#packing my things in a little piece of cloth that i'm tying to a stick...... starting my long walk...... sigh 😪

[noxspost]

where is your rider?

Xolotl and Sally were preparing for the month of the dead sally was getting all the gifts offerings food blankets jackets other things for the ghosts and a lot of photos done she'd be meeting her other family members. Both of them were moving around the place well Mars was also helping make cloth things like stuffed animals handkerchiefs blankets stuff like that for a lot of the ghosts that would take them back into their underworld by the end of the month also it was.

"well how is Percy?" asked Mars and sally spoke as her magpies and crows were eating the discarded bits of meat and other food and she was making sure they didn't take too much well Percy is okay I just got a text from him a couple moments ago that he's safely arriving with dad who are both coming here." Paul and Amphitrite were helping pack and clean for when Percy and Quetzalcoatl. Mars nods and then there was a knock at the door and there was Percy and Quetzalcoatl.

"we are here!" Percy cheered as he was welcome by his mama "well i am glad you made it here safety and hello Quetzalcoatl!" she then shakes a hand with him. then Percy went to Pual who smiles and spoke "hello Percy i hope the buses were that bad."  

"it wasn't bad at lot." spoke Percy then he was Signaled by his great uncle on the Gartman side of his mother's family to walk with him which he did they walked upstairs into Sally's room and he said "this is a family matter for three reasons I don't trust you to help me with this and you have told me before you enjoy working with the dead more than the living so I thought you could be my psychopomp in training but of course you don't have to agree to it it's your choice."

well Percy What's the thinking and weighing as options one who get semi-permanent immortality figures to this but that means he'd have to cerebral when he cares for it die but that's something he was akin to being experienced with which really said something about how cruel the Greek gods were specifically their fate deities but on the other side if he didn't agree to this nothing bad would happen to him nothing he would just continue living as a demigod of course if he chose the first option and agreed to this he'd still be able to go to New Rome and study.

he could do that with the other if he didn't choose at all plus he remembers fondly his younger days in the graveyards during the month of the dead where he'd help and hang out with all the dead children some of them were teenagers and his half siblings since his father was godly parent was Poseidon. it was something he loved Bringing joy to those kids and grownups.

helping Mars and Ares give out gifts and offerings to the dead same with his mother the food was always delicious and that's how he learned pomegranates and sticks water that was infused to if you died was the only tying you down to the underworld.

that was only from the underworld pomegranates but the underworld food that those spirits gave him didn't tie him down they tasted a little bit plain or were really packed with flavor there was no in between but it wasn't bad then he looked at his uncle and said "sure Xolotl." 

He pulled out his scroll pulled out two pieces of ink and a stick that was finely sharpened into a pencil and he said all right." then they were talking about how this was going to work. "so are you still sure?" asked Xolotl who was Very much Making sure Percy knew what was entailed in the job and Percy said "yes I know what I'm getting into."

"good now we will get you into some better clothing." Xolotl was wearing his leg bracer and some Slightly baggier sweats a long sleeve shirt which was covered and underneath a baggy sweatshirt which was to the San Diego Zoo. Percy nodded and soon they were getting ready to leave. 

[hishima]

despite everything i evade covid yet again

[pink-peony-princess]

You're My Life Now

Dawn had always been Peter's favourite time of day, he couldn't tell why, but there was something so peaceful about it. A time when the world seemed less corrupt,a time when you could just be still, be one with nature.

Nothing about this day had particularly stood out to Peter, there was nothing to suggest as he got ready for his usual early morning perimeter run to suggest that anything out of the ordinary was about to take place.

He'd been doing this run, every morning for almost two years now and nothing had happened yet. As one of the famous Mendes Triplets and Beta alongside his brother Raul to their eldest brother Shawn (Alpha of the infamous Shadowmoon Pack) Peter took his responsibility extremely seriously. He'd always been the sensible one out of the three of them, or at least the most level-headed one.

Shawn was an amazing Alpha,Peter had always admired his ability to lead,his empathy his compassion, but he could also let his emotions rule him, which could cause problems sometimes. Especially if there was a disagreement between the three brothers. Raul on the other hand, was, well, Raul. Fiery, and passionate and a bit of a trouble maker, he liked to stir the pot whenever possible and unfortunately for Peter he always seemed to be the piece keeper,to stop arguments (usually caused by some snide comment that Raul would make in the heat of the moment which he always regretted later).

