Flutter: Chapter 9 (Part 2)

Nora was rolling around in her sheets, and feathers, unable to fall asleep. She was trying to ignore the nagging feeling of hurt that was lying soundly within her chest. At the end of the hallway, Quinton was in the room with Charlene, and it agonized her. Nora couldn't get it out of her head, and in a fit of anger she'd torn to pieces a couple of pillows on her bed. The action shocked Nora, for never ripped anything in a fit of anger before. Come to think of it, before coming to live here, Nora hardly got angry at all. This place was changing her in a manner that she didn't like.

Nora was so engrossed in her thoughts that the knocking at her door made her jump a bit. She thought she was imagining things, for who would be at her door this late in the hour? However, there were more insistent knocks at her door, and Nora sprang up out of her bed. She dashed to the door, thinking that there must be some sort of emergency. Pulling the door open, Nora was surprised to see who was standing before her.

"...T-Todd...?" Nora said slowly, unsure as to why Todd of all people was at her door. He stood in a shirt and pajama bottoms, obviously coming from bed himself.
"Nora. I'm sorry to bother you at this hour. I just couldn't get to sleep." He murmured.
"You and me both. I-I'm sorry but I don't know what to do for you." She said, crossing her arms over herself. The nightgown she wore was low-cut enough to make her feel too exposed.

"Nora, you misunderstand. I couldn't get to sleep because of you." He said urgently.
"Me? D-did I do something to offend you earlier?"
"No. Not at all. It's just that, I couldn't stop thinking about how gorgeous you looked earlier." He said, stepping slightly closer to Nora, and making her step back in turn. Warning signals were going off in her mind, telling her that something was not right.

"It's obvious that your mate does not appreciate you as much as he should. You don't deserve that kind of treatment."
"Todd, thanks for the compliments but I don't think it's appropriate for you to be talking like this. Quinton is in the other room!"
"Has he made you so afraid? You told me earlier that you don't even want his hand on you." He said gruffly, cupping Nora's face.
Nora jumped back instantly, farther into her room.
"That was a mistake. I shouldn't have said anything."
"Don't be frightened. I'm not going to hurt you." He followed her into the bedroom. Nora was alarmed now, because he didn't seem to be listening to her pleas.

"Ok, mister. This has gone on for long enough. I need you to leave right now!" Nora said panicky, no longer trying to placate Todd.
"We can be so good together. You haven't even given me a chance."
"I don't need to give you a chance. You're freaking me out. Now could you please just leave?"
"My God, are you this brainwashed? I'm offering you a chance to get away from all of this."
"I don't need your help. I need you to leave."
"If you can't help yourself, I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands."
With that he lunged towards her, grabbing her arms and lifting her up easily over his shoulders. Nora, utterly terrified, let out a piercing scream.

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Charlene was cut off by a scream that permeated the air, getting both her and Quinton's attention.

"What the hell?" He stated, pushing past Charlene and wrenching the door open. He looked down the hallway and he was stunned. Todd was standing there with a kicking, and screaming Nora over his shoulders. The momentary shock was soon replaced by outrage.
"Put her down." Quinton growled menacingly, not bothering to ask what Todd was planning to do. Seeing his mate in danger instantly put him on the offensive, and he could feel himself starting to shift. However, Quinton tried to hold back his wolf side, not wanting to become enraged while Nora was still at risk.

"Todd? Have you lost your mind?!" Charlene cried out from besides him. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm doing what's best for her." Todd answered, walking backwards towards the staircase.
"You will put her down now." Quinton continued to advance upon Todd.
The commotion had awakened the rest of the household, for Blaine and Catherine had exited their rooms as well. Blaine was creeping up on Todd from behind, ready to protect the lady of the house."

"This doesn't have to be this way." Todd said, grasping Nora tighter as he continued to inch towards the staircase.
"Todd, you're irrational. Put the girl down!" Charlene pleaded again, trying to reason with her cousin.
"I'm not irrational! I've been waiting years for my mate - years! And he..." Todd pointed towards Quinton, "He has one, and doesn't even care. It's not fair!"
"So you, what are you planning? To kidnap her? You're out of your mind." Blaine chimed in.
"I can take care of her." Todd sobbed.

"I know you can." Nora spoke then, quietly, still hanging upside down over Todd's shoulders. Everyone quieted.
"Todd, you have good intentions. B-but this isn't the way to woo me. Look at what's happened." She went on.
"I didn't mean for it to be like this but you wouldn't listen to me." Todd replied.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't listen but you're scaring me Todd. So please, just put me down and we'll talk, okay?"
Todd was silent, and everyone waited with bated breath.
"Promise?" Todd said to Nora, his voice quavering.
"Promise." Nora assured.
Todd bent forward and put Nora on her feet, releasing her from his grip.

