Part 1
Leo awoke laying on the hard, uncomfortable floor of the hotel room. The first thing he noticed was a hot, light body curled upon his own. Barely conscious, he jolted up and threw the body away from his own, causing it to hit a wall, landing in a crouch a few feet away from his earlier position. He hissed at the intruder, the person who dared come so near to him.
As he got a better look at the person sprawled at an awkward angle across from him, he noticed that it was not an intruder but rather a small angel. The angel's hair was strewn across her face and her eyes were unseeing. Her neck was twisted in a weird direction and she had no heartbeat. Had he really used such strength in throwing her away from him? He had meant to get the small being away from him, not to harm her. But there was something familiar about this small angel… He cocked his head to the side wondering what was going on. What had happened to this small angel? Who had done this to her? He crawled very slowly closer to her and that was when he realized that he was looking into his mate's eyes. His beautiful Sara's eyes were the ones filled with nothingness! How could he not recognize his own mate? HIs beast came alive at the sight of her dead body and he roared in anguish, tearing at his chest and creating deep gouges over his heart. He wanted to claw it out so that he wouldn't feel so much pain.
He killed his mate and now his little Sara would never see another day. He would never see her smile, hear her laugh, help her build their nest, make love and fill her with his seed. She would never bear his offspring. She would never live again.
He collapsed from his knees and onto the cold floor. His head his the wood paneling and he relished in the pain, but knew that it was nothing like that in which his mate felt moments before her death. At that, his beast ripped his heart to ribbons and took over. HIs beast lunged to his Sara and took her still, lifeless body into its arms, cradling her head as gently as possible, tears slipping out of his eyes and onto her graying face. His vision blurred and he let out a howl of agony.
The next thing that he was aware of was the feeling of someone shaking him. He resisted, wanting to relish in the agony of the loss of his mate. Wanting to live in a life of pain similar to that of what his mate experienced. He delved deeper into that pain, bathing in the pure agony and heartbreak. But again, he was jolted and something was whispered to him. A sweet voice. Sweeter than honey. His mate… had she come to him as a true angel? Was she here to pass judgement on him? Did she still love him?
At that, he refused to open his eyes. He could not look into the angel form of his mate. It hurt too badly. He didn't deserve to have the opportunity to look at such beauty and innocence when he was the one to destroy it.
He kept his eyes closed even more firmly but still tears escaped. Soft hands cupped his cheeks and wiped away his tears. Oh his Sara… she was too kind and sweet. How she treats him tenderly even now. Again it was whispered, "Leo, wake up. It is only a dream", and this time he understood the whisper. A dream? She was not really an angel here to pass judgement on him? She was just dead? Her soul did not continue to move on after dead? He killed her soul too. He let out a pain-laced whimper and covered his ears with his hands. The hands of a murderer. The hands of someone capable of killing someone so innocent and lovely… his mate.
Small warm hands shook him once more, "Leo!" is yelled in his ear and this time he could not help but open his eyes. When he opened them he was met face to face with his mate and he howled.
Part 2
Sara looked into her sweat-drenched mate's eyes and saw fear and raw pain. What happened to him? She wondered if he was dreaming about his time at the facility. The poor man, so strong on the outside but broken on the inside.
She scooped down and hugged his body with her own, turning her face into his neck and planting a kiss just below his ear. His entire body freezes and starts to shake, as though he can not believe that she is there. That she is the one holding him Her strong, strong warrior. "It is okay", she coos to him, "you are safe and I am here, Leo. My mate". And this seems to finally break him out of his stooper. His hands lift from his ears and his arms come around her in a tight hug that borders on painful. She covers up a wince and can practically hear her ribs creaking and continues to coo to her Leo. Her right hands reaches up and tangles in his hair momentarily, but then begins to smooth it down as though she were consoling a child. That is really what her mate is when he is vulnerable. A scared bebe.