Whenever anyone spoke of Peter the first things they'd say was that he was extremely loyal,always ready to help and would protect his loved ones with his life. He'd been like this as long as he could remember.

As Peter stood up from tying his shoe laces,putting his glasses on, he noticed the sheeting rain outside his window. It was so heavy that it was actually hitting the window,leaving large water droplets on the once clear glass. He sighed, it wasn't that he minded the rain, it didn't make a difference to him as to whether he got wet or not,he never felt the cold as a wolf anyway. But it would make it harder, more tedious to complete the run, he'd have to pay extra attention to his surroundings,to the sights, smells and sounds.

"I'm headed on my run," Peter called to Shawn and Raul as he past the kitchen where the two of them were making coffee and talking about day ahead.

"Thanks Pete," came Shawn's reply."I'll be in the surgery with Connor later if ya need me," Pete nodded as he made his way out the front door and into the rain.

The first part of the run was pretty easy, flat ground,open, easy to see the fields that sprawled unchecked for miles ahead. He made it in good time, easily nativagsting the familiar territory with no issues.

He was halfway home when he saw object up ahead. At first he couldn't make it out, even with his wolf-enhanced eyesight the sheeting rain was obscuring his view.As he made his way slowly closer,mindful that it might be some sort of a trap from the rogue wolves that were constantly trying to ambush their lands,he spotted the fabric.It was slightly covered by the truck of a tree, only half visible, but Pete was sure, it was definitely fabric from a tee-shirt.

It wasn't uncommon to find old clothes in random places around the lands, wolves would hide them in convenient spots so when they phased back to their human form they were able to dress themselves without hassle. Even Peter did it. But something about the way the shirt was sitting, haphazardly, carelessly, on the ground caught and held Peter's attention. Something told him it wasn't right.

As he made his way slowly closer the wind changed and he was hit with scent, overpowering his senses,causing him to falter momentarily.

It was the sweetest most intoxicating scent he'd ever smelt, like Rosewater and Ivy perfectly blended together. He took his glasses off pocketing them in the hope that not having the rain-covered glass in front of his eyes might allow him to see better.

As he stepped closer still, the clothing moved Peter stilled,watching waiting,a few seconds later it moved again,rolling over. It was then that Peter realised with horror, that this was not just an old disguarded set of clothing,this was a person, and a hybrid wolf at that, half human, half wolf he realised when another gust of wind sent a stronger wave of scent towards him.

He rushed forward no longer fearing an attack, only concerned for the welfare of this person. As he rounded the tree he got his first proper look at the person. It was a young girl. She looked to be about Peter's age. The first thing that struck Peter was not her bedraggled appearance- the way her dirty blonde hair hung around her face, sticking to her forehead and cheeks,not the mud that was caked into almost every part of her, not even the slashed in her faded green sweater that had obviously been made by wolves claws or the blood that was seeping out from the large wound beneath it and the several other cuts and bruises that peppered her small fragile body. No. The first thing that Peter registered was the look of fear, of terror as the girl made eye contact with him.

"D-dont come near me," the girl stuttered, a mixture of cold and fear Peter was sure.

He held his hands up in surrender, "Please don't be scared," he spoke softly, voice almost drowned out by the rain as he made his way closer still, now less than a foot away from the girl- young woman really.

Up close Peter could see the way her mascara was running from her eyelashes,leaving small black smudges under her red bloodshot eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, I only want to help,I promise. My name is Peter."

She looked at him for a moment, seeming to weigh up what he was saying. "But you're a wolf," she pointed out. She was perceptive, Peter thought.

"Yes, I am," he admitted, watching as her eyebrows knitted together with fear again.

"And the other wolves hurt me," she chocked on a sob, looking away from him.

Peter reached out, placing a finger on her jaw, gently turning her head to look at him again. As soon as he made contact his whole hand began to tingle,and he felt the butterflies that so many other wolves had spoken of so fondly."Mate," he heard his wolf Timbre purr protectively from inside his head. He felt dizzy, slightly intoxicated now and had to shake his head a few times to clear his mind, to keep himself on the task at hand. If he didn't do something soon, he would have no mate to protect.

"But these are my lands- my pack's lands,my older brother Shawn is the Alpha, when he hears about what happend he'll send out a group to go out and deal with them. I promise you you're safe with me, with us," he was almost pleading with her by the end, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Just, please let me get you some help," he added,feeling the sting of tears in his eyes as the thought of what would happen if she didn't go with him ran through his head over and over again.

