A/N: Another longer chapter! Enjoy some soft Simon and Sam moments :) (who knows when it'll end lol). Let me know what you guys think, vote, comment, etc. Part one of this book is almost over, I'm thinking 4 more chapters. I've also posted the prologue of Dwaine and Grant's side story, Love in the Dark. It's extremely short, but I hope to have the first chapter done soon, so check it out if you'd like!

Thanks for the reads, votes, and comments thus far! 

Chapter 22

Simon's POV

"You've done this before, haven't you?"

Sam watched in awe as I helped clear the newborn's airways, handing the pup towards Belle, the mother wolf as she cleaned the rest of the amniotic fluid off the pup's gray fur. I wiped my hands clean as I rested my hand on Belle's back, giving her a soothing stroke as I looked back up at Sam.

"I volunteered a lot in my old pack," I explained. "I helped my mother with the pregnant wolves."

He smiled. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Some silence went by as we soothed the young mother, reassuring her, the pup nestled next to her chest to eat. Sam mentioned there were two more pups, so it was safe to assume we'd have another couple of hours till she safely delivered all her pups.

Most werewolves tended to have their children in their human form, it made things a lot easier, but there were some that rather go through with it in their wolf forms. It was quicker and less painful in their wolf forms, but it required a lot of timing and safety precautions beforehand. Shifting was not recommended after the end of the first few weeks, so for rogues, many didn't know they were pregnant until it was too late to shift. Belle had been one of those rogues who simply didn't know.

She had told me the broad details of how she ended up here earlier. Her mate had been one of the many RC betas from my old pack. Lucky for her, he had no qualms with being with her, only she wouldn't be allowed to enter or even apply to be a member. The rules had gotten stricter since I left and she said it would take at least ten years to be assimilated into the pack, ten years for her to raise these young pups on her own, an impossible feat. A single mother wolf with just one pup would be a challenge alone, with three, I feared for Belle's life, and for these young pups. So she sought shelter here, a literal oasis. I only hoped she'd be alright on her own, or that her mate would help her in every way possible.

"Is it alright if I ask you a question, Simon?" Sam tapped my hand. I nodded, watching as Belle closed her eyes in exhaustion from delivering her first pup.

"You're from that pack nearby, right?" He asked. "The large one, right off the main road near the mountain and lake?"

I gulped. "It's been a long time, but yes."

He frowned. "I was just curious if it was true, what these patients have been telling me. If it is really strict and malevolent as they make it seem."

My hand stopped brushing Belle's fur. I didn't know how to answer. In a way it was, but a part of me knew that there were worse packs out there. Our pack didn't fight other packs, we didn't exploit the wild game nearby. But there were definitely better ones. In a way, it wasn't the pact that was strict, but the alpha himself.

He reached a tentative hand toward my clenched fist. "Sorry if it's a touchy subject. You don't have to answer, Simon."

"No, no." I shook my head. "It's fine. It's just, I guess it wasn't so bad when I left. Sure I got kicked out, but I wouldn't say everyone there is bad."

I thought of the old friends I had there. And how Xavier and Lucas turned out pretty decent.

"Hmm," he stopped to think at first. "I figured things were pretty rough with the amount of patients I've been seeing. Many complained that they weren't offering medical help anymore, so I wondered if maybe the rumors about the alpha were true."

I pursed my lips, looking at the hungry pup still suckling the mother's milk. I didn't want to think about Vince, not right now. Not when things were this peaceful.

I sighed before changing the subject. "I'm glad you're helping wolves, and people like Belle. It's a real blessing for people like us. Thank you, Sam. Really, it means a lot."

He let out a nervous laugh, "really, I'm just doing my job. Besides, I enjoy this, helping others."

We remained silent for a bit, only the tiny pup's mewls, the steady chirp of crickets, and passing cars filled the air.

Sam yawned audibly before looking toward me with a soft gaze. "You were kicked out?"

My breath hitched as I gave him a curt nod.

"It must've been difficult for you," he whispered. I gave him a swift nod again.

He opened his mouth to speak before closing it, settling on staring at the young pup. After some time, he spoke softly again, "may I ask why?"

You would think I'd be used to this, but I wasn't. It was a simple question, but it was like Pandora's box. I didn't want to revisit it, to unleash the emotions and memories of back then. The pain, the pull of the bond, the rejection, it was all too much.

My whole body tensed, closing my eyes to focus on my breathing. In, out. In, out.

I opened my eyes hesitantly, almost expecting me to be transported back to that day, to relive it all over again like my nightmares. Luckily, I was still here, in Sam's clinic. With Sam, Belle, and her pup. I didn't dare look at Sam, instead, watching the way Belle's chest rose and fell.

"Belle," I paused. "Belle's one of the lucky ones. Her mate cares about her. He accepts her, loves her, even if he can't be with her at the moment."

I watched from the corner of my eye as I saw Sam's face fall as he worked it out in his head. I didn't trust myself to say it bluntly. Too afraid it would break me to say it.

"She sure is," he muttered to himself before giving me a soft look. "But to kick you out? Isn't that a bit extreme?"

