40 To loose...

Daryn woke that morning without Darla beside him. He listened to the house feeling it searching for his mate but she was not in it. His senses only picked on Eric who was below on his furs as the only living thing in the house.

He jumped out of the bed his face already pale with fear. Had she run away or did she now hate him and decided to leave him.

Daryn opened the back door to search the pond to see if she was taking a bath the male behind him grunted as the early morning cold wind blew inside the house. Daryn barely reacted to his protest.

Leaving the door half open he rushed to the closet to pick his leather clothes already tracing his mates scent. He had to find her.

After wearing his clothes he started for the front door. The cold winds blew again plastering the moist dew on him but the cold didn't affect him. He sniffed the air once more inhaling her beautiful scent she left behind that always calmed him then dashed out of the house in search of her.

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Darla sat on a rock staring at the flowing water just beside the rock she sat on. Memories flowed in her mind just like the water she was looking at. The peaceful early morning atmosphere did little to calm the nerves she was feeling inside.

She was angry she could not join her mate. Angry that even as a skilled mutant she was weak. She felt fear. Fear that he may die in battle and she will not see him again, fear that he could even find someone else on his journeys and completely forget her. Hot jealousy joined her emotional storm.

Darla wanted to shout and scream at the moon goddess for being unfair. What would she do when he was gone. How could she stay without him. Did Selene want her son single again, wasn't she good enough?! And the pain of everything broke her. She coiled herself and cried. She cried till her eyes got swollen.

Her mate was leaving her. He was really leaving...

She cried till her tears rivaled pools. Someone patiently waited in the midst of the river reeds while she poured out her emotions.

The reeds behind her rustled a little. Darla would have reached for her waist knife and readied for an attack but the bond she shared with the newly arrived beast made her do otherwise.

A dark fur coat crept out of the reeds. Its feet softly patting the ground that it was almost silent.

The new arriver walked on four legs creeping behind her. It made a soft groan only so she knew he was there and not fear of an attack.

Its patting feet crept till it was beside the rock she sat on and a man on two legs stood beside her. Her beautiful and mysterious mate.

Darla was tempted to turn to him and just look at his beautiful form but she did not want him to see her swollen teary eyes so she covered her face with her palms and tried to control her emotions that brought tears to her eyes. She could not afford to be weak.

For him she will be strong and endure.

Resolved and with a new strength, she wiped her teary eyes and readied her self for what was to come.

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The reflexive need to console and protect her, to promise her all was alright and hide her from the world that wanted to harm her, that made her cry and find a corner pulled at him to hold her...but he couldn't.

Or he didn't know how. He knew his magnificent mate did not like feeling weak. Something he had known since he first connected with her.

She would always hide her weakness and instead mock his attempt at hiding his own for she saw right through it.

Maybe what she didn't know was he also knew when she was afraid, in pain or uncertain. When her ears were peeled back and fear filled her beautiful eyes because of the uncertainties.

She would still try to hide this and be brave.....for him. Something she was even doing now. Daryn watched her wipe the tears from her eyes and steel herself still avoiding eye contact. The act alone sent a wave of emotions through him and his eyes began to sting from his own tears.

Daryn forced himself to look away and instead stare at the flowing water. He sniffed and fought the tears stinging his eyes.

Darla glanced at him afraid meeting his eyes but instead found him fighting tears. If it were another time and situation, she would have laughed at his failed attempt at hiding his pain because she always noticed it.

They both stayed silent for a while. Both staring at the flowing water. Both unwilling to start a conversation that will remind them how real the situation was.

When Darla had got her emotions controlled to a level of atleast speaking, she asked him

"When will you be leaving?" her voice hoarse because of her crying.

"We don't know yet" Daryn replied. His voice heavy. It took her a minute to discover why he said we. She had forgotten Eric would be leaving since he was also a champion. She mused. The poor man would be leaving his newly self built home.

"What does your mother want?" Darla asked suddenly and turned to stare at him. Wanting to see his face as he spoke.

Daryn sighed. "Mother wants me to be gone in three days" he said and he too turned to look into her eyes this time she did not avoid eye contact. She let him see her pain and sorrow that he was leaving her too soon.

"Aren't you going to tell me not to go....to stay?" he asked reaching for her face. Angry at himself for not being able to stop his tears from falling and unable to ease her own pains for he caused them.