Chapter 2: Chapter 1: Meeting
I run blindly through the woods, not once turning back to see if I'm still being followed. I don't care if everyone in my former pack thinks of me as a traitor. I don't care about how much trouble I'm going to be in. The only thing I care about is staying ahead of them so they can't drag me back there. If I get caught, I'm dead. Everyone in that pack just watched for a year… an entire year as my mother had to hide bruises – unsuccessfully most of the time – because of my father. No one did anything.
I can feel every twig and branch cutting into my skin, but I can't slow down. My wounds will heal quickly once I get somewhere safe… if I get somewhere safe. As for right now, I have to just ignore the stinging in my face and arms and keep pushing forward. I can still hear the trackers behind me as they continue the chase, but they are a good enough distance away that I'm out of their line of sight.
My lungs are burning, and my legs feel like they're going to fall off if I continue for much longer. Every muscle is protesting with every step taken, but I keep pushing forward. I've gained some distance from the trackers, but I can't let up now. I turn in a different direction, hoping to throw them off ever further. I'm a small werewolf so that gives me an advantage when it comes to speed. I turn once again by another tree, but slow down when a new scent wafts into my nose. I have traveled into another pack's territory without even knowing it. I've been so distracted by trying to get away from the people following me that I put myself in even more danger. I turn to go back so that I won't be caught by any of these pack members before anyone notices my intrusion. It isn't unknown to anyone in the werewolf community what happens when a Rogue wolf trespasses into another Alpha's land. It never ends pretty. It's one of the few things that every single Alpha can agree on; there are no good Rogues. I've seen it firsthand when my former Alpha tortured and eventually killed anyone who crossed over our borders without permission and wasn't part of the pack. Some Alphas were worse than others, and I have no idea who I'll be dealing with if I get caught now.
A twig snaps behind me and out of pure instinct I take off further into the territory. I know this is a bad idea – an awful idea – but anything would be better than having to go back home to those monsters. At least there's a chance whoever runs these lands will kill me quickly. My former Alpha… he'd make sure I suffered. My dad is his best friend and if I killed him back there, he's sure to make me pay for it. I turn around another tree and immediately run into something hard. I bounce off and fall to the ground with an audible thump.
Terrific!
I lie on the ground wheezing for the breath that's escaped my lungs from the hard fall. Everything hurts, but I can't deny how good it feels to finally stop running. Suddenly, a delicious smell invades my senses, overpowering all the pain. It smells of the woods with an afterthought of mint. I can feel my wolf going crazy in the back of my mind, but I'm too busy indulging myself in this intoxicating smell to pay too much attention to my surroundings. If I'm going to die here, at least I'll be dying with this smell surrounding me. I try to push my wolf down and let my body relax for just a second, but she continues to push against my mental walls, begging to be released.
'Mate,' my wolf howls in joy. It's suddenly all so clear to me. It wasn't a tree, or just any wolf that I ran into… it was my mate! I quickly start to look around, in hope to catch a glimpse of his face when I feel someone grab me from under both arms and haul me up onto my aching feet. I want to let out a groan as my feet start throbbing and a sharp pain shoots up both legs, but no sound comes out. I can feel the sparks running over my skin from the bond between the two of us. Before I can even process my own reaction, I feel myself physically relaxing under his touch as I lean further into his hold. He will keep me safe. He won't let them take me away. Right?
"My beautiful mate," he whispers as he buries his head in my neck, inhaling my scent. My wolf purrs in happiness as she revels in being held by our mate. "Are you okay? You hit the ground pretty hard," he asks as he pulls back and proceeds to check me for any injuries. I open my mouth to tell him that I'm fine, but before I can get anything out I'm interrupted by yelling in the distance. I quickly turn my head to see who's yelling, hoping with everything within me that it's one of my mate's pack members and not the trackers who have been on my trail since I left. My wolf growls and I tense as I quickly look back at my mate's face. His beautiful features are hard as he stares behind me. The wolves coming up are not from his pack. My breathing escalates as I avert my eyes to stare down at his chest as I try to imagine how this scene will go. Alphas talk all the time. He may be my mate, but if he's heard about the atrocious thing I've done, he may send me back. Just because he's supposed to take care of me doesn't mean he will. I mean, look at how my parents are together.
"I found her!" one of the trackers I don't recognize yells as he comes into view from behind a tree. I stiffen further and move to hide behind my mate's back. I don't want them to see me, and I'm hoping he won't let them get near me. There is a chance he doesn't know what I'm running from, so if that's the case I'm safe with him for now. If he doesn't know, after he finds out what happened, I don't know what he'll do with me.
