Chapter 21: Nineteen

Gill

"Toby, stop! You're supposed to be sleeping!" I giggled as my love continued to attack my neck with soft kisses.

"But this is more fun!" He trailed the kisses back up to my lips.

"I agree, but the doctor said you need to rest for the medicine to work properly. You still have some silver in your blood." He sighed and pulled away, but not before pressing his lips lightly against my own.

"Fine, but you're staying here again, right?" As if making sure I wasn't leaving, he tightened his grip on my waist.

"Of course. But you know I have to go home eventually, right? I haven't even started painting for my project yet."

"Not without me. I can't leave you alone now. Not when there's an entire pack of werewolves and hunters after us." I nodded and kissed his jaw.

"The doctor also said as long as you cooperate and get rest you'll be able to at least sleep in your own bed tomorrow. And then once the silver is completely gone, you can go back to school and stuff." Tobias pouted his lips for another kiss, making me roll my eyes.

"I think you have an addiction." I teased, but still pressed my lips to his briefly.

"It's not my fault! You're just so frickin hot and kissing you is like the most amazing thing I've ever experienced and I never want it to end." I blushed and smiled.

"You're sappy."

"You're both sappy. I love you guys, but I'm gonna puke." Andrew stood in the doorway, his arms crossed. "How ya feeling big bro?" Toby shrugged.

"Pretty good, considering. My muscles ache a bit, but other than that, I feel fine." Andrew nodded.

"The doc said you didn't get a ton in your blood like they originally thought. It helped that Gill took the arrow out quickly. They were able to get most of the silver out with transfusions." Andrew smiled and revealed his arm, where there was a small bandage in the crook of his elbow.

"Thanks lil bro. And thanks for taking care of Gill while I was out." I smiled kissed Toby's cheek.

"I mean the whole pack heard him scream. I was just the first one to jump up and start running."

"Did they figure anything else out?" Andrew shrugged.

"Not really. We were right about the pack theory though. We found their old camp. They left in a hurry, but they're using something to mask their scent so the trackers came up with nothing. Just a lot of paw prints and an abandoned fire pit."

"So there is a crazed pack leading a group of hunters. Great." Toby let his head back and sighed.

"Well, I'll leave you two be. Just wanted to see how you were feeling. Oh, actually, Gill, can I talk to you outside for a sec?" I scrunched a brow.

"Uh, sure?" I looked over at Toby, but he looked just as confused as I was.  I climbed out of his arms and followed Drew out of the room.

"So...what's up?" I asked nervously.

"Honestly, I wanted to see how you were doing, but I knew you wouldn't be honest if you were by him." I sighed and nodded.

"I'm still shaken up a bit. I'm worried this won't end well. Like...how many times are we gonna end up in the hospital before this ends?" Drew nodded with a sad smile.

"I understand. I know I'm younger than you, but if you're ever afraid and don't want to worry Tobias, you can come to me." I smiled at him.

"Thanks, Drew. I know you  would've been the next to be alpha if I didn't show up when I did, so I'm sorry about that..." Drew rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Oh, please. Gill, I love my pack, but I would die if I had to be alpha. I'm still just an annoying teenager and I'd like to wait as long as possible before I have to give that up."

"Fair enough, I guess." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders. I gave Andrew a weird side hug and went back into Toby's room.

"What did he want?" I shrugged again and climbed beside my mate.

"Just making sure I'm okay is all." I tuck my head under Toby's chin and close my eyes.

"And are you?" I smile and nod, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw.

"Are you?" Toby sighed before nodding.

"I am. You know, you told me a little while ago how you never expected to be with someone like me?" I furrowed my brow.

"Yes, I've never even been friends with someone like you. You're popular and handsome, and you could literally get any boy or girl you set your eyes on. The only sort of romantic attention I've ever gotten, apart from you, was from Travis, and that wasn't even real, so I guess I just convinced myself it wasn't possible for someone to feel that way for me." Toby sighed and pouted his bottom lip.

"I'd understand why you feel that way. What you had to go through...I can't even imagine. I promise you though, I love you with everything in me." He smiled widely and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"I love you too." Toby pecked my lips lightly.

"I was going to say, I feel sort of the same in a way. I grew up hearing stories about meeting your mate and how it's the most magical and amazing experience, but I also heard stories of the wolves that didn't have mates. The ones whose mates passed away before they ever had the chance to meet. It's extremely rare for a wolf to find it's mate as late as I did. I was scared I was like them, lonely and mateless. There's an old story that says sometimes the goddess will give a new mate to someone who lost theirs, but they must be worthy, and in all of recorded history, it's never happened, or at least nobody's talked about it. I lost hope, and sort of gave up looking, until my father told me I couldn't be alpha if I didn't find my mate. The title would have been passed to Andrew in hopes he would find his mate before me, since he's almost of age. And then I did find you and I realized all those stories I heard as a kid were true. The day I met you was the best day of my entire life." I could feel my cheeks warming, and my eyes filling with tears. I didn't say anything. I just tucked my head under his chin. And while lying with him like that, our bodies intertwined, my ear listening to the soft thumping of his heart, I couldn't help but worry about how long this happiness would last.

"Hey, Gill?" I lifted my head up to look at Tobias. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and his forehead was wrinkled, something he did when he was deep in thought.

"Yeah?" I sat up a bit more, sensing the conversation growing a bit heavy.

"Did you ever meet your birth parents?" I lifted a brow in confusion at the random question, but shook my head anyway.

"No, it was a closed adoption, so I don't know anything about them. Well, I did have a dream about my mom once, but I don't even know if that was real, considering I don't even know what she looks like." Something about what I said made Tobias sit up straight, or as straight as he could considering he was injured and I was also lying on top of him.

"You dreamt about her?" I nodded.