"How?" she asked. Looking up at Peter with wide eyes. Her eyes were so blue,it was like getting lost in the ocean.

"My brother,Shawn, when he's not working as the Alpha, he's a doctor, he'll be able to help you. I'll take you to him.I promise you'll be safe.

She nodded, water flying off her face, still not seeming entirely convinced, but she relaxed a little, her shoulders loosening just a little,as she reached for Peter's hand, surprising him. He took it feeling the tingles again, more than happy to have any contact with her that she'd allow. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring the feeling or simply in too much pain to notice, either way she said nothing.

"What's your name?" he asked, not breaking eye contact.

"J-Josie," she answered clearly still apprehensive. She watched his every move.

"Okay, it's nice to meet you Josie. Can you show me where you're injuried? I don't want to cause you anymore pain when I lift you," he asked, "apart from the gash on your stomach?"

"My back hurts," she told him, and my head. I feel kinda dizzy," she added, almost as an after thought. Peter didn't know much about medicine, bit what he did know was that it usually wasn't good when someone said their head hurt and they were dizzy. He knew he needed to get her home,out of the rain, to Shawn. They'd only been talking 5 minutes, but already she looked more pale, and slightly drowsy. He had trouble hiding his panic as he spoke again.

"Can I see?" she nodded, so he let go of her hand reluctantly and made his way around so he was behind her, slowly peeling back the layers of fabric to reveal a large oozing gash that ran from her left shoulder to the small of her back. She let out a whimper as the air and rain but it, making Peter's heart squeeze. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt his mate, when one mate hurt the other hurt."I'm so sorry," he apologised when she sniffled.

"Alright,let's get you inside," he murmured, coming back around and squatting so he was in front of her, automatically holding his hand out for her to take again. He could see how tired and scared she was and his heart literally ached."I know you hardly know me, but I think the quickest way to do this will be if I carry you, will you allow me to do that?" he asked softly, patiently waiting for a response.

She nodded again, and he wasted no time in carefully picking her up, trying his best to avoid her injuries.

That didn't stop her from letting out a scream.

"I know, I'm so so sorry," he whispered trying to console her.

She didn't say anything, instead curling into his body further, head resting softly on his shoulder. Peter couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips as he thought about the fact that she was already seeming to seek his comfort, his warmth. This was what he'd dreamt of since the day he turned 18 and was old enough to have a mate.

He ran as fast as he could, trying to be careful not to move her too much, and to shelter her from the pouring rain. He knew that if he'd shifted he would have been quicker making it back to the house, but she was terrified, and clearly in no way to be holding onto his back as he ran, somewhere along the way she past out, head rolling unsupported as he ran, making Pete panic more.

After what felt like an age, the house came into site, spurring him on to run harder. He sprinted the last 20 metres,and up the front porch stairs, banging on the door to get someone, anyone's attention. Finally, Connor came to the door.

"The door was open, why didn't you just-" he stopped taking in the unconscious young woman in his arms. "Holy crap," he whistled. "Where'd you find her?" he asked as Peter pushed through the doorway forcing Connor to step sideway to avoid being hit.

"Down by the south border," he answered moving further into the house. "She needs medical attention is Shawn still in the surgery?" he asked as he went to go up the first flight of stairs.

"Here, let me take her, you can get changed and meet us up there," he offered, holding his arms out for him to hand Josie over.

Peter immediately recoiled, baring his teeth,a soft growl eminating from his throat.

Connor stepped back a look of deep shock and confusion on his face. "Peter what the?" he started before he connected the dots, a large smile wiping the look of confusion from his features."Pete, did you, is she?" he asked tripping over his words.

Peter nodded,"But she's a hybrid Con, so we need to get her upstairs," he spoke, wasting no time waiting for his reply. Connor rushed past him so he could open the door to the surgery. The familiar smell of disinfectant hit Peter's nose as they walked in.

"Shawn, we need you right now," Connor called out, as they rushed through the front area and into one of the many consultation rooms.

Peter could hear Shawn making his way through the surgery as he placed Josie down carefully on the table, immediately missing the contact.

"What have we got?" Shawn asked, walking through the door, before stopped short as Connor had minutes before. "Pete, where'd you find her?" he asked grabbing a pair of gloves from the dispenser on the wall and making his way over to the bed. "She's got some nasty injuries," Shawn muttered as he surveyed Josie's body. He went to move her shirt away from her stomach, an automatic response,to make a better judgement, but Peter felt an immense feeling of protectiveness wash over him again at another male, even his brother,who was trying to help, touching his mate.

