Chapter 21: What Relationship do I Want/Need?

"So, Doc, why don't you tell Alfie what you were telling me earlier before we were rudely interrupted by intruders." I didn't mean to start drama, but I just knew that Alfie would find out eventually and it was better for him to find out straight from the horse's mouth.

I could tell I made him nervous. He flinched without Alfie even moving a millimeter. Alfie looked at me and turned his head to look at Doc. "What were you telling her, Doc?"

Doc's face turned red and he looked like he wanted to disappear in this moment, but he knew he would have to answer. "Umm, I was just saying that… uhm… that I want to prove to her that I am… umm… worth becoming her mate."

Alfie's jaw looked as if it was going to drop off of his face and onto the ground when he heard Doc. "And what did you say, Alyssa?" he slowly turned his head to look at me.

"I told him that he shouldn't wait for me to be ready."

I could hear Alfie let out a quiet sigh as he responded, "Well, good thing she won't be ready anytime soon, right?" He looked at me with a begging look on his face. His eyebrows curled upwards in the middle of his face and his eyes glassed over.

"I already told him it won't be soon if it happens at all. We need to have a while to have a normal life and not have people trying to kill us."

Both of them laughed at my last comment, thinking I was joking, but I was half serious. We have had a long life since I showed up in this world, and I needed to have some time to raise my baby girl and growing boy. This world has been such a crazy experience and I have only been here for a few months. If I would have known this is what my life would be, I would have taken a few spa days before coming here.

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Alfie took the kids out of the room to take care of them while me and Doc cleaned up the bodies and blood from the room and the townspeople cleaned them up from around the town. I know the townspeople didn't want to have to fight this battle, but the fear of intruders is nearly eliminated throughout the surrounding area.

I was surprised Alfie took the kids, leaving me and Doc alone, but I'm sure he trusted both of us and knew that we wouldn't do anything to hurt him.

"You know, what I said earlier was true." Doc broke the silence.

"I know, what I said was true as well. I don't want you to get caught on me and then miss another female who is better for you."

"Alyssa, there is no better female than you, and not just because you are a shifter. You are a great female, and you are the kindest person I have met. You think about other people even when you don't have to and even if it puts yourself in harms way. You are an amazing person." I put my head down so Doc wouldn't see me blush as he was speaking. I could hear him step over to me until I saw his bare feet just in front of mine. I saw his pale hands lift from his sides and gently grasp my chin between his pointer finger and thumb. His cold fingers were soothing in comparison to my hot body temperature. He gently pulled my face to look at him straight in his eyes and I could see them start to glow bright red as our eyes met. "Don't look down when I'm speaking to you." He was gentle yet assertive. The command he gave me made my inner thighs burn hotter and start to get moist. My heart skipped a beat, and I was about to respond when I could feel his hand start to warm. "Hmm, so you like when I command you." He whispered as he leaned in closer.

Our noses were nearly touching when he stopped and looked me in the eyes again. His eyes were the brightest that I had ever seen them before. He stepped towards me, backing me into the cave wall behind me and raised his other hand from his side to move the hair from my face. He started to lean in closer and I was confused as to if I wanted to move into him, or away from him. His lips were just barely touching mine when I heard footsteps approaching from the hallway. I pushed Doc away and shot a look at the doorway just as Alfie walked in. "The kids are sleeping, so do you need any help in here?"

I awkwardly looked around the now clean room and back at Alfie. "Nope, we just finished up." I shot him a reassuring smile before he looked over at Doc. His eyes narrowed and I knew he heard at least part of our conversation. "So, I'm kind of getting tired, can we go to sleep? Today was pretty stressful and I just need to have a good sleep to get rid of the stress."

Alfie looked back at me and held his hand out for me to grab it. I naturally took his hand and he led me out of the room and to our main room where I bed sat. I could hear Doc's feet lightly walking behind us and I could sense the disappointment in the air as we reached the lit room with two children asleep in their beds. I feel Alfie gently pull me closer to him once we get to our bed and he looks over my shoulder at Doc. Doc must have gotten the hint to leave the cave and he exits slowly while watching the ground.

Once Doc reached the cave exit, he turned and walked over to the circular bare spot where I had just recently found out he had been sleeping. I could hear him turn into his snow fox form and curl into a ball in his spot. I felt bad allowing Doc to sleep outside in the elements while we slept comfortably in our cave, but I knew Alfie wouldn't like me inviting him inside. 'I hope he's okay out there' I thought as I turned to lay in the animal fur bed next to the large fire.

Alfie didn't respond to me and he just laid next to me, wrapping me into his embrace and covering both of us in his fluffy tail. I knew I made him uncomfortable when I talked about Doc with any sort of concern, but even though he is his best friend, he is a friend to me as well, and maybe even more than that. I wasn't sure what Doc was to me quite yet, but I was sure that he was going to be a part of my life no matter what; he may be my mate in the future, or he may just be a friend to me and my family. I needed a little more time to decide what kind of relationship I wanted, or needed, from him; hopefully, I would find out the direction we should go sooner rather than later so that I don't string him along for much longer. I didn't like giving him hope that we would be mated if I didn't know for sure if that is what I wanted yet.

I closed my eyes as I grasped the black softness covering me and brought it to my face. My entire body started to get heavy, and I drifted off into the darkness that I had missed the last few days. I had hoped that once my eyes opened once again, that Doc would be in the bed with us, but I knew that was wrong to hope for.