All Is Fair

Helena's eyes popped open. She had been in such a deep sleep they made a clicking sound. She was freezing. It felt like cold water was running through her veins. Helena sat up on the bed and held her arms out in front of her, almost as if she expected to see light traveling through her body. The feeling vanished and Helena was left with a vague memory of the cold.

"What?" Brooks asked. "What's wrong?"

The stars were beginning to vanish and the blackness of the night was turning blue, waiting for the upcoming dawn. Helena turned around to see him starting to sit up. His eyes were half closed and his mop of black hair had fluffed out. He rubbed his eyes. Helena felt like she had never seen him before, not like this. Brooks blinked a few times and put his hand on her arm.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Brooks asked. "Or something worse?"

Helena's lips were parted, her eyes were dancing all over his face. Brooks was the most handsome man she had ever seen. She always knew he was attractive, but this was different. Helena felt like she was looking into him. She could feel his kindness, loyalty, honor, strength, and love. It was radiating off of him. Helena wanted to soak it all in.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened," Brooks said.

Helena pounced on him. She caught him off guard and he let out a grunt when he landed on the bed. She didn't give him the opportunity to speak again and immediately affixed her mouth on his. His arms encircled her and Helena deepened her kiss, she felt like there was no way she could get close enough to him. She could feel him trying to slow her down, closing his mouth and attempting to stop her, but she refused to cease.

He started to turn his head. Helena tried to move with him, but she couldn't twist herself fast enough with his arms around her. Their mouths were separated and Helena realized she was breathing heavily. Brooks took the opportunity and repositioned them, flipping over so Helena was on her back.

She looked up at him, he brushed her hair away from her face. She saw a lock of his hair fall forward, covering his forehead. Her heart lurched forward and she tried to rise up to kiss him again.

"Calm down," Brooks said. "You're almost hyperventilating."

"I...I...I," Helena was having a hard time forming her words.

"You're safe," Brooks said. "Try to relax."

Helena nodded her head and closed her eyes. She focused on her breathing and soon the rhythm started to get steadier.

"Can you sit up?" Brooks asked.

Helena opened her eyes again. His eyes were focused on hers and they were filled with worry. That was last thing Helena wanted to cause him. She nodded her head and started to scoot back on the bed. Brooks turned around so he was sitting across from her.

"I got really cold," Helena said.

"We are outside," Brooks said. "By the pool. Remember? We can go in, I can carry you if you don't think you can walk."

"No," Helena said. "That's not it."

She started examining Brooks again. She couldn't help it. Everything about him was amazing. He raised a corner of his mouth and Helena felt like her heart was going to burst again. She started to move closer towards him, but he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. Helena knew he wanted her to talk, but she didn't want that. They had talked enough, she wanted him.

"I think my soul is back," Helena said.

Brooks' eyes widened. Helena couldn't tell if he was happy or not. His expression just read shocked.

"Why?" Brooks asked. "How?"

"I don't know," Helena said. "I just...I can't put it in words."

She had to look away from Brooks. The longer she stared at him the higher her desire grew.

"What are you feeling right now?" Brooks asked.

Helena closed her eyes and turned her head back towards Brooks. When she opened them she took him in again. She could feel her pulse quicken. Every time she saw him something new spoke to her. She could feel his passion.

"You," Helena said.

Brooks moved forward and brought his hands up to the back of her head. Helena lifted her hand and gripped on to his wrist. Being able to touch him brought her some comfort.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Brooks didn't want to ask any questions. His mate was feeling their bond. Helena reinitiated her kiss from earlier and Brooks was more than happy to return her touch. She broke away from him. He didn't understand, but then she lifted her arms and pulled her sweatshirt off. Before he could speak her hands were yanking his hoodie off. The undershirt came with and he felt the chill of the morning air on his back. Helena ripped off her t-shirt and then jumped forward, pushing her body against Brooks. He fell backwards on to the bed and her hair fell forward.

Helena's hands were on his sweatpants and she was pushing them down. Brooks grabbed a hold of her waistband and started pushing her clothes off. The process was not as smooth as Brooks would have liked since she seemed determined their lips never leave each other. Soon they were both completely naked and Helena rolled over onto her side, pulling Brooks with her. He felt her small hand circle his cock and squeeze. His eyes popped open, she was moving fast.

Brooks' wolf urged him to ignore any outside thoughts. His mate would finally be his. Brooks brought his hand down. Helena parted her legs and Brooks covered her sex. She was soaking. He felt for her special spot and ran his thumb lightly across it. She broke their liplock and let out a gasp.

Brooks used the opportunity to pull away and look at her. She was wild with desire. Brooks had never seen her remotely like this. She started moving her body on his hand. Brooks knew this would be her first time. Then he felt a pang and pulled his hand away.

Helena looked at him with confusion and hurt.

"I refuse to take you like this," Brooks said.

"I'm ready," Helena said. "I need you."

