I wake up to Xander talking to the Doctor.

"So can she go home today?"

"She can, but I want you to make sure that she takes these pain killers after every meal she has. It will help with the discomfort and also speed up the healing process."

"Okay, I can do that."

"And also she will need to do gradually begin to do exercise  and stretches to keep her muscles not only strong, but flexible as well."

Xander glances at me and notices I'm awake, I see his body physically relax. He turns to the lady the nods his head, "Thanks Doc." She bows her head in respect and leaves.

"How're you feeling?" He asks. Xander makes his way over to me and sit on the chair next to my bed.

"I feel way better. My legs still feel a little weak though."

He nods in understanding

"You're able to leave today." He informed me, "I just gotta sign the discharge papers and then we can be on our way."

I sighed in relief, "Thank goodness! I'm so sick of the doctors here!"

He frowns, "Why?"

"Oh ummm," I said, thinking of a way to say this without acting like a total cry baby, "There were a lot of doctors and healers around when my mother was sick. I guess I just associate them with her now.

"Must've been a really difficult time," He said gently. I noticed that whenever he talked to me, he changes his voice a bit. It's almost like he wanted to approach me in a non-threatening way. Like a wolf bowing down slightly to show the other he's not an enemy.

I brushed it off like it wasn't a big deal, "It's okay, no worries." And it's true it wasn't a big deal. But I never mention anything related to my mother without feeling a slight tug at my heart.

He nods his head, letting all the distress leave his face. Xander looks into the distance, lost in his maze of thoughts.

"You know what. I don't want you in here for very long either..." He pauses and thinks on it for another minute, "Better yet! Let's leave now!"

"What?" I said a little confused, "Don't you have to sign the papers?"

He didn't reply. All he did was swoop me off my feet. My eyes widen and I shout, "Xander! What'd you think you're doing!" 

"Taking you out of this depressing facility." 

I instantly wrap my arms around his neck out of instinct, "Don't drop me!"

He looks at me and smirks,"I'd never drop you sweetheart, you can count on that." I become still as I registered those words. I felt like there was an underlying meaning to his words, one that wasn't just literal. We walk out of my room and bump into his brother, Solomon.

His eyes brighten when he sees us, "Oh! Hey Lizzy, I was just about to give you a little visit."

Then his eyes zoom in on my ass. Then I realised that I'm still wearing the hospital gown. Ohhhhh shit!

Soul gives me a humorous smirk, "Nice ass Lizzy," he says with a laugh.

Out of embarrassment, I kinda look up at the roof. Why am I just the most unluckiest person in the whole entire world!

Xander frowns at Soul's comment, then he looks down at my gown and his hold on me tightens. He snarls at his brother, "What the fuck do you think you're looking at brother?" 

Soul raises his brow and said, "Looking at a fine piece of ass." He said cheekily. 

My eyes widen and I exclaimed, "Soul!"

 Xander's eyes went dark. Solomon chuckles, "There's the big boy." He turns to me and gives me a wink. 

I felt Xander's chest inhale and exhale with a deep growl. He gently puts me on the ground gently, he walks up to his brother and they get into a heated argument.

"You don't talk to her like that, Solomon," He growls, "You don't look at her like that ever again."

Solomon stands up to his brother, "What're you gonna do about it though? She might like me more than you?"

Xander clenches his jaw tightly. His hands rolls into a fist. His eyes glances at me. Xander closes his eyes and takes deep breaths. He turns back to his brother and growls, "Don't push me like that in front of her, Solomon. She's already seen the bad side of me I don't want to give her another reason to run away."

My concentration on their conversation fades of as I try to stand up to get to Xander. He might be an asshole but right so is Solomon. I didn't want them to get into a fight just because Solomon saw my flat ass. It's really not worth arguing over.

 But just like before I collapse. My knees hits the floor with a hard impact. Shit that hurt! I little whimper escapes my lips as well as a growl of frustration, but it was enough to catch my mate's attention.

Xander immediately rushes over to me and kneels down beside me. His big strong sexy hands grabs my waist.

"What're you think you're doing, Izzy!" He growls.

 "I was just trying to stop you from hurting your brother." I explained.

He shrugs his shoulders, "Well he deserves it after what he did."

I shook my head and released an fatigued sigh, "Let's just go Xander, okay?"

Xander clenches his jaw and glares at Solomon who just raises his hands in surrender. My mate lifts me into his arms and carries me out into the car.

