Chapter 20 - Death At A Funeral? - Part 1.

If someone had told me a couple of months ago that the man who I love and adore with every fibre of my being, who I trust wholeheartedly, the man who is my best friend would one day have me pinned against a tree and was roughly kissing my neck whilst groping my body because he's in a mad state of denial thanks to the fear he has for his own destiny then I probably would've laughed in their face....or I would've told them to lay off the liquor.

But no, here I am trying and failing to stop Brody from doing something that he'll regret but despite my many protests and incessant pushing to get him off me, it only fueled him and pushed him to carry on.

I hoped and prayed to our moon goddess to either bring Brody back to his senses or have somebody come and save me from him but neither happened so I found myself unwittingly giving in to the harsh reality of what could possibly happen here.

"GGRRRRR!!"

A deep, husky growl vibrated through the air shaking the grounds and the trees and bushes that decorate it, I didn't want to get my hopes up that someone was saving me until Lucky mind linked me and told me that the growl wasn't just any growl, it was an alphas growl.

"BASTARD!!"

I felt a huge weight being lifted off me causing me to stumble slightly from the impact, I grabbed hold of the tree to steady myself as I looked around the forest for my saviour and when I found him, I was shocked, I never expected it to be him.

"I ALWAYS KNEW YOU WERE BAD NEWS!!"

PUNCH!!.

"FROM THE MOMENT I SAW YOU, I KNEW YOU'D HURT HER!!"

PUNCH!!, PUNCH!!, PUNCH!!.

"COLE, STOP!!"

I use what little strength I had left to rush over to Cole and stop him from beating Brody to a pulp, I know that it seems weird and or wrong that I want to save him but I have too, this isn't Brody, he would never hurt me or anyone for that matter, he's just scared.

"Please Cole, please stop"

I grab hold of my mate and try to pull him off Brody but it was like a toddler trying to pick up an anchor, Lucky kept on telling me to use our mate bond to get him off our friend but I was hesitant, the more I use our mate bond the stronger it'll get and the last thing I want or need right now is to make our bond stronger.

"COLE, PLEASE STOP, YOU'RE HURTING HIM!!"

"THAT'S THE POINT, NATALIA!!"

Cole continues to beat the crap out of Brody and I started to worry and panic when I saw that Brody wasn't fighting back.

"Cole, please don't do this, he wasn't thinking properly, please"

"FOR f***s SAKE, NATALIA, HE WAS TRYING TO RAPE YOU!!"

"NO HE WASN'T JUST PLEASE STOP ALL OF THIS AND TRUST ME!!"

Cole didn't listen, instead, he continued his assault on my best friend.

"IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS RIGHT NOW COLE, THEN I'LL NEVER EVER FORGIVE YOU, I'LL PACK MY THINGS AND I'LL RUN SO FAR AWAY THAT YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO FIND ME AND YOU'LL NEVER EVER SEE ME AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

Cole's fist froze in the air and a dead silence filled the woods, the only sounds that could be heard was the sounds of our heavy breathing, birds chirping, trees rustling and the water rapidly gushing down the waterfall, I could even hear and feel the harsh, loud thumping of my heart beating against my chest.

Cole slowly looked up at me and we shared a very intense eye contact.

"You wouldn't dare"

"Wouldn't I?....lay one more finger on him and you'll find out"

We were once again locked in an intense stare out, I was trying hard to show him that I mean business whilst Cole looked worried, frightened even that I may live out my threats.

We were disrupted from the stare out by a whimper, I look down at Brody who was crying, he'd covered his face with his hands and his whole body was shaking.

"Brody"

I whisper as I kneel down next to him, I pull his hands away from his head and cup the side of his face caressing it with my thumb wiping away his tears, I felt so bad for him, he looked so broken and sad.

"It's ok Brody, I promise"

Brody leaned into my touch placing his hand on mine gently gripping it, he then opened his eyes and looked up at me, at first, he looked stoic as he looked at me very intensely but then fear and panic quickly laced his face as he realised what he did and what he was probably about to do, I say probably because I refuse to believe that in any state, Brody would rape me, it's not in his blood to commit such a heinous crime.

