Chapter 23

(Maya POV)

Pain everywhere. That is all I felt as I started shifting awake the next day. What happened? Where was I? I slowly opened my eyes, blinking to adjust to the light coming through the window. I don't recognize anything around me which immediately makes my heart race and I feel the urge to jump up and run. Something heavy is on me though, oh God I am tied up! They got me; I was trapped!!!

My mind was racing, and I began moving around trying to break free, but I realize the heavy object is across my stomach. My hands weren't tied, my feet moved as well although one leg seemed trapped. I take in a deep breath and turn my head to the side and yelp suddenly.

Tommy's eyes shoot open and he sits up quickly, looking around the room frantically.

"What? What is it?" He says in a panic.

When he realizes there is nothing his breathing slows, and he looks down at me.

"Maya are you ok? Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, I must have moved in my sleep!" He says apologetically examining my injuries.

What was going on? Where was I? Why was Tommy here? I try to remember but my head starts to pound in objection.

"Maya what's wrong?" Tommy asks seeing me since from the sudden headache.

"It's nothing. Just my head." I respond softy moving my hand to message the side of my head.

Tommy let's out a sigh of relief and relaxes from his previous attack posture.

"Where am I?" I ask.

"This is my room at the pack house." Tommy tells me, and I feel the panic return.

"What? Wait how did I get here? And oh gosh why are you not wearing a shirt?" I ask closing my eyes.

Why was I embarrassed? We had slept together but for some reason I felt shy suddenly. We had slept together that one time in a moment of lust, but it was a blur at this point. Seeing him now was making her beyond flustered and with the other things she was feeling, having lustful thoughts about Tommy was not the best idea.

"Sorry, I cannot sleep with a ton of clothes on. I get way too hot." He says slightly embarrassed.

Hot. Yes. Hot! Very!

OH MY, STOP MAYA!!!

I cursed at myself over the thoughts I was having.

"How did I get here?" I ask trying to think about something else.

"You shifted after you were hurt I guess, and your wolf found her way here." He tells me pulling a white t-shirt over his head in a swift motion.

The shirt was seriously tight which made me drift toward my previous thoughts. What the hell?! Why am I like this right now?! I must have been because I woke up with a mostly naked Tommy wrapped around me not long ago.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" He asks crawling across the bed and taking a seat beside me.

I slowly moved trying to sit myself up but whimpering at the pain that the movements caused.

"Here let me help you." He said wrapping one arm around my waist and his other hand around my arm and helped pull me into a seated position.

"The doctor said you are healing but it might take a little longer since you have not shifted in so long." Tommy explains. "Do you remember anything about what happened?"

I sighed closing my eyes again trying to recollect what had happened when I patted from him yesterday. As the memories flooded back into my mind, my heart clench and tears pooled under the lids of my eyes. When I open my eyes to meet Tommy's I let out a son and the tears flow out of my eyes.

"Oh love, it's ok! I am here now; I won't let anything happen to you!" Tommy says wrapping me into his arms and pulling me into his lap.

I clutch onto his shirt and cry for I don't know how long. I was not crying just because of yesterday though; I am crying about everything that had happened to me recently. In Tommy's arms I felt relief, safe to let all my feelings out. I belonged here, and even though there was a lot we needed to talk about I didn't care.

Being there with him holding me was all I wanted right now. He rubbed small circles on my back and hummed heard my ear. Even his scent was enough to make me feel warm and comfortable. Everything about him was drawing me in, and it further reminded me that he was my mate. After a long time, the tears finally stopped falling and we sat like this in silence. I could hear Tommy's heart beating along my own and it felt like they were almost talking to each other. It seemed almost unreal but here I was with someone who literally existed in harmony with me.

I could not stop the smile that danced along the corners of my mouth, and I moved slightly to wrap my arms around his waist and resting my head into his chest more. This made him chuckle slightly and the sound just made my heart flutter.

"Are you ok?" He asks me.

"No, but I feel like one day I will be. If you are with me." I say turning my head to look up at him.

"I am never leaving you again Maya, I swear." Tommy says holding me tighter.

"Then why did you push me away before?" I ask him feeling my eyes prick with tears again.

"I was trying to protect you Maya, and I know that sounds like a dumb excuse but it's true. We had captured a rogue and he said the alpha knew you were from our territory and that you were my mate. Someone had leaked this information to him, and I wanted to find out who. It didn't seem like they knew exactly where you were just that you were associated with our pack, so I wanted to keep you away from here and from me. I am so sorry! It killed me to keep away from you." He says with a crack in his voice.

He meant what he said, he still wanted me!

"It was James." I say after a few moments of silence.

"What? How do you know?" Tommy asks.

"He was taking me to the Alpha, and I crashed the car to escape but..." I trailed off.

Would Tommy think I am a monster for causing James's death? I had not intended to kill him, but I had.

"But what?" He asks softly.

"I killed him." I blurt out crying again.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asks lifting my chin to look at him.

"When the car crashed, he was killed. I'm so sorry! Please it was an accident! I didn't mean to!" I begged.

"Maya, Maya...it was an accident. You were trying to save yourself; you were trying to survive. I will never look down at you for trying to survive!" He tells me lowering his head and connecting our heads together.

I sighed with relief at his words and I didn't hold back when being this close to him made me lean in and kiss him. He was surprised at first and I felt his body tense, but soon he was kissing me back. It was gentle, a kiss of comfort nothing more but it was perfect. However, it made me relaxed enough to blurt out my next thought without thinking it through.

I pulled away from him and spoke quickly.

"Tommy mark me!" I say.

"What?"