Only Human: Before and After

Chapter 123: June Jackson

Loved the comments! I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy!

-Lucinda Croft

Back to Original POV

Destin was warm, and the rise and fall of his body soothed me. I stared at the ceiling while he snored quietly. He must have been exhausted getting everything ready for this tour, and yet he was staying in this bed that barely fit the two of us. He could have left to go back to his massive suite and gotten some real rest, but instead he stayed to comfort me.

There was a part of me that would have loved to snuggle into Destin's fur and snooze along with him. All that crying and panicking exhausted me, but I was too scared to close my eyes. If I fell back asleep, Geralt could be there waiting. Now that I knew who he really was I would of course be more careful in what I shared with him, but I wasn't ready. If I saw him now, I would break apart again. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to rely on Destin's or Cenderion's affection and just lock him out of my heart, but the thought sickened me. It was all too new. Too raw. I would need time.

I took a deep breath and carefully slipped out of Destin's wolfish embrace. The moment my bare feet touched the carpet Destin's eyes opened groggily.

Mate, okay? I felt him say.

I smiled at his sweetness. Even half-asleep he was worrying about me. I reached out and stroked his large head. "I'm okay. Just going to take a shower. You should rest. I'll be right back." I reassured.

Destin's tail flopped on the bed a few times and his eyes relaxed closed. He was snoring again in seconds. I swallowed the guilt and shame. I never thought that the Destin Moon would ever be so... caring. I was processing a break-up with another man, and yet he never yelled or complained. He listened and reassured me. He answered my desperate plea for help, even when I didn't say anything out loud. He wasn't Cenderion. He couldn't feel what I was feeling, yet it was like he knew exactly what I needed. He swiftly filled the hole that Geralt had caused, and although it wasn't a perfect fit, it really helped me deal with the grief.

I shut the bathroom door behind me, and turned on the shower. I stripped off my pajamas and studied his mark on my shoulder in the mirror. He wasn't kidding about this mate stuff. He was in it for the long haul, even after I made such a stupid and selfish blunder. He was almost like an entirely different person from the werewolf I met at the market or at Wistering Heights. I was certain that he would regret and eventually resent marking me. He would get bored of me, or grow frustrated with all the boundaries I was placing on our relationship. He couldn't even touch me without permission, which he didn't forget even when I was a sobbing mess. He was a pop star who could have any girl he wanted. He did have every girl he ever wanted.

I stepped into the steaming shower and allowed the warmth to envelop me. I gripped my marked shoulder. But now he was mine! I blinked surprised at how strong that claim resonated within me. Just imagining him with another werewolf or human made a painful flare of jealousy rock through me. I fervently scrubbed shampoo into my hair. I was getting possessive of Destin, which meant the mark was succeeding at making me accept him as my mate. I rinsed out the shampoo and stared up at the foggy ceiling. No, it wasn't just the mark. I was accepting him.

I finished my shower and toweled off in the bathroom. When I was done, I slipped on a bathrobe and stepped out into my room. The giant silver wolf was still sleeping on my bed, and I couldn't help but smile knowing he was there for me. I went for my duffle from home. I hadn't unpacked it yet. I grabbed some of my favorite comfortable clothing. A pair of capri black tights, and a large maroon shirt that had white butterflies printed on it. This was just for now. I would have to head to Cenderion to change if I was meeting the vampiric royal family...