He couldn't help the growl that slipped out as Shawn pulled back the fabric exposing her stomach and the nasty gash which Josie had shown Peter in the field.

"What's your problem Peter," Shawn laughed, turning to him, "I'm doing my job little bro,"

"You're touching her, you'll hurt her," he snarled very unlike himself. He knew logically that what he was saying wasn't true, but he couldn't help it.

"Peter, as if I'm going to hurt her, I'm literally trying to do the opposite," he stopped watching the way Peter's gaze never left Josie and something clicked. "Peter is she your mate?" he asked beaming.

"Yeah," Pete chocked on the word.

"Congratulations man," Shawn smiled again. "It's a big step finding your mate, what's her name?" he spoke knowingly. He'd found his mate Ava two years earlier,and Raul a year ago with Mia. They were both always so happy, so settled and finally Peter could have that too.

"Thanks Shawn,Josie, how, how bad is she?" he asked, almost wishing Shawn wouldn't answer.

"Well, from what I've seen so far, not great if I'm being honest, she's lost a lot of blood and the gashes on her stomach and shoulder look like they're getting infected, and if I'm being truthful I don't like the fact that she's not conscious. But I need to have a closer look. Will you trust me?" he asked.

Peter sat for a minute taking in what his brother had said," Can I hold her hand?" he asked embarrassed, cheeks heating up.

Shawn looked at him knowingly," Of course mate, here, sit on this. It'll actually be good. Having contact with you will help to keep her calm," he agreed, pushing a rolling chair with his foot for Pete to sit on."Where'd you find her, what happened?" he asked as he went to a cupboard and pulled a thick blanket out. Normally the wolves didn't need them, but they were kept on hand for the youngsters as a comfort tactic."She's freezing, borderline hyperthermic," he added as he took her temperature gently, Peter watching his every move as he then carefully lay the blanket over her.

"By the south border, I didn't realise it was her at first, I thought someone had left a pile of clothes," Peter admitted feeling guilty,"but when I got closer I saw that it was her and then her scent hit me and I knew. She was pretty reluctant to trust me at first," he added,"Shawn, she said wolves did it."

Shawn shook his head, as he went about hooking her up to different monitors,getting an I.V. with antibiotics in, listening to her chest and checking her pupils with a penlight. "We've had a problem with rogues recently, I'm so sorry Peter, I'll get a party together to deal with them," he added as Peter expected. "Connor," he called out, and it was only then that Peter realised that he'd left the room.

"Yeah?"

"Get Raul up here, I need to talk to him about the rogue problem," he was angry, Shawn was passionately against rogues and what they stood for and everyone knew it.

"I'm going to have to try and wake her up buddy, I need to know what sort of head injury we're dealing with."

Peter nodded, watching as Shawn placed a hand on her sternum and rubbed. He couldn't help the growl that once again slipped his lips. "I'm sorry mate, I wouldn't be doing it unless I had to," he looked genuinely apologetic.

A small whine left Josie's lips, and Peter was on his feet in a matter of seconds looking down at his mate anxiously.

"Josie, can you hear me, if you can hear me, give Peter's hand a squeeze."

Peter nodded, feeling his heart swell with relief as he felt her do as asked.

She opened her eyes, slowly taking everything in, before a panic set in and she tried to sit up."Hey, hey, take it easy," Pete, comforted, gently stopping her from sitting up and hurting herself further.

"You're safe here,do you remember me, I'm Peter?" he asked. She looked up at him with wide frantic eyes before recognition crossed her face and she relaxed into his grip.

"This is Shawn, my brother, he's the one I was telling you about," he added when she looked over warily at Shawn. "He's going to fix you up okay."

"It's nice to meet you Josie," Shawn smiled kindly at the young woman."How are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore,can I have some water?" she asked, voice strained.

"Of course," Shawn grabbed a disposable cup and filled it with water from the tap,holding it out to her.

Shawn went about checking her over,happily reporting that she only had a minor concussion, before numbing her up and carefully sewing her wounds closed. The whole time she clung to Peter like her life depended on it, but he didn't mind. He was happy to be able to provide the comfort.

There was a knock at the door and Raul walked in, not waiting for a response, only stopping as Shawn had at the sight of Josie.

"Who,what?" he looked between the three of them confused.

"This is Josie, she's Peter's mate," Shawn put emphasis on the word. "She was attacked by rogues and I need you to go out and find them, deal with them, do what you have to," Shawn spoke, not saying what both Peter and Raul knew he meant. End them.