Blaine instantly grabbed hold of the smaller man from behind, while Quinton pulled Nora backward. Once Nora was out of Todd's reach, he went up to Todd and punched him hard enough that all the wolves could here the crunch of bone breaking. Quinton landed two more punches, before grabbing Todd around the neck and preparing to finish him off.

"No!" Charlene screamed, running down the hallway and falling down at the feet of the two men.
"Move aside, Charlene." Quinton snarled, wanting nothing more than to snuff the life out of the man he held in his hands.
"You can't. You can't hurt him. He's my family." Charlene begged, her eyes tearing up.
"I said move aside."
"No. If you kill him you'll have to kill me too." Charlene shielded Todd with her body. Quinton grabbed Charlene's arm, about to throw her off her cousin, but Nora placed a hand on his arm.

"Quinton, please, there's no need to hurt either of them." She said softly, her voice still shaky.
"That man there tried to kidnap you! Do you think I'm going to take that lightly? He needs to be punished for his insolence." He roared, throwing Charlene to the side, and raising his fist.
"Don't Quinton. Just please don't. Please." Nora said once more. Quinton looked at her a moment; she was trembling slightly, her hair in disarray and her face flushed. Quinton just wanted to cradle her in his arms. He sighed, defeated, and slowly put his fist down. Nora tightened his hands around him, not letting go.

"Blaine?"
"Yes, sir?" Blaine answered, still holding Todd.
"I want these two removed off the premises immediately."
"It shall be done."
"You may have been spared your life, but don't think you've escaped punishment. You will pay for this - mark my words. And you Charlene are also banned from the premises. It was at your insistence that your cousin joined us, and I am holding you partially responsible. Now get out."

Charlene picked herself off the floor, still blubbering, while Blaine hauled the bloodied Todd down the stairs. Catherine, who was quiet the whole time, bid goodbye to Quinton and returned to her bedroom. The children had been peeked out of their doors too, but had long since returned to the safety of their rooms, knowing trouble when they saw it. Quinton turned to look at Nora, who removed herself from him, eyes downcast. He was about to speak when he heard someone hurrying up the stairs. 'What now?' He thought.

"Master, master! Is everything alright?" Mary appeared then, huffing and puffing as she walked up to the two.
"Yes. We had a problem earlier. It has been dealt with."
"Yes, I heard the commotion. What happened? I see that Blaine escorted the Vespars out."
"Unfortunately, Todd Vespar had a case of sticky fingers, and the object of his attention was Nora.
"No! You aren't serious?"

"I kid you not, Mary. Thankfully we caught him before he could escape with her."
Mary moved towards Nora and pulled her in for a hug.
"Oh my dear, I'm so glad you are safe. That's absolutely dreadful." She said, releasing Nora from her hold. "Are you alright? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I'm ok, Mary. Just a shaken up, that's all. I've never been through that before and -"
"You shall not go through that again. I will make sure of it." Quinton added. Nora looked up at him, giving him a small smile before going back to Mary.
"I just want to go back to bed, that's all."

"Alright. You go rest. I'm going to go check on the children. Sorry again for your trouble, love." Mary held Nora's face in her hands before walking down the hall, and towards the East wing, where Blaine and his family were settled. It was quiet then, and Quinton could tell that Nora was uneasy.
"I'm going to go back to my bedroom now. Thanks for... you know, saving me and all." She said nervously, looking down at the ground. She was about to head to her room, but Quinton grabbed her wrist before she got too far.
"I will accompany you. I don't feel comfortable with you being by yourself just yet." He said, tugging Nora.
"You really don't have to. I'm fine." She replied, but Quinton ignored her refusals.
"I don't recall asking your opinion."
They entered the darkened bedroom, and Quinton approached the bed, tugging Nora behind him.

"Go on. Get on." He said gruffly, giving her a little nudge. Nora looked at him warily, before sitting on the edge of her bed. Quinton did the same, laying down on her pillows and sheets. Quinton eyed a feather but Nora simply shrugged. Nora continued to sit upright. He put his hand on Nora's shoulder, and felt her stiffen underneath her palm. "Lay back." He demanded. He could feel Nora's hesitance, but she finally laid back on the bed, so far away from Quinton, she could nearly fall off. Quinton noticed the distance she put between them. Looking over at her, he saw that she refused to face him.

"Is there a problem?" He asked.
"What?" She answered back, still not looking in his direction.
"You could fit a continent between us two. Do you despise me so?"
"Why are you doing this?" She flipped her head over to look at Quinton, her face illuminated by the light coming through the window; the light played off the curves of her face, giving her an ethereal glow.
"Every fiber of my being wants me to stay near you and make certain that your shape. It's instinctive for a wolf to protect his female. It's hard to ignore these kinds of feelings. You have no idea how that feels."