"Who are you and why are you following my mate?" he asks as he pushes me even further behind him. I can feel the power radiating off him, which means that he's of a high rank in this pack. I feel my wolf purr in delight as we feel how strong our mate is through the new bond. I listen as more people gather in front of us. While he continues to stare down the threat in front of us, more wolves come and surround us on all sides. None of them look directly at me, they just keep their eyes set on the invaders in front of them as they move into a defensive formation. I glance around in awe at how many pack members have shown up for the number of trespassers.
"We didn't mean to come into your territory, Alpha Mason," the tracker who came into view first speaks as he bows his head respectfully at my mate. "But I'm afraid she's going to have to come back with us." My mate, Mason, growls at his words. He reaches back and places one of his large hands on my small hip, pulling me even closer to him in the process. My chest is now pressed up against his back. Heat radiates off him as I reach up and place my hands on his back, trying to find some sort of calm within myself. His scent surrounds me which aids in calming my wolf but doesn't do much to calm me as I hear growls emit from all around me.
"You will turn around and leave my territory and not come back. And if I hear you threaten my mate again it will be the last thing you ever do. Leave now and you can still make it back to your pack in one piece. You got that?" I feel nothing but pride as he speaks. I have a strong and powerful mate. However, seeing as he's an Alpha, I guess that comes with the territory.
"We'll go, but we will be back for you," he says as the others who were tracking me with him start to turn and leave. I peek around Mason's large figure to see what's going on. The tracker catchers my eyes and glares at me, his eyes holding nothing but hatred for me. I have no doubt that every single member from my former pack feels this way about me. Even before I beat their Beta, most people in my former pack are hateful. It's the way of that pack. The Alpha wanted everyone to be scared of his pack, so he instilled it in his members that being hateful and ruthless was the way to go. I do my best to hold his stare. I know I'm safe for now. As long as Mason doesn't know why I'm running so I'm safe with him until then… after that I'll have to see where I stand. The tracker growls lowly as his glare hardens further. "You may have found some security for now, but it will only last so long… and you can't run forever." I shiver at his tone and fist the back of Mason's shirt, trying to do whatever to get closer to him. I know the guy is right. I can't run forever. I know I'm going to have to explain all of this to my mate… all I can do is hope for understanding.
Mason growls lowly and I feel all of his wolves begin to move closer to the trackers. They glare at the wolves, but after a couple of minutes, all of them are gone from sight. I move back behind Mason and bury my face in his back as I do my best to calm my breathing. I feel the vibration when Mason calls for a couple of wolves to make sure they leave the territory without causing any more trouble. I feel him start to turn around, so I lift my head and look up at him. I hadn't realized how tall he is until now. I have to lean my head all the way back to look up at him. I expect questions, but I'm surprised when I feel his arms wrap around my waist as he pulls me closer and up off the ground. My feet dangle off the ground and I instinctively reach up to hold onto his shoulders. I almost sigh in relief when the pressure is off my feet.
"Are you alright?" he asks softly as his eyes travel over my face. "You look exhausted. How long have you been running from those asshats?" he growls as he glares in the direction the trackers left by.
"About a day. I ran away from my pack and my mom sent them after me," I explain as I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer. I place my nose up against his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent and letting his warmth envelope me. "Please, please don't let them take me away. I can't go back there. They'll kill me," I plead as tears threaten to escape from my eyes.
"No one is going to take you away from me…" he stops mid sentence and pulls away from me so he can look at me better. Looking at him up close like this sends a shock through my heart. He's beautiful, he really is. So much more beautiful than anything I've ever seen before in my life. Everyone always talked about how it would feel when you meet your mate, but nothing could have prepared me for this. His amber eyes seem to draw me in, and his blond locks make me just want to run my fingers through them. He looks to be about six feet fives inches tall, which to a normal sized werewolf wouldn't seem that big since werewolves are usually big themselves, but seeing as I stand at a small five feet four inches, it's big to me. He's perfect. He sets me back down on the ground but keeps his arms wrapped securely around my waist. I rest my hands against his firm chest as I stare up at him.
"What's your name, Red?" he asks as he runs his finger along the curve of my cheek bone. I feel a shiver run up my spine at his touch, making it hard to focus on doing anything but enjoying his touch. I see his soft smirk as he continues to trace the features on my face as he watches me carefully. I smile softly to myself at his small nickname. No one has ever given me a nickname before, let alone one that matches my hair.
"My name is Alaina. Alaina Holt," I respond as I lean further into his touch. My body is still aching from all the running I've had to endure but seeing him and being in his arms as he talks to me seems to somewhat numb most of the pain.