Raul nodded, turning for the door, "Congrats little bro, best thing that'll ever happen to you," he smiled before leaving the room.

"Congratulations?" Josie asked looking up at him. Peter sighed, he hadn't wanted to tell her like this, he'd wanted to wait but he also didn't want to lie to her. He looked at Shawn who nodded."Josie,when we were in the field, did you feel anything when I touched your hand, a tingling?" he prompted.

Her eyebrows knit together, before she spoke,"Y-yeah?"

He took her hand again, "You're my mate Josie," he spoke carefully, waiting with baited breath for her response.

She was quiet for a moment, before a soft smile graced her features. Peter thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"I am?" she asked, teary,surprising both the men.

"Please don't cry," Peter spoke quicky. "I promise you, I'll look after you with my life."

She shook her head,"It's not like that,my dad was a wolf, that's how I knew you were a wolf when we met in the clearing. I'm happy," she laughed, leaning into Peter's chest a little more.

Shawn beamed as he took in the cute sight before him,"You're okay for now, I'll leave you two alone," he spoke before excusing himself.

They sat in silence for a while, just happy to be in each other's company, still getting used to the feel of one another, the smell, the presence.

"Thank you," she whispered, eyes half open as she lay abck on Peter's chest.

"For what?" Peter murmured.

"For saving me."

"No Josie, thank you, you saved me," he countered, gently running his hands through her now only damp hair, causing her to shiver. "You are my life now."

[pinkpeonyprincessblog]

You're My Life Now

Dawn had always been Peter's favourite time of day, he couldn't tell why, but there was something so peaceful about it. A time when the world seemed less corrupt,a time when you could just be still, be one with nature.

Nothing about this day had particularly stood out to Peter, there was nothing to suggest as he got ready for his usual early morning perimeter run to suggest that anything out of the ordinary was about to take place.

He'd been doing this run, every morning for almost two years now and nothing had happened yet. As one of the famous Mendes Triplets and Beta alongside his brother Raul to their eldest brother Shawn (Alpha of the infamous Shadowmoon Pack) Peter took his responsibility extremely seriously. He'd always been the sensible one out of the three of them, or at least the most level-headed one.

Shawn was an amazing Alpha,Peter had always admired his ability to lead,his empathy his compassion, but he could also let his emotions rule him, which could cause problems sometimes. Especially if there was a disagreement between the three brothers. Raul on the other hand, was, well, Raul. Fiery, and passionate and a bit of a trouble maker, he liked to stir the pot whenever possible and unfortunately for Peter he always seemed to be the piece keeper,to stop arguments (usually caused by some snide comment that Raul would make in the heat of the moment which he always regretted later).

Whenever anyone spoke of Peter the first things they'd say was that he was extremely loyal,always ready to help and would protect his loved ones with his life. He'd been like this as long as he could remember.

As Peter stood up from tying his shoe laces,putting his glasses on, he noticed the sheeting rain outside his window. It was so heavy that it was actually hitting the window,leaving large water droplets on the once clear glass. He sighed, it wasn't that he minded the rain, it didn't make a difference to him as to whether he got wet or not,he never felt the cold as a wolf anyway. But it would make it harder, more tedious to complete the run, he'd have to pay extra attention to his surroundings,to the sights, smells and sounds.

"I'm headed on my run," Peter called to Shawn and Raul as he past the kitchen where the two of them were making coffee and talking about day ahead.

"Thanks Pete," came Shawn's reply."I'll be in the surgery with Connor later if ya need me," Pete nodded as he made his way out the front door and into the rain.

The first part of the run was pretty easy, flat ground,open, easy to see the fields that sprawled unchecked for miles ahead. He made it in good time, easily nativagsting the familiar territory with no issues.

He was halfway home when he saw object up ahead. At first he couldn't make it out, even with his wolf-enhanced eyesight the sheeting rain was obscuring his view.As he made his way slowly closer,mindful that it might be some sort of a trap from the rogue wolves that were constantly trying to ambush their lands,he spotted the fabric.It was slightly covered by the truck of a tree, only half visible, but Pete was sure, it was definitely fabric from a tee-shirt.

It wasn't uncommon to find old clothes in random places around the lands, wolves would hide them in convenient spots so when they phased back to their human form they were able to dress themselves without hassle. Even Peter did it. But something about the way the shirt was sitting, haphazardly, carelessly, on the ground caught and held Peter's attention. Something told him it wasn't right.