"While I was in the hospital when I was attacked by that hunter." He winced at the memory. "She had ginger curls and freckles like me. She was so pretty." I smiled sadly. "She told me she gave me up because my biological dad was abusive and she needed to keep me safe." The thoughtful expression on his face only deepened. "Is everything okay?" He looked up, letting his eyes meet mine, and sighed.

"I know it sounds odd, but I think I had a dream about your mom too." My eyes widened.

"But...how is that possible? What was the dream like?"

"It was pitch black. The only light was coming from her. She introduced herself as your mother and she told me the same story. About how your biological father was abusive and threatened to hurt her and you when he found out she was pregnant, so she had to let you go to keep you safe." My breath caught in my throat. "And she also told me the moon goddess sent her to warn me..."

"Warn you about what?" Tobias sighed again.

"She said there's a war coming. A big one. She couldn't give me any other details, as she said the outcome of the war can still change, but that it's definitely going to happen. She also said she can only see the faces of people she's met, so she doesn't know who is behind it."

"Toby...do you think it was really a dream?" He bit his lip, as if he were debating answering.

"I don't think it was, no. The odds of both of us having nearly identical dreams, both about your mom whom neither of us have met, while she tells us the same exact story...no, Gill. I think your mom visited us. I don't know how, but she did."

"Does that mean she's...dead? If she said the moon goddess sent her?" A sudden pain shot through my heart. I'd never met her in person, but the thought of not ever getting the chance, pierced my heart.

"I don't know, Love. We can talk to the council about it tomorrow though. We need to talk to my father too. If her warning about the war was genuine, we're going to need to contact our ally packs and warn the warriors and guards." I nodded my head and tried (and failed) to conceal the fear on my face. "Hey, I won't let anything happen to you, okay? You'll be safe. If a war does come, you'll be in the bunkers with the other humans in the pack, along with the children and wolves who for whatever reason, are unable to fight."

"I'm not just worried about me though. What if something happened to you? Or Andrew, or Holly, or Jax, or...what if they get to my dad? We can't just pull him into a bunker considering he doesn't even know about any of this." He nodded.

"I know...which is why I was thinking maybe we should tell him? I mean, he's going to figure something is off eventually whenever we decide to have babies and you either show up to his house with a beautiful round belly, or disappear for months and show up with a baby that looks just like both of us."

I couldn't help but blush at the thought of having kids with Tobias. I hadn't thought about it much since the council told us it was possible, considering the subject was completely terrifying and foreign to me. I tried picturing it in my head. My stomach swollen like a big balloon, our little one kicking away, how we'd decorate the nursery...wherever that would be. Surely I wouldn't be living at home still...and raising a baby at the pack house, with dozens of other pack members living right by us seemed a little...crowded. No, I'd want us to have our own home. We could build it just like we liked, have lots of rooms for friends to stay over, or eventually grow our family even larger.

I shook my head and let out a nervous chuckle, feeling my cheeks burning red. It's not like that would happen any time soon, so why was I thinking about it so intently? I couldn't deny it though, the idea of having a family with Tobias someday made my heart swell with happiness.

"Love?" My eyes shot back up toward Tobias, noticing his curious smile. "What were you so deep in thought about?" I bit my lip nervously.

"What it would be like when we do have kids. I mean, obviously that wouldn't be for a while, but the thought still scares me. I still don't even know how that would work exactly? Like...I mean I've taken health class, and my dad gave me the awkward birds and the bees talk in like seventh grade, so I know how it works for girls, but...I don't have all those...parts. Where would it stay? And where would it...come out?" My eyes widened, as I hadn't ever thought about that part. Tobias laughed lightly at my panicked expression. He tightened his arms around me and leaned to kiss my forehead.

"Relax, Love. Like you said, it won't happen for a while, and when we're ready, we can meet with the council again and talk with the pack doctors and ask all those questions. But also please remember, I only want to do that if you're comfortable with it, alright? It's your body, and if the idea of getting pregnant is something you decide you don't want to do, I'll completely support you. We can have kids another way, and I wouldn't want to be alpha anyway if it meant making you uncomfortable." I nodded and smiled at him. I truly didn't deserve someone as sweet and caring as him.

"I want to try...when we're ready I mean. As terrified as I am, I've always known I wanted to have my own kids with the person I love. Granted I thought it would work a little differently back then, but that hasn't changed. I would like to adopt too though, if you're okay with that. I know my situation is a little different considering I was adopted right after I was born, but there are a lot of kids in really tough situations that deserve loving parents. I just want to be what my dad is for me. Does that make sense?" He grinned and nodded.

"Perfect sense. Now why don't we get some rest, alright? It's getting late. We can talk more about telling your dad tomorrow " As if on cue, I yawned.

"Goodnight, Toby." I nestled my head back into it's rightful spot on his chest.

"Goodnight, love."

*********

Hey everyone. I'd just like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, and everyone who left me kind messages and comments. I'm doing a bit better, though I still have my bad days. I know I say this every time I come back from a big hiatus, but I'm really trying to write more. I love this story and these characters, and I have so much planned for them, I just haven't had the motivation to write more than a sentence or two. This chapter, although it's short and simple, took me a year to writejust because I keep coming back thinking I'm gonna get back into it and finish this story, and then my motivation fizzles out after five minutes.  I know how frustrating it can be to get invested in a story on here, only to discover the author hasn't updated in like a year, but I promise you, I'm trying my best. Life just loves to throw curve balls though I guess. I would like to say, just because I'm not writing or updating as much on here, I do still come on to read all your lovely comments and messages, and I try to reply to the ones I do catch. Again, I appreciate all of you, and I hope you're all staying safe during this crazy time. I'm getting in a little bit of a writing groove, so hopefully the next chapter won't take another year to write 😂

Love, Ashy ❤️