Chapter 34 - Talk

Daemon POV

I eventually was able to walk on my own about halfway to the door that led outside. I was a little shaky, but I figured it out. Matias and Jamie still didn't let go of my hands though, holding onto them as if when they let go I would fade away into dust or something. I wouldn't be surprised if I did...

Stepping out onto the patio, the pack silenced almost immediately. All eyes were currently on us, and I couldn't help the flush that rose up my face. Matias released my hand, wrapping his arm around my waist again. He lowered his head, whispering,

"It's alright. They don't blame you for anything." He raised his head and looked back at his pack, who were all watching us with guilty looks.

"He's alright. That is all that matters. Nobody was at fault for this, and measures are being taken. Everything is fine." My mate's voice was loud and clear, soothing, and you could tell that it helped calm the wolves a bit by their slumping shoulders and the collective sound of released breaths. Matias smiled warmly at his pack, then a look of shock crossed his face. I looked back out to the crowd, to see them all on one knee with their heads bowed. Even the kids.

"We're still terribly sorry, Alpha, Luna. We will do better to protect our pack." One of the men in the front said, and my eyes widened in shock. They think of me as their Luna, despite all the shit that I've done?

"Yes, we all will," Matias said, and the pack rose again. They looked at him one last time, and he smiled, and then they all continued doing whatever it was that they were doing. The parents went back to talking and cooking, the kids back to playing with each other in both wolf and human form, the teenagers doing their teenage things, etc. Matias, Jamie, and I watched out over them before Jamie stepped forward and pulled on my hand.

"Come on!" He looked at both of us with a wide smile on his face, and we let him pull us down the steps and into the crowd.

___

Most of the day was spent outside with the pack. Eating, laughing, getting to know people again. It was normal, and I loved it. People would come up and talk to Matias and me like nothing had ever happened, they talked to me like I hadn't been kidnapped and experimented on. They talked to me like they didn't know that I ran away for three years because I was scared of commitment. They talked to me like I was normal, and I felt normal. That was other than the occasional crying woman who came up and apologized profusely like it was their fault that I was taken. It wasn't, and I told them so. They still apologized though, promising to work harder and be stronger to not let it happen again. I just nodded and smiled, telling them it truly wasn't their fault, and then they walked away.

Jamie had stuck with us most of the time, and we played with him gladly. I played I spy with him from my spot on a beanbag, and Matias chased him around the yard with some of the other kids. Jamie also brought out his stuffed dinosaur, Timmy, along with another stuffed cat that he gave to me. I laughed when he insisted I have it, and I could feel my wolf watching from the back of my mind, snorting at the irony that he gave us a stuffed cat. It was kind of funny. I ended up naming the cat Tina.

Dinner was served eventually and everyone grabbed their plates of food, sitting or standing somewhere to eat. Matias got me some food, half of which I didn't finish, and Jamie sat down with us to eat. It was a quick dinner before Jamie had bolted away to run around the large field with some other kids. Matias sat with me as we watched him, his arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulling me into his side. It was comfortable.

When Jamie stumbled back to our resting spot, he collapsed into Matias's chest with a sigh, immediately curling into the warmth my mate offered. I laughed, and Matias smiled as he stood up, lifting the boy with him.

"I think it's bedtime." He looked down at me, and I nodded, standing on my own. I didn't wobble or fall over, and I felt pretty steady, so we began the walk back into the house and to the elevator.

___

"Daemon?" I was sitting in between Matias's legs on the couch in his room, Jamie dead asleep on the bed. I hummed in response, my eyes closed as his hands sifted through my hair.

"Your wolf," He whispered, and I froze. Opening my eyes, I tilted my head up. Matias was looking down at me already and gave me a nervous smile. My wolf, on the other hand, was now at full attention at the mention of him.

"What...what about him..?" I asked, suddenly nervous. I didn't know why, but I didn't like the idea of Matias having a problem with the creature. I was scared that this might be the reason he'd reject me. But I knew he wouldn't do that. He wouldn't. He wouldn't.

"He...He can talk? Like, actually talk, right?" Matias asked, sitting up and forcing me to sit up as well. I turned as he brought his legs in, and we now sat crossed-legged in front of each other. I stared down at my hands, which were folded together so tightly my knuckles were starting to turn white. Suddenly, there was another hand on my own, and I looked up. Matias smiled warmly at me, giving my hand a small squeeze.

"It's alright, no matter your answer, I'll always love you. You'll always be mine." He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, and I smiled a little. Those words calmed me down a bit, making it less scary to tell him that my wolf was...abnormal.

"He can, yes," I whispered, and my wolf huffed. Matias nodded, scooting forward so our knees touched. His other hand reached out and grabbed mine, and he laced our fingers together.

"Do you want to talk about him?" Matias asked, his thumb tracing a pattern on the side of my hand. I sighed, looking down at our intertwined hands.

"He's...he's different. I don't know. He's not...he's not my original...wolf." I mumbled, playing with his fingers. My wolf snorted, and I could just tell he was rolling his eyes.

"Do you think...do you think you could let him talk? To me?" Matias asked and I froze. I looked up at him, and I must have looked scared because he immediately started to take it back.

"I'm just curious, you don't have to I promise, you don't need to." He rushed out, pulling our hands up and placing them on my cheeks. My wolf was nudging at me, or my brain or soul or whatever, trying to get me to give him control.