Brooks turned her onto her back and climbed on top of her. She spread her legs and his wolf urged him to enter her, but Brooks knew it wasn't right. They were on an uncomfortable pool bed, she was filled with new feelings and might not be processing them right. Brooks would never take advantage of her. He put his weight on his arm and moved his free hand back between her legs, effectively blocking himself. Then he started kissing her neck while he worked his fingers on her.

Brooks let his lips explore her body as he worked himself down. He stopped when his face was between her legs. He repositioned his hand, replacing his finger with his tongue. Helena started moaning. Brooks continued his assault, knowing that if he couldn't have her completely he wasn't about to leave her wanting.

Brooks' wolf was clawing at him. It was taking a lot of self-control to keep him down. Helena was getting close. Brooks could feel her movements changing. Brooks was denying his wolf the right to completely claim his mate, but he couldn't stand to leave himself so unsatisfied either. Brooks could feel Helena's muscles clamp down and her moan loudly. He removed his mouth from her and let his fangs drop down. With a single move he bit down on her inner thigh. Helena's moans turned to a scream of pleasure and Brooks' wolf wanted to howl. He had marked his mate.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Helena knew it was time to wake up, but she didn't want to leave the bed. She tightened the comforter around herself and started to lull off again. Then she remembered she had been sleeping outside, with no blanket, with Brooks. Helena shot up in bed, clutching the comforter to her chest. He wasn't in the bed next to her. Helena needed to find him. Her heart started aching.

She scanned the room and stopped when her eyes spotted him near the desk. Helena felt warmth and comfort cross over her. He smiled and started walking over towards her. Brooks was wearing dress paints and a button down shirt. Helena looked down and realized she was naked.

"How are you feeling?" Brooks asked.

"Like I can't get enough of you," Helena said.

Brooks smiled and sat down on the bed. Helena scooted closer to him and he started to rub her exposed back.

"What time is it?" Helena asked.

"A little after noon," Brooks said. "I carried you inside."

Helena cringed, realizing that meant she was naked when he had.

"Nobody saw us," Brooks said.

"I don't remember that at all," Helena said.

The last thing she could remember was being with Brooks on the bed. The memory of her orgasm came back and Helena felt a tingle go through her body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. She went to kiss Brooks. His lips were so soft. Before she made contact he spoke.

"I spoke with my father this morning," Brooks said. "And Zachary. I know you're feeling the mate bond now."

Helena leaned back. She didn't think Brooks could understand what she was feeling. Then Helena remembered he might, and that meant his father and Zachary did too. She could feel herself turning red with embarrassment.

"The marks on your neck are fading too," Brooks said. "Zachary thinks that means you do have your soul back."

"Then why don't you want to be with me?" Helena asked.

Out of all the things going through Helena's mind that was a prominent thought. This morning she was more than ready. Right now she was more than ready. The thought of Brooks body pressing against her was overwhelming.

"Of course I want to be with you," Brooks said. "You're my mate. You're the only person I will ever want to be with."

Helena didn't know if Brooks had understood her question.

"I love you," Brooks said. "I want to make sure that everything is right before we do something you're not ready for."

"But I am...,"

"You are a very strong person, who has been through a lot," Brooks said. "I need to know that you are completely in control of your body before I have you."

"What do you mean?"

"We don't know if this is some sort of trick," Brooks said. "Maybe the vampire wants you to think you're back in control again. There are just too many questions we don't have answers to and I won't take advantage of you."

That never crossed Helena's mind. In fact she felt more in control of herself now than she had in her entire life. She knew exactly what she wanted, Brooks.

"And the only way to know that is after I change?" Helena asked.

Brooks nodded his head.

"Three weeks?" Helena asked. "There's no way we can push up the date?"

Brooks laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. Part of Helena wanted to plead with him, but she knew how honorable he was. In fact she knew better than anyone else in the world.

Someone knocked on the door, breaking her train of thought.

"Come in," Brooks said.

Helena pulled the comforter up to her shoulders and gave Brooks a look.

"I forget. You and your modesty," Brooks said. "You should be proud of how beautiful you are."

A short man came in with a tray before she could respond. Helena was closer to the man than Brooks was. She expected him to jump up and claw the man's eyes out, but instead he stayed calm and collected.

"You can set it on the bed," Brooks said. "Thank you."

The man set down the tray and Brooks stood up. He walked over to the man and escorted him out of the room, shaking his hand before he left. Helena's mouth hung open when Brooks came back to her.

"What?" Brooks asked.

"Yesterday you didn't even want me in the same room as your father," Helena said. "Now I'm basically naked and a strange man walks in and you don't flinch at all."

"Oh," Brooks said. He smiled at her. "Everyone knows you're mine now. My wolf doesn't feel the need to be so overprotective."

"Why is that?" Helena asked.

"Because you have my mark," Brooks said.

Helena dropped her hand. She ran it over her thigh and felt the indents in her skin.

"Those clear up," Brooks said. "But the scent will stay forever."

Even though Brooks wouldn't take her yet, he had given her something that meant almost as much. Helena smiled. Her life finally felt like it was on track.