“Don’t be silly, girl, it’s a wonderful idea. You’re in training right? But you don’t have a trainer. He’s really good, and even though you’re his mate, he won’t go easy on you,” she says, and smiles at me still.
This woman doesn’t ever stop smiling, does she?
“In training?” I question again. I feel so incredibly stupid, and I just want to know when the fuck I can move on so I don’t have to break this guy’s heart. If I walk away now, he won’t get sad, and we’ll move on with our lives.
I internally groan as I reaAlbae my thoughts. I sound like I think I’m a catch, but in reality I’m just a loner. I’ve learnt to take care of myself, and while I would love to have a soulmate and someone to rely on, I can’t.
“Can you shift at will? Use your powers whenever?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
I swallow.
“N-no,” I stutter.
“Perfect. Azaire will teach you,” she says, then she stares out into thin air for a few seconds, before turning to me again. “I told him you’ll meet him in the backyard after you’ve finished breakfast.”
“Wait, right now?” I ask her, not really sure if I’m referring to the fact that I’ll be meeting him in a few minutes, or that she told him now. “You didn’t say anything.”
I figured if he’s in the house he can listen if he wants to, but she didn’t say anything.
“I mindlinked him,” she explains. “Packs can talk to each other through a mindlink. Azaire will teach you all about it.”
She gets up from the bed and grabs the tray, before smiling at me again.
“Eat up!” she orders, before she leaves the room.
Holy hell. I don’t really know if I’m ready for this. I’m still in the clothes from yesterday, which I don’t find that weird, but maybe he will.. He isn’t used to this, like I am. I was in my dirty jeans for a week before yesterday, which is probably really disgusting, but I didn’t have anything else. I eat up the pancake a lot faster than I should, probably, and get up from the bed.
I walk over to the bathroom, and look at myself in the mirror. I look a little less tired, somehow, and my cheeks has some more color, but I still don’t like what I’m looking at. I doubt he’ll like it, either. What kind of soulmate would I even be? I huff as I pull my much more vibrantly colored hair behind my ears. It must have been really dirty before I showered yesterday, because I almost don’t recognize it now.
As I walk back out from the bathroom I look for my backpack, but it’s gone. What? I left it here, by the foot of the bed, but it’s not there. I bend down do look under the bed, but it’s not there either. I gulp a little, thinking someone might have taken it, to make sure I wouldn’t leave yet. That’s not cool at all.
I huff as I get back up, but I guess I don’t have a choice now. I don’t want them to get hostile, so I grab the empty plate and the glass, and leave the room. On my way downstairs I hear voices around the house, but I try not to listen in, even though I kind of want to. I really want to know who took my backpack, but I guess it’s not that wise to accuse them of stealing on the first day..
I stop in the kitchen to put my used dishes in the dishwasher, and on my way to the front door, Soraya approaches me again, pushing a pair of shoes towards me with a huge smile on her face.
“I put yours in the washer, and your clothes are next. These are your size, I think. The boots looked a little big so I looked for something a few numbers smaller, and we had something from Alba a few years back. You’ll probably need them,” she says, winking at me, before she leaves.
She seems busy, and I mutter a slight “thank you” that I’m sure she heard if she can use her wolf-powers whenever she wants to. I put the shoes on, before I walk out the door.
The weather is much better than yesterday. It’s not sunny, luckily, but it’s not raining either. And it’s light out. There are people everywhere, kids playing, parents yelling and siblings fighting. It’s just like a human town, except I know this one is filled with wolves. I cross my arms, hugging myself for moral support, before I walk down the steps to the front yard, and move across the grass to get behind the house.
His smell is so overwhelming. I know he’s already out there, and I don’t know if I’m ready to face him. How disappointed will he be when he reaAlbaes his “mate” is a starved loner who has every intention of leaving as soon as she can? I really don’t want to hurt him, and this whole thing seems like it’s a really big deal to them, but it’s not to me. I just have to keep moving, before someone figures out where I am and brings me back to my “parents”. I know they don’t want me, and they’ve probably already told people I’m dead, but since I don’t have any other name or anything, I can’t escape them if I’m found.
I was stupid to tell Juan my last name, but I was hoping he didn’t know who I was, since they live so secluded, and I’d gain some trust by telling them my real name. It seems like they don’t know of my parents, though, and they haven’t heard of me before, lucky for me.
