Anything

I roll my eyes and poke his belly as I say "This is Hunter and his sister Fern. They took me in and saved my life. More than once. Fern is like a sister to me and Hunter is like an older brother I've always wished I had."

Hunter gives me a warm smile as he pats Fern's head and says "It's nice to meet you all. We have room at our place for everyone." My Mom steps up with tears in her eyes and says "I can't thank you enough for saving our little girl. If she thinks of you as family, you're indeed family."

Valen scoffs in disapproval but when my Dad turns to glare at him, he quickly clears his throat and looks away. I sigh and shake my head but before I can say anything, Valen turns back to us and says "You guys catch up and get settled. I'm going to help the others."

I nod my head as I turn back to everyone with a warm smile. Fern slips her hand into mine and begins to pull me to their house as she says "Everything in your room is the exact same. We didn't touch or move a thing!"

I give her a grateful smile as I follow her and Hunter back. Thane stays right behind me, keeping an eye on us as he looks around the City. When we reach the house, Fern starts showing my parents their room as Hunter turns looks to Thane with a stern look.

Thane looks back at him, in a silent challenge but what Hunter says next has me freezing. "So you're the one she loves and risked everything for." I nearly choke on my own spit as I look up to Hunter with wide eyes. I shake my head at him but when I look over to Thane, I see him watching me with a dark look.

I quickly reach out and backhand Hunter in the stomach but he just chuckles and says "It's not like I'm saying something untrue." I turn to glare at him but when Fern calls for me, I give him a pointed look and say "I'll be right back."

Thane slightly nods his head as I walk away. Every couple of steps I would stop and turn back to look at the two. For some reason, I don't feel comfortable leaving those two together. I shake my head and quickly walk over to Fern and my parents.

~~~~~~~~

THANE

He eyes the guy named Hunter but he feels himself slowly relaxing. Like Valerie had said, they interacted like brother and sister. He didn't pick up the scent of attraction or lust so it's safe to say he thinks of her in the same way.

It just didn't sit well with him when a guy he'd never seen was holding her... Suddenly, Hunter speaks up "When we first found her, she had given up." Thane's eyes narrow on Hunter as he asks "Given up what?"

Hunter watches them talking in the hall, trying to figure out rooms as he says "She gave up on living. She walked for miles on two broken ankles and collapsed right outside of the City. We took her in but she was no different from a dead person."

Hunter turns to look at Thane and quickly realizes that the guy loves her just as much as she loves him. Hunter sighs and says "She almost gave up everything and wasted away. Eventually, she started eating again but she was never really... alive. She just existed. Well, until she heard a story from an old man."

Thane struggles to control his emotions as he clenches his fists. Hunter looks back to the hall with a sad smile and says "She had no way of knowing if it was true or not but she was willing to take the chance. Even if there was only a one percent chance it was real, she took it."

Hunter then turns to look Thane in the eyes as he says "She took it to save you and in return, she seems to have somehow saved herself. She's like my little sister and I will do everything I can to protect her, even if it's against the ones she loves the most."

Thane's knuckles pop under the sheer pressure of clenching his fists as he smirks at Hunter and says "If I suspect you care for her more than a brother would... I will remove you from her life. I'm not above being the monster I am to keep her by my side. You have nothing to worry about. I would never hurt the one I love the most... the one that keeps me human. Hurting or killing her would be like hurting or killing myself."

Hunter and Thane lock eyes with each other in a silent battle of wills before Hunter smiles. He flashes his sharp teeth at Thane as he says "Then I guess neither one of us has anything to worry about. Welcome to the Oasis."

Hunter reaches out and smacks Thane's shoulder while giving him a knowing smirk and walking away. Thane watches his every move with narrowed eyes. Being the predator he is, he can tell Hunter is dangerous.

He could still take him but it would be a bloody fight. Thane rolls his shoulders and tries to release his pent up hostility as he turns to see Valerie talking with her parents. He watches the way her parents smile at her and even touch her.

Every look, every touch... it's filled with love. The love they have for their daughter hurts to see but it also warms his soul. Knowing that she has such wonderful parents makes him grateful but when he thinks back to his own father, a low growl threatens to escape.

He was told that his mother died giving birth to him but he's starting to question that. He knew his father was a heartless bastard but he didn't know he was that bad.

A small dark chuckle slips out as he thinks about how ironic it truly is. He was the monster everyone fears but his father was the true monster. No matter what, he will protect her from his monstrous father and his evil plans. She exposed herself to save him... she was even willing to die for him more than once.

His chest aches at the thought of her and her boundless love. How can she love something like me? He slowly cracks his neck with dark eyes. It doesn't matter. As long as she does, he will do anything to keep her by his side and in his arms. Anything. Even if that means destroying parts of himself...