"Alaina," he whispers as if trying it out for himself. "Figures you would have a beautiful name. My name is Mason Woods, Alpha of the Green Woods Pack." I smile up at him as he looks proudly down at me. I never really thought too much about what it would be like to meet my mate. I wanted it to happen, but I figured obsessing about it like some wolves do wouldn't do anything to make me find him sooner. The times I did think about it though, I never would have guessed he would be an Alpha. "Now, why were you running away from your pack?" I stiffen at his words. I know this conversation would come up, but I was hoping it wouldn't be this soon. I just found him… I don't want to risk losing him so soon.
"Can we talk about this somewhere else please? I'll tell you everything but I would prefer to do it in private. What I'm running from…" I trial off as I close my eyes and sigh. "What I'm running from isn't exactly smiled upon, and I'm worried enough about telling you alone. I'm not ready for everyone to know and considering you have a lot of wolves surrounding us right now," I say as I motion to the members around us. His eyes dart in a circle and he nods his head slightly. The wolves begin to disperse after bowing their heads in respect to both of us. He looks back into my eyes before smiling tightly.
"You can tell me anything." He frames my face with his hands, forcing me to look straight into his eyes. "There is nothing you could tell me that would cause me to turn away from you. We are going to have arguments, I know that… but nothing will ever change how I feel about you. I know we just met but I care about you so much. No matter what you did, I will protect and love you… until the end of time."
"You say that, but I've grown up in a pack and I know how they work. Packs have laws and the law that I broke… Well, it's bad and I see the way you're looking at me right now," I reach up and run my fingers along his jaw, "and I don't want that to change."
"It won't change." I like hearing his tone so serious, but I know I can't hold my breath until after we talk. "Let's go home. We'll talk about everything there tomorrow. You need a good night's rest after everything you've been through today. Are you okay to walk? The house isn't close to where we are now. It's about ten miles or so in that direction," he points towards the north. I look towards the trees and try to hide the discomfort I'm still feeling as I look back up at him. The skeptical look in his eyes tells me he already knows how much pain I'm probably in. Even if I wasn't hurting and could walk perfectly fine, I don't think I would want to. The thought of being held in his arms while we walk to his house seems perfect.
"Can you carry me?" He smiles even wider as he quickly bends down to swipe my legs out from under me. A small squeal escapes my parted lips followed quickly by a small laugh as I wrap my arms around his neck. Mason cradles me in his arms as we make our way home. It's strange to think of somewhere I've never been as home. Even before this last year, I didn't feel like I had a home. I always felt like something was wrong, but I never could put my finger on it. Things came to light when my father started abusing my mother. To have some security for a while, even if it's short lived, will be nice. For the first time in, I don't even know how long… I feel safe again.
***
It doesn't take us as long to get back as I thought it was going to. If I'm being honest, I couldn't tell anyone how to get here from where we were. Being in the arms of my mate was a bit distracting and I couldn't focus on my surroundings, which is strange considering I've had nothing to do except focus on my surroundings. I don't know how long I will have this – have him – after I explain everything to him and I'm not about to waste any moments by not paying attention to him.
If I have to go back and stand trial, I know I won't survive longer than a week. My former Alpha will no doubt make me suffer before finally killing me. And that's all if my father died. If he didn't… if he survived my attack, my fate will be much worse than death. Any kind of torture that the Alpha could come up with won't even touch what my own father will do to me. The Alpha would be acting out of anger for a friend, my father will be acting on over a year – at least – of hatred.
"What are you thinking so hard about?" Mason asks as he sits me down on a soft bed. I hadn't even realized that we had come inside the house. Between the distraction of his touch and the exhaustion taking over my body, I'm really out of it. As amazing as it feels to be in his arms, it doesn't take away the past twenty-four hours of running. Trackers are given that position because they're fast. So even though I'm fast, my size and the fact that I couldn't let up took a big toll on me. "Alaina?" his voice again brings me out of my own head.
"Hmm?" I ask looking up at him. Those amber eyes warm as he looks down at me. I can see the love shining there, but he can't mask the worry he's feeling. I know him not knowing what I'm running from is bugging him. The Alpha side of him wants to be in control of whatever situation I've brought onto his territory, so him being in the dark is no doubt causing his mind to run rampant trying to figure it out. How am I supposed to tell the person that is perfect for me, the one I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with, that I possibly killed my father and then ran away from my pack? Traitors are never treated with kindness and after he learns the truth, he will have to decide if it's a situation he's willing to deal with, or he'll just send me back to face what I've done.
"Please tell me what's going on. I can see you're worried about something and I want to be able to help you… but I can't do that if I don't know what's going on." He reaches up with one hand to twirl a lock of my hair around his finger. I know he deserves to know, he has a right to know seeing as my being here could – and most likely will – cause problems for his pack, but I can't help but want to keep quiet about it. "Alaina, no matter what it is, I will protect you. From anything and anyone. I promise you that," he whispers as he steps closer to me. His body heat surrounds me in a comforting blanket. Am I wrong for wanting to keep this for at least one night?
