Getting toward the end.

The sun broke through the shade, stirring the woman next to him. Bran watched as Piper turned away from him, rolling to face the sun. A ghost of a smile played on her lips. He marveled at how peaceful she looked, how happy. Bran wished he could share the emotion.

He had awoken in the early hours, the beast more at peace than it had been in decades. The man however, had been miserable. A feeling had awoken him from his sleep. The spirits raced up and down his arms, twitching his skin. Something was not right. A feeling had formed, one which Bran hadn't planned for or expected. The spirits were impatient for him to understand, for him to leave.

Despite, their insistence, Bran was hesitant to leave her to wake alone. He glanced toward her sleeping face, slightly shocked to even find her still next to him. Bran truly hadn't planned for this to happen. Sure, he had dreamed of the idea, been plagued with the fantasy since the day Piper had walked into his life. But that was all it was, a fantasy.Turning the idea into reality seemed ridiculous. Even as he crept inside the shadowed room last night and wrapped her in his arms, Bran still hadn't realized what was about to occur between them.

Piper sighed, returning Bran's attention to the bare skin on her back. A small freckle stood out on the ivory silk. The memory of how she felt beneath him ghosted beneath his fingertips. An image of the pleasure on her face came to mind. The sex had been…indescribable. No one had set him on fire like she did, not any of his lovers had fought for dominance like Piper did. Piper had consumed him, taken him over, allowed him to loose control. The idea alone was sheerly unheard of. It was also, Bran realized, completely irresponsible.

Being with Piper had felt so right it had surprised Bran. And just as he realized how right it all felt, the wrongness of it hit him like a wall.

It was true what Van had accused him of. His wolf had chosen Leah and the man had allowed the bond to occur. Leah had been just one of a few string of lovers he'd taken to calm the wolf. When the wolf had chosen her, he'd been surprised, but had hedged the beasts demands. When his Indian, Aiyanna, had died delivering Charles, Bran had promised to never allow himself to truly mate again. The loss was just too difficult to endure.

Bran had kept his promised for the last two hundred years. Despite, re-mating, he had kept a wall between Leah and himself. It had worked and his soul had remained intacted, untouched.

And yet, one night with Piper was all it took to break his vow, to tear down every last defense he'd created to ensure his mental and emotional stability. The idea alone was altogether too much. It was too much of a risk to continue it. The spirits whispered for his compliance. Now was not the time to be with her. They insisted he walk away from her.

He was disgusted with himself. Bran had vowed to leave Piper alone. To not give into his wolf or the man's demands. And still, he'd ended up in her bed. Piper didn't deserve this life. She didn't deserve to be mated to a beast, to adopt all of his problems as his own. The spirits itched in agreement.

Bran, wasn't sure he'd survive loosing her. She was human, so unbelievably fragile. And now she was a guardian of the boy. She wouldn't choose to go wolf. Even if she did choose it there were no guarantees she would survive the change to wolf. Many did not. Doc Carter's face appeared in his mind. Another lace of pain took hold of him.

Bran wouldn't survive loosing her, he knew both wolf and man would go insane. It just wasn't the right time. The wolf, who had awoken as some point during his turmoil, began to pace, unhappy with the direction of thoughts.

No, he decided, he couldn't risk being with Piper right now, too much was at stake. Werewolves had just come out to the world. Like the fae before them, the wolves had announced their exsistence and come out of the proverbial shadows. And with their admission, humans were frightened and scared. Bran knew that humans acted stupidly in reaction to both emotions. The Redicious were not the only human groups attempting to extinguish their species.

One wrong move by the wolf population and it could all implode. And Bran, was one of the only people able to control the wolves. His demise would emplode their entire exsistence, perhaps even end in death and chaos for the masis.

The responsibility wasn't a new thing. Bran was used to feeling like civilization depended on him. It was why he had become so coldy calculating.

Piper mumbled something, turning over and loosely throwing an arm around his midsection. She snuggled closer into him. Bran realized he wasn't used to caring so much. To feeling…love, he admitted.

And with the realization of the feeling blooming in his stomach, his mind was made. He would leave Piper. His wolf raged. For both of their sakes. A small part in his mind acknowledged he would come back for her. Both wolf and man loved her, wanted her with him. But he couldn't become closer to her until things became settled, until she was ready to change. She was just too fragile as a human to be the Marrok's mate. Especially, with Leah in a fit.

Her eyes fluttered open, "G'morning."

The bruises on her face had swollen and turned a deep blue. His fingers ached to trace over them, to kiss away the pain.