After about 10 minutes of driving, we are FINALLY home!  Xander quickly gets out of the car, runs around to my side and opens the door. He lifts me into the house.

"Home sweet home. Let's get you settled in shall we, before the horde of girls bombard you." He chuckles.

He walks us up with stairs and into his bedroom...bedroom? HIS BEDROOM?!?

I shifted in his arms a little uncomfortable, "Ummm...can I just stay in my old room, please?"

I becomes a little stiff, but he quickly masks it. He smiles down at me. A smile that doesn't reach his eyes."Of course." He said politely.

Xander then walks us down another level and into my room. He lays me down on the bed.

"You stay here, I'll quickly get the bags."

I smirk, "Even if I wanted to runaway it's not like I can or anything." He grins slightly, but it looked tight on his face as he leaves to get our luggage.

Zapora, Avery and Emily bursts through the door.

"Lizzy!" They all squeal.

"Are you okay?" Zapora asked.

"YES! I'm fine!" I exclaimed through a laugh.

"Why would you try to hurt yourself!"

"You had us worried!"

"What was happening?"

All of them bombarded me with questions. All of it kind of became overwhelming to the pint that I had a hard time breathing from all the stress.

A growl was heard from the door. All of us turned around and saw Xander standing there with a deep frown.

"Leave my mate alone! She needs rest not a recap of what happened!" He snarled. Or a recap of what he did, I added in my head.

All of them bow their heads and walked out of the room.

Zapora however quickly said, "If you need to talk. I'm here." Then she left. Her offer was kind and I appreciated it.

Xander leans against my door frame, "Are you comfortable?" He asks. 

I nodded my head, "Yeah."

He nods his head, "Good. Are you hungry or anything?"

I shook my head, "Not really."

Xander awkwardly nods his head again. There was a moment of silence before he broke it, "Well then, I'll just leave you to rest. You need to regain your strength." He quietly exits my room and closes my door gently.

From everything that happened I realised how emotionally exhausted I am. I went from, being so depressed that I wanted to kill myself to...being alive and still around Xander. A very different Xander. But none the less, All the memories from that night came flooding back into my head. What he said about my mother. How he treated me. How he pretty much cheated on me. 

I shook my head as a burning anger had lit in my chest, "What a fucking joke." I said to myself. What the hell am I doing giving him another chance? He deserves to be mateless for the rest of his life.

But then there's a different Xander now. He's practically a completely different person to what he was before. He's been a lot nicer. But that doesn't excuse the things he's done to me in the past. I'll stay for a bit and see how this whole things rides out, and if I don't like the end result, I'm going to leave.

I lay my head on my pillow and close my eyes, letting everything come to a stop.

***

CRACK! I jolt awake. I sit up and look at the window. There is a massive storm outside. The thunder is so powerful that it's slightly shaking the house. I've always hated thunder storms. I used to crawl into my mother's bed, and she'd comfort me. Another crack of thunder vibrates in my ear. My heart start to thump against my chest.

I get out of bed, but I immediately collapse. This is the worst time to not being able to walk! Instead, I crawl.

Every thunder storm, I had my mother. But she was gone. And even though now I am older...I guess storms just remind me that the comfort I once had was gone.

I went down the hall. The only thing that lit it was the lightning that give just a moment of a flash. I felt my fear rise. I tried to take deep breaths. But this feeling of being alone was closing in on me. I just wanted my mother. Tears had glistened in my eyes, but I blinked them away. Not allowing them to fall. I can't let them

I tried to keep crawling. I wanted to go downstairs where the fire is and just curl up against the warm light. But a big clap of the thunder was so loud, I could feel the floor vibrate and the glass windows shake. I yelped in fright and I sat against the wall with my knees up to my chest. 

"Izzy?" A voice standing out from the thunder.

I lifted my head to see Xander standing at the end of the hall wearing baggy shorts and no top. His hair was all messy from his pillow. 

He came and bent down in front of me, "Why're you out of bed? Is something wrong?"

"Oh nothing! I just couldn't sleep." Trying to just push away the fact I am a full grown woman who was scared of a freaking storm.

He tilts his head, still staring at me suspiciously, "It doesn't seem like nothing. You look freaked out," He said

"It's Nothing!" I exclaimed defensively, "I'm fine! I just can't sleep okay!"

"Did someone upset you?" He growls

"No!"

"Then what's wrong?!" He started getting impatient.

"NOTHING!" I yell, "Before you never wanted me around and now you won't leave me alone!"

