lifeless dining room in favour of cramming everyone around the intimacy and warmth of the smaller kitchen table.
Gail smiled at the two girls as they walked into the room, hands expertly tossing a salad as she watched them set the table. Gail may be a highly intelligent woman, but it didn't take a genius to see that Chloe Beale was injecting some much needed life and care into a family that desperately needed some TLC to heal from the wounds of the past.
That evening they sat around the kitchen table and laughed for hours while sharing stories from Beca's childhood and Gail's feeble attempts at being the cool aunt back in the day. That evening if felt like something clicked, like a missing piece of the puzzle had been found.
The family that was once hanging on by a thread, had found a lifeline that was steadily planting new seeds of life into the fold. It would take more than a couple of weeks for everything to rights itself, but for the first time in a long time, the wounds of the past didn't seem to strangle Beca or Gail's family like it used to.
Later that evening, having helped with the cleaning up, the girls retreated to Beca's bedroom. Chloe always gazed around like the setting was new for her which amused her mate to no end. But it was pretty much a loft so there was always plenty of space for Chloe to explore each time she came over.
Whether it was scouring through the personal library of books upstairs or scrolling through the music wall that housed hundreds of vinyls of every type of music you could imagine, the wall full of Beca's artwork and sketches or the corner of the room where a baby grand and a guitar sat waiting for Beca to release whatever melody was currently pulsing through her veins.
Every little nook held a piece of Beca that Chloe felt somehow closer to when she had the opportunity to explore all the little areas. She used to wonder how they afforded it all, but knowing now what she did about Beca's parents, as well as Gail's background as a surgeon, it all made sense.
Waking over to the cushioned windowsill, Chloe made herself comfortable, sitting Indian style on he ledge as Beca put on one of her records and then slowly made her way over, perching herself down with her back pressed against the window, head turned to face Chloe with a soft smile on her face.
"Thank you, for today. For making the time to get to know Gail," she said as she reached over and laced their hands together, their fingers interlocking. Chloe just shrugged and smile.
"She's your family, it's the least I could do. Especially since you went out of your way to have "the talk" with my dad."
Both girls chuckled at this, knowing that no partner liked to have the dad talk. But Beca knew that it would mean a lot to Chloe, so to have her repay the favour was unexpected but very comforting.
"Besides it was good to be able to talk about the whole wolf thing with someone other than you. She even spilled on what little Beca was really like," Chloe said with a cheeky knowing grin that suggested embarrassing stories had been shared before dinner and Beca just groaned.
"How you were a lovable handful for you parents," Chloe chuckled and Beca sort of stiffened at this.
"You uh, you talked about my parents?" Beca asked, her voice sounding more strained. Chloe instantly realised where Beca's head was at and sat up a little straighter.
"No, I mean yeah we did, but it was just the basics, their jobs and stuff. We didn't talk about anything else. I wouldn't do that behind your back. I know it's not something that's easy for you to talk about. I know you're not ready."
Beca swallowed thickly, part of her relived but a bigger part annoyed with herself for not having spilled the secrets of her past to Chloe yet. The redhead was being so patient and she couldn't bring herself to talk about a pretty basic faucet of her life.
Chloe had proved before that she was trustworthy, hell she was guarding Beca's biggest secret as they spoke. She just wished it didn't hurt so much to talk about. But maybe, just maybe, she had to trust that Chloe would be there to catch her if she fell.
"My parents, they uh, they had taken me out hunting," Beca started and Chloe instantly uncrossed her legs and moved closer, dangling one leg off the edge of the windowsill and bringing the other up under her, grasping Beca's hand tighter.
"Bec's, you don't have to talk about it if you're not ready, it's okay," Chloe interjected, giving her mate a reassuring smile, but Beca simply shook her head.
"No, no I need to. It's time. I've kept it buried for so long. I never wanted to deal with the pain of talking about it. It's just been easier not to, you know," she said, glancing up briefly at Chloe who gave her a sympathetic nod of the head.
Hearing Beca talk about her reasons for keeping it all to herself urged Chloe into action. She sidled up next to her mate, wrapping her arm around the brunettes waist and tugging her close, her free hand grasping a hold of Beca's and resting it in her lap.