"I'm sorry Natalia, I'm so, so, so sorry, I really am"

"Sshhh!!, it's ok, it's ok"

I wrap my arms around him cradling him to my chest as he broke down in tears repeatedly telling me how sorry he is and how he didn't mean to do what he did, I quickly reassured him that it's ok.

I rested my head on his as I waited for him to calm down, I looked up at Cole who was watching us nervously, it's clear that he's not happy about me comforting Brody and I could tell from the look on his face and his body posture that he's annoyed and scared which isn't shocking considering he's just had to stop Brody from attacking me, it's a natural instinct for a mate to be protective of their own even if a rejection has taken place and there are a lot of negative feelings towards one another, it's part of who we are to protect each other, not because we're mates or wolves but because we're human beings.

After a few minutes, Brody finally calmed down and we were able to talk to each other calmly and rationally.

"I'm sorry Nat, I really am"

"I know, come here"

I pull Brody into a hug wrapping my arms around his waist whilst his arms wrapped around my shoulders as he nuzzled his face into my neck.

We stayed like this for a few minutes until we both pulled away, I looked up at him and smiled before looking up at Cole.

"Can you leave us alone please, Cole?"

"Are you kidding me?....no"

"Please"

I hated that I was begging him but I had too in order to get some alone time with Brody, Cole looked at us warily, his body was shaking like he was being torn in two different directions, one being not to leave me and the other not to defy me in vain hopes that by listening to me, I may consider repairing our bond especially now that Brody is out of the way.

"Fine...but if you lay another hand on her, then I'll kill you myself"

Cole looks at me one last time before storming away, I let out a breath as I look at Brody who was back to his normal self.

"Come on, let's talk"

We stand up and walk over to a couple of boulders by the lake and sat down.

For a few minutes, we sat in silence as we watched the waves of the water ripple, it was quite calming to watch actually, I must remind myself to come back here again one day.

"You need to give Jason a chance, Brody"

"Nat..."

"No, let me finish"

I take a deep breath.

"I may not like Jason, in fact, I despise him and if I had it my way then he wouldn't be your mate because he doesn't deserve you...you deserve someone so much better...but the moon goddess paired you with him for a reason, Brody and that's because he's your equal, he's the bad to your good, the idiot to your smart"

We both chuckle.

"But he's you....just like you are him"

I look at Brody who was staring off into the waterfall.

"What do you want, Brody?"

"I..I don't know"

He says whilst slightly shaking his head.

"Look into your heart...look deep into your heart, Brody and tell me what you want"

Brody closes his eyes and looks peaceful, his eyes then scrunch up tightly.

"I want him, Nat....I want him, I want to kiss him and hug him, I want to go on dates with him and have movie nights with him, I wanna spend every night cuddled up to him, I want to mark him and mate with him and I wanna spend the rest of my life with him"

A tear rolls down my face.

"But"

I look at the water as I feel Brody's gaze on the side of my face.

"But I'm not gay, Natalia"

He grits out and I chuckle.

"Ok then, what would you say if I asked you to have sex with me right here right now?"

I heard a deep growl coming from my right and knowing exactly who it is, I flip him off.

"No offence sweetheart but the thought of having sex with you now makes me want to vomit....I just want my mate"

I look at him with a huge grin on my face, I then stand up and walk over to him standing in front of him, I gently cup the sides of his face and caress it with my thumbs.

"Then why are you still here talking to me, go and get your mate, babe"

Brody smiled brightly at me as he shot up from the boulder hugging me tightly.

"I don't deserve you in my life, do you know that?"

"Of course you don't, nobody does, I'm a freaking queen"

Brody chuckles which was music to my ears.

"Now begone peasant, go and get your man"

Brody kisses my cheek before bolting out of the woods, I smile sadly at my friend before turning back to face the water letting out a shaky breath, I always knew this day would come and don't get me wrong I'm happy for Brody, I just feel a little sad.

"Are you ok, babe?"

