Page 11 of One True Mate

"Okay, shoot."

"Um," I started nervously. It wasn't something I ever talked about and certainly never showed anyone.

"Can you cover scars with your tattoos?"

He frowned, "Scars? Yeah, no problem."

"Um, how about skin grafts?"

His eyes widened as he came to understand what I was asking.

"How bad and how long ago?"

"Bad, and it's been ten years."

"Let me see what we're talking about."

I hesitated.

"It's okay, Kelsey, there isn't too much I haven't seen in this line of work." His grin was meant to set me at ease, but it wasn't working this time.

"It's just, well, um, I've never actually showed anyone since I left the hospital. It's a little nerve wracking even considering this, but I'm so tired of being scared and having this ugliness as a constant reminder. I thought maybe a tattoo, something that makes me happy, would help?" I shrugged, feeling incredibly vulnerable.

"That's pretty normal, Kelsey, but I won't know what I'm dealing with until you show me, but most of the time scarred tissue and skin grafts can easily take the ink."

I nodded and slowly began to lift my skirt up, then stopped. "Promise me you won't freak out or call me a monster." I was already fighting back tears.

He looked at me gently, understanding I had been through something very traumatic and spoke softly. "Nothing could make me think of you as a monster, and whatever it is, I promise I've seen worse."

I nodded, feeling only slightly better, and lifted my skirt the rest of the way tucking it into my panties so he could look at my entire right thigh.

I heard his breath catch and his eyes widen.

"What did this?"

"A wolf. It was a long time ago." I suddenly couldn't stop talking. Everything I'd been keeping inside of me burst forth to this one stranger. "I was twelve. Two of them attacked, killing my parents. I got away, but barely." I motioned to my leg for added emphasis. "It took eight rounds of skin grafts to get looking this good. But every time I see it, it reminds me of that awful night. I don't want that constant reminder, Cole."

"I'm guessing my lone-wolf comment earlier was a little uncalled for."

I snorted. I liked Cole Anderson immensely.

"Okay, well, did you have something in mind already or want to look at some books? If you want that fully covered it's gonna be something big and will take more than one session."

"Did you draw those wolves out in the lobby?"

"A wolf? You want a wolf to cover the scars left to you by a wolf?"

I grinned and nodded. "Not just any wolf though." I unfolded the paper in my pocket with the picture I had drawn of the big brown wolf and handed it to him. "I want this wolf."

Amusement flashed across his face. "This wolf? You're sure this is the wolf you want covering your body?"

"Absolutely. It has to be this wolf."

"Tell me why."

"My entire life I've been terrified of wolves, even before the attack." He seemed surprised to hear my admission. "This wolf, I've seen him in the woods behind my house. He's there almost every night, and there's just something about him. I don't know how to explain it, but I'm not afraid of him. He's big and should be terrifying, yet I'm not scared. I feel comfort knowing he's out there, kind of like he's protecting me. So yes, it has to be this wolf."

Cole looked extremely amused by my story.

---