"You really didn't need to fly up here, mom" Lauren Hale repeated for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Of course I did! My baby got attacked by a wild animal! Don't you know that I just knew, deep in my heart, that something was wrong. I called you about three times before the hospital got a hold of me. I could feel your pain!" Mrs. Shue practically yelled. Lauren loved her mom but the eccentric Texan was almost more than she could bear. Catherine "Kitty" Shue was, for lack of a simpler definition, a more dramatic version of her daughter. Her accent was stronger, excitement more tumultuous, and her romantic life more... well it was just active in general. As indicated, Lauren was currently daughter to stepfather number four. Roger Shue, investment banker and wealthy man, who had placed her mother in a very nice house in Texas' capital city, Austin. Lauren thought he was nice, probably the best husband so far. Excluding her biological father, of course, whose name she still kept to this day.

"Mom, I don't think that's true. But I really hate to put you out" Lauren pouted. Her mother had come in a few hours after Kyrrian visited, and needless to say, it was a surprise.

"When did you start calling me 'mom'? I am your mama. And trust me, it's almost impossible to 'put out' Rog. But our 'president' sure is trying" her mother mumbled the last part, but Lauren shook her head, internally refusing to get into politics with her mom.

"You're right mama, I'm sorry. Thank you for coming" Lauren Hale had to admit it felt good to let her accent loose a little bit.

"Darn right I'm right. I wish you'd move back home. It's so much safer in Texas, well, from wild animals at least! And I'm sure the Rangers would still take you, they really expected you to take their offer-"

"Mama, I ain't... I'm not moving back to Texas" Lauren Hale reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose but flinched with the sudden movement.

"Oh, look at you! You can barely move. It's this place, the north ain't no good place for a sweet southern girl like yourself. What's so great about this place? It's not the weather, heaven forbid the sun come out once in a blue moon. It's not the job, because there's a better one back home. What else could possibly be holding you here? I can't even imagine-unless it's a man. Lauren Shirlene Hale, are you datin' a fine yankee boy?"

"Mama" Lauren Hale sighed with the disgust as she vehemently shook her head.

"What's he like? Probably one of those hippy-ster lookin' fellas. The men up here just ain't the same but a man is a man. I am so glad you're not single anymore! You have no idea how embarrassing it is explaining to people that your thirty year old daughter is single! And the people who know you say it's such a shame, but if you were back home-"

"Mama! I'm not seeing anyone" Lauren was so tired of having this conversation with her mother.

"Aw, really? Well..." after a long pause, her mother continued "I like you hair cut."

"Thanks. I wanted something different. When are you going back to the hotel?" Lauren was too desperate to be sensitive.

"Oh, I see, want your nosy, irritating mama to go a way. Well I'll head out now if that's what you really want?" her mother's feigned injury was fake and she knew it but that didn't mean that it didn't bother her on some level. Lauren sighed and called out to her mother before she went out the door.

"No, look. Stay, we can talk" Lauren Hale had waved the white flag.

"If you insist" her mother responded with a laugh.

"But there are rules! No nagging, critiquing, or belittling my career choice, living situation, or love life."

Mrs. Shue looked shocked, but added with a smile "I am your mother, what else are we supposed to talk about?"

Lauren Hale laughed and patted the empty space on the bed next to her. The two women stayed up much later than either expected talking about everything they had never said to each other.

__________________________________________________________________

"I don't know if I'm flattered that you're hiding from me or bothered" Alpha Scottlin said with a laugh.

"I can't see how it would be flattering" Kyrrian mumbled as she opened the door to his room. She had been standing outside his room for about five minutes, unsure if she wanted to enter or not.

"Well you do have a reputation of being rather scary, so if you're afraid of me, I must be fearsome" Scottlin said with a chuckle. He was sitting up in bed with wires and tubes running along his body to his arm and finger. He looked like child with his goofy smile and hospital gown.

"No, you're not fearsome" Kyrrian whispered. She was fighting the intense urge to go to him and touch him... to comfort him.

"Well I am an Alpha, so I can be. It's a life choice, Kyrrian Grayson" he seemed to be chastising her, but she couldn't take him seriously because of his outrageous grin.

"Why are you smiling like that" Kyrrian asked, leaning her body back against the closed door. She tucked her hand behind her back, but that was so that he wouldn't see her wringing them together.

"Because it's what I do" the look in his eyes said so much more than that.

"You were shot, you should be livid" he laughed at her statement and looked down to his lap before turning his brown eyed stare to her.

"Why are you all the way over there?" He disregarded her statement and she knew he was going to go straight to the point.

Now that was fear inducing.

"I didn't want to bother you. I just wanted to check on you. Make sure you were alive... and, you know, comfortable" Kyrrian subtly but desperate tried to find the door handle.

"Is that what you were doing when you slept in here all night as well?" He asked.

Well... there it was. It was time for her to leave. This was way out of her comfort zone.

His broad smile left then, when he saw the panic in her face and her hand reaching for the door handle.

"Kyrrian... sit down" Alpha Scottlin finally lost his grin and used his Alpha tone. His face was concerned though, not angry. Kyrrian felt her face flush with shame. Like a child, she slowly made her way to the chair. She never looked up, but intensely focused on her hands, which had suddenly become infinitely more fascinating.

Scottlin was more than slightly surprised by her behavior. It was almost... humorous... it was so out of character.

Kyrrian could feel Scottlin's eyes burrowing into the top of her head, and the pressure was killing her.

"Did you need something?" Kyrrian finally asked.

"Well you looking at me would be a good start" the was humor in his tone again, but Kyrrian knew that if she looked up, she would do the most mortifying thing in the world... blush.

"I would really rather not" Kyrrian admitted.

With a chuckle, Scottlin replied, "alright. I guess I should begin with a Happy belated Birthday".

Kyrrian winced. She had hoped he wouldn't remember. Of course all of this was moot. She knew now, the truth, and he knew that. This was now just an ultimate game of beating around the bush.

"Thank you" Kyrrian muttered.

"How do you feel?" Kyrrian wanted to smack him. She could hear the Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

"Old" she grunted.

"Yeah, you are pretty old" he added.

"Look who's talking, grandpa" Kyrrian snapped. In her feisty rage, she forgot to feel uncomfortable and made direct eye contact with him.

"I am just teasing you" his smile was tender and Kyrrian could feel her resolve melt.

She sat, silent, for a moments before finally asking "why didn't you tell me?"

With a sigh, Scottlin began, "You are your own person. You have a right to make your own choices and follow your own path. Honestly, if I had told you, you probably would have pushed me away and rebelled, isn't that true?"

Kyrrian wanted to deny him whole-heartedly, which only further proved his point. She would have despised him with as much vehemence as she could muster. She was struggling with the truth now, even as she experienced the powerful pull.

When she didn't answer, Scottlin continued, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Kyrrian, I may be a bear, but I am also an intelligent, considerate man. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want."

"But I do! I-" Kyrrian's outburst caught both of them off guard. She cleared her throat and searched the ground with her eyes, as if her next words were there somewhere scattered on the ground. "I thought I never wanted a mate, after Brian, but I'm starting to realize that I just never wanted to open myself up to someone again."

"And now what do you feel?"

Kyrrian sat in silence for a few moments before finally responding. "That I don't deserve the mate I got".

Scottlin Reik grinned widely as he responded "you're right". Kyrrian almost became offended until he continued, "you could have done much better".