I turn slightly and see Cole walking towards me.

"If I had a dollar for every time I was asked that question the past few days, I'd almost be as rich as Donald Trump"

Cole chuckles as he stands next to me, he's got his hands shoved in his pockets and he was looking out at the water with a peaceful look on his face.

"Same...I wonder why people always ask that?"

"Because we're grieving, they wanna make sure we're ok"

"I know that, I just mean...I mean they know we're grieving, isn't it a given that we're not ok?"

I shrug my shoulders.

"I don't know, it's hard to be around someone who is suffering a great loss, maybe they just ask the first thing that comes to their minds"

"Hmm, I guess so"

We stood in a comfortable silence which I didn't think was possible considering all of the negativity and hatred between us but we did and it was the first time in a very long time that I actually felt comfortable in Cole's presence.

"So....how did it go with Brody?"

I look at Cole with a do I look stupid look.

"Don't act like you weren't listening Cole, you heard everything we said"

"Yer I did...including hearing you ask him to f**k you here in these woods"

He said through gritted teeth and I smirked.

"Jealous?"

I looked at him, he turned and looked at me with a very intense stern look which quickly turned into a smirk.

"Insanely"

I was taken aback by his answer, I don't know what I was expecting him to say but I honestly didn't expect him to say that he was insanely jealous, I look away not wanting him to see all of the mixed emotions swirling around in my eyes.

"Why?"

"Hmm, why what?"

I look at him confused, Cole then came closer to me until we were only a couple of feet apart.

"Why did you let him go?....why didn't you ask him to stay with you?"

Oh, those whys.

"Don't get me wrong I'm happy that you did let him go to be with Jason...but I just wanna know why you did?"

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

"Because he wasn't mine to keep hold off"

"But I thought you loved him?"

"I do, I love him with all of my heart as my best friend....I was never in love with him Cole, we had an understanding very early on and I always knew he'd find his mate and I was never gonna stand in the way of them being together...even if I do despise Jason"

"But why would you want to give Jason a happy life when he helped ruin yours?"

I look up at Cole with a sad smile on my face.

"Because I refuse to do to others what was done to me...rejection is a very nasty pain Cole, I can't even begin to describe it because in my eyes...nothing compares to that pain, not giving birth or getting kicked in the balls, nothing...not even the pain of a cheating mate"

I whispered the last bit as I looked into Coles eyes which were filled with so much regret, anger and sadness.

My whole body stiffened when Cole gently grabbed hold of my hand whilst cupping the side of my face with the other, he caressed my cheek so gently it was like I was a piece of expensive China that he was afraid of breaking.

"Natalia, I'm so sorry...I know they're just words and I need to prove them to you and I promise that I will, I just....I want you to believe me when I tell you how sorry I am"

He raised our hands to his lips and kissed the back of my hand.

"I also want you to know that I Cole Demetrius Vasquez am insanely in love with you Natalia Isabella Vasqu...AAHHH!!, WHAT THE f**k? GET OFF ME!!"

He wasn't able to finish what he was saying because he was thrown away from me with such brute force, I fell to the ground hitting my head on a rock which caused my vision to blur.

"What the hell?...COLE!!"

I look over in the direction where Cole was thrown and I was a mixture of angry and scared when I saw Cole being pinned to a tree by two rogues whilst another one was about to throw a javelin into his chest.

"COLE!!"

In a split second, I was in front of Cole but the weird thing is that it didn't feel like I'd moved at all, I tried to put up my orb shield to protect us when I saw the javelin heading our way but it was too late, I screamed in pain as the javelin became embedded into my heart, I looked down at it and saw that it was made out of pure silver something that is lethal to werewolves, I look back up at the attacker who was smirking like a Cheshire cat, I then slumped to the ground feeling my life slowly slip away.

"NATALIA!!, NOOOO!!"

A series of grunts, painful groans and screams were heard before I felt someone scoop me up in their arms causing me to feel the most amazing sensation of shocks and tingles all over my body, it filled me with ease and comfort before I felt myself slowly slipping into darkness.