Page 57 of Blinded
I curled up in Brett's lap, licking over his thigh.
"I'm sorry," Brett whispered.
I pressed closer, enjoying the warmth of his body as his fingers combed through my fur. I watched Cohen and Stephen play across the yard, and when Cohen paused and looked at me, I hesitated, but knew he was right. I needed to go run with them. If I stayed with Brett, his wolf wouldn't miss the companionship. He needed to want to join us. I huffed as I stood, licking over Brett's cheek before turning and taking off. I made sure we yelped and whined and made enough noise that Brett could hear us, hoping it would be enough to draw his wolf forward.
I forced myself to stay away from Brett for the most part. Every now and then I'd rub up against him before taking off across the yard again, but he made no signs of shifting. He just sat there, his head in his hands, silent as we played around him.
After a half an hour, I couldn't do it anymore. I shifted back and went to him, drawing him into my arms. "I love you."
"I let you down." He leaned against me.
"You haven't."
"I can feel it in our link."
"You didn't let me down. I'm just sad that your wolf won't come be with me. I miss him. I'm not upset with you at all. I love you. We'll find a way to get through this." I kissed him softly.
"I love you." He clung tightly to me.
Cohen and Stephen shifted, coming over beside us. I glanced up, seeing the concern in Cohen's eyes. I didn't like that. Cohen was someone I trusted. If he was concerned, then I should be too. "Thanks for trying." I gave him a weak smile.
"We'll keep trying. If you haven't shifted by then, there is a pack hunt this coming weekend. Join us. Maybe being around a bunch of wolves will help." Cohen put a hand on Brett's shoulder. "Don't give up. Keep trying. Do whatever you think will help draw your wolf out. Don't be too hard on yourself. You've been through a lot. We'll figure this out."
Brett nodded. "Thank you for trying. It was nice to meet you, Stephen."
Stephen smiled. "I'll see you soon. If you need to get away, give me a call."
I loved my pack members. No matter what, they were always there for each other. "Thanks, guys." I stood and hugged them both.
I stayed in the backyard as Cohen and Stephen dressed and left. Once alone, I cupped Brett's face in my hands. "I wish you weren't so upset."
"How can I not be? What if I can never shift again?" He pulled away, turning his back to me.
I went up behind him, wrapping my arms around his body, pressing my face to his back, rubbing my beard over his skin. "You'll shift again. We just have to give him time to adjust."
"But what if he doesn't ever want to come out again? Where does that leave me?"
"Right here with me. I love you, wolf or no wolf. But that isn't going to happen. I can't see him content to hide the rest of your life. There is too much to do. He just needs time to get used to the blindness. We're still waiting on a donor, and your wolf knows that. He knows there is a chance you will see again. Let's just see what happens." I took his hand. "Let's go clean up and head to bed." I kissed his shoulder.
"Yeah." He released my hand as he bent over and picked up both our clothes. I watched helplessly as he headed inside. I rushed to help him find his way. I had no idea how to make everything okay, and that was destroying me.