Then another thunder cracked. I scream, My immediate reaction was my arm shooting out and I held on to his arm.

His eyes soften, "You could have just told me that instead of lying. I would have understood."

I roll my eyes, "I'm not afraid of thunder storms. I just can't sleep."

Xander scoffs, "Sure."

Xander lifts me up and began to walk me in the direction of his room. I frowned, "My room is just right there."

"I thought you wouldn't want to be alone on a night like this."

I scoffed, "Like I said, I can't sleep. I'm fine. Take me back to my bedroom, please." Xander clenches his jaw, not in an angry way, more like a...he didn't want to take me to my bedroom kind of way. 

He walked back to my bedroom and laid me on my bed. He stands up and looks down at me, "Good Night Izzy."

"G'night."

He didn't leave right away. He just stood there staring down at me, we were staring at each other. He seemed vulnerable, a look of longing dripping out of his eyes. He released a sigh, "I'll see you in the morning then." He turns and leaves. 

I laid in bed, trying to calm myself down. I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep but it seemed like the thunder was getting louder and louder by the minute.

I stood up and went to my parents room with tears streaming down my face. The thunder booming through the sky, shaking my to my core. There was a big monster stomping outside, trying to find me. 

"Mummy!" I said as I opened the door.

My mother immediately woke up. She propped herself up and looked at me, "Elizabeth? Honey, are you okay?" She with her croaky and sleeping voice. 

I sniffled, "I'm scared." I whimpered. 

"Aw baby. Come here." I stood there and I saw her open her arms up. Time froze. All I could see was her open arms and her eyes that were soft and comforting to me. I stood there looking at my mother's open arm and my heart split into a sharp pain because I knew I could never have that again...she was gone. She could never look at me like that ever again. She could never hold me like that ever again. She was the only woman in my life that truly loved me.

The thunder snapped me out of my thoughts. I sat and tears rolled down my eyes. I looked up at the sky through my window. It felt like it was the devil's sick joke. He was tormenting me. Reminding me of how alone I was. 

But then my thoughts went to Xander. He was my mate. If I went to him right now, he would let me in without question. He wouldn't talk, he wouldn't ask me why. He just would do. But then I didn't want to give him the wrong idea that I'm just throwing myself into his arms. But then how the hell am I gonna give him a chance when I constantly block my emotions from him? Giving him a chance means that I have to be open to the fact that this could work out. 

CRACK! I yelped as another boom of the thunder shook my room. Decision made. I looked to the corner of my room, "You've got to be kidding me." There were crutches there. I'm an idiot. 

I crawl to them and managed to get my sluggish form use them. I slowly hobbled my way to his room. All I had to do was follow his scent which wasn't hard since it was so strong to me. When I found myself at his door and nervously knocked on it. 

I heard rustling inside. He opens it and as soon as his eyes saw me they soften. I didn't say anything and neither did he. He stood back and opened the door for me. I silently hobbled in. I heard him shut the door behind me.

I become still when I feel his hand on my back, causing a shiver. Soon his other arm was under my knees and he lifts me up, leaving my crutches to fall to the ground, "I have the crutches for a reason." I said. 

Xander walks us to the bed, "Just shut up and let me do this." I was surprised by what he said. But a part of me kind of liked it.

He lays me down. Xander crawls from the other side. We're both under the covers and all you can see is the storm. Xander respectfully stayed on his side of the bed and he had his back to me. I turned my back to him also and faced the balcony where two double glass doors were. I gulped as I saw nothing but blackness...and then...BOOM! A giant thunderous echo came out of the sky and shook me to my core. 

I yelped again and my first reaction was to jump right on top of Xander. I was literally sitting on his back right now. I could feel him shaking from laughter under me. I frowned down at him, "I'm not scared!"

He looks over his shoulder and raised a brow like 'really?'

I sighed in defeat, "Maybe I'm a little scared."

I get off of him and go back to my side of the bed. Except this time, Xander and I are facing each other. He raises his hand and rests it on top of mine, slowly interlacing our fingers. I didn't stop him. Though I still didn't trust him, I could't help but appreciate how much comfort he brought me as a mate only could.

"It's okay, you're okay Sweetheart," He whispers in a husky voice,  "I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you."

I know that Xander's words were more than just about comforting me about a storm. I feel like he is making a promise to me that whenever I'm afraid, he will be there with me. He will be my strength when I am weak, he will be there to protect me when I am unprotected, he will love me when I feel unloved. Now all he has to do is convince me that he'll keep his promise.