"Come on. You'll still be basically in control. Let me talk to him." He spoke, his voice low and unlike anything I had ever heard. How was this my wolf? I sighed, dropping my gaze as Matias let our joined hands fall back into my lap. I didn't say anything as I closed my eyes, and the wolf pushed forward. When my eyes opened again, it was like watching a movie. I could still see everything, but it wasn't like normal. It was legit like looking at a movie screen, as my wolf took control of my body. I could tell he was holding back, giving me the opportunity to push forward and take control again if I wanted.

Then the wolf looked up, and a look of shock crossed my mate's face. My eyes widened, but not my body's if that makes sense, a bit in fear, scared that Matias wouldn't like what he saw. Instead, Matias slowly and steadily raised a hand to cup my cheek. My wolf leaned into the touch but didn't do anything else.

"Are you...?" Matias's voice was soft and quiet, as non-threatening as a voice could get.

"Yes." My wolf's voice, on the other hand, was low and oozed with power. I flinched back at that single word. Matias didn't though, but both me and my wolf could sense the small hint of fear spike through his body. I reached a hand out towards the "screen" that I was looking through, not liking that my wolf scared Matias, even if it was only a little bit.

"It's fine. Give me a minute." My wolf spoke to me, just like normal through my head. I guess I was technically in my head though. This was so weird. It was normal I guess because this was what it was like when I shifted, but I had never done this in human form. I never let my old wolf take over...

"Do you," Matias started speaking, "Do you remember what happened?" He asked my wolf, keeping himself as neutral as possible, not letting his own fear, or wolf, slip through. My wolf paused, as did I, as we thought about it. I remembered everything, other than the parts where I was passed out. Oddly enough, my wolf knew of a lot of it too.

"I remember earlier on in bits and pieces. When I was fully formed but still prevented from shifting, I remember everything." My wolf's voice was slightly less scary this time but still held an authoritative tone. Matias just nodded, looking down at his hands, which were still latched onto mine. My body's. This was so weird.

"An even though his old wolf is... dead... you're still my mate?" Matias asked and I froze. I hadn't thought about that. I knew he still was though because the feelings were all still the same. My wolf didn't hesitate to answer.

"Yes. When I absorbed," that was a rather weird way to put it in my opinion, "the other wolf, I was given some of his 'attributes'. Such as the existing mate bond, that is why your wolf didn't feel anything when it happened." My wolf stated, looking down at our hands still holding Matias's, then back up into his dark eyes. Matias nodded, relief crossing his face.

"That's good. I could still feel and tell that Daemon was my mate, but I didn't know if it would be different with you, or something." Matias confessed, looking into my wolf's eyes. My eyes? I didn't really know at this point.

My wolf nodded, meeting Matias's gaze. Matias smiled, hesitant. My wolf smiled back, only a little, but it was what Matias needed for a grin to break out. The smile on my, our, face faded though, as my wolf broke eye contact and looked down.

"I'm not normal though. I know that much." He spoke, looking up at Matias's now confused face.

"What do you mean? Besides the fact you can directly talk?" Matias asked, squeezing our hands a bit. My wolf didn't respond for a minute, and I was confused too. I pushed a little bit, urging him to keep talking.

"I don't really know yet. I know that I can speak directly and that that isn't normal. I also know that there is something more to me. Something hiding still, that I can't reach. Something, more." My wolf's words were cryptic, and honestly, it scared me a little bit.

Matias just nodded though, not phased by the words.

"We'll figure that out, soon, or when it becomes an issue. If it does. For now, let's just be happy for the fact that Daemon is back, and you too." Matias stated, smiling softly once again at my wolf. He didn't seem scared anymore or upset with the loss of my old wolf. I guess that was a good thing, to a degree. I sighed, pushing at my wolf again to give me control back. He relented for a second though, wanting to say one last thing to Matias.

"I don't know much about whatever operation those "doctors" were doing to Daemon, but I know there were others, and that they weren't the only people in on whatever cruel experiment it was. There are more out there somewhere, and Goddess knows if any actually escaped when I got loose. Just keep that in mind." The wolf gave me control over my body again, and I slumped with a sigh, closing my eyes. I leaned forward, and Matias pulled me into his chest, opening his legs again for me to comfortably sit in between them. I didn't open my eyes again, uncrossing my legs to straighten them out as I leaned against my mate.

"Are you ok? That wasn't too taxing or difficult?" Matias asked, one hand soothingly rubbing up and down my arm, the other resting across my stomach.

"I'm alright," I mumbled, slowly feeling myself fall asleep. Matias chuckled quietly, giving me a small squeeze, then pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

"Go to sleep, love. Goodnight," He whispered.

"Goodnight," I whispered back, nuzzling back into his chest with a satisfied sigh before I let sleep consume me.

Ok, y'all. I'm just a bit mildly conflicted right now. Imma gives you two options, see which ones y'all like best.

A) This book becomes longer than I originally planned. When I started writing this, I didn't know how long it was really going to be. I was going to cut it off after a few more chapters, but there is still a lot I need to get done and introduce, so this would become longer, or...

B) I make a second book, making this a series. I would probably write the second book after I finish re-writing this one. I really don't know.

What do y'all think? I kind of want to turn this into a series, because then re-writing it would be easier. But I want an outside opinion. Would any of you read the second book? Just curious.

Thanks for reading! I hope you're enjoying it! <3