"We shattered and it was beautiful." Luna Rosemary Cold

I'm not sure how long we stood in the center of the broken glass. Her wails turned to sobs and then to hiccoughs and finally to shuddery breaths. I just held her as she clung to me, as if I was the last safe place for her. Jack burst into the room and looked around in amazement.

"What the fuck happened here!" Jack asked incredulously.

"Are you okay for now?" I asked Rosemary gently as I tried to pull back. She shook her head and I could feel her shaking. "well I don't want you walking around until we get the glass cleaned up." I lifted her in my arms easily and carried her to the bed.

"I'm sorry." She sniffed weakly.

"It's okay." I reassured her. "Rosemary, this is Jack. He's the Gamma and your personal bodyguard." I indicated Jack who was still by the door.

"Did he hurt you?" Jack asked harshly. "Because I'll kick his ass if he did."

"No. I just had a break down. It happens all the time." She informed him.

"Okay. You just let me know if you need anything, okay? I'll make sure you get it." I growled as an unexpected jealousy tore through me like a knife. Why was I being so possesive of Rosemary? Was it because of our similar stories? Or was it something else?

"I don't need anything from you thanks." Rosemary said and it was hard to miss the icy tone she used as she glared at Jack. I wondered why she was suddenly being so cold. but not for long. "Drake is perfectly capable of taking care of me and for you to suggest otherwise is completely untoward."

"Oh so this is a cultural difference. Here in the pack we all take care of each other. I have personal given rides to warriors' mates when they couldn't do it." I explained. "I've even delivered babies." Rosemary looked surprised.

"Frankly I'm surprised that the men were okay with such inappropriate things."

"It's not inappropriate. My sister has really bad luck when it comes to going into labor. Her last name is stormborn." I shrugged dismissively.

"Well that makes you a good brother." She smiled warmly at me and my heart did a little flip at the praise.

"Not really. It's a curse. Her mate's great great great great great great grandfather pissed off a witch." I ran my hand along her back, unable to resist the urge to touch her and she moved closer to me on the bed.

"Well that was stupid." She rolled her eyes but smiled none the less. "So what happens now?"

"What do you mean?" I asked as I continued to gently rub her back, all the while pulling her closer to me. I couldn't understand why I needed Rosemary so close to me but I did. I felt as if my entire world would shatter if she were more than a few feet away at any given time. I couldn't see past the now, or maybe I just didn't want to. I felt as if I had been clawing my way out of a vast lake for years and my head had finally broken the surface. It felt almost as if Rosemary were the only thing that could keep me afloat as I gasped for air.

I didn't want to let her go but I knew that eventually I would have to. I was loath to do it. "I should really clean up all this glass." I murmured as I stepped back from her, the glass crunching under my shoes.

"No need." Rosemary half smiled as she snapped her fingers and suddenly the billions of tiny shards of glass were inside a large crystal vase on the mantle. The windows looked as if they had never been broken and the large mirror was once again whole. The lights flickered on and I heard Jack swear under his breath as he looked on in amazement. 

"The benefits of having a witch for a wife I guess." I gave her a crocked smile.

"Were you trying to change the subject? It won't work." Rosemary said as she smiled placidly at me. "I don't know how werewolf marriages work. Is there a ceremony or ritual?" My face fell as I realized that I had neglected to inform the high priestess of the marriage rights of werewolves. More specifically one imparticular marriage right. The mating right.

"Um... actually.....our marriage rights are a bit more.....um... personal." I barely managed to get the words out and I knew I was blushing.

"How so?" Rosemary looked confused. "Do you write your own words of feilty to each other? That sounds nice."

"No.... I mean it does sound nice. But maybe I should have used the word private. It's a private.... ritual..... of sorts." I again stumbled over the words and looked at Jack for support only to see an amused smirk on his smug face as he stood with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for me to dig the grave of my pride and sence of propiraty.

"So... Just close family and friends? Is that it? I can live with that. A small gathering and it doesn't have to be to grand. It's not like we're expected to run off into the sunset or anything." Rosemary seemed blissfully unaware of my meaning. So I through caution to the wind and blurted it out.

"Sex, Rosemary. We have sex and I mark you." I watched as she went pale and then beet red. She clearly hadn't been expecting that. "By biting your neck." She swallowed as my eyes went to the crook of her neck and right shoulder. If I was being honest, the thought of Rosemary Sage squirming beneath me in pure pleasure was not that off putting.

She was pretty in her own way. With long thick waves of copper colored hair and pale skin that looked as smooth as a porcelain doll's face. Her gawsamer top was stretched tight over large round breast that were firm. I knew from when she had held me as I cried into them. Her spaghetti strap tank top cut off just above her mid drift showing a flat stomach and a perfectly shaped ass and toned legs used to excersize. Her waist was tiny, almost pixie like and her fingers and facial features were delicate. Her lips were full and plump. And I just wanted to drown in the pine green eyes that were currently looking back at me.

"Oh." Her blush deepened as she thought about what I had just said. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and I found myself wishing I was the one biting it. Almost as if it had a mind of it's own, my right hand started to move slowly towards her face.

"Would you like me to leave, Luna?" Jack asked abruptly pulling both of us back to the present and reminding us that he was still at the open door.

"Honestly I don't know why you are even here, Gamma." The ice in her voice was calming my physical reaction to our conversation. 

"Okay. I'm gonna go and treat myself for hypothermia now. Considering the icy chill in your voice, Luna." Jack growled. "Seriously, I can't think of a better match. The prince of cold and the ice queen." With that Jack slammed the door behind himself. It seemed he finally got Rosemary's message loud and clear. She did not have need of him nor would she treat him warmly.

"Prince of cold? What the fuck does that mean?" She asked in an offended tone.

"I'm more concerned about the fact that he called you an ice queen." I sighed heavily. "I'm not saying that I don't get it. I could have frozen a steak in your voice when you talked to him."

"A woman has one man that she belongs to at any given time. Before she finds her soul bounded it is her father. He provides for all her needs and once she finds her soul bounded it is his responsibility to care for her." It sounded as if she was reciting something she had been told all her life. "Well..... provided she is at least sixteen years of age and they have gone through the binding ritual."

"Did you? Go through the binding ritual?" I couldn't help but ask. "With Trebin?" The name didn't leave a bitter taste as I thought it would. It was almost as if I was acknowledging the existence of a ghost.

"No. I was twelve when I met him by chance. He was human. I was thirteen when he was...." She bit her lip as if trying to hold herself together and forcing herself to not break.

"Murdered." I finished weakly. Rosemary just nodded and closed her eyes as she started to count her steps. When she reached sixteen I wrapped my arms around her and held her close. It was only then that I realized just how small she really was. I could feel her silent tears soaking through my shirt and I didn't care. My wolf stirred and his ear twitched. Almost as if he was hearing something I could not.

Was it the cry of a broken heart? Or was it the silent scream of a shattered soul? Was there even a difference between the two? It was not for me to say. I just held her until her quiet sobs died and her tears were gone. Until her breathing evened out and became deep.