Chapter 5 - Thor

Hailey's P.O.V.

I must be dead. That's the only explanation for why I'm lying on a cloud wrapped in the warmest blanket I've ever had. Is this heaven? If it is, please let me stay here. My eyes fly open when my warm blanket starts moving. I get ready to scream until I see Dante's crystal blue eyes looking back at me. Everything from the night before comes rushing back. I glance toward the window and see it's daylight. Wow, I slept all night? I can't remember the last time that happened.

"Good morning, beautiful." He says before kissing my forehead. I relax and smile. So it wasn't all a dream. Although, maybe it is a dream come true.

"Good morning. What time is it?" I ask.

"Why, do you have somewhere you need to be?" He questions me with a smirk.

"No. I just can't believe I slept all night. I'm usually woken by someone, something, or a nightmare." I reply. My whole body is plastered to his, and I feel more alive than I ever have. I hope he's right and I'm the woman he's been looking for because now that I've felt like this, I don't ever want to be without it.

"It's after nine. You did wake up several times overnight, but I got you back to sleep before you were fully awake. Can you tell me what causes your nightmares?" Dante looks into my eyes, and I look away. There are so many things that cause my nightmares; where do I start?

"Most of them are from my childhood. My parents were drunks who abused me constantly just because they could. Sometimes, they locked me in a room with nothing but a bucket of water and starved me for days at a time. I think they hoped I would die. When I was fifteen, I ran because my dad said he was going to start forcing me to have sex with him." I look up into his eyes, and I see anger flashing. Dante pulls me closer, and I wrap my arm around him.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you. I wish my parents were still here. They would have been all over you and treated you like the daughter they never had." I smile against his neck. I know they had to be wonderful because they made an incredible son.

"I also have nightmares of some things that happened on the street. I can't tell you how many times men attempted to rape me. I quickly learned to hide objects in my pocket to hit them with, and once, I even stabbed a guy in the eye with a pencil. I could always do something to get away. I've been attacked by other homeless people who wanted something I had. I've been spit on and peed on by drunks who thought it was funny to do that to someone who is sleeping on the streets. My life has been rough. I've learned I can't trust anyone. I was able to get jobs once in a while, but they were always temporary. No one wants to hire a homeless person who can't clean their clothes or take a bath."

My heart starts racing as I think about the days when I thought I was going to die. A homeless person's lifespan isn't long due to many factors other people don't have to consider. Every day was a fight for survival, and it was exhausting. Dante lifts my chin to look up at him, and I see tears in his eyes.

"I can't believe you've been in Vegas all this time. If I had known my mate was out there getting treated like that, I wouldn't have stopped looking until I found you. You never have to worry about any of that now that you're with me." Only one thing that he said is running through my mind. Did he say I'm his mate? What does that mean?

"Uh, why did you call me your mate?" I feel him freeze against me. I see the uncertainty in his eyes. I take a deep breath before bringing my hand to his cheek. He's been touchy-feely with me, but this is the first time I have taken the initiative. He leans into my touch and closes his eyes. "Please tell me."

"I don't want you to think I'm crazy. I want to explain everything, and then you can ask all the questions you want, okay?" I can't imagine what he's about to say.

"Okay," I reply and wait. I wish I could read his mind; it seems like he's having an internal debate with someone.

"Do you remember last night when you asked me what Allison meant when she said she was supposed to be my luna, and I said I'm the alpha?" The mention of that retched woman makes my blood boil. I may have been dirty when I was on the street, but she was nasty.

"Yes," I answer, trying to bleach the image of her from my brain. Does anyone know where I can get a brain cleanser?

"I'm a werewolf and an alpha. That means I'm the lead werewolf over our pack, and my luna is my mate. Ellis is my beta." Alpha, luna, beta, I don't understand. It sounds like some kind of sorority. He's a werewolf?

"What do you mean, you're a werewolf? Is that the name of the club or something that you're in?" I ask, looking at him in confusion. He shakes his head and stares into my eyes. They're doing that weird thing, going from light blue to dark blue again.

"No. I'm a real werewolf. I can change from a human to a wolf. It's called shifting. My wolf's name is Thor." I see his mouth moving. I hear the words he's saying, but I'm sure I'm dreaming. How can he be an actual werewolf? They're not real. Those are things you see in horror movies.

"I'm sorry, I still don't understand. How can that be true? Werewolves don't exist." Should I leave now? Maybe it would be better to be on the street than to live in a house with someone who howls at the moon and terrorizes the town because they think they're a werewolf.

"We're very real, and I can prove it to you. We're not scary or mean. Our wolves don't look like what you've seen on TV. They actually look just like massive wolves. Thor is all black. Actually, his fur is so black it sometimes looks blue. Our pack is The Blue Moon Pack." I can tell he's rambling nervously, and I get it. My brain is feeling the same way. I still can't believe this is true, but he said he could prove it.

