A Wolf's Oath (8 page)
“
Erica,” he sighed, resigning himself to an uphill
battle.
“
My name is Eric!” she screamed. “The only people with the
luxury of calling me Erica are my family of which you aren’t a
part.”
“
We’re mates, there is no closer family than that Erica,” he
snarled deliberately calling her by name.
“
You think you know about my family, well you don’t! You know
nothing about us so don’t try to act as though you do.”
“
I will admit that I don’t know as much about you as I probably
should do as your mate, but that isn’t due to lack of trying. I’m
doing my best to get to know you but you refuse to talk to me, so
how am I meant to know about your family?”
“
You want me to talk about my family?” Her voice was harsh, but
that didn’t deter Sebastian from nodding his head in agreement.
“Fine if you want to know so badly then I’ll tell you.” Her
shoulders slumped as she began her tale. “I love my family more
than anything in the world, I don’t know what I’d do without them.
But you might have noticed that we’re pathetically small for a
family of werewolves. Dylan, Wyatt and I are all that’s left of our
family.” He nodded again. Erica's family of three was almost
unheard of considering their immortality. “I don’t know why but the
hunters seem to have a personal vendetta against us. They killed
all of my grandparents, the one aunt I had, both my uncles and then
finally they came for my mother.” Tears began to fill her eyes and
she sobbed as unwelcome memories flooded her thoughts. “The twins
couldn’t have been more than a year or two old, I’d just reached
maturity and they took her from us. If that wasn’t bad enough my
father, my father…” She hiccupped, before turning her tear filled
gaze on Sebastian.
The sight of her tears affected him deeply, almost as though
it were a physical injury, each one feeling like a knife to the
heart. He pulled her close and she continued, crying into his
chest. “I thought he loved us. I really did. But your wonderful
instinct took him from us. After mom died, he withdrew from the
world, he didn’t care about anything or anyone and that included
his family. Dylan and Wyatt were just babies but he couldn’t even
try to be strong for their sakes. No, instead he took the easy way
out and walked right into the hunter’s waiting arms. He probably
didn’t even try to fight back; he just let them kill him. He left
us orphans.” She pulled away from him, tears streaking down her
face. “If you want someone who listens and believes in the instinct
then you’ve come to the wrong place. I want nothing to do with it
or you.”
“
Erica, I’m sorry for what happened to you.” Though he had
heard about the tragedy that had befallen his mate, her version of
events moved him and he felt new protective instincts rushing to
the front of his mind.
“
I don’t need your pity,” she snapped, rubbing her cheeks as
she sought to remove the evidence of her moment of
weakness.
“
This isn’t pity. It’s care. I’m your mate and I care about
you. All I want is to see to your happiness. Is that so wrong?
Mates care and protect each other, that’s all I’m trying to do
sweetheart.”
“
Being mated is what took my father from me. I don’t want to
hear about being mates from anyone. All I want is to be left alone
with my family, is that so much to ask?” She demanded.
Frustration crept up alongside his newfound desire to protect
and he moved forward, gripping her shoulders firmly within his
grasp to ensure she couldn’t escape him. “Being mated is also what
brought your mother and father together. Being mated is the reason
that you and your siblings are here now. Can you honestly tell me
that they weren’t happy when they were alive?”
The sad memories of her parent’s death were replaced by the
laughter and love that filled her home when they were alive.
They were more than happy,
she conceded in her head, though she was unwilling to admit
such thoughts aloud. “That isn’t the point.”
“
Then what is Erica? Being mated brings so much joy to our
lives. How can you deny both of us that happiness?”
“
Even if they were happy when they were alive, it doesn’t
change the fact that their deaths devastated our family. There was
nothing we could have done for mom but my father chose to end his
life and he left me alone with two children that needed him. They
never really had the chance to know our mother but they could have
known our father if he hadn’t been so selfish!”
“
Erica, I’m not your father! Don’t blame me for his actions.
What’s between us has nothing to do with what your parents
did.”
I told you so,
her wolf
commented.
Shut up!
Erica yelled in
response.
“
I know you aren’t my father. I’m neither blind nor stupid. But
my father’s actions taught me something very valuable about male
wolves and that’s what prevents us from being mates
Sebastian.”
“
I don’t know how many times I’m going to have to say this to
you before you understand it but we’re already mates Erica, there
is nothing anyone can do to change that.”
And if they tried, there would be nothing on this earth that
could prevent me from causing them major harm.
The violence of his thoughts might have at one point in time
frightened him but as he stared at his mate, still beautiful
despite the tears that stained her face, he came to accept the
aggression in his nature as necessary to protect her.
“
We may technically be mates but I won’t accept you
Sebastian.”
“
Why not Erica? I can make you happy.”
I know I can, if she just gave me a chance.
“
If I accepted you and then something happened to me, can you
honestly tell me that you wouldn’t do what my father did and
abandon our family?”
Though he had expected the question on some level, it didn’t
make it any easier to give her an answer. His mind raced as he
tried to give her an honest answer.
The
world is so beautiful with her in it, even with her clear animosity
towards me. If we were fully mated, it would be even more
wonderful, could I really continue to live if she were
dead?
“
Your silence answers my question Sebastian. You’re no
different than him. I can’t do that to my family Sebastian, I just
can’t. It’s hard enough with Dylan and Wyatt but I couldn’t bear
for my own children to go through it too Sebastian, I just
couldn’t. Can’t you see that this isn’t going to work?”
Could I really leave behind a family I started with
Erica?
