Not Yours

Carter woke up with a big freight to the sound of a click. The only light in the room came from the moonlight out of the window. She looked to the door and her heart melted again.

"Tobias!" She gasped, waking up fully and sitting up.

"Shhh... shh... We can't let anyone catch us..." Tobias whispered faintly and moved as fast as lightening to her on the bed. Carter held her arms open for him and embraced him the moment he joined her on the bed. His eyes buried into hers as he seemed to study her soul. A scent caught his nose and he looked to the other side of the desk, frowning.

"You didn't eat?" Tobias whispered, his eyes flickering to the tray of food sitting on the opposite side of the room.

"Everything has just all happened so quickly... I kind of collapsed on the bed in exhaustion... I didn't mean not to eat." She muttered honestly.

Tobias listened as if it was the most important information he was ever going to hear as he stroked her hair lovingly. Carter watched him as he watched her. A question circled her mind as she stared into his golden eyes.

"Are you going to mark me?" Carter asked quietly, praying for a yes.

"I think we should wait..." Tobias confessed, pain clear in his hushed voice. Carter winced and felt like she had been shot with a silver bullet. She couldn't believe it! A million questions flooded her mind. Didn't he want to mate with her? Didn't he love her?

"It not safe right now... I think we should keep out mateship a secret until Rob gets home..." Tobias admitted quickly, aching because he hurt her.

"I don't understand." Carter whimpered, "Don't you love me?"

"Of course I do! Of course I love you! You're my life now! It's just that the Alpha has severe anger issues and it might get really bad if he finds out! If I mate you he will be especially mad! It might be so bad that he would kill me. And if I die, you might die, and I can't let you die..." Tobias explained but he could see in his mate eyes she wasn't buying it.

"Hey... Love, listen to me. Rob is my best friend. If we can keep us a secret until he gets home, I can talk to him. Rob is my best friend, he will understand." Tobias promised, cupping her face in his hands. "But until then... We need to keep 'us' on the down low..."

Carter whimpered and Tobias shushed her gently, "it's for you own good, Carter..."

"The Alpha and the Beta scare me..." Carter admitted sliding her hand into his and matching her palms to his and marking how small her hand was in comparison.

"They won't hurt you... You are far too precious... But I am begging you, please don't give them a reason."

"You sound like my cousin..." Carter chuckled soberly and her family flashed through her head and tears came to her eyes. She looked over to the window and looked out before Tobias's hand cupped her chin and brought her back to him, wiping her tears with his thumbs. He had no words to comfort her, as he knew no words could heal what his Alpha had done to his love. He pressed a long kiss to her forehead and pulled him onto his chest as he laid down covering them with the blankets. He drew patterns on her arm until her breathing evened out and she slipped into a peaceful sleep in his arms, where she belonged.

There was a banging on the door and Carter woke startled. In a reflex she tried to grab Tobias but found him gone. His absence sunk her heart and she looked around as if he was still in her room, but he wasn't. Her mate had left her alone some time ago as his sent barely lingered and her bed was cold. The rough banging continued and she couldn't help but think of her mate. When he came to visit her he was so sweet in the way he knocked, as if she would be offended if he knocked too harshly. Carter's train of thought was destroyed when the door slammed open and Killian stood, obviously aggravated.