Shatter Pieces

Chapter 40: Reassurance

Mateo

As the tears began to roll down my cheeks I stared down at my beautiful mate. It was so strange but over the last couple of minutes with everything that had been happening, I felt our bond strengthening. I wasn't sure why, but I could only assume that Elvira was able to connect on a different level with my wolf. I guessed it had something to do with the fact that there probably weren't as many if any, memories associated with this form as there were when I was in human form. It didn't bother me too much though both Luca and I acknowledged that we had to keep working on helping her find ways to be more comfortable with us in that shape.

My wolf and I were thrilled to find our mate not only had a wolf, one that had survived all that had been done to the two of them. With the torture they had endured it stood to reason that the wolf inside Elvira would have been working overtime to heal her. On top of the healing, the effort to keep their body functioning on the little food provided would have kept any wolf on the constant edge of total exhaustion and possible death. She probably never had the opportunity to even talk to her human counterpart as she would have been weakened as soon as she was able to step forward. And if the wolf had been able to speak it would have been so faint it could easily be dismissed as a passing thought or even a whisper from someone else.

Despite all of that somehow a wolf had been able to survive enough to finally be able to take some steps into the light and let her other half see her. It was truly a miracle and one that neither Luca or I had seen coming. They assumed the wolf had passed away years ago, a tragedy that Luca had cried about for hours. He thought he would never be able to go on runs with his mate, to play with her in the way that only wolves really could. The fact that those opportunities were now available to him was so shocking and new Luca was overjoyed.

Luca was running around howling not only in my head but also the pack link letting them know of his excitement. He kept why he was excited, just to us, but he wanted the pack to know that things were going well, since so many of them worried immensely for their future Luna. Many members sent back feelings of support and glee knowing that something good was happening for their hurting Luna. A few even sent short messages of encouragement to be passed along to her when she felt up to hearing them.

Elvira's statement had shocked everyone and none of us really knew how to respond. Not only had she admitted to hearing the voice of her wolf, but also other voices as well. I wasn't really sure what she meant by that but I was anxious to find out. We would take all of this at her pace, I didn't want to rush her into anything she wasn't ready for. So much of her life had been dictated by other people, I didn't want to become another one of those men. I wanted her to be able to separate her experiences with me and them by how she was allowed and able to make the choices that would determine her future.

I gazed down at her as another tear fell down my cheek. She was so perfect in so many ways, and I could see that something inside of her was fighting to find its way to a trusting and happy place. One where she could establish herself as the person that she wanted to be, but I also knew that was going to take some time and a lot of hard work. I just ran my fingers along the tops of hers hoping it would comfort her in what she had just shared with us.

Slowly her eyes rose from where they had previously been glued to where our hands were intertwined. As her gaze slowly met my own I could see the wall built inside of them to shield herself from whatever reaction she expected from us. Fear flashed across her eyes as she caught sight of the tears on my cheeks and her heartbeat grew rapidly. She quickly turned in my lap fingers rushing to brush the tears from my face as I saw terror beginning to build inside her.

"I am so s...sorry for make....making you cry I...I wont t...talk about the v...voi...voices anymore! I p...promise I will ig...ignore them...just please d...don't sent me away! I can pr...pret....pretend they aren't th...there. I am...sorry. I am so sorry, please don't cry Mateo." In her hurry to get the worlds out and calm me down her stutter slowly began to disappear and my shock prevented me from stopping her as she rambled on.