An image of a small girl with
flaming red hair and bright blue eyes filled his mind. The girl
smiled at him reminding him of Erica the one time he had seen and
heard her beautiful laughter before she ran from his thoughts,
leaving a small hopeful grin on Sebastian's face. “I’m not your
father Erica. I wouldn’t leave our family behind. Life without a
mate would undoubtedly be hard but there would be pieces of you
left behind in our children and I would treasure them for all
eternity.”
His answer surprised her and she took a step back. “You’re
lying.”
“
There should be only truth between mates Erica. I would never
lie to you.”
“
You’re just telling me what you think I want to hear. Just
leave me alone Sebastian, I can’t deal with this right now.” She
stepped further away from him, her body preparing to
flee.
“
I swear to you Erica that I’m telling you the truth. And if we
don’t deal with this now, then when? I have a feeling that if I
disappear from your life even for a day then all the progress I’ve
made with you will disappear.”
“
Progress? What progress Sebastian? We’re exactly where we were
when we first met. You want to claim me and I don’t want anything
to do with you. Nothing has changed between us.”
He stepped forward, entering her personal space. “Wrong,
Erica. We have most definitely made progress.” Pulling her close
against him, his head descended to rest in the curve of her neck
and his mouth placed drugging kisses against her skin where his
mark now rested. Her body instinctively leaned into him and she
found herself once again cursing the treacherous sensations his
mere presence invoked in her. “Erica, I swear to you that I will
never do what your father did. Oaths between mates are practically
sacred, know that I would never break it.”
“
I don’t know you well enough to be able to trust you
Sebastian,” she murmured. Despite her reservations, part of her
wished that she could simply take him at his word and believe that
he wouldn’t cause the same havoc as her father.
“
Erica, sweetheart, we don’t have long to debate this, the moon
will be full in a few days.”
“
And what exactly has that got to do with me?”
“
Erica, you have got to know that I would give you all the time
in the world to try and over come your fears of me and our
relationship but that just isn’t possible.”
She croaked, “Sebastian.” Though she was aware of the cycles
of the moon, as were all wolves, she had been hoping that they
would never have the opportunity to have this
discussion.
“
Erica, I can barely control myself around you let alone my
wolf. It would have tried to claim you that first night. I don’t
know why my restraint is so weak when it comes to you. When the
moon is full I won’t be in command of my wolf’s actions and it will
come for you. That is a certainty.”
She pulled away from his embrace to stare at him, horror
etched on her features. “You’ve got to be kidding me
right?”
“
Erica, you knew this was coming. You had to have
known.”
“
Sebastian please, I don’t want this.”
“
If you just got to know me then you’d see that it wouldn’t be
so bad to allow me to claim you. Are you going to just give up on
us without even trying?”
“
Are you really going to try and claim me mere days after our
first meeting?” she pressed, ignoring his question and answering it
with one of her own.
“
If it were my choice then I would give you more time. Do you
think that I don’t want you to be comfortable? I wouldn’t be a very
good mate if I put my own desires before your reasonable concerns.
I won’t be in control of my body Erica. I’m sorry that it has to be
like this. Does your wolf not have anything to say on the
matter?”
Yes I do,
Erica's wolf purred within
her thoughts.
Take me now. I’m more than
willing.
Be quiet and stop basing your judgments on your
hormones,
Erica snapped, immensely
displeased with her wolf’s treacherous suggestion.
I’m a wolf Erica, all my thoughts are led by my hormones and
instincts.
“
I’m not going anywhere Erica. I will stay by your side until
the full moon. All I ask is that you give me a chance to win you
over.”
“
You’re not staying inside my house Sebastian.”
“
I’m sure that I can persuade someone to take me in, though I
think that will raise questions about what’s going on and if no one
will give me shelter, then I’ll sleep outside.”
“
You’re very annoying.”
“
I prefer determined.” He grinned. “Will you give us a chance
sweetheart? It’s all that I ask for.”
“
You’re asking for a lot more than that Sebastian and you know
it. If I give you this chance and things don’t work out will you
leave me alone? Will you accept that we’re just not meant to be and
leave me and my family alone?”
“
If that happens then I will do my best to leave you
alone.”
The instinct is never wrong though
sweet Erica and you will accept me. I’m sure of it.
I won’t let her go.
his wolf
inserted.
She’s ours and when the time
comes I’m going to claim her.
“
Fine,” she sighed, reluctantly admitting defeat for the
moment. “You can sleep on the sofa. But don’t breath a word of this
to Dylan or Wyatt, as far as they’re concerned you’re just a
friend.” Turning away from him, she ran into the woods, following
the trail left by her siblings.
They’re on my side already sweetheart and that means the
battle is half won.
Three days had passed since the discussion between Sebastian
and Erica in the woods where he had convinced Erica to give their
fledgling relationship a chance to thrive. Though she had agreed to
give him the opportunity to earn her trust, Sebastian had the
distinct impression that she wasn’t trying very hard to fulfil her
side of the agreement. He had been relegated to sleeping on the
sofa for the duration of his stay and while she was no longer
overtly hostile when she spoke to him, she didn’t try to initiate
conversation with him either. She seemed to be trying very hard to
pretend he wasn’t in her home, simply tolerating rather than
embracing his presence. Despite this, Sebastian remained undaunted
and ever hopeful. While she may have done her best to act coolly
towards him, he could feel her warming to him. Her scent gave her
away and he knew his efforts to win her weren’t in vain.
I just hope that all I’ve done is enough,
he mused.