"Good Morning," he replied.

She stretched, languidly. "Man, I'm sore," Piper smirked toward him, "in all the right places, mind you."

He could see the happiness in her eyes. He could feel it ebb out and attempt to wrap around him. This is his mate, his lover, the one he wanted to spend his life wi- No. Rational thought flooded back. Bran knew he had to end this, whispers ached into his mind. He must do this.

A frown had taken over her small face, "What's wrong Bran?"

Although, he would never admit it. Bran preferred when she used her nickname for him. She was one of the few people who didn't call him Marrok, one of the few people that saw the man.

"Last night was a mistake," he admitted, " We can't be together, Piper."

She stared at him, clearly stunned. Slowly, she asked, "Why?"

"It's too dangerous," he hesitated, "for us both."

"How am I dangerous for you."

Quietly, Bran admitted. "Loosing you would destroy me."

He watched as a spark lit her eyes. She grew angry. "And what do you think you're doing right now!"

Bran winced. "I'm trying to protect you."

"You're pushing me away."

Bran looked at her, her eyes pleaded he not do this.

The next words that fled his mouth were taken from the spirits, gliding in and out of his consciousness. "The Marrok can't be mated to a human."

"Then, change me," she demanded, "We've talked about it before."

It was true they had spoken about it. "You may not survive, Piper," he hesitated. " And You're not ready, I can tell." Even as she sat in front of him, asking for the change, he could see the hesitance in her gaze. Piper wasn't ready, maybe she never would be.

She clenched her jaw, looking away, but she didn't disagree. Bran couldn't ask her to make that decision before she was ready. He knew she wouldn't survive if he did.

"I'm just," she searched for the words, "there's more things I need to do."

She had used the Redicious as her excuse before. Bran realized it was just that, however, an excuse. Perhaps she wanted to grow up more, do human things. It was normal to do so, however, keeping her a human would only endanger her.

"I can't mate to a human. The Marrok's mate is already too much of a target. You could die if I-"

"So, you don't think I can protect myself…"

"Of course I do, but against a raging lone wolf you dont-"

Piper gathered up the sheets, moving closer to him, she took his two hands inside her own. Her face was soft. Tears brimmed over her eyes.
"Bran, I love you," she said, simply, as if it were the most obvious notion in the world. "You're the only person I've ever felt this way about. I can't imagine not seeing you or your smile," on hand raised to graze his cheek, "You're the strongest, most stubborn person I know-"

"-Piper, I-"

"Let me finish," she said sternly. Bran's heart was breaking. It was everything he couldn't hear and everything he'd absolutely desired to.

"I don't care if it's dangerous or if you're scared or what title you hold." Piper searched his eyes, smiling softly, "I see you," she explained, "You're surrounded by people who think they know you. But you're the lonliest one in the room. You're not infailable, you're not all-knowing. You're just a man, Squints. You're a man I love very, very much."

Bran could feel the pain stabbing his chest, feel himself breaking apart.

"I'm not asking you to step down or to change me. I'm asking you to love me. Please, Bran, don't do this. Don't push me away because you're afraid."

A moment of silence passed, tears fell down her cheeks. The emotion was choking him, cutting off all logical thought, he fought for control. Being with Piper would be easy. Folding her in his arms and keeping her would feel right. But Bran was sure it wasn't what needed to be done, the feeling continued to say so.

Quietly, he said, "I can't."

A sob escaped her. She backed away, taking the sheet with her.

"Just not now," he added. The spirits accepted that. They whispered up and down his arm to wait for her, there would be a time they'd be together.

Piper fought to control her emotions. Tears streamed down both her cheeks. "So, you're leaving me."

"Yes."

Her face contorted again in pain, she scrubbed at it, and took to deep breaths. After a moment she stood and jerked on her clothes.

Bran watched her, hating himself. The spirits assured him this was good. Nothing about the scene felt good.

He reached out for her hand, she flinched away and Bran hated himself even more. "I'll come back for you."

Piper looked into his eyes and Bran saw the total defeat there. He had never before seen Piper in such a quiet, distraught state. She looked as white as a ghost.

Quietly she said, "I don't want you to come back."

The wolf growled. Bran was slightly horrified, "W- What, I-"

She interrupted, "I don't want to ever see you."

"But I thought- I thought you wanted-"

"Not anymore."

She paused with her hand on the knob, glancing toward him, "Stay away from me Bran," she said before opening the door and disappearing.

Sad but necessary.

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