Fin's Claim

The Healing Path

Finian's POV

Swinging, swaying branches of the great-grandfather Oak allows only the faintest of light to penetrate through the foliage. 

Laying on the ground, defeated watching Victoria drive away from me. It's impossible to move forward.

I have failed Victoria miserably.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Running home, thinking of everything that I have done to that wolf, to the mother of my only child is sickening. All the blame is for my shoulders to bear the weight on. 

The stink of me is hard to stand. Soiled, ruined and filthy this is no way to enter our home. The demon's perched on my shoulder, talons digging into the muscle, tail swishing back and forth across my neck. I think this creature loves the smell of me at the moment.

"You smell exactly of who you are, like rot. Smell yourself Finain, smell exactly who you are."This is exactly who you are to Victoria now, exactly what you always thought she smelled like."  Words whispered into the soft spot of my neck, where Victoria's claim lies. The tongue of the demon licks the spot sending a heave through my stomach, rolling the bile up and out. The demon lifting its head, inhaling long with a hum coming from its chest. 

This is not the way for Charlie to see her father. Staying away all night, cleaning up at the training facility. Always keeping spare clothes there if a wolf happens to bleed against me, I know I have clean stuff to change into. 

Waiting for when I know Charlie will be up, taking the stairs two at a time. Entering the room, Charlie's in Victoria's arms, scooping her up, laying my scent down on her. Victoria watches saying nothing, I try to keep my focus away from her. Looking around for the picture, with Charlie in my hands I find it. Putting it back up on the wall, this is where it belongs. 

Every time she takes it down, I will be there to put it back up. If I give up, then I give up on her, and I will never do that again. I will never walk away from her no matter what. 

The day is spent with Charlie, letting her walk as fast as her feet will take her. She's picking dandelions from the grass, picking one up myself making a wish on it. The wind carrying the seeds quickly away, hoping a wish will be granted. The demon starts to cackle insanely."Finian, you have no more wishes left, they're all used up."

Later on in the day, dinner has just finished, and Victoria doesn't hurry away once Charlie has her fill. She sits there, that's when I notice a change in her breathing, it's not so forced out the way it was before her heat. It's become slightly softer. She doesn't say anything, and neither do I -allowing a gentler side of silence to be between us. This could be the first small step up the mountain I'm climbing.

 A few days later while walking into a room Victoria and Charlie are playing in, an urge to walk out because I don't want to ruin their playtime. Usually, Victoria will pick Charlie up bringing her somewhere else because it's not my time yet. 

When I sit on the couch she holds her position, she doesn't move away. She actually stays for a few minutes, once again silence sits softly, without the hard edge it once possessed. It moves between the two of us, gently brushing against our cheeks. Eyes meeting, no words come out. Victoria looks down before taking Charlie out of the room. I don't follow her or push her for more than she can give me. If it's just a moment she is offering me, I'll take it. 

I'll take anything she's willing to give me.

When tucking Charlie in good night, the picture in the room is still up on the wall. This has been the longest time it's stayed up.