Scarred

Chapter 3: Maria and Jason

Jason glanced down at his phone as he left the men's room, a smile breaking over his face when he saw Maria had called and left a message. He'd never really thought he would find a mate, but now that he had he felt content. This last week and a half had been more incredible than he'd ever imagined possible.

He'd always been a bit of a restless loner, probably a reflection of his beast, but being around his mate settled him. I finally feel like I'm home, he realized, blinking in surprise, Ma will be thrilled, he thought wryly.

His mother seemed to want nothing more in life than for him to settle down like his sister and give her grandkids. I know since Da passed, it's become even more important to her, but I have always refused to settle for anything less than a true mate.

"Hasn't stopped her from trying to match-make us," his beast spoke up in distaste and he lifted his lip in revulsion.

"Tell me about it. Moving out of state was one of the best decisions we made, especially after that last one" he replied with a shudder while his beast growled in agreement. The last time he'd visited home, his Ma had arranged to surprise him with a guest at dinner.

He'd treated her politely, but he'd made his disinterest clear. The girl wouldn't take no for an answer, though, and it had been the longest dinner of his life. The evening culminated with finding her nude in his bed.

"She's very fortunate I'm a patient creature," his beast growled, having followed his thoughts. "I know you wanted to do more than just throw her out. Your control was hanging by a thread after suffering through that dinner and if I were a wolf like the rest of the pack, that might have been enough to send us both over the edge."

He grunted in agreement. "I love Ma, but we both know she had to have been the one to let the girl back into the house, so it wasn't entirely the girl's fault."

"Maybe not, but she should have known better, especially since we do not, and never did, answer to her Alpha," his beast growled in contempt. "Being his cousin makes her trust in her supposed status too much. I would never choose such a spoiled child as a mate."

"And for that I am grateful," Jason replied with a shudder. "How much do you bet the Alpha had a hand in that whole fiasco. He probably pressured both the girl and Ma, not that Ma would have taken much convincing.

"She needs to butt out, and she really needs to cut the dramatics with the tears and grandchildren speech. If none of the shifter Alphas, male or female, could rule me, what makes her think her petty games would work?" his beast growled.

Jason snorted, his mother didn't realize just how thin a line she was treading with him. At the rate she was going, if he ever did have kids, he'd never bring them to see her so she wouldn't try to manipulate and impose on them too.

"You do realize we don't know if our mate wants kids," his beast commented offhandedly.

"Yep, and I honestly don't care one way or the other. I will be happy whatever she wants, and I won't pressure her just to make Ma happy," he replied firmly, happy to feel his beast settling down in content at his answer, glad that his beast didn't have a one track mind about procreating the way some shifter animals did. He smiled and thoughts of his tiny, dark eyed beauty filled his mind.

He'd been so frustrated being unable to approach her in Aion since he'd been working and couldn't abandon his post. Happiness and relief had flooded him when she'd finally worked up the courage to approach him. He was very grateful to the waitress, who'd caught his interest in Maria, subtle as it was, and done her best to help. He'd left her a very large tip as a thank you.