Shatter Pieces

Chapter 18: Unexpected

Mateo

Elvira, somehow the name seemed to fit her so perfectly that I was confused about how I had ever thought it could be anything else. I held her as she drifted to sleep and felt her relax in my arms. She had talked to me, let me touch her, given up a little piece of her wall and allowed me in.

I had no clue if this would last, but I prayed that it would. After I had consulted with my father and Dr. Karthan I had determined that she had PTSD, androphobia, some Stockholm syndrome, and severe anxiety. There could have been more issues than that, but until we could really sit down and talk with her that was what we were able to determine. I had been researching what all of this meant for our relationship so that as things happened I would be better able to work through things with her.

That was part of why I hoped this moment would last. It happened fairly often that someone suffering from a phobia or anxiety can seem fine one day and then be unable to properly function the next day. I wasn't going to assume that she was going to be willing to talk to or touch me when she woke up. If she did that would be amazing, but I wasn't going to force her into anything that she wasn't comfortable with.

But for now, while she was willing to let me be this close to her I wasn't going to waste it. Pulling her closer to me I allowed my body to relax alongside hers and slowed my breathing. I was exhausted as well, it had been a trying few days and the stress I was facing with everything else that was going on.

My mind drifted as sleeps hands began to wrap around my brain and I let the thoughts filling my head slowly fall away. I really needed to just let my mind rest and allow my body to the rest it needed. And slowly darkness seemed to envelop my mind and I drifted off to sleep.

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I was awakened by thrashing limbs rocking against my body. It took me a few moments to realize exactly what this meant. I swiftly threw back the covers and scanned my mate for any injuries, but it seemed that she was just having a nightmare. I couldn't really blame her, after all, she'd been through mental trauma was to be expected. Reaching over I shook her shoulder hoping that it would help to wake her up.

While she did wake up, she was not calm the way I was hoping she would be after waking up. Her eyes were filled with panic and fear I had never witnessed before in my life. She scrambled backward her back hitting harshly against the edge of the bed. If you didn't know any better you would have thought that I was going to kill her from the way she looked at me. It was a terrifying sight, but what came after made my body ache for her.

"I didn't m...mean to break it, Girl pro....promi...promises that she will d...do better next time. It w....wa....was an accident, I swe...swear I didn't mean to! P....please, please don't p...pun...punish Girl, she will do be....better next time, she won....won't break any....thing else. Please, please don't s....send me down th...there again, pl....ple...please." Her fearful sobs broke something inside of me.

My wolf urged me to run to mate and comfort her. But I knew better, that was doomed to cause more harm than good for either of us.

"I am not going to hurt you Elvira, I would never hurt you." I tried to reassure her putting my hands up hoping it would show her I had nothing to hurt her.

"H....how do you know my n...name? Why did you s...sa...say my name? I've been a g...go...good girl I swear I did....did....didn't say my name you don't h....have to punish me for say...saying my name." She pleaded with me. I saw no hint of recognition in her eyes as if she truly couldn't remember who I was or where she was.

"You did tell me your name, yesterday. You opened your present and then we were talking because I want to know more about you. You told me your name as you were falling asleep, do you remember that?" I questioned her, and she seemed to pause for a moment as if searching her memories.

Then something clicked and I could see her eyes flicker around in recognition. Her hands went to her head as if it hurt to remember. I had no doubt that she was slightly concussed and that was making it even harder for her to get a good grasp on reality. Her eyes shot up to mine before lowering almost immediately.

"W....wha...what are you going to d....d...do to me?" Her words were soft and still filled with a terror that I wasn't ready for or expecting.

"About what?" I wasn't sure I understood what she was asking. Was there a problem that I wasn't remembering?

"What will my p...pun...punish...punishment be for telling you my n...name. When will Master b...b...be here to take me ba....back to my room?" She was avoiding eye contact again, that was when I realized exactly what it was that she was saying.

"Okay, so there are a few things with that we need to cover with that. The first thing being a reminder that I would never do anything to harm you. I care for you in a way that you probably don't understand, but just know you're important to me.

You are never going to be punished for your decisions, no matter what they are. There may be times we discourage you from things or even get mad at you for whatever it was that you choose to do. But we will never physically punish you for something, especially because of something as small as telling us your name.

The other misconception that you seem to be carrying around is that you will be going back to that man. You are never going back there to that dreadful room or to those people. You are here now and we are not going to let anyone who use to hurt you get close to you. He won't see you ever again I won't allow him to, you don't need to worry about him anymore." I explained to her.

She looked at me skeptically, as if what I was saying could never possibly be true. I guess that she was trying to find the lie in my words, but of course there was one. I hated that her first instinct was to consider me a threat and someone that she didn't trust me. But I also couldn't blame her for that, she had been locked in that hell for an amount of time I did not know.

"I'll go get the girls maybe they can help you pack up so you can move to your new room." With that I was out the door and headed towards where I knew my mother was probably waiting for me.

I found her in the waiting area having a discussion with Daria. I hustled over to the two of them hoping to take care of this as quickly as possible. They turned to me as I headed towards them so I wasted no time in getting to the point.

"She's awake, she's scared, she doesn't trust me and I need to know if she is good to move into the pack house. I'm headed there to finish up preparations on her room and catch up on some paperwork. Do you guys think you can watch her for a few hours for me?" I was met with rolled eyes and sympathetic smiles.

"I'll watch her Matt, you do what you have to do." Mom replied and I hurried to finish what I needed to do.