If her girlfriend was going to open up about something that was going to cause her hurt, then Chloe was going to make sure that Beca knew she was there to anchor her, to support her, to comfort her. Pressing a kiss to the side of Beca's head she encouraged her of continue.
"We were hunting, out by the old pine forest where we used to live across town," Beca started, swallowing thickly as the memories of that night came flooding back.
"It was quiet out, not a lot going on. My parents always encouraged me to follow my own trail because it was important for me to learn how to hunt for myself. But they were always close by, always within earshot so they could get to me if anything happened," Beca said, gazing up briefly at Chloe to see that the redhead was listening intently.
"About a mile from this little stream, I caught a scent for something to hunt and I followed. It wasn't until I got to the bottom of the stream that I realised that it wasn't prey."
Beca's voice sounded distant and teetered off towards the end of the sentence, Chloe could feel her body stiffening in reaction to what she was remembering and squeezed Beca tightly with the arm wrapped around her.
"It was a woman. I didn't realise it at the time but she was already dead. Her body had maul marks and teeth marks all over it. I don't know why but I went over to where she lay and just looked at her. I could hear my parents calling for me and I howled to let them know where I was."
Chloe listened, shocked by what she was hearing. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to encounter a dead body, let alone as a child. The thought of it made her nauseous as she gently rubbed soothing circles along Beca's back. If hearing about it caused this kind of reaction in her she could only image what it had been doing to her mate for all of these years.
"Howling was my biggest mistake. Before I knew what was happening hunters had emerged from the trail. They saw me, a wolf, standing over a dead body that had teeth and claw marks all over it and they came to their own conclusion. Before I knew what was happening they were aiming guns at me, one managed to hook a choker chain around my neck to keep me from running."
Beca's voice had grown wet with tears, the stifling feeling of being tapped creeping up on her like a suffocating blanket she couldn't free herself from.
"I thought that was it, I thought I was dead, I was outnumbered, out manoeuvred. Then my dad came bursting through the clearing like some sort of superhero," Beca chuckled.
Calvin Mitchell had always been Beca's hero. He was the one she inherited her cheeky sense of humour and playful attitude from. She could still remember sitting upon his shoulders and feeling like nothing in the world could ever hurt her.
At 6'2, he was a tall man with an atheistic muscular frame, an intimidating presence if he wanted to be, but he exuded such warmth and kindness. He always had a smile and a nice word to say about everyone. A good looking man who oozed charisma, he had been wrapped around Beca's finger from day one.
He was the one who taught Beca how to play the piano and always encouraged her adventurous side. In his eyes there was nothing his daughter couldn't do or couldn't achieve and he supported her every step of the way. Even when she said she wanted to be a Power Ranger when she grew up.
Diana Mitchell, Beca's mother, was the epitome of elegance and grace. A woman who could hold the attention of a room in the palm of her hand. She was more subdued than her playful husband, but still possessed a sassy side that made her a force to be reckoned with.
An intellect by nature, it was from her that Beca inherited her love of literature and art. Diana doted on her daughter and instilled in Beca from a young age, the importance of always putting those you love before anything else.
"He pretty much jumped into the middle of danger and tackled the guy who had me restrained so I could get free. It wasn't long after that my Mom showed up. Once they realised there was no getting out, they mounted an attack and told me to run so I could escape."
By this point Beca's breathing began to stutter as the force of the tears she was trying to hold down began to break to the surface, a few slipping out and down a pale cheek.
"I found a small cave and hid there until my parents showed up. But they never came," Beca cried as she recalled the hours spent hiding in the little dark cave, trying her hardest to communicate with her parents but to no response.
"By the time morning came around I knew the hunters would be gone. I climbed out of the cave and made my way back to the stream. When I got there, it was-," Beca's voice trailed up as bile rose up in her throat, tears streaming down her face.
"It was too late. The were dead. The hunters had slaughtered them. They'd been cut open and gutted, their bodies hung from a tree like trophies. They were gone, they were gone and there was nothing I could do," Beca cried.
Chloe's heart wrenched open at the sound of her mates cries as she pulled Beca into her arms and wrapped herself around her. It was in that moment Chloe felt the true extent of the pain that night had caused.
The thought of the horrific image Beca had been subjected to, the last image she had in her mind of her parents, broke something in Chloe. She hurt for her mate, for the little girl who had to witness the true extent of her parents demise.