As he made his way slowly closer the wind changed and he was hit with scent, overpowering his senses,causing him to falter momentarily.

It was the sweetest most intoxicating scent he'd ever smelt, like Rosewater and Ivy perfectly blended together. He took his glasses off pocketing them in the hope that not having the rain-covered glass in front of his eyes might allow him to see better.

As he stepped closer still, the clothing moved Peter stilled,watching waiting,a few seconds later it moved again,rolling over. It was then that Peter realised with horror, that this was not just an old disguarded set of clothing,this was a person, and a hybrid wolf at that, half human, half wolf he realised when another gust of wind sent a stronger wave of scent towards him.

He rushed forward no longer fearing an attack, only concerned for the welfare of this person. As he rounded the tree he got his first proper look at the person. It was a young girl. She looked to be about Peter's age. The first thing that struck Peter was not her bedraggled appearance- the way her dirty blonde hair hung around her face, sticking to her forehead and cheeks,not the mud that was caked into almost every part of her, not even the slashed in her faded green sweater that had obviously been made by wolves claws or the blood that was seeping out from the large wound beneath it and the several other cuts and bruises that peppered her small fragile body. No. The first thing that Peter registered was the look of fear, of terror as the girl made eye contact with him.

"D-dont come near me," the girl stuttered, a mixture of cold and fear Peter was sure.

He held his hands up in surrender, "Please don't be scared," he spoke softly, voice almost drowned out by the rain as he made his way closer still, now less than a foot away from the girl- young woman really.

Up close Peter could see the way her mascara was running from her eyelashes,leaving small black smudges under her red bloodshot eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you, I only want to help,I promise. My name is Peter."

She looked at him for a moment, seeming to weigh up what he was saying. "But you're a wolf," she pointed out. She was perceptive, Peter thought.

"Yes, I am," he admitted, watching as her eyebrows knitted together with fear again.

"And the other wolves hurt me," she chocked on a sob, looking away from him.

Peter reached out, placing a finger on her jaw, gently turning her head to look at him again. As soon as he made contact his whole hand began to tingle,and he felt the butterflies that so many other wolves had spoken of so fondly."Mate," he heard his wolf Timbre purr protectively from inside his head. He felt dizzy, slightly intoxicated now and had to shake his head a few times to clear his mind, to keep himself on the task at hand. If he didn't do something soon, he would have no mate to protect.

"But these are my lands- my pack's lands,my older brother Shawn is the Alpha, when he hears about what happend he'll send out a group to go out and deal with them. I promise you you're safe with me, with us," he was almost pleading with her by the end, but he didn't know what else to do.

"Just, please let me get you some help," he added,feeling the sting of tears in his eyes as the thought of what would happen if she didn't go with him ran through his head over and over again.

"How?" she asked. Looking up at Peter with wide eyes. Her eyes were so blue,it was like getting lost in the ocean.

"My brother,Shawn, when he's not working as the Alpha, he's a doctor, he'll be able to help you. I'll take you to him.I promise you'll be safe.

She nodded, water flying off her face, still not seeming entirely convinced, but she relaxed a little, her shoulders loosening just a little,as she reached for Peter's hand, surprising him. He took it feeling the tingles again, more than happy to have any contact with her that she'd allow. He wasn't sure if she was ignoring the feeling or simply in too much pain to notice, either way she said nothing.

"What's your name?" he asked, not breaking eye contact.

"J-Josie," she answered clearly still apprehensive. She watched his every move.

"Okay, it's nice to meet you Josie. Can you show me where you're injuried? I don't want to cause you anymore pain when I lift you," he asked, "apart from the gash on your stomach?"

"My back hurts," she told him, and my head. I feel kinda dizzy," she added, almost as an after thought. Peter didn't know much about medicine, bit what he did know was that it usually wasn't good when someone said their head hurt and they were dizzy. He knew he needed to get her home,out of the rain, to Shawn. They'd only been talking 5 minutes, but already she looked more pale, and slightly drowsy. He had trouble hiding his panic as he spoke again.

"Can I see?" she nodded, so he let go of her hand reluctantly and made his way around so he was behind her, slowly peeling back the layers of fabric to reveal a large oozing gash that ran from her left shoulder to the small of her back. She let out a whimper as the air and rain but it, making Peter's heart squeeze. The last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt his mate, when one mate hurt the other hurt."I'm so sorry," he apologised when she sniffled.