My feet stops as I round the corner to the backyard. I keep my eyes down as I wait for him to do something. I know he knows I’m here, the same way I know he’s here. I can feel his eyes on me, and somehow I wish I looked more presentable.. I keep my arms crossed, and look over the ground. Soraya has some really gorgeous flower beds.
There’s flowers of every color. Red, blue, yellow, even orange and pink ones, decorating the backyard as far as I can see with my head bowed down. My hearing is once again focused on him, and only him. I want so badly for it to stop, because I can’t take it. I can hear his feet touch the grass, as each straw bends and some of them snap, trying to uphold his weight. The grass is dying a horrible death just because a werewolf is walking towards me, to train me, and get his heart broken.
I can only hope he doesn’t want me either, so it won’t be as bad.
A pair of pretty worn sneakers stop way too close for comfort, and a big hand reaches out, placing a hooked index finger under my chin. Fuck. I’m not ready for this. I close my eyes and my chin practically explodes as he touches it, with sparks and tingles spreading throughout my whole body, even down to my toes, as I curl them. He pulls my head up, and I take in a shaky breath.
Where has my snark gone? My sass, my defense-mechanism of gritting my teeth and growling at hostile animals, like I did to his brothers yesterday? It’s all gone, like I’m being left by all my intelligent braincells as they, too, turn to mush at this man’s touch.
Even though there’s all these intense feelings between us, I don’t really believe it. It sounds too good to be true, and whenever something sounds too good to be true, it always is.
No exceptions.
I still have my eyes closed, and time feels like it’s standing still. I can’t even feel the light breeze around me anymore, it’s all him, and his single finger touching me.
“So skinny and worn down, yet so beautiful,” his deep voice says.
I don’t believe him. It’s whatever bond he talked about with his sister, that’s talking. Not him. Not really. I saw myself in the mirror, and I don’t look like anything anyone would ever want as a soulmate.
“We’ll fix that. With my mom’s cooking and our training you’ll be nothing but beauty in no time,” he continues. “Look at me, mate.”
I suck in my lips, and slowly shake my head. Mostly because he called me “mate”.
“Don’t you know my name?” I ask him, still with my eyes closed, afraid to see how good he looks.
He smells divine, and his siblings aren’t exactly ugly either, so I already know he’ll look gorgeous. I just want to keep my dignity for a little longer, until I start drooling. If the soulmate-thing is half as intense as Soraya described between her and Juan, not that I believe it, I’ll have trouble containing myself.
And I just want to leave as soon as possible.
“I do know your name, Yohanna, but you are my mate,” he explains, and his finger leaves my chin, before it’s present again, on my cheek, brushing some of my hair away from my face. “Don’t you want to know what I look like?”
The way my name sounds from his lips is way better than how anyone has ever said it before.
“Just a little,” I say, barely above a whisper.
“Then open your eyes,” he prompts, tilting my head up further.
Oh, God, is he that much taller than me? I feel him take a step closer to me, and his hand is still resting under my chin for a second time, holding my head up, while his other arm slowly snakes around my waist, probably to make sure I won’t run away again.
I guess that’s it, then. I’ll open my eyes. On the count of three.
One…
Two…
Three.
My eyes open up slowly, and they immediately meet with a pair of green ones, very much unlike his siblings’ eyes. I was expecting brown, but I guess he got his mother’s eyes. My breath has stopped, that’s safe to say, and I don’t really know what to do except stare into his eyes. They’re so beautiful, like two bright, shiny emeralds. One corner of his mouth quirks up into a half-smile as he looks back at me.After what feels like an eternity, I finally move my eyes to look at him, and not just his eyes. His skin is pale, just a little darker than mine, and he has a beard. My so-called soulmate has a beard, and I’m not repelled by it. It’s more like the opposite is happening, judging by the tickling feeling everywhere, even between my legs. I really want to wrap my arms around his neck and be even closer to him, but I can’t do that to myself. I need to leave soon.His short beard is dark brown,
“I’ve been looking for you since I turned fifteen. I was already finished with my training and I could focus on looking for you. I went everywhere. By the time I was twenty I had lost hope. I thought you were dead, that my mate had died before we met,” he says, his voice is a lot softer than before, but still deep, and the vibrations from his chest it sending shivers down my spine.“I don’t understand,” I whisper.I find myself leaning my cheek against his warm chest. He is so warm, even though it’s cold outside. He is very aesthetically pleasing, too, which is of course a bonus, but I’m still unsure if I even believe this. Did he spend five years looking for me?“What don’t you understand, little mate?” he asks.“Everything.”He sighs, but somehow his arms tighten around me.&ldquo