A sob breaks from between her strong warrior's lips and he turns his head toward hers, planting a kiss on her brow. His rough, unused voice says, "My angel, my Sara, my mate". He repeats this a few times in a reverent, loving voice all the while trying to reign in his sobs. She decides not to mention his nightmare and instead coaxes him into calm. He does not need to tell her of him time with Mercile just yet. That will come in time and they have forever.
Part 3
Leo stares at his mate's profile taking in her enigmatic beauty and her pure-heartedness. His mate might not be considered the most traditionally beautiful, but to him, she was the most stunning woman on earth. Her heart shines through every part of her body and highlights her loveliness. How could a woman such as her ever want a mate such as him?
He knows that his dream was just that, a dream, but that does not stop his subconscious from possibly being right. What he took away from his nightmare was that he is dangerous to his mate and that she is fragile. She could be easily hurt by his strength, but even more than that, she could be hurt by his words or actions just as easily. He could extinguish her glow so easily and that is why he vowed to himself the moment that he realized that his mate was alive that he would do everything in order to maintain her health and her glow. He would be the best mate she could ever ask for and she would never be sad. She would never cry and she would always know that he loved her. She would always know that she is the most important thing in his life and that she is beautiful, even if that means that he will have to begin speaking again.
The male, Jericho, drove the vehicle that they were riding in on their way to the Wild Zone, toward their home and her nest, He barely noticed the wind whipping his hair around his face or the passing scenery. He barely even noticed the other male's scent because he has been too distracted with something. He was been trying to speak to her. Words are sometimes easy to form and other times almost impossible. Some days are easier than others and after the scare that he had this morning, he seemed unable to form words. They flowed through his mind eloquently but every time he opened his mouth, they stalled and became twisted.
He decides to try once more. He opens his mouth and rolls his tongue around. This is difficult, he thinks. As he tries to force the words form between his lips to explain himself from this warning, he stalls when he notices how she stares in awe at the passing scenery. At the tall trees and fertile grasses. At the wild flowers and fauna. Her look of wonder was entrancing. "Beautiful", he says, not even thinking. Completely lost to her beauty, he didn't even notice that he had spoken until she turned to him and her angelic eyes turned loving onto him.
He saw the other male shift out of the corner of his eye, grumbling something about mates and rolling his eyes. Usually he would attack someone for disrespecting him but he barely paid the male mind. The male would not ruin this moment with his Sara. His mate.
She gave him a huge smile and reached out to grasp his hand. Her hand was warm and soft within his own. It was tiny and delicate just like she was. With her other hand she reached down and grasped the fluffy end of his tale and gave it a light tug. The sent pleasurable sensations through his body and his cock instantly shot steel hard. So hard that it was terribly painful. The scent of his arousal must have been obvious because the male driving suddenly parked the vehicle and got out.
He looked at him and the male had his lip curled in disgust but ground out, "My man, that's disgusting. It's a good thing that we are here".
This caused Leo to look at his surroundings and that was when he noticed the clearing around his house and the garden that they were currently parked next to. He marveled at the fact that his mate was so entrancing that he hadn't even realized that he was home.
Sara let go of his hand and his tail and stepped out of the vehicle, looking around at his house. He is suddenly filled with shame at the fact that she probably hadn't seen the exterior or much of the interior the first time that she was here. His mate hadn't had any time to acclimate to his nest before he had already attempted to claim her.
"Thank you, Jericho", Sara said, and Leo wanted to snarl at the fact that he used the other male's name but he knew it would make her pure little heart mad so he kept his mouth shut, instead settling to curl his upper lip at the male to show his distaste of him.
The male, Jericho, nodded his head and was smart enough not to make eye-contact with his mate. He then got back into the vehicle, what Leo now recognized as a Jeep, and drove away from their home.
He reached down toward Sara's hand and lead her to the house. He would show her them home and they would build her nest this day. He would feed and provide for her and hopefully he would claim her as his, planting his seed deep in her womb and showing his love for her, forever.