CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN:
Home…..Maybe.
AN: Hey folks. I'm absolutely ADORING the reviews. Unfortunately, life is getting really hard for me right now (family matters) but it seems that my…..uh….current situation just may give me more time to write, AND I love to slip into stories when things are uncomfortable, so you may get more more…regularly? ….Huh, do I even HAVE a regular update time?...okay, sidetracked. Moving on.
SUPER HUGS AND LOVE TO BAMON WHO UPDATED PRIMAL INSTINCTS! Okay, loyal and wonderous fans, I now order you to THROW ACORNS AT BAMON UNTIL HE/SHE CRANKS OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER!
(puts a big silver crown on PlotBunnyGuests head and gives her a scepter) LEAD THE CHARGE MY PLOTBUNNY!
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000000
Cassie stared at the young reptilian mutant for a few seconds, jaw dropped. Then, the inevitable happened….. she collapsed to the ground laughing, only to hear Logan ripping it up a little ways behind Victor.
The children didn't understand why two of the adults were laughing so much, but they liked it (minus Roddy, who was looking a little put out) and three of them walked over to climb all over the fallen Wolverine while he laughed.
The scene was one of warmth and family and sharing and the same word echoed in Victors and Cassies mind at the same time, though they didn't know it.
'Home.'
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 000000000000
VICTOR CREED
When his brother didn't look like he wasn't going to stop his best imitation of a laughing hyena any time soon, Victor started a low commanding growl and, when that didn't work, rolled his eyes and looked down at his cub who was definitely looking put out.
Giving an almost imperceptible sigh, he knelt down to his cub and put a fatherly hand over his head. "Don't pay any attention to them, cub. The kiss I gave yer Ma? That's the kind of kiss mates give to each other and no-one else. It's not the way ya kiss yer cub."
Cassies laughter immediately stopped at the word 'Ma' and she looked solemnly at her kidnapper and the younger mutant.
The sudden stop of his mates laughter made Victor turn and arch a blonde eyebrow at her in curiosity. Her scent was linked to her mood; her happiness smelled like a bubbling creek and her content like trees. Her anger smelt like burnt charcoal and her fear like oranges.
Now he was smelling charcoal and oranges and the scent of wet wool that he associated with confusion.
Charcoal. Oranges. Wool.
Anger. Fear. Confusion.
Whereas just seconds before she had smelt like trees and a running creek.
What the *&^%^ had happened to make her scent change so fast!? He took a quick scan of their surroundings, the cubs were still playing, there was no scent of predators (at least none that could top him.) So what was going on!?
"Victor? Can I talk to you for a second?"
His frail tentatively reached out and tugged on his furs.
He started up his low purr, wanting her calm and settled and she whacked him lightly on the chest.
"And stop that! I can't think properly when you're doing that!"
Victor shrugged, reaching out a hand to stop her from backing into a toy. "From what I can tell, whatever yer thinkin' about is upsett'n you."
"VICTOR!" she practically hissed at him, spitting like a mad kitten.
He couldn't help but smirk. His frail had NO idea how to look intimidating, but that was okay, he was intimidating more than enough for the two of them. He let her 'drag' him into a corner.
"Victor," she whispered frantically. "WHY do you keep telling Roddy I'm his Mum!?"
Confusion and frustration reigned in him now. His frail was very maternal, hell, the whole class of cubs was a first-class example.
"—You're just setting him up to be hurt!?" she continued.
Wait…..What?
"He can't get to attached to me, Victor! I can't stay here!"
He blinked, then growled angrily. "Why the hell not!?"
"Because it's not my home, that's why!"
He let out a quick growl, then swiftly replaced it with a purr, pushing his body up against hers, crowding her, pressing muscle against soft flesh, not hurting her but showing who was in control. Sheer alpha intimidation.
He bent his head down so that his mouth was near her ear, giving her the full effects of the purr. "You got someone else frail?"
If there WAS someone else, whoever it was wouldn't be alive for long. He could use a quick hunt. And it WOULD be quick, right until he yanked out their intestines to spell his name.
She shook her head. "No…..no-one else."
When he smelled the truth on her, his purr took on more contentment. "Good. Ya know I'm the best at what I do, at ANYTHING I do. None can keep ya safer, warmer, more fed than I can."
When she rolled her eyes, he pressed closer, not literally squishing her against the wall. "It's obvious ya can't take care of yerself, my mate. Even yer sister agrees. That's what I'm here for."
"You kidnapped me." She argued.
He snorted. "I cared for yah. Besides, you can't deny it. You kissed me first."
She spluttered indignantly. "That's not the POINT, Victor. The point is, I've only known you for a few days, four or five now, I think, and the first two of those days I was plum terrified of you!" she began to twist her fingers together anxiously, her distress levels going dangerously high, her heart beginning to race…..
…..Victor didn't like it.
He amped up the purr, and gently—he was just now finding that he could even DO gentle—took his hands in hers, untangling them with his claws all the way retracted. Then he reached out and pressed her head against his chest with her ear over his heart.
"Breath, mate." He ordered in a gentle, seductive voice. "Relax. Yer hearts beatin' too fast. Breath…In….out…In…out… Yeh know yer safe here. No-one's gonna hurt you…Come-on, frail, match yer breathing ta mine…..There ya go."
He took long, deep breaths and let them out slowly, letting her feel his chest rise and fall, urging her to follow his pace. Soon enough she was breathing with him, her heart beginning to slow back to a normal rate and she was leaning fully against his chest.
He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head approvingly, then wrapped both arms firmly around her, giving her a shelter. "Ya get panic-attacks often, frail?" his question was phrased gently, but his tone was serious. "I mean, I guess I can understand the first time we met—"
She just HAD to snort at that. "You guess!?"
Victor continued as if he hadn't heard. "—but yer safe. Yer in a room with a bunch of cubs that just adore ya, Jimmy and I are here and you know no-one can best us, you've got a warm bed with one of those stupid soft things ya lay ontop of, so why are you upset?"
"Because I never thought of being a Mum right now, Victor!" she practically hissed against his chest. "And it's called a mattress! No, what's really upsetting me is how upset RODDY'S going to be when I'm gone."
He growled again. "So don't go."
"I have a LIFE, Victor."
"So make a new one." Victor said as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "I'm not exactly happy ta be here either, frail." He growled a little. "I much rather prefer my cabin in the woods. I'm not used ta all these people around or the fancy furniture or the constant noise and the lights, but these cubs need a provider, a GOOD one, and looks ta me like they need you as well."
She took in a deep breath again and nuzzled his chest unconsciously. "Victor, you haven't even DATED me."
Victor blinked, a little confused. Dated? What was 'dated'?
It was at this point of time, that Logan decided to butt his well-meaning, hard amnesiac head in. "She means 'court' Vic. Like gettin' ta know each other. You know, movies, flowers, talking."
Victor turned his head and gave an admonishing growl to his little brother. "Watch the cubs, Jimmy!" Then he looked back to his mate. He didn't care WHAT she said about this 'dating' thing, she WAS his MATE. "Didn't I hunt for ya, mate?" he growled. "I kept ya warm, didn't I? So ya KNOW I'm a good mate."
She made a funny face, scrunching her nose up at him. "Okay, let's see…..Caveman speak…..uhhhh…."
Then Logan returned. "Why don't ya let me explain date'n to the furball here, darlin."
VOCAB:
ADMONISHING: Scolding.