Runt of the Litter by Sam Crescent

as she threw
up the casserole he’d made especially for her. This was killing him inside.
    She heaved, and he rubbed her back. When she finished
she was shaking with the heaves.
    “Crap, I feel like crap.”
    He handed her some tissues to wipe her mouth.
    “Don’t leave me, Jack.”
    “I’m not going to leave you.” He kissed her head again
wishing he could take this pain away from her. Never had he felt so fucking
helpless. Tori was his, and he couldn’t make anything
better for her. What kind of mate was he?
    “Don’t leave the bathroom either.”
    “I can’t be here, Tori.”
    “I’ve got underwear on, and it covers everything,
Jack. I trust you. Please, just hold me. Everything feels right when you hold
me.”
    He should tell her no.
    Just hold her. Nothing is going to happen.
    Jack wasn’t even aroused. He didn’t get off on his
mate’s pain.
    Stripping down to his boxer briefs, he helped Tori to
her underwear. Lifting her in the water, he settled down behind her, holding
her close, holding her, comforting her.
    “This is nice,” she said.
    “You’ve got vomit breath.” He reached for her
toothbrush, handing it to her along with a cup. “Brush your teeth.”
    “When you find your mate, Jack, she’s going to be so
damned lucky to have you in her life.”
    “Don’t talk about mates, Tori.”
    “I hope I live long enough to know mine. I’m going to
love him with all my heart and soul.”
    “I hope you live long enough as well.”
    “Why?” she asked, brushing her teeth.
    “Because I know he’s going to love you.”
    “Really?”
    “Yes. He’s going to love you and know he’s the
luckiest son of a bitch in the pack. Those girls you were with in school, they
pale in comparison to your beauty.”
    “You say the nicest things, Jack.”
    “I mean them.” He grabbed the soap and started washing
her hair. “You’re going to make him so happy.”
    You make me so happy, Tori. I love you so damned much, and I’m afraid.
I’m so fucking afraid that I’m going to lose you before you even know the
goddamned truth. I’m in pain here, baby. I’m in pain that you’re hurting and I
can’t do anything to stop it.
    He didn’t say anything that he was thinking. Tori fell
asleep as he washed her. Jack didn’t touch her other than to wash her hair. He
picked her up, wrapping her in a towel, and he opened the door.
    Paul was waiting.
    “You should have left her.”
    “If I did she would have fucking drowned. I didn’t
touch her. I’ve got more respect than that.” He carried his mate through to the
bedroom, placing her on the bed under the covers.
    When he left the room, Paul was still waiting. “What?”
    “How are you handling this?” Paul asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “This is hurting Tori, but I didn’t give a thought to
how you’re handling it.”
    “I’m doing fine.”
    “But it’s killing you?”
    “Yes. I need to get some air.” He didn’t put on any
extra clothes. Walking out of the house, he grabbed his cell phone from the
counter. Dialing Marshall’s number, he waited to hear his friend’s voice.
    “Are you okay?” Marshall asked, answering the call
immediately.
    “No, I’m really not okay. Have you found anything?”
Jack didn’t know how much longer he could handle this.
    “We’ve not found anything, but Scarlett, she was
talking to me about something.”
    “Tell me, Marshall. I’ll take crazy and fucking insane
right now.”
    “Since our mating Scarlett has noticed a difference
within herself. She’s stronger, more alert. Her senses are not as sharp as a wolf’s,
but she’s connected to me. She knows I’m there.”
    “So?”
    “Well, what if you could mate with Tori?”
    “I can’t. It’s against the rules. Paul has told me
that out of everything that Tori has learned, she
doesn’t know a single thing about mating. She knows of mates but not how it’s
done. I can’t do it, and how do you know it would work?”
    “You’re a beta. If you