"You didn't kill it did you, it had a cub" I ask Archer looking down at him. Tate's voice flitting through my head.
"No bears are off limits I just scared it off, fucker bit our leg" He says, and I notice the chunk of flesh on his back leg hanging slightly but already healing.
I nod listening for the noise before seeing a rabbit next to the stream, it looks up taking off and I chase it but with my hurt leg it outran me running into a log. Archer watching me curiously as I reach my arm in trying to reach it, when I feel its fur and grab it, pulling it out by its ears.
"Sorry little one" I tell it, before sinking my teeth into it and draining it. Archer whines loudly sniffing me as he approaches, he looks at the dead rabbit in my hands before looking up at me.
"Don't look at me like that, I feel terrible enough" I tell him, as he sniffs it before taking it. I nearly throw up as Archer eats the body, the crunching of its bones making me want to puke.
I could hear Tate yelling at him to stop through the mind link as I feel myself pale at the sight. Archer nudges me with his nose. Tate's voice inside my head again.
"He didn't want you to feel bad for draining it, bloody wolf thought if you saw us do it, you would feel better" He says with a sigh.
"No, that just made me feel sick, I was going to bury it, but at least bugsy didn't go to waste" I tell him.
"You better brush your teeth before you kiss me" I tell him, and he chuckles.
"So, I am allowed to kiss you now" He asks, and I realise what I said.
"No, but your wolf can at least he isn't a jerk" I tell him and Archer yips jumping on me before I whimper as his paws step on my ankle. He jumps back sniffing my ankle and I pull my pants leg up again and groan when I realise it still hadn't healed, I knew the one on my shoulder hadn't because of the throbbing pain radiating through it. Archer whimpers, licking it again.
"I'm fine it will heal eventually" I tell him, and he presses his head against my face rubbing it with his, I kiss his nose. When I hear paws running through the forest toward us, Drakes scent hitting me as his wolf steps closer. He was all black like Tate, but he was actually bigger than Tate's wolf.
"Drake?" I ask, as he approaches his wolf growling when he sniffs my ankle before pressing his muzzle into my neck pulling at my jumper. I look to Tate before trying to communicate with Drake, I had never tried to communicate with non-pack members before in my life, but I know my mother can talk to any wolf because we are Lycan.
"Can you hear me?" I ask seeing if I could do the same, his head snaps up before cocking to the side.
"Is that a yes?" I ask, His voice hitting me through the link.
"How you can you do that?" He asks, I smile knowing it worked while Archer cocked his head to the side watching us.
"I wasn't sure if it would work, my mother can speak to anyone through mind link" I say out loud so Tate could hear.
They both nod.
"Why aren't you healing?" Drake asks while Titus pushes his head against my ankle.
"I need more blood" I answer, and he whines.
"You can feed on me" Drake says, but I shake my head about to get up and look for another rabbit. When Archer grabs my pants leg, pulling me toward the pack house.
"I need more blood" I tell him looking down at him.
"You have me" Tate says through the link. I shake my head and he growls pulling on my pants again. The sun was completely down now, and I knew most animals go into hiding now that the predators come out, I also didn't feel like running into that bear again. Sighing, I follow them home.
I would have to try again tomorrow. I walk to the bathroom and I hear them shift back before one of them closes the front door. I turn the shower on before stripping my clothes off. My fangs still not retracting fully but at least, I could talk without difficulty and now close my mouth properly as I washed the blood off. The door opens and I scramble to get out of the shower before Tate's scent perfumes the room. Washing the soap off, he steps in the shower just as I go to hop out.
His hand wrapping around my wrist stopping me as he pulls me back in.
"Stay, please" He says, his fingers trailing across the open wound on my shoulder, though it had stopped bleeding.
"I stay, I will feed on you, I am not feeding on you Tate" I tell him, going to turn away when he presses me against the shower wall, his entire body against mine as sparks rush over my skin.
"Tate" I tell him, pushing him away.
"Lana stop, you haven't spoken to me in days, I am sorry. Just let me take it away, I can help you if you just let me. I don't expect you to just forgive me, I was wrong, I never should have done what I did, Lana. I never should have believed her over you"
"But you did, without even letting me try to explain or even asking" I tell him.
"I know, I"
"Why? Why did you defend her at the pack meeting?"
"I..-"
"Tell me or I am walking, I will walk away from both of you"
"Lana"-
"Do you love her?" I ask him.
"What no, it's not that, I love you, not her. I just want you to get along, she is my friend that's it"
"A friend that means more to you then your mate" I tell him, hopping out.
"I can't just turn my back on her Lana"
"No, and you also can't choose me over her" I tell him, wrapping my towel around me.
"She saved my life" he says as I opened the door. I stop, turning back to him.
"What?"
"You are not the only one that suffers with depression Lana, after Drake rejected me I hung myself she cut me down, lived with me for two years and kept me sane while he fooled around with anyone, I had nobody here, my mother was dead, I killed my father I had nothing but the mate bond and then he took that from me, so I tried to end it, Melinda saved me, I kicked her out when she wanted more, more than I could give her. I wasn't going to mate her, I never loved her more than a friend Lana"
"Is that why you drink so much?" I ask him.
"I don't have a drinking problem Lana"
"Could have fooled me, I haven't seen you go without drinking since I got here, Drake thinks the same thing, only he won't say it"
"I will stop then but will you at least come back in the shower" I turn leaving him, walking out the door and closing the door behind me and I hear him sigh before cursing.
Drake was standing in the hall listening, "Eavesdropping?" I ask and he nods as I walk into the spare room and grab my pyjamas from the drawer.
Drake walks in and I turn away from him as I get dressed. When I turn around, he was sitting on the bed.
"I didn't know that" He says making me look at him, he put his head in hands and I could see he felt guilty.
"I have fucked everything up, I never meant to hurt any of you, you know that right" I press my lips together and nod drying my hair with my towel.
"Please don't be mad at him, Lana. I can't handle his guilt anymore; I know you feel it" He says.
"I'm not mad, I just don't feel like I belong here"
"You belong with us, both of us. Please don't leave when your sister comes, I know you are planning to, I overheard you on the phone" He says.
"We won't stop you if you do, but please stay" He says walking out of the room.