"Can we please, please, just have tonight?" I ask pass the lump building in my throat. "I've been running for an entire day and then I thought I was going to die because I accidentally wandered onto another pack's lands. I lucked out in finding you, Mason, and I know you say you'll protect me, but neither of us know what will happen and I," I sigh and close my eyes to fight the tears, "I just want tonight with you."
I open my eyes as he sighs. He doesn't like it, but I can see that he's going to give me this play. He opens his mouth to say something, but just before anything comes out, the shrill of the phone sounds throughout the house. I jump at the harsh noise, my nerves shot from my long day. A low growl emits from Mason's chest as he moves away from me to grab the phone set on the desk against the wall. I watch his frown as he lifts the phone to his ear. He opens his mouth to greet whoever is on the other end of the line, but a voice calls out first. I advert my attention elsewhere, doing my best to give him some privacy as he takes care of whatever business the call is about.
"What do you mean Alaina must be returned to you?" he growls, his eyes beginning to turn a shade darker due to his wolf surfacing. At the sound of my name, I turn my head to look at him as my stomach drops. No. This can't happen, not tonight! They know where I am thanks to the trackers and now they're going to try and get me back. I can't hear what the person is saying on the other line due to the rushing sounds of blood in my ears, but whatever it is Mason doesn't like it at all. His body starts to shake, and his eyes are now pitch black. I try to fight back the fear as I stare at him with careful eyes. His wolf is fighting to take control as his claws begin to elongate and his canines start showing in his mouth. As amazing as he looks like that, I can't help but feel terrified just a bit as my mind wanders to how my father treated my mother. I want to approach him, to calm him, but I can't seem to make myself move. When a small, lethal growl sounds from him, I know what I have to do.
I quickly move forward so that I'm standing at his side. I don't know if he wants me this close to him, but my wolf needs it as much as his does. I carefully wrap my arms around his waist and hold tight until his shaking slows slightly from my touch. Anger is still radiating off him, but at least he's calmed down enough that he doesn't seem to want to destroy everything he touches.
"You will never get her back! She's my mate and she is where she belongs! You try anything further and it will mean big problems between our packs Dylan! You don't want that, and you know it," he sneers before quickly ending the call. I know that it isn't the last of that conversation but for now I have to find a way to explain what happened. I guess I'm not getting tonight after all. His words are comforting, but I refuse to let myself feel any sort of relief or comfort until he hears everything. I keep my arms wrapped around him as I bury my face against his side. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me tightly to his chest. My wolf continues to anxiously pace in my mind as I try to find the best way to word this. She wants to stay with her mate, but she has the same fear I do… that he and his wolf will turn their backs on us once they realize the awful thing we've done.
"Who was that on the phone?" I ask after a couple of minutes even though I'm pretty sure I already know the answer. His arms give me a gentle squeeze and I can hear him inhaling my scent through his nose at the top of my head. I can feel the tension in his muscles, and I hate that I'm the one that's caused that. I also hate that the only way I will be able to possibly ease any of that tension is to tell him the truth and face his judgment.
"That was Dylan, Alpha of the Blue Bloods pack," he growls out. I close my eyes, knowing what I feared to be true. "Is that where you came from? Was it his trackers you were running from?" he asks, his voice making a drastic change from how it sounded just minutes before. I nod my head against his chest, not being able to bring myself to look at him yet. I don't want to think about Alpha Dylan. He's my dad's best friend, they had grown up together. He no doubt wants just as much revenge on me as my mother seems to want since she sent them after me so quickly. "Why do they want you back so badly, Alaina?"
"I…" I trail off. I can feel a lump in my throat beginning to form as my eyes pool with tears. Once this is out, it's over, and he'll never look at me the same. Sure, killing is common among werewolves, but killing your own flesh and blood is never supposed to happen. In the early days of the werewolf packs, it happened all the time. Now, there's laws against it. The only acceptable time to even challenge someone of your bloodline to a fight is when it comes to power and who will lead the pack – which really doesn't happen anymore.
"You what, baby? It's okay, you can tell me." I shake my head and took a deep breath. I feel a couple tears roll down my cheeks but are quickly wiped away by a swift swipe of his thumbs. He cups my cheeks in his hands and stares into my eyes as if he'll find the answer there. I sniffle as I look at him before finding my words.
"I think," I breathe and try to find any remaining courage inside me, "I think I killed someone," I whisper, part of me hoping he didn't hear me. He did. He unwraps his arms from around me and pulls me away to look at me with nothing but shock on his beautiful features. He knows that if they're after me, then whoever I killed must be important. My wolf whimpers at our mate's sudden detachment. She doesn't like how he's distancing himself from us, and neither do I. I can't tell what he's thinking exactly, but if his moving away from me is any indication of how the rest of this conversation is going to go, it isn't good.