"You know what? You're right. I don't. My blood doesn't speak to me that way and I can't do anything about it, so you're going to have to accept it." She snapped, closing her eyes and facing the ceiling.
"Because of the ordeal you've been through tonight, I'll ignore your temperament for today." Quinton thought, beginning to think that joining Nora in the bed was a terrible mistake. As the silence stretched between them, Quinton was thinking deeper about why he was still lying besides her. Sure his inner wolf instincts wanted to protect her, but it's not like he couldn't override those urges. What else was keeping him here?

"Don't think I'm ungrateful. I thank you so much for saving me back there. I was terrified."
"You're welcome. I can't believe, he actually, that he was going to get out of here with you in tow."
"He obviously wasn't in his right mind." She said, letting her voice trail off. Quinton started at her hard, waiting for her to continue.
"Please, don't be too harsh on him. When you decide to punish him I mean..." She began again.
"Can it be that you pity your would be kidnapper? Nora, he was ready to carry you out of the house." He said angrily, sitting up.

"I know... but, he's sick." She calmly stated.
"Not sick enough to devise a plan like this."
"It was a spur of the moment decision. He hadn't even met me before."
"I don't understand why you're defending him!" He shouted. "He forcibly removed you from you from this room and -"
"Yes." Nora sat up right then. "Yes, Todd was forcing me to leave the life I knew without any care for how I felt. It certainly reminds me of someone I know." Nora said, her voice cracking.
She laid back on the bed, weary. Quinton was stunned to silence, not expecting that outburst, and definitely not expecting her comment to make him feel a small stab of guilt and malaise that settled behind his sternum.

"I am nothing like him." He said abruptly, but Nora ignored him.
"Do you loathe me so much?" He asked.
"I don't hate you." She answered simply.
"Then why do you refuse to lie besides me. Don't think of pulling a stunt like this is on our mating night.
"How can you talk about us mating while you still reek of her?"
"What?" Quinton asked, not knowing what Nora was referring to.
"You stink of Charlene. I can smell her all over you, and you expect me to cozy up next to you. Don't insult me."
Quinton had forgotten all about his tryst with Charlene earlier - the woman had instantly fled his mind when he saw Nora being hauled away by Todd. Now that Nora brought it to his intention, he did realize that he could smell the leftover traces of Charlene on his skin, and truth be told, it made his stomach turn.
"I, I wasn't aware." He said.
"Whatever." She replied.
Quinton sat up suddenly, getting off the bed and walking briskly towards the door, determined.

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Nora watched him exit the room, not saying a word. She was happy to see him go... partially. On the other hand, she desperately wanted him to stay. Her nerves were still rattled, and having Quinton besides her comforted her so much. In fact, Nora felt that she was too relieved to have him next to her.

'He had sex with Charlene goodness sakes!' Nora grumbled to herself. It was obvious. When they had been alone, Nora could pick up wafts of Charlene's perfume coming off Quinton, and it disgusted her. Nora couldn't help but picture them together, tangled in the sheets. Nora felt that Charlene had been with Quinton in a way Nora ever could. Sure they were to mate, but Quinton made that day sound like a daunting task more than anything else. Before coming to live here, Nora hadn't given much thought to well... intercourse. Being the way that she is, Nora never imagined to find a wolf mate, and never really thought about falling in love, or marriage at all to be honest. Sometimes she'd gaze at the moon and muse about married life, but in Wicks, no one married anyone other than their mate. If one's mate couldn't be found in Wicks, they'd go search in neighboring packs, but that was rare. It's not until now that she began to realize that she and other wolf could be together, but childless. Though, being without children wasn't a fate she'd have to endure if she stuck it out with Quinton, and it annoyed her to pieces that future was revolting her less and less.

'It's not a big deal, though. People get... affectionate for people who they've been around.' Nora tried to rationalize her growing want for Quinton. Her desires for Quinton wasn't a blazing flame but any means; they were more like the flickering embers, but the fire was lit nonetheless.

Nora sighed exasperatedly, upset with it all. 'I just want to be at peace.' Nora thought to herself. Living in Wicks, Nora had never been accustomed to such stress. Of course, sometime Nora would get into spats with her father and brother about who ate her cherry cobbler, or who's turn it was to water the plants. For the most part though, Nora was completely at ease. That carefree lifestyle Nora once had, was no more. Sure living in Gillans hasn't been a disaster, being that nothing was asked of her, and all her needs catered to. Though her constant feuding with Quinton and Catherine's sniping made the atmosphere tense, and difficult. Nora needed more Wicks in her and she decided that she was going to call her family tomorrow. Nora had spoken to them once in a while, but not recently. She'd also talk to Quinton about visiting her home, because she dearly missed the spacious meadows and forests of Wicks. Meanwhile....

