I Don't Need A Mate *book two*

Chapter Four

Cherry's POV

As a warm sensation crawled across my skin, I wanted to whine. This is what I had feared. Stupid males. Ever since I had been able to bare pups, my body would try to go into heat when I spent to much time around just males. And now, cause the only person I had been around for weeks was Paul.

A whine did manage to escape my muzzle.

"What's wrong with you?" Paul poked his head into his room via the en-suite bathroom. I covered my mizzle with my tail, emberessed. I SO did not feel like telling him what was 'wrong with me'.

'Maybe he can help put you at ease,' my inner she wolf whispered. I almost shook my head.

'Yeah, like he would do that.'

'It's better for the both of you that it would happen now, than later... cause if it happens later, then there might be a pup involved.'

'Silence!'

"Cherry?" I sighed. "Can you at least shift so I can understand you?" I did, leaving me in my undergarments. I watched as my now human scent hit him. He froze, and I knew he could smell it already. "M-my inner wolf tells me that scent is that of a female in heat."

I took a deep breath and shoved it out.

"Before a female mates, they go into heat once a year when around the presance of a male for a long period of time," I murmured. "When mated, they can have up to four heats a year, depends on often they're sated." He frowned and stepped completely from the bathroom. He only wore a pair of loose fitting jeans that hung off his hips.

I swallowed hard, then said, "But this heat is different then what most females go through. It's linked to the bloodlines of my father's pack."

"And why exaclty are you telling me this... Oh." His eyes grew wide as he took a breath. "So, does this mean that I'm going to have to spent how ever long smelling... that scent?" I raised an eye brow at him. But he wasn't paying attention to me. He must have been talking with his inner wolf.

I knew the moment he was done, cause he looked back at me.

"My inner wolf suggested something." My stomached dropped. "I can either deal with this... scent, or help get rid of it." My own inner wolf grinned.

'His inner wolf doesn't seem stupid.'

'Shut up.'

"He seemed surprised that your inner wolf didn't having you say something before." I looked down sheepishly.

"She did. I just didn't think you would agree. Who would?" I chuckled humorlessly. He sighed.

"You do realize that most males in my position would have forefully taken you already, right?" I nodded, hanging my head. "Most already ask if I have." That caused my head to snap up.

"And what have you said back?" I demanded.

"Last one that asked me had to have his nose realined," he answered simply. "In my opinion, it is not honerable to do that to a female." The slight feelings I had from spending those days in the storm with him grew.

"Then don't," I murmured, relaxing back into my wolf form, and laying down.

'You're going to sufur this choice,' my inner wolf warned.

'I do not want him to do anything that would go against who he is.' She said no more. I huffed and relaxed into the silence, cause he didn't speak, either.

--

Of course my inner wolf had been correct. The next night was HORRIBLE. I couldn't even keep hold onto my wolf form. I sat curled up in the corner, my teeth gnashed together as I kept my torment to my self.

Paul tossed and turned in bed, as if he could not sleep. I clentched my eyes closed as the worst pain yet hit me. It hit me like a brick wall. Arms wrapped around me and I found my self sitting on Paul's lap on his bed.

Male warmth rolled off him, slightly pushing back the heat, letting me coherntly think.

"Are you in pain?" he whispered, his breath brushing my ear. I managed a nod. His hand began rubbing circles on my back. Just the touch was slowly easing some of the pain. "How can I help?"

"Touch seems to work," I breathed, willing my shoulders to relax. Now he used both hands. One kept caressing my back, the other roaming up and down my arms, then gently across my thighs. For what seemed like an hour, that's all he did.

"How's the pain now?" he asked softly.

"Better," I answered honestly. He nodded.

"Cherry, I-"

"Why?" I said quickly, interupting him. "Why did you help me?"

"I don't like seeing you in pain. Nor could my inner wolf." So he relied on his inner wolf as much as I did mine.

'So you're not the only who cares,' my inner wolf whispered.

"Anyways, rest now, if you can," he muttered, his hands moving again. The night was still young, and I was far from being able to sleep. "How long does the heat last?"

I shrugged.

"Could be days... even up to week." He sighed.

"I don't think either of us could handle a week." Now I sighed. "What?"

"I have never actually had a heat," I admitted. "When I felt it begining, I would lock my self in my room for two days, and was never in pain."

"Well, I've herd of the heat causing pain," he said, "but shouldn't you be all over me from just my touch?"

"Sometimes the pain overthrows everything," I said, my voice almost silent.

"What about now?" I could hear the hidden smile in his voice.

"It's called willpower," I said, chuckling.

"Cherry, I want to help, but I also don't want to seem like a totaly perv or anything." I laughed, then sobered instantly as I realized what he meant.

"You do realize that by sating the heat has it's risks, right?" He nodded.

"Of course it does." I frowned and faced him.

"What exactly are you saying?"

"This doesn't leave my room, understand?" I nodded. "If you're okay with it, I could keep the pain away how ever need be." That would mean sleeping with me, a she-wolf from another pack. I hung my head.

"If only I wasn't from the Blood Pack."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because you belong to the pack my father hates," I murmured. "Which makes me the enimy."

"I don't see you that way," Paul said. "I see you as a female who was wronged the second she was born. Every time I'm alone with you, I seem to want to stay that way. I used to think that the moment I would meet someone from the Blood Pack that I would hate them, but I don't hate you. Far from it. I actually care."

"Why? It is my horrible pack that wants those you care for dead." Anger heated my face more than the stupid heat. "I hate that pack. If only I could run away without being a prisioner."

"Then join my pack."

"I can't. Wolves can only change packs by mated with a wolf from another pack," I said, shaking my head sadly. That did not seem like an option for me.

"Well, what about my offer? The one about sating the heat?"

I looked at him... then slowly nodded.

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so, yeah. hope you enjoyed. the next chapter might be up later tonight, or sometime tomorrow.

-Stormy