I'm screwed.
"Who did you kill?" More tears start to fall from my watery eyes. I knew this was going to happen. If he distancing himself without even hearing the whole story, how's he going to act when he learns that it was the Beta of the pack and my own father? "Who did you kill, Alaina?" he asks with more force behind his words. I step away from his touch move to sit back on the bed. My chest rises and falls with each accelerated breath, but I can't calm down, not with him looking at me like that.
"I don't know if he actually died or not," I say in between the sobs that I can no longer hold back. I avert my eyes, unable to look at his face.
"Who was it? I wouldn't be getting that call and have trackers on my land if it wasn't someone important."
"My mom told me to leave and never come back," I say, still somewhat avoiding his question. "She was looking at me with so much hatred that I just took off and I didn't look back. I couldn't," I explain softly. After several minutes of silence, I look up into his black eyes and flinch away from the harsh look on his face. He's getting annoyed with me beating around the bush and it's obvious he's almost at his limit. I take in a shaky breath before continuing, "It was my father, Mason."
I sit back and wait for his outburst, keeping my eyes on anything but him, but it never comes. I force my eyes back to his face only to see him looking at me like I've grown another head. Great start.
"You possibly killed your father?" he asks slowly. I pull my lower lip into my mouth and bite down on it as I nod my head. I have seen my dad get mad and that is usually when he started to act out and hit my mom. I don't want to think Mason is capable of that, but I have to be careful. I've been living the nightmare I never thought would happen between mates for long enough to know now that I have to be careful. I won't let myself become my mother. I refuse to let anyone treat me that way. "Why would you kill your father, Alaina? He's your father!" I can hear the distaste in his voice, and it hurts to hear it.
"It wasn't on purpose. I didn't mean to kill him, that's if he's even dead. I didn't even mean to attack him, it just happened. My wolf took over and I couldn't fight her down, and once I started I couldn't stop…" I can hear my voice beginning to break so I decide to just stop talking. I don't want to cry over my father. He's a monster and he doesn't deserve my tears… but he's still my father. I can still see him lying on the floor all bloody as my own mother tells me I'm not her daughter anymore. I can still hear her wails as she cradles his limp body in her arms, her own face bleeding from her previous beating that night. Seeing him and hearing her made it feel like my heart was being stabbed over all over again.
"Was he hurting you? Is that why you attacked him?" I shake my head slowly and close my eyes. Even as he asks those questions, his tone and expression remain the same.
"He wasn't attacking me per se…" Mason motions for me to continue with an impatient look on his face. "If I'm going to talk about this, I need you to stop staring at me like I'm a monster, please," I say through another sob. "I had a reason for doing what I did. I know I still shouldn't have done it, or I should have at least controlled my wolf and stopped, but I can't talk to you about this when my own mate is looking at me like I'm the most awful thing he's ever laid eyes on."
His eyes soften at my words and he starts to make his way closer to the bed. I watch his every move as I move further away from him, pulling my knees to my chest as if they were a shield. He sits down on the edge of the bed and keeps his eyes on me. He motions for me to come closer, but I hesitate. He doesn't fail to notice my apprehension in getting closer to him again, but he continues to hold his hand out until I move. Once I'm close enough to him, he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. He nudges my head to the side and buries his head in the crook of my neck as he holds me. I hesitantly lean my head against his and reach up to hold onto his neck with one hand.
"I'm sorry," he breathes against my neck. "I shouldn't have judged you without knowing the story. I was just shocked. I know it is necessary to sometimes kill people to keep yourself or your pack safe, it's the way we have to live, I just never would have expected you to have to do that. I don't want that for you. Killing never gets easier, no matter who it is. Please forgive me, Red." I nod my head and I settle myself more comfortably in his lap. "Please finish your story."
"He was beating my mom," I whisper. I feel Mason stiffen beneath me, but he keeps quiet. "He had been doing it for some time, and I told my mom to leave him. She wouldn't listen to me. She kept telling me that I didn't understand because I didn't have my mate yet." I pull away and look at him with knowing eyes. "I get what she's talking about now. I don't ever want to be apart from you and I've only just met you. My parents have been together for the last eighteen years so I can only imagine the bond they built. But he was beating her, Mason, and he wouldn't stop. They would both just tell me to mind my own business.