"For an alpha, I suppose not."

"Alpha?" He asked. I frowned, then realized my mistake. I bit my lip, I couldn't just be telling people about our bond like this. If the rogues heard a word of this, it wouldn't end well. But, despite everything, why did I feel the need to protect him, his reputation? But this was Sam. I had no reason to believe he'd spread this to others.

"Your mate?" Sam continued. "But he has a luna there."

I rubbed my arms, trying to distract myself as Sam seemed to work it out in his head.

He sighed, "So he chose her over you?"

It had been more than just that. He had been dating Sarah for as long as I remembered. He was so fixated on making her his luna that I was never an option to him in the first place. I couldn't compete with someone like her, even if I tried.

"Ya, I guess."

"Well, that's just foolish," Sam said incredulously. "To reject a mate bond, that's just a pity. I've never fully understood it, but I know that it's a horrid thing to do to someone."

It wasn't just the rejection or being kicked out that hurt though. It was watching my family get accused of crimes none of us committed. Watching them as Vince's betas tore them apart in front of our own home. The feeling of not being able to stop it, no matter what I said or did.

But I couldn't tell Sam that. I didn't want him to know how broken I felt. Not when he embodied the complete opposite. Even if he had been so open, so inviting, I didn't want him to know of the atrocities I've seen, nobody deserved that.

"It must've been terribly difficult for you," he muttered. "But you are far braver, far stronger than any of the rogues I've seen here. To go through what you have, to experience such pain. No matter what anyone, even what that alpha says, you are worth it. You deserve so much more, Simon. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you're alive. Glad that you're here to tell your story."

It was the first time anyone had said anything like that, and suddenly I couldn't stop the unrelenting stream of tears that fell. And when Sam reached over to hug me like his life depended on it, I felt a sense of intoxicating warmth that I hadn't experienced in such a long time. I didn't ever want to let go.

---

"I feel bad for a lot of my patients," Sam broke the silence, his tone softer as if guilt filled his voice. "They come in so broken, so helpless. I help them, heal them. Offer food, water, supplies, whatever they need. But eventually, they have to leave, and I can't provide one thing. I can provide them a healthy new start, a little happiness. But that's just it. Eventually, they'll feel hurt again. Feel helpless. They may go hungry, or dehydrated, or worse. And I can't provide the one thing they so desperately need."

I frowned, his face dejected, as he stared at Belle and the young pup.

"I can't give them love." He sighed. "Not the forever kind. I can only provide a temporary sense of love and comfort until the outside world hurts them again. It's why I quit being a human doctor. But even as a vet, I'm finding it so difficult to give them the love they deserve. Animals forgive so easily, but it's not fair. I can't cure their loneliness. I can't cure their broken hearts. And it breaks mine. They deserve so much better."

I extended my hand, resting it in his. "But you're doing so much for them-"

"I don't think..."

"You are," I squeezed his hand, reassuringly. "That brief moment of happiness is enough to help them get through things. So they don't lose hope. Without it, Belle wouldn't have even survived to give birth to her pups. Those rogues would have died from a simple injury. I would have been dead on the side of the road. Believe me, what you're doing is more than just helping, it's empowering, really."

He gave me a half-hearted smile, squeezing my hand back. "Thanks, dear."

---

It was about two in the morning by the time Belle had successfully delivered her other two pups. A girl and another boy. Belle was a trooper, even though she was exhausted and clearly in intense pain, she cleaned the other two, licking the three of them assuredly as they ate. Not until they were all full and asleep did Belle officially fall asleep.

Sam looked just as exhausted, he had dozed off a few times only to jump back awake, when one of the pups made a noise. He yawned almost every three minutes, as we cleaned up, providing warm blankets for Belle and the pups.

Sam stretched, before gesturing toward the office. "We should probably go to sleep. I'll take the sleeping bag, take the cot in the office."

"Isn't it uncomfortable? I can take the sleeping bag."

"It beats the night I slept sitting up after your surgery," he laughed. "I think I finally got the kink out of my neck just yesterday. But jokes aside, I'll be alright, the cot will be easier on your injury anyways."

I didn't argue, even though I wanted to.

I reached for my phone and wallet, going to charge it. I feared seeing the messages and calls I probably had from Aspen. He was probably worried sick, looking all over for me, or maybe he had finally given up. When my phone started booting up, my anxiety flew through the roof, as I waited to see the messages rolling in. Sure enough, hundreds of messages popped up, mostly from Aspen, a few from Cedar, and a couple from Xavier. Most of the phone calls appeared to be from Aspen, all spanning throughout the weeks I've been here. A few from last night.

A few messages read:

Where are you?

Please. Come home.

I'm not mad at you.

Are you safe?

Are you hurt?

And the most distressing one, I'm sorry.

My heart sank. Usually, Aspen would just yell at me, be mad that I didn't follow his instructions to stay home. But this was different. He must've been worried sick.

I probably picked up and set my phone down about ten times debating whether to talk to him. He would drop everything and respond in a heartbeat if I messaged him. But I didn't want him to worry for another second.