I turn around to face away from Azaire, and look at my surroundings. We’re in a clearing inside the never-ending forest. It looks almost like someone has made it this way, with the tree stumps scattered around, a log there, and a fire-pit in the middle. A few meters away from me is a treehouse, leaning against one of the bigger trees surrounding the clearing. It looks like it’s filled with comic books and toys, and I take a step closer to it, just to see if I’m right.“I used to come out here with dad when I was a kid, when he had patrol,” Azaire says, but he doesn’t move. “Dad and his beta, Paul, built it for me and Paul’s son Tyler, who is my best friend. You should meet him, and his mate. I have a feeling you’d hit it off.”I turn around and frown at him.“Just because I’m supposedly your mate, it means I’d become friends with your friend&rs
My heart seems to relax a little as I listen to his words and stare into his eyes. His last words feels a little like a stab to the burnt outside of it, though, making me flinch. I try to move my head, but he won’t let me. He holds my head in place, and he keeps staring into my eyes. He’s way too intense for me to handle right now, even though I’m glad I’m already on my knees. His smoldering eyes would bring me down if not. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and everything I never knew I liked, in a man, but he won’t get me this easily. I still need to leave.“Why don’t you try to focus on the feelings you have when you’re a wolf?” he suggests, still staring at me.“Uhm,” I utter, trying my best to word my feelings as a wolf. “I’m free? I don’t know, honestly. I never remember much.”I clear my throat and look down at his
“Sweetie, how did training go?”I look up from my packed backpack to see Soraya standing right next to me. I didn’t even notice it, because my hearing is focused on Azaire in the other room. Just behind that wall. He’s pacing back and forth, growling now and then. It’s distracting as hell.“Not good,” I admit, and send her a small smile. “Thank you for everything, Mrs. Kaios, but I should go.”I sniffle, and look back down at my backpack. I’m about to close it, when Soraya snorts next to me.This time I hear Azaire snort on the other side of the wall. He apparently didn’t think it was that much fun doing that fucking puppy-training on me. I roll my eyes and look up at Soraya again, with a kind smile.“I appreciate it, but I just heard him laugh at that. He doesn’t want to train me,” I say, and rea
I stop to put on the shoes Soraya let me borrow earlier today, but Azaire seems to have other plans, as he spins around with his back towards me.“Hop on,” he ushers.“What? No!” I protest, and bend down to put the shoes on.“We don’t have time for this, I’ll carry you,” he says, pulling me up again. “And I think you prefer a piggyback ride instead of me carrying you bridal style.”He smirks at me, and I scrunch my nose up. He is right, but we’re wasting time. I could have put on my shoes by now if he didn’t complain so much.“No,” I tell him firmly, and rip my hand from his hold.He sighs excessively, but waits for me as I slip them on, and I send him an over-exaggerated smile as I’m done, and brush past him to exit the house. Once I’m a few meters away from the h
I stare at my two hole cards for a moment, hiding them with my hand so Azaire won’t see. He’s tried a few times already, but I always shoot him a glare. One time I even slapped his arm to get him to look away, and that seemed to work for a few rounds. Alexander is awesome, though. He’s loud and dramatic, but he’s amazing. He’s got the most chips right now, while Aiden is almost out, and Azaire and I are about the same.My cards are actually kind of good. I have the ten and Queen of spades. I can only hope the community cards are just as good, and that I’ll end up with something awesome, so I can beat Azaire and take all his chips. I’m quite competitive, which I had forgotten during these past five years, being on my own. We all place our bets, and Aiden eventually flips over the first three community cards, the flop, revealing a Jack and Ace of spades and a three of diamonds.Hope builds inside me as
I don’t know what else to say. Maybe I feel like I can trust him because he knows what it’s like for me.“Azaire told me you couldn’t mindlink because you weren’t a part of their pack,” I say, not really sure where I wanted to go with that. I bite my lip and stop, as I look at a painting on one of the walls. It’s got a lot of yellow, and a few other colors faded in the corners, but the star of the show is a black heart, dead in the center of the canvas. I love it.“I’m not,” Alexander sighs, and scrunches his nose up again. “I don’t know where my pack is. Aiden has been trying to help me find it since we met, but there’s no luck. It’s like they’ve disappeared from the face of the earth.”“I’m sorry,” I mutter, and look into his black-as-night eyes. I smile a little, and press my head into his shoulder, for a