"But when you know your father is beating your mother, how can you just leave that alone? I couldn't. The night that I left, I heard her screaming from downstairs. I rushed down there to see what was happening, even though I already knew," a sob escapes me as I see her lying on the floor unmoving in my mind all over again. "She was unconscious on the floor with him on top of her, just punching her in the face. I saw red and my wolf took over and I attacked him. I could see myself doing it, but I couldn't stop. I had no control over my body. My wolf didn't like that he was hurting our mother and she took complete control. I smashed his head on the floor as hard as I could multiple times and I felt his nose break under my fist. I can still hear the sick sound…" I'm full on sobbing at this point. Mason tightens his arms around me as he shushes me quietly. I lean against his chest and just let the tears fall.
"Oh, Alaina," he whispers as he silently rocks me back and forth. I know this is too much for him. The trauma I've had to endure has no doubt fucked up my head and that on top of me killing my father, and all of that on top of the potential threat I'm bringing to his pack. All he has to do is say I have to go back and stand trial. He's an Alpha, he understands the laws of our kind more than anyone else. I'm just waiting for him to send me packing. Mate or not, laws are laws, and they are there for a reason. The trouble I'm bringing is too much to ask a pack I don't know or aren't a part of to deal with. I know that.
"It's okay," I whisper after several minutes of silence between us. I pull away from his touch despite my wolf's protests. It's killing me to distance myself from him, but I can't sit here in his arms if he's going to send me back to Alpha Dylan. "I understand that this is too much for you to deal with, Mason. It's too much to ask you and your pack to deal with no matter who I am. I'll just leave and then your pack won't be at risk for anything. You won't have to worry about me anymore. The trackers aren't following me anymore since you sent them home. I can get a head start and stay ahead of them and off any other territories. I'll be okay." I force my legs to move me closer to the door, my heart breaking with each step.
I want to look back at him one last time as I leave. I know that I look awful right now with tears streaming down my face. I want to see him, to have his face branded in my mind, but I don't want my face like this to be the last thing he remembers of me. My heart aches as I listen to my wolf whimper. I know I won't survive this heartbreak… no one could. But maybe… maybe this pain is what I deserve for all the pain I've caused. My mother is having to go through this too now thanks to me. Whenever someone is separated from their mate for too long, both of them grow weaker until eventually they just fade. It doesn't happen to everyone, but it is the most likely outcome. You lose your wolf, which is just like losing half of yourself, and then you die. Well… at least you hope you die.
It's the worst thing in the world to have to endure. I want so badly to turn around and look at Mason, but I know that if I do, I will never be able to make myself leave on my own, and I would much rather make the choice to leave than have someone force me out.
"Alaina," he calls out just as I reach the door. I stop with my hand on the doorknob, and wait for him to say something else, but I keep my back to him. I listen closely as I hear the bed move as he stands up and comes closer to me. I brace for his rejection, for the final words that are going to send me on my way… but instead of saying anything, I feel him wrap his strong arms around me and he just holds on. "Don't go anywhere." I'm not sure if it's a sigh or a sob that comes from my mouth as I slump my weight against him for just a second.
I turn around in his arms and look at him with a confused expression. He isn't sending me back? He isn't sending me away to protect his own people? Even after learning that I could have, and most likely did, kill my father he can still it in himself to want me here? If I stay, it's going to start problems for him that are not what he wants or needs.
"You're not going to send me back?" I ask, tilting my head back to look at him. My wolf is howling in happiness that we aren't going to have to leave our mate. I want to be happy, but I can still feel some of that fear creeping up inside me. "You're not making me leave you?"
"I told you, no matter what you did, it would never make me turn away from you or about you any less. You're just going to have to be stuck here with me from now on." His lips twitch as he caresses the side of my face. "No one is taking you away from me or our pack. You're the Luna, and this pack will do anything and everything it has to in order to make sure you're safe. I'll do whatever it takes."
I stand on my toes and wrap my arms around his neck as he pulls me closer to his chest. I feel nothing but relief flow through my body. Sparks flow across my skin wherever he's touching me. How did I get this lucky? He finds out I did something horrible and unforgivable and he accepts me still. After seeing how my parents were with each other, and honestly some of the other mates in my old pack were with each other, I couldn't deny I wasn't sure what to expect when I found my mate. I'm glad I was wrong.
"I thought you were going to send me back," I sob into his chest as I hold on as tight as I can. "Oh, you don't know how happy I am that you're going to let me stay, Mason. I can't leave you. I don't want to, ever." I stop and look up at him with nothing but love in my eyes. I never understood how people said they loved each other so quickly. It didn't seem possible to love someone you just met, but as I look into Mason's eyes, I get it. He is it for me. There will never be anyone else that will make me feel this way. "I, Alaina Beth Holt, accept you, Mason Woods, as my mate." I smile at him as he wipes my tears away.
He returns my smile before saying, "I, Mason Lane Woods, accept you, Alaina Holt, as my mate."