"Alright,let's get you inside," he murmured, coming back around and squatting so he was in front of her, automatically holding his hand out for her to take again. He could see how tired and scared she was and his heart literally ached."I know you hardly know me, but I think the quickest way to do this will be if I carry you, will you allow me to do that?" he asked softly, patiently waiting for a response.

She nodded again, and he wasted no time in carefully picking her up, trying his best to avoid her injuries.

That didn't stop her from letting out a scream.

"I know, I'm so so sorry," he whispered trying to console her.

She didn't say anything, instead curling into his body further, head resting softly on his shoulder. Peter couldn't help the small smile that pulled at his lips as he thought about the fact that she was already seeming to seek his comfort, his warmth. This was what he'd dreamt of since the day he turned 18 and was old enough to have a mate.

He ran as fast as he could, trying to be careful not to move her too much, and to shelter her from the pouring rain. He knew that if he'd shifted he would have been quicker making it back to the house, but she was terrified, and clearly in no way to be holding onto his back as he ran, somewhere along the way she past out, head rolling unsupported as he ran, making Pete panic more.

After what felt like an age, the house came into site, spurring him on to run harder. He sprinted the last 20 metres,and up the front porch stairs, banging on the door to get someone, anyone's attention. Finally, Connor came to the door.

"The door was open, why didn't you just-" he stopped taking in the unconscious young woman in his arms. "Holy crap," he whistled. "Where'd you find her?" he asked as Peter pushed through the doorway forcing Connor to step sideway to avoid being hit.

"Down by the south border," he answered moving further into the house. "She needs medical attention is Shawn still in the surgery?" he asked as he went to go up the first flight of stairs.

"Here, let me take her, you can get changed and meet us up there," he offered, holding his arms out for him to hand Josie over.

Peter immediately recoiled, baring his teeth,a soft growl eminating from his throat.

Connor stepped back a look of deep shock and confusion on his face. "Peter what the?" he started before he connected the dots, a large smile wiping the look of confusion from his features."Pete, did you, is she?" he asked tripping over his words.

Peter nodded,"But she's a hybrid Con, so we need to get her upstairs," he spoke, wasting no time waiting for his reply. Connor rushed past him so he could open the door to the surgery. The familiar smell of disinfectant hit Peter's nose as they walked in.

"Shawn, we need you right now," Connor called out, as they rushed through the front area and into one of the many consultation rooms.

Peter could hear Shawn making his way through the surgery as he placed Josie down carefully on the table, immediately missing the contact.

"What have we got?" Shawn asked, walking through the door, before stopped short as Connor had minutes before. "Pete, where'd you find her?" he asked grabbing a pair of gloves from the dispenser on the wall and making his way over to the bed. "She's got some nasty injuries," Shawn muttered as he surveyed Josie's body. He went to move her shirt away from her stomach, an automatic response,to make a better judgement, but Peter felt an immense feeling of protectiveness wash over him again at another male, even his brother,who was trying to help, touching his mate.

He couldn't help the growl that slipped out as Shawn pulled back the fabric exposing her stomach and the nasty gash which Josie had shown Peter in the field.

"What's your problem Peter," Shawn laughed, turning to him, "I'm doing my job little bro,"

"You're touching her, you'll hurt her," he snarled very unlike himself. He knew logically that what he was saying wasn't true, but he couldn't help it.

"Peter, as if I'm going to hurt her, I'm literally trying to do the opposite," he stopped watching the way Peter's gaze never left Josie and something clicked. "Peter is she your mate?" he asked beaming.

"Yeah," Pete chocked on the word.

"Congratulations man," Shawn smiled again. "It's a big step finding your mate, what's her name?" he spoke knowingly. He'd found his mate Ava two years earlier,and Raul a year ago with Mia. They were both always so happy, so settled and finally Peter could have that too.

"Thanks Shawn,Josie, how, how bad is she?" he asked, almost wishing Shawn wouldn't answer.

"Well, from what I've seen so far, not great if I'm being honest, she's lost a lot of blood and the gashes on her stomach and shoulder look like they're getting infected, and if I'm being truthful I don't like the fact that she's not conscious. But I need to have a closer look. Will you trust me?" he asked.

Peter sat for a minute taking in what his brother had said," Can I hold her hand?" he asked embarrassed, cheeks heating up.

