Her Mate

Chapter 3

I lay in a bed of grass with my head resting on my white paws as Brandon ate a rabbit across from me. He hadn't asked why we had run into the woods like a couple of lunatics, he knew when I was ready I would tell him. We had run a safe distance away from the pack house when we spotted a small body of water and decided to rest for a bit.
I stood from my position, still feeling antsy and walked over to the water. Hooded crystal eyes stared back at me, cat like in shape, a guarded fierceness lying beneath their icy surface. I looked away. I began to reform, bare flesh now vulnerable to the elements I stood. The twinkle of a glare danced across my eyes and my gaze followed it upwards where a bit of sun was peeking through the tall pine trees, just barely breaking through and making its presence known. Its rays danced across my face with every rustle of swaying branches the wind carried. A small smile made its way to my lips. My legs carried me forward and I stepped into the lake sighing at the feeling the cold water brought as it soaked into my skin. I was only waist deep when I heard a loud splash and was sprayed with a wave of water.

Wiping the wet hair out of my eyes I look over at Brandon's wolf, who decided he wanted a swim too. He doggy paddled his way over to me and I laughed at how his matted fur clung to him. 

"You look like an overgrown puppy." He playfully growled and dived under the water. When he resurfaced he was in his human form once again. He shook the hair out of his eyes and stalked towards me trying to appear intimidating "What did you call me?"

"I said you look like an over grown-" The words were barley out of my mouth before he lifted me high out of the water and threw me to the other side. I gasped for air as I surfaced and glared at him while he chocked on his own laughter. This reminded me of old times. As kids we would go swimming in the lake near our pack house. We had seen each other naked on numerous occasions. It was something we, as shifters, are comfortable with. It came with the territory. Even in our awkward teen years and through puberty I knew every part of Brandon like the back of my hand.

I dove under water and swam towards him. I could see him trying to swim away, his speed delayed by the weight of the water around him, but I caught his leg and pulled him towards me. I pushed his head under water and held him there ignoring the cluster of air bubbles that ascended until his very last breath. He shot out of the water like a bullet gasping for air "Are you trying to kill me!?" He sputtered.

I smiled sweetly at him and swam to the edge of the water. "Just giving you a taste of your own medicine."

We fell silent for a few minutes before he joined me and asked me the one question I had been dreading "So...what happened back there?"

I played with the bright green moss that grew along the edge of the bend, not making eye contact. "The Alpha and I had a disagreement and he got angry, that's all." I shrugged casually and looked at my reflection in the water. Since when did I lie to Brandon?

"That didn't seem like a minor disagreement."

"Well, it was." I shrugged.

He laughed humorously and shook his head at me "Stop lying to me, Alice."

I groaned and put my face in my hands before mumbling "Hesmymate."

"What?" He huffs impatiently.

"He is my mate." I whispered, keeping my eyes cast down so that he wouldn't read me like an open book.

Brandon burst into laughter startling me with his reaction. "That's funny, it sounded like you said, he was your mate." His laughter quickly dies upon noticing the expression on my face "Oh shit."

"Tell me about it." I whisper.

"And you argued about your view on having a mate, didn't you?"

I nod my head and close my eyes as I sink further into the water until I am submerged at the bottom. How easy everything would be if I was to just dissapear. I know I shouldn't be acting this way and I can't help but feel selfish. Here I am complaining about finding and not wanting my Mate when Brandon hasn't even met his and has been dying to find her. Why couldn't have Brandon found his mate here? I did not expect nor did I want to find my mate. I was hoping to kick some rogue ass and train these wolves to be expert fighters, warriors. But no. The moon Goddess had to complicate everything and throw my mate into the mix.

My arm was suddenly yanked upwards and I was pulled out of the water. I was expecting him to scold me about mates being the best thing that can ever happen to you but he surprised me by pulling me into a tight embrace. I hadn't been hugged like this since my mother had died. It had been twelve years since she was taken from me and my father.

I wrapped my arms around Brandon and held him tight. He knew the main reason why I didn't want my mate. I had to watch as it tore my father apart piece by piece. He try's to hide his pain from the lost of his mate and wife but I can see it in his eyes. I couldn't go through that...I wasn't strong enough to lose someone again.

"Alice...it's alright. I know how you feel about mates but just listen for a second. This wolf, this man, was made just for you. His entire existence was created so that he could find you and you could be together. He is your soul mate...your other half. He is meant to love, care and protect you."

"I know but-"

"No buts, Alice. You haven't even give him a chance. Why don't you get to know him before you reject him?"

"I will not be subjectified and treated like property. Male wolves always think that the female must do everything they say and as tradition they are there to satisfy their needs and produce pups. No! That's not the life I signed up for! And to top things off he is an Alpha. Do you know how possessive they are? I'm going to have to move away from home! I won't even get to spend time with you."

He laughed at my rant and shook his head "Alice, I will always be there for you and I love you but you are looking at this all wrong."

I could feel my wolf huff in agreement.

'Shut up' I growled back silencing her.

"For once...I don't know what to do." I said.

"Why don't we go back and you can have a talk with him?"

"I don't want to talk to him, I don't even want to be near him...I can't control myself when I'm around him." I whispered the last part hating how true it was.

"We should still head back, before dark. Come on."

I stepped out of the water the sudden change in temperature due to the sun that was beginning to set, caused me to shiver. I shifted back into my wolf, shaking out my fur at the change in form and began to walk towards the pack house. Brandon's multi colored brown wolf right beside me. I was contemplating on what to do, it wasn't as if I had many options. Either I accepted him as my mate or I rejected him. My wolf whined at my thoughts causing me to frown. I shook my wolf head, huffing loudly and brought my attention back to Brandon playfully nudging him.
We hadn't walked that far when a disgusting smell invaded my nostrils. The redolent stench caused bile to rise in my throat. I shook my wolf snout and sneezed trying to get rid of the rotting odor. The sound of twigs snapping had me jump into a defensive stance. There was only one thing I knew of that smelt so foul and put my wolf on edge.

Rogues.