No amount of time or therapy could ever heal the wounds that had been inflicted upon Beca. Those memories would haunt her for the rest of her life. But somehow through it all, Beca had managed to persevere, to stay strong and to push through the pain to grow into this amazing young woman.
That took an enormous amount of courage and Chloe was in awe of Beca's strength. Chloe couldn't bear to think of how she would cope in her mates shoes but she knew one thing for certain, she would do everything she could to help shoulder the burden of Beca's past.
"I love you so much, I'm so sorry," Chloe whispered into soft brown hair as she pressed a kiss there, tears slipping from her eyes as the feeling of her mates pain overwhelmed her.
Chloe had always been sympathetic when it came to other people's feelings. Sometimes she could even empathise. Being a sensitive soul meant feeling the weight of the worlds problems and wanting to fix them. But this, what she was feeling, being able to physically feel the pain of another person, it knocked the wind right out of her sails.
The fact that it was Beca, the person she loved so much, had mated herself to, made it even more unbearable. She didn't want her girlfriend to live with this pain for the rest of her life, it was too much. It needed to be healed somehow.
Gail was right in that some wounds never fully heal, but that didn't mean they couldn't soften the effect. Chloe could sense that the reason why it was still so painful for Beca was because the wolf had never been able to let go of the past.
Something was keeping her anchored to that time, preventing her from moving on and allowing any form of real healing to take place. Whether it was a desire to avenge her parents death, or simply having the opportunity to say a proper goodbye, Chloe knew something needed to be done. She just wasn't sure what that was yet and she wouldn't until Beca was ready to talk some more about it.
For now she had an immediate job to do, and that was to sooth the ache that was currently causing both of them pain. So she held Beca a little tighter, gently rocked her and whispered softly in her ear some words that she hoped would provide comfort. Everything else could wait.
Later that night, as Chloe bid farewell and climbed into her car to head for home, Beca's gaze lingered on the woman who was quickly becoming her whole world. Though her eyes were still red rimmed and puffy from the tears she had shed, there was a hint of a smile on her lips.
"You should tell her."
Beca turned to find Gail standing at the other end of the hall, a book cradled in her hands. She bowed her head and heaved out a breath. Of course Gail knew what they had been talking about.
"I can't. She needs to find out on her own," she replied, gazing back up at her aunt who sighed and cocked her head to the side.
"She needs to know the truth. Beca you can't keep this from her. If she's going to be a part of this pack she needs to know everything."
Beca huffed out a laugh and shrugged her shoulders, slapping her hands down by her sides.
"How? How am I supposed to tell her? How am I supposed to tell her that..."
"...that her best friends family murdered her mates parents. That Aubrey Posen's family have your parents blood on their hands?" Gail interjected. Beca swallowed thickly. The older woman moved down the hall closer to her niece and gazed at Beca deep in the eyes.
"Beca whether you like it or not Chloe is now involved in this. The second she chose to be your mate she unknowingly chose a side and that has made her vulnerable to hunters. She needs to know the truth."
Beca's gaze lowered to the ground, her brow furrowed in frustration. She knew what Gail was saying was true, but she didn't have the heart to tell Chloe the truth. That her mates best friend Aubrey Posen, was a hunter. That the blondes family were from a lineage that had reigned terror on wolves for generations.
Even though Chloe and Aubrey's friendship had been rocky, she knew that if Aubrey apologised that the redhead would forgive her, because that's just the kind of person Chloe was. But what she didn't know, was how Chloe would react if she knew Aubrey had been harbouring a secret for all these years.
Staring up into her aunts eyes Beca sighed, resigning herself to the fact that Gail was right. She had to tell Chloe. She just didn't know how or when. Chloe's life had already been altered by finding out Beca's secret, she didn't know how to break it to her that her best friend was also hiding things from her. Important things, dangerous things, for Beca and those closest to her.
Beca had sensed for the longest time that a war was coming, one that could ultimately wipe out one side or the other. Hunters had been growing restless, their desire to wipe out Beca's lineage becoming more hostile by the day.
If she was going to protect Chloe then her mate needed to know the truth. She needed to know the kinds of people that were around her so that she could be aware of any dangers. She just didn't know how Chloe was going to take it.