Shawn looked at him knowingly," Of course mate, here, sit on this. It'll actually be good. Having contact with you will help to keep her calm," he agreed, pushing a rolling chair with his foot for Pete to sit on."Where'd you find her, what happened?" he asked as he went to a cupboard and pulled a thick blanket out. Normally the wolves didn't need them, but they were kept on hand for the youngsters as a comfort tactic."She's freezing, borderline hyperthermic," he added as he took her temperature gently, Peter watching his every move as he then carefully lay the blanket over her.

"By the south border, I didn't realise it was her at first, I thought someone had left a pile of clothes," Peter admitted feeling guilty,"but when I got closer I saw that it was her and then her scent hit me and I knew. She was pretty reluctant to trust me at first," he added,"Shawn, she said wolves did it."

Shawn shook his head, as he went about hooking her up to different monitors,getting an I.V. with antibiotics in, listening to her chest and checking her pupils with a penlight. "We've had a problem with rogues recently, I'm so sorry Peter, I'll get a party together to deal with them," he added as Peter expected. "Connor," he called out, and it was only then that Peter realised that he'd left the room.

"Yeah?"

"Get Raul up here, I need to talk to him about the rogue problem," he was angry, Shawn was passionately against rogues and what they stood for and everyone knew it.

"I'm going to have to try and wake her up buddy, I need to know what sort of head injury we're dealing with."

Peter nodded, watching as Shawn placed a hand on her sternum and rubbed. He couldn't help the growl that once again slipped his lips. "I'm sorry mate, I wouldn't be doing it unless I had to," he looked genuinely apologetic.

A small whine left Josie's lips, and Peter was on his feet in a matter of seconds looking down at his mate anxiously.

"Josie, can you hear me, if you can hear me, give Peter's hand a squeeze."

Peter nodded, feeling his heart swell with relief as he felt her do as asked.

She opened her eyes, slowly taking everything in, before a panic set in and she tried to sit up."Hey, hey, take it easy," Pete, comforted, gently stopping her from sitting up and hurting herself further.

"You're safe here,do you remember me, I'm Peter?" he asked. She looked up at him with wide frantic eyes before recognition crossed her face and she relaxed into his grip.

"This is Shawn, my brother, he's the one I was telling you about," he added when she looked over warily at Shawn. "He's going to fix you up okay."

"It's nice to meet you Josie," Shawn smiled kindly at the young woman."How are you feeling?"

"Tired, sore,can I have some water?" she asked, voice strained.

"Of course," Shawn grabbed a disposable cup and filled it with water from the tap,holding it out to her.

Shawn went about checking her over,happily reporting that she only had a minor concussion, before numbing her up and carefully sewing her wounds closed. The whole time she clung to Peter like her life depended on it, but he didn't mind. He was happy to be able to provide the comfort.

There was a knock at the door and Raul walked in, not waiting for a response, only stopping as Shawn had at the sight of Josie.

"Who,what?" he looked between the three of them confused.

"This is Josie, she's Peter's mate," Shawn put emphasis on the word. "She was attacked by rogues and I need you to go out and find them, deal with them, do what you have to," Shawn spoke, not saying what both Peter and Raul knew he meant. End them.

Raul nodded, turning for the door, "Congrats little bro, best thing that'll ever happen to you," he smiled before leaving the room.

"Congratulations?" Josie asked looking up at him. Peter sighed, he hadn't wanted to tell her like this, he'd wanted to wait but he also didn't want to lie to her. He looked at Shawn who nodded."Josie,when we were in the field, did you feel anything when I touched your hand, a tingling?" he prompted.

Her eyebrows knit together, before she spoke,"Y-yeah?"

He took her hand again, "You're my mate Josie," he spoke carefully, waiting with baited breath for her response.

She was quiet for a moment, before a soft smile graced her features. Peter thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"I am?" she asked, teary,surprising both the men.

"Please don't cry," Peter spoke quicky. "I promise you, I'll look after you with my life."

She shook her head,"It's not like that,my dad was a wolf, that's how I knew you were a wolf when we met in the clearing. I'm happy," she laughed, leaning into Peter's chest a little more.

Shawn beamed as he took in the cute sight before him,"You're okay for now, I'll leave you two alone," he spoke before excusing himself.

They sat in silence for a while, just happy to be in each other's company, still getting used to the feel of one another, the smell, the presence.

"Thank you," she whispered, eyes half open as she lay abck on Peter's chest.

"For what?" Peter murmured.

"For saving me."

"No Josie, thank you, you saved me," he countered, gently running his hands through her now only damp hair, causing her to shiver. "You are my life now."