That's the first step in completing the mating bond. Granted, I am nowhere near ready to complete the bond or even have him mark me for that matter… but I'm still happier than I could ever imagine to have it started. He's all mine, as I am his. As I look at him, I know he is everything to me, but I can't help but feel that slight hesitation at the thought of him marking me.
"Mason?" I ask after a couple of minutes of silence as we gaze at each other. He hums in response but doesn't look away from me once. "I know that us accepting each other is the first step in the mating process and that now our bond will be stronger as will the pull to…" I pause as a blush covers my cheeks. Mating is a common subject among wolves, but I've rarely talked about it with anyone, even my own mother. "But I want to take our time with mating," I whisper softly as I break eye contact. I know this isn't normal. Mates usually mate not long after finding each other, and if that's not the case, they at least mark each other to warn off other wolves, but I'm not ready for that. Not yet. I've been saving myself for my mate for the last eighteen years, a little bit more shouldn't hurt anyone. At least I hope not…
I watch as his features tighten in confusion as he processes my words. "Do you not want to complete the bond?" he asks softly. I can hear the uncertainty and coldness in his voice.
"No, I do," I quickly amend as I lean into his touch further. "I don't know how mates are in your pack, but they weren't especially loving where I come from. I don't know if it was how the pack was run, or if it was just how they all were, but it wasn't like how I've read. Then I've had to witness the mess that is my parents for the last year." I close my eyes and force a deep breath into my lungs. "I'm just not ready for that yet. I want to be one with you, but can we just wait until I'm ready? Please?"
He studies me for a few seconds before nodding his head in understanding. "Yes, we can wait but I would prefer to have us mated by the time I introduce you to the pack. Just so that everyone will know that you're mine and that you aren't to be messed with," he explains seriously as he tightens his hold on my waist. I can't help the laugh that builds inside of me.
"I was wondering when the possessive side would make a show. I have always seen that male wolves were protective over their mates – even the ones in my pack that didn't quite seem to get along – and then I heard that Alphas are even worse. You've been so cool and laid back until now." He grunts at my words before he lifts me up into the air as I rest in his arms.
"Do you want me to be possessive and not let you leave the house and be around any males?" he asks. I shake my head no as I work to prevent the small smile from forming on my face. "I didn't think so. That's what I want to do, trust me it is. My wolf wants me to throw you on that bed and take what's ours right now. To show the whole world who you are to us and where you belong… but I'm going to wait until you are absolutely ready for that to happen. It's going to be hard to control my wolf, but for you, I can wait." I smile softly and close my eyes as he leans forward and presses his lips against my forehead.
The tingles intensify under his touch and I feel myself shiver. My wolf is scratching to get out so that she can be the one kissing our mate. She doesn't let up to the point where it's almost uncomfortable and I have to pull away from Mason's touch. He hasn't even kissed me on the mouth yet and she's acting like this. I don't even want to think about what she's going to be acting like when he actually kisses me.
"What is it?" he asks worriedly. I try to calm my wolf down, but she just isn't having any of it. She wants out so she can go run and be with our mate. I try to push her down with promises that we'll go run later, but she wants out now. I sigh and ponder if I have enough energy left in me to make the change and run like she wants.
"My wolf is getting restless. She wants to go run and…" I trail off in embarrassment as I think about what I was about to tell him. I don't know a lot about mates outside of the few things I've read and what I've seen in person, so I don't know if it's normal for my wolf to want to be the one in control when it comes to Mason.
"And what, Red?"
"I like that you call me that. I've never really had a nickname before," I attempt to change the subject.
"I like your hair so the nickname fits. Now, nice try at changing the subject but what were you going to say?" he asks with a knowing smirk on his face.
Great, doesn't look like I'll be able to get away with much if he can read me so well already.
"My wolf wants to be the one you're kissing. She wants to be the one in control right now," I mumble as I glance up at him through my lashes. I watch as he throws his head back and laughs freely. It's such a beautiful sound that I almost find myself smiling through my embarrassment. As he's laughing, he pulls me away from the door so he can open it. I'm still resting in his arms as he makes his way down the stairs and onto the front porch. I'm confused as to what he's doing, but I keep my mouth shut for now as I enjoy being in his hold. Wolves are strong, but it's still somewhat surprising how easily he can walk around with me in his arms. His arms are muscular and strong, not showing any sign of fatigue or defect as he holds me against him. I can't even imagine what it'll be like when it comes to time for us to complete the bond… what the rest of him looks like. I feel my face heat up at my crass thoughts and try to focus on something else. The embarrassment of what I just admitted to him and my dirty thoughts are almost too much for me.