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Quinton hissed as the hot water rinsed off the soap suds off his body. That was his third time rinsing. He had been scrubbing ferociously at his skin, wanting to get any trace of Charlene off his body and down the shower drain. He sniffed himself, and he felt that he smelled his normal self once more. Turning off the water, he exited the shower, and grabbed his towel off the rod. He patted down his body, and dried his shampooed hair. Feeling dry enough he left his bathroom and was striding to the door before realizing that he was stark naked. Normally he slept without clothing, but he was sure that sight would send Nora off the bed and out of the window. So he went to his dresser and pulled out black flannel pajama bottoms; that was as modest of Quinton was willing to be. He then left the room, walking to Nora's room. He pushed open the door, and Nora jolted, her eyes wide, obviously not expecting Quinton's (shirtless) return.

"What's going on?" She asked worriedly, flattening herself against the headboard. Quinton rolled his eyes, and entered the room, shutting the door behind him.
"Calm down. Nothing going on."
"Then why are you back here?"
"I'm here to sleep."
"But you..." She trailed off.
"I don't smell like her anymore. You've no reason to be uncomfortable."
He took his original position on her bed.
"Why?" She replied.
"Why what?" He said back, slightly irritated.
"Why did you do that... you didn't have to."

That was a question that Quinton had been asking himself the whole while he was showering. It was also the question that Quinton had decidedly ignored. Though, there was not ignoring it when Nora was expecting an answer. To be honest, he wasn't sure. What he should have done was leave her room, shower, and go to his bed. Quinton followed only two of those three steps. She made it clear that she didn't want his presence, yet, he didn't want to leave her alone. 'But why?' He asked him. The truth was that he didn't feel compelled to do it. His wolfish instincts were satiated as soon as Nora had been taken out of danger's way, yet, he still wanted to make sure she was safe. But why?

"I told you. It's my duty as your mate to be here. Who knows if Todd was working alone." He gave an answer that he hoped would pacify.
Nora looked at him speculatively for a moment before lying back, still on the edge of the
bed.
"That will not due." He stated.
"Can't you make sure I'm safe from a distance?" She moued.
"When we mate we will be sharing the bed, so you might as well get used to my proximity." He clucked.
"Fine." She grumbled, and move a smidgen closer to him.
"Just a little bit more." He coaxed.

She narrowed her eyes at him but acquiesced, closing the distance between them.
"There. That' not so bad he said." He said reaching for the comforter and pulling it over them both. He turned over on his side, while Nora laid stiff as a board.
"You can relax you know." He said lazily.
"I'm alright, thanks." She responded, even though her hands were clutching the sheet beneath her.
"Right. Well if that's what suits you. Me, I'm going to have a good night's sleep." He yawned while speaking, his eyes fluttering closed. He sighed, content with knowing that Nora was just in his reach, her soothing vanilla scent making him drowsy. 'But why?' the question plagued him, but he resounded to deal with it in the morning.

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Nora didn't make a peep, and remained in her position. After a moments, Nora heard Quinton's breathing slowing down and she could tell that he was asleep for the most part. Nora was trying hard to make sure that her arm didn't come in contact with his forearm. She was trembling slightly, so nervous, and unused to this kind of intimacy with, well, anyone. The fact that it was Quinton sharing her bed made her even more uneasy, and yet giddy. She definitely didn't want to be giddy. Nora swore that if she had to speak at that very moment she'd be breathless.

'Nora, you need to calm down.' She said inside her head. She decided to heed herself, and took a couple of deep breaths. She knew that if she didn't sleep, she'd wake up cranky and grouchy in the morning. She looked at Quinton from the corner of her eyes, and saw that Quinton's eyes were shut. She slowly began to turn on her side, her back facing his front. Luckily, the movements didn't rouse Quinton, though he shifted and mumbled nonsense words. Nora smiled, thinking how cute it was that he talked in his sleep. She strained her head to look at him behind her, taking in his strong jaw, pink lips, and tousled hair, slightly damp. His face was not lined with frustration, or anger as per usual. He looked... vulnerable, and that's a word Nora never thought she'd describe him as.

She looked away, staring again at the window. The moon had shifted in the sky while she hadn't been looking. Nora didn't want to admit, but she knew that her feelings for Quinton had shifted, just like the moon - when she wasn't paying attention. She didn't know what to make of that, and she didn't know what her feelings were shifting towards.

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Tada! I have to say that I like this chapter. What do you think of it? Were you guy's expecting the twist? Was the suspense alright? (I'm not the best at writing fearful situations). Tell me what y'all think!

And you guys must admit that this story was updated pretty speedily (in less time than I usually take) so hazzah! I just love this story so much, so even I want to see how it all unravels. Until next time!

Thanks to: Ritika, Grace, Ria, Danielle, Annie, Vei: for comments. I live to see the interaction!