A Kiss For Your Freedom

It takes them a few minutes to get to the door. They're probably moving slower than usual. I stand up, take the crutches that Madeleine made me and I get up as best I can to walk to the door which opens before I reach it.

They are both there. Jason supports Dorian who is much more injured than him and as soon as he sees me, he smiles tenderly before taking me in his arms. I close my eyes, burying my face in his neck and inhaling his scent deeply. It's craz how much I missed him, it's crazy how during their absences, I felt alone and lost.

I know Madeleine is in the room, but I don't care, now that they're here, it's only them who matters. Jason hugs me a little tighter before kissing me and saying,

If you only knew how much I missed you, love.

~1 missed you too, darling, you can't imagine how much.

“But at least I didn't come back alone,” he said, shifting slightly so that I could see Dorian in the doorway.

Part of me is angry for what he did, but on the other hand, seeing him again, knowing that he is alive comes before everything else. I approach him a little awkwardly with these crutches and it is he who takes the last steps to reach me ar hold me against him.

~ I'm s0 sorry, my dear. Really sorry.

- We'll sort this out later, for now, let me enjoy the fact that you're still alive.

He breathes in my scent as he rests his head on my neck and just like with Jason, it's enough to make me forget everythir else. The panic I felt when he left, the fear that assailed me while they were fighting, the pain in my body when I realized they were hurt and above all, the pain of having to wait for them while being powerless. I sigh, relieved, letting my heart race to launch into a crazy race that makes me smile. It's stupid, I know, but I can't do anything about it, I can't help but b happy to have found them.

He enters the house as I push myself to let him pass. Madeleine approaches us all smiles.

- I'm happy to see that you young people are doing well.

- Thanks for coming, Jason continues. Thank you for everything.

- It's really nothing, she replies, collecting these things.

- Are you leaving already, he asks?

~1 think I've been here long enough, you three need to get together. You need to be together.

~1 can't thank you enough for taking care of Emma for us.

- You don't need to do it, the elders are there for that, to help the younger ones move forward. I'm going to leave you young people, don't hesitate to come back and see me when you're better, we'll have tea together.

- it will be with great pleasure, he said, accompanying her outside.

Dorian doesn't really know what to say, or even how to react to me. He knows that his departure hurt me, he knows that even if it was for good reasons, I suffered from it, just like Jason who returns after a few minutes, his arms full of medicin and bandages. He puts everything in the kitchen before joining us both and taking us in his arms.

- We will never separate again, he said. Never again.

~1 couldn't agree more, I said, hugging them in turn.

1 promise, says Dorian, it won't happen aga in, ever.

And for a few minutes, neither of us moves, as if we believe that as long as we are together, nothing else matters.

Jason's POV

I feel much better, time has taken its toll and I must say that I am happy to be able to move around again without grimacing. We arrived later than I thought, I had to drive slowly so as not to rush Dorian but at least now we are all together. I feel that even if they are happy to see each other again, there is nonetheless a sort of uneasiness between them.

Dorian doesn't really know how to react to her and 1 feel that although she is more than happy to see us again, she remai angry that he left like that, without even a word. It won't last, I'm sure. The love they have for each other has brought us closer together, it is much stronger than this resentment, much more powerful than this misstep.

Now that Madeleine is gone, I am the most able-bodied and so I decide to leave them in the living room for a bit to prep: them a nice little meal. We all need to spend some time together, we all need the presence of others. I know what they li and I hope this lovingly prepared little dish will relax them both.

I've only been in the kitchen for a few minutes when I hear Dorian's voice breaking the silence.

- I'm sorry, my dear. I should not have done that. I should have spoken with you, I should have taken your opinion into account.

- Above all, you should have known that we love you as much as we love each other and that under no circumstances should you come after one of us.

- 1 know, he said in a voice full of pain.

- You think ? Because if you really knew, you would have understood that we would have died with you if necessary. You would have known that the moment you lost your life, ours would have shattered instantly. You should have known bette than anyone.

It's rare that I hear him speak in this tone. Actually, it's happened before but only with me and not with him. She was afra enough for her anger to be revealed in front of him.

“You would have had a chance,” he said, trying to justify himself.

- A chance ? A chance of what? A chance to cry to you? A chance to know how much it can hurt to lose someone you consider a part of yourself? Sorry, but while I can't speak for Jason, neither of us would have wanted this, I know.

By the sound I hear, she is moving, at least she is trying to do so as best she can.

- Wait, he said, you must not force your leg, my dear. Please don't go, don't walk away.

The silence falls for a minute before she continues,

- You promised me that you wouldn't leave me, that I wouldn't stay behind.

His voice breaks my heart though,

- You're right, I promised you. I was an a*****e, a real a*****e. I wanted you to live so badly that I forgot how painful it would be for you, for both of you. I love you so much that I didn’t think, I went for it.

I smile as I feel Emma softening, her heart beating a little faster, anger calming to give way to relief, to give way to love.

- You may be an idiot, but you are our idiot and I swear that if one day, the idea just crosses your mind to start again, I w come with Jason to get you and you will regret having done that .

~ 1 won't leave again, ever.

- You better, because if it hadn't crossed your pretty little head, there's no risk of starting a family one day without you. “A family," he said, touched by these words. You mean, a family?

- What did you think? That we would never get there? Of course we are going to start our family, here, in this magnificent setting, on this land where you can let loose and let my Wolves run without fear of being discovered. I may have never se foot in a pack, but I tell myself that in a way, this is a bit of who we are and I would be happy to see our children grow up here. Where they would be safe.

- Are you really serious Emma?

- Of course I am. I'm not talking to you about starting tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. We may have to wait until we can move before that, but, yes, I'm serious. I love you and I am yours, all I want is to spend my life with you.

This rush of tenderness, of love, hits me right in the chest as he places his lips on hers. Finally he begins to understand, finally he realizes that without him, we would be totally helpless, lost and that it is only together that we are truly happy. Three months later

Dorian’s POV

Even though I know I will never fully regain mobility in my arm, I am happy to be able to move it again. I'm regaining autonomy, and that's just great. Emma has been on her feet for a few weeks now. It was time, she too was starting to find the time long.

Jason was great throughout our recovery. He took care of everything. From U.S. Of the House. He did everything to make things easier for us, to soften this period that was far too long for our liking, so this evening, now that I am feeling much better, Emma and I decided to return the favor.

For the occasion, she went for a walk with him so that I could prepare everything else. I cooked a nice little dish that continues to simmer slowly. Lit candles everywhere while the room is dotted with flowers which diffuse their scents throughout the house. I set up a beautiful table, with the only tablecloth we actually have. The dishes aren't very luxuriot either, but that doesn’t matter to us, we abandoned our last riches a long time ago in order to keep only the essentials, ir order to concentrate only on on the main one. We.

Since we met again, Emma has talked to us more and more often about having a child, about starting a family and I must say just this thought transports me with joy but before that, before even starting to think about it, we will first focus on this evening. On this moment that we have all been waiting for for a long time. Because although there remains tenderne and gentle gestures, it has been an eternity since we have been able to love each other as we wanted. It's been an eterni since we loved each other like we used to.

I look around just to make sure everything is perfect and once I'm satisfied with my work, I head off to get ready. Undressing in front of the ice, I observe the scars on my arm, the bite marks that will remain until the end of my life. It doesn't matter, I never really paid attention to that kind of detail and I know it's the same for them.

The water flows over my body for several minutes. It won't be long before they arrive and I want to be ready. I dress quick simple clothes, but different from the ones I wear every day. And when I come out of the bathroom, they come through tt door.