"How can you prove it?" Am I crazy asking him to show me?

"I'll shift into my wolf." I narrow my eyes. I wonder if he has a costume he's going to change into.

"You can do that here? You don't have to wait for a full moon or something?" He's biting his lip, and I can tell he's trying not to laugh.

"We can shift whenever we want. Thor is large, but he's not scary; he's more like a giant puppy." When I hear a little growl, I almost jump off the bed. Where did that come from? Is Thor under the bed?

"What was that?" I ask, looking around frantically.

"That was Thor. He doesn't like me referring to him as a puppy. Would you like to meet him?" I look around the room again.

"Where is he? Is he here now?" I ask quietly. I move closer to Dante, wanting him to protect me from the giant wolf, getting ready to jump out at me.

"He's inside me. Feel this." He takes my hand and puts it on his chest. I hear the growl again and feel his chest shaking under my hand. It sounds like a real wolf growling.

"How are you doing that?" I ask while sliding my hand under his shirt to feel it better. I look up when Dante sucks in his breath. "Are you okay?"

"I wasn't expecting your hand on me." I start to pull it away, but he stops me. "I didn't say I didn't like it. That's Thor growling, not me. We're together, but we're separate. He has his own thoughts and feelings, and I have mine."

I continue rubbing my hand over his chest. Thor isn't even growling anymore, but I like feeling Dante's hard muscles under my palm. I want to touch more of him.

"What do you need to do to shift?" I rub my hand over him again, letting my fingers touch his nipples. They must be sensitive because he stops breathing whenever I touch them.

"I'll remove my clothes, and then you'll see my wolf." I pull back and look into his eyes.

"Are you trying to tell me in some weird way that your penis is your wolf named Thor?" Dante falls onto his back and starts laughing so hard I think he's crying. I giggle next to him. I really like his laugh; it's deep and makes me feel warm inside.

"No. I meant after I take my clothes off, my body will change into my wolf. I have to take my clothes off so they don't shred." I'm way too curious not to see this.

"Alright, let me see Thor." Dante rolls over and brushes my hair out of my face.

"Are you sure?" He kisses my cheek, making those sparks run all through me.

"Yes." I lean forward to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head, and our lips meet. At first, we both just stare at each other, and then our mouths start slowly moving. It's not a deep kiss or take your breath away kiss, but it's our first kiss. His lips are firm yet soft and gentle.

"I'm going to show you Thor, and then we have more to talk about, okay?" His voice sounds rough. I smile and lean forward for another quick kiss.

"Okay."

Dante gets out of bed, and I sit up, pulling the quilt to cover my legs. He stands to the side and removes his shirt first. I feel like I should look away, but I don't want to, so I don't. His body is so muscular that all I can think about is tracing my fingers over each one of his bumpy ads. I lick my lips and feel my face getting hot.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I'm not going to be able to shift." I look down and feel my face getting even hotter. Dante walks over and raises my face up. "Don't be afraid to look at me. I'm all yours."

He kisses me softly and steps back. When he pulls his boxers down, I close my eyes. Wait, he said I could look. After a couple of seconds, I open them. Wow! Hello, Thor; it's nice to meet you. I have no experience with penises, so I don't know if they're all that big, but damn. How does he walk with that thing? When I hear him groan, I drag my eyes up to his.

"Don't be scared of Thor. He won't hurt you." I nod, but I'm wondering which Thor he's talking about. The one between his legs looks pretty dangerous, or is he talking about the enormous wolf that can kill me? Either way, I know I'm in trouble.

I hold my breath. I don't know what I was expecting to see, but watching Dante go from human to a large, beautiful black wolf wasn't it. I know that's what he said would happen, but a part of me still didn't expect to see an actual wolf. He's huge, but I'm not scared. Thor walks over to me slowly and puts his head on the bed. I reach over and rub my hand over him. He's so soft.

I want to feel more of him, so I jump off the bed and stand beside him. I feel small with the gigantic wolf, who's at my eye level, staring at me. I run my hand from his head down his back. I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing this for myself.

"Hi, Thor. You're gorgeous. I wish I had you out there on the street; no one would have messed with me." He whines and puts his head on my shoulder like he's hugging me. I wrap my arms around his massive neck and hug him back. I'm being hugged by a wolf, and it feels amazing. I can't hold back the tears that start falling as I bury my face in his thick fur.

Is it possible to fall in love at first sight? I think that's what I'm feeling. I've never loved or been loved, but the overwhelming emotions I already feel for Dante take my breath away. I hug Thor tighter and whisper in his ear.

"Please don't leave me."