So I hesitantly grabbed my phone, opening up our chat.

I'm okay, I sent before turning my phone on silent, covering my face with the blanket to not tempt me to check it through the night.

---

"I was thinking we can hit up this breakfast place before we open the clinic," Sam smiled. "It's one of my favorite spots."

We had about two hours before the clinic opened, but Sam insisted even if we were late, the girls could manage on their own. I wasn't sure how he had this much energy, despite only getting about five hours of sleep. I was still exhausted but the sound of food was really tempting. Both of us had skipped dinner, staying next to Belle's side while Sam and I opened up to each other last night. I wasn't one to share my past or my feelings like that, but with Sam, it was different. I could talk freely, openly, and he did the same.

As we walked towards his truck, I couldn't help but feel bad about seeing the dent in his front bumper. He didn't seem to mind, starting up the truck.

"You're going to love this place, they have the best waffles in town. Don't tell Clara, but her pancakes got nothing on their waffles. And their milkshakes are to die for," he drove out onto the main road. "And the best part, they serve breakfast all day."

I chuckled as he went on about all the types of flavors of milkshakes and types of toppings for waffles. I was surprised I've never heard of the place, but then again Aspen and I hardly ventured away from the motel and nearby shops. We hardly even went to diners because they tend to get pricey, we usually settled for fast food or cooked our own food.

Sam slowed as he turned off the main road into a strip mall parking lot. On the corner was a small almost out of place diner, like it had been transported from the 80s. The neon sign read Cindy's Diner.

"How'd you find this place?" I asked as he put the car in park.

He grinned. "I used to come here when I was in med school. It was one of the only places that were open where I could eat after studying and working all day. Cindy's was like my second home."

He seemed way too giddy for someone who nearly pulled a fifteen-hour shift and only got five hours of sleep, or the food and drinks here were just that good. He grabbed my hand as we walked in, as I gaped at the 80s decor still in pristine condition. Knick knacks lined the walls, some even hanging from the ceiling. A whole bunch of old and new photographs displayed on the back wall on cork boards. Even the black and white tiles seemed to be in decent shape.

"Well, if it isn't Sam?" An older lady, wearing the outfit proclaimed. "It's been awhile young man."

Sam waved, as we approached the front desk. "It's been too long, Cindy."

She walked over, with her arms extended, and gave Sam a big hug, before giving me a curious glance. "And who might this lovely fella be?"

Sam chuckled, as she leaned closer whispering still loud enough for me to hear, "it's been a while since you've brought someone special."

"This is Simon. He's been helping out with the clinic," he smiled.

"Oh," she drew out. "Well, I'll have your regular out, and what would you like, darling?"

I glanced at the menu, but all the options were so overwhelming. "I'll just have what he's having."

"Alrighty, two strawberry shakes and Belgian waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. It'll be right out dear. Sam, your booth is open in the back."

We gave our thanks as I followed Sam to the booth in the back. As we got closer I could see the picture wall clearer. Polaroids and digital photos lined up, some senior portraits, and wedding photos were there as well. It seemed a lot of people had enjoyed this place. One photo, taken a while back had a man that looked just like Sam. Maybe his father?

Before I could sit down and ask Sam about them, I heard someone stand up abruptly next to us.

"Simon?" A female voice called out, one I hadn't heard in a long time. One that sent shivers down my spine, a voice I knew to avoid when I heard it, but now there was no escape, not while we were in a diner. "Is that you?"

Sam was curious but didn't say anything as I turned to face Sarah. My heart was racing, my thoughts running around like crazy. Despite knowing how nice she was when I had been there, she just reminded me of who she was: Vince's luna. Sam's he chose her taunting me over and over as it replayed in my mind. The fear and anxiety making it harder to focus on what was happening.

But Sam seemed to notice my discomfort, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder, as if to steady the slight tremors that were starting to form.

"Oh my goddess, it's you. It really is you," Sarah grasped my hands in her own, looking at me with a gleam in her eye. I felt her wedding ring graze my knuckles. I quickly avoided looking at her directly, afraid that maybe it was still not considered appropriate to stare at a luna directly. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

We? I didn't like the sound of that. Did that mean he was here as well? Why would he be here anyway? I don't think I could survive facing him. Last time I had a run-in with them together, a few betas had chased me into the dense and unfamiliar portions of the forest surrounding the pack, and it had taken me almost three days to find my way back. But then again, I didn't smell his scent when we entered.

Sarah gasped, looking past my shoulder before waving her hand frantically. "Honey! Look who I found."

My feet were cemented to the ground. I didn't dare move a muscle, I don't think I could even breathe as I could hear the footsteps approaching. I waited for the sweet scent of the bond to hit me, but it never came. It wasn't sweet, but I knew this scent. Before I could even process it, I heard the drop of someone's phone. I turned to see Aspen standing there, his under eyes a dark gruesome color, his hair disheveled. He looked like a wreck, which I guess was partly my fault.

"Aspen," I whispered, as a flood of emotions of seeing him there washed over me.