"Mason, what are we doing?" I ask after he finally sets me down on the grass. Thankfully, my feet are no longer aching just by standing on them, so maybe I could manage a run to calm my wolf down. Mason smiles at me before quickly peeling his shirt off. I can't help but stare at his bare chest. His chest and abs are tone, but not overly toned. Just like his arms, he looks strong. It's a nice sight to look at, that's for sure. I find myself wanting to run my tongue along every line and bulge of his muscles.
"Alaina, if you want to take things slow, then you can't look at me like you want a bite," he whispers as he tilts my head up to meet his eyes – which is just as good as sight as the rest of him. I know there's a deep blush covering my face, but I don't turn away. Yes, I'm embarrassed for being caught staring at him, but he's mine to look at, so it's okay. "I thought maybe we could shift and go for a run. Seeing as our wolf wants out and mine would like to meet yours. We'll just run around the territory for a little bit and then we can come back. You think you can manage that after all the running you've done?"
I nod my head before looking around for a place to take my clothes off so I can shift. Since I didn't get to grab anything before taking off, I can't afford to rip these until I can get some new ones to replace them, which would be great because I can smell them and it's not a great smell. Mason must have picked up on what I'm thinking because he turns around so that I can have some privacy to shift.
I strip out of my clothes after making sure he isn't looking and there's no one around. After I'm completely bare, I take a second to enjoy the feel of the wind against my skin, before focusing on my wolf inside. I feel my body begin to shake slightly and before I know it, I'm standing on all fours. I love my wolf, she's absolutely beautiful. She's completely black except for her front two paws which are white. I shake out my fur and enjoy the feel of being in my wolf form for a second. I lift my nose to the air and take in my surroundings before settling my eyes on my mate. I prance over to where Mason is still standing with his back to me and I nudge my wet nose against the back of his hand. He turns and looks down at me with admiration in his eyes. I nudge him once again and look up at him.
"You're beautiful, Alaina," he says softly as he bends down to be eye level with me. Just like in my human form, my werewolf is smaller than most of the other wolves. We may be small, but what we lack in size we do not lack in strength. My blood comes from the bloodline of a Beta, and now that I'm a Luna. Mason reaches up and scratches behind my eyes which makes my wolf purr in content and lean into his touch.
He stands up and quickly steps out of his pants and boxers before shifting into his large gray wolf. He's huge, strong, and beautiful. He is the most beautiful creature I've ever laid my eyes on. He walks up to me and runs his snout along my neck, breathing in my scent. I love the feeling of him touching me. I hope it stays this way forever. I turn my head and brush my snout against his neck in return.
I sniff him quickly before backing up and darting into the woods. I can feel him following close behind me, but for now I focus on the run. There is nothing more freeing than running as a wolf. It's like you're at one with yourself when you're in this form. Nothing can compare to it. I know that Mason could have easily caught me, but he's letting me stay ahead of him. He's enjoying the chase as much as I am. We run for about thirty minutes before my stomach starts growling lowely.
'Our mate is strong1' My wolf comments as we come to a stop in a small clearing. Mason comes to a stop beside us and nuzzles his head against my shoulder. I turn my head and lick strip against the side of his face. I've just met him, and there is no denying the love I feel for this man. He's the one person that I will spend the rest of my life with and I couldn't have asked for anyone else.
'Yes, and he loves us… just as we love him,' I replied to her. Mason comes to stand in front of me and sits down on his hind legs. Even with him sitting down he's still much taller than I am. I still have to lean my head back to look at his head, much like when I'm in my human form. His coloring is unique. Most Alphas are dark colors, either black or a dark brown or gray. Mason, he's light all over. His paws are a darker gray color, but then it lightens the higher up it goes. God, he's beautiful.
We sit down and enjoy the night together before my stomach starts growling again. He hears it this time and I can see almost a wolfish grin spread across his face. He nudges me in the side with his head before standing up and nodding his head back in the direction we came from. I stand up and circle him once, rubbing my side against him. He nips at my neck before we begin to trot back in the direction of the house. I don't know where I'm going, but I can see our faint paw prints in the dirt and smell our trail so I follow those. Mason allows me to track our footprints all the way home, staying behind me and letting me find our way. I can feel his pride when we break into the clearing with the house in the distance.
We walk side by side, passing a few pack members walking around. They all nod their heads to their Alpha in respect and then again to me. I don't know how they know who I am, but they know. I guess it's something they can sense. Even though we have officially accepted our bond, I haven't officially become part of the pack so I can't communicate with anyone through our mind-links. Hopefully, that will change soon, because I want to be able to hear Mason's voice in my head.
We come to a stop at the porch on the house and I sit down on the grass instead of walking up. I look around for a minute, taking in the scenery.
'I think we're going to like it here,' I say to my wolf before turning and trotting up the stairs to a waiting Mason.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone