Fleur awoke the following day, oblivious of what had transpired close by at the Alpha's house last night. Fleur had always been an early riser and this morning was no exception as she stretched out on her bed before grabbing her book from the nightstand. She still had thirty minutes before she had to start getting ready for school, and last night, she had to stop reading right before things got interesting. The girl felt giddy as she picked up her book and flopped on her belly to start reading. In the back of the library Fleur had found a book on local Mycology. Fleur was fascinated how anything was able to grow here. Maybe over the weekend she could go into the forest and try to find some of the local mushrooms too study them more.
Way too quickly, the familiar ringing of her alarm could be heard from her bedside table, and with a sigh, Fleur turned it off. A gentle knock was heard from her bedroom door.
"Good Morning, my love! Sleep well?" Her mother mused affectionately when looking down at her daughter, whose hair was still a disheveled mess, as she looked up through her glasses with tired eyes.
"Good Morning, Mom. Yea, I slept all right, but I wouldn't mind staying in bed a bit longer" Fleur's eyes were beaming now as she started up at her mother; this trick had worked sometimes in the past. But Sabine had learned, she knew Fleur would sometimes get out of social situations by faking tiredness.
"Up you get, darling; Andrew is driving you to school!" Sabine clapped her hand with finality as she turned, a groan leaving her daughter's mouth as she heaved herself from her bed.
Fleur trudged over to the bathroom, showering and getting ready at a speedy pace. She had stayed in Bed longer than she thought. She slipped into a pair of oversized black slacks that had once belonged to her dad, which she tied around her waist with a thick leather belt before pulling on a white turtleneck and a dark blue crew neck on top. Fleur wasn't too fussed with clothes. She just wanted them to be comfortable and not to form fitting. She also tended to gravitate more towards dark colors, which would allow her to blend in more.
As she made her way downstairs, she could hear her mother humming in the kitchen and Andrew speaking in his deep voice. Both of them stopped in their tracks when their daughter entered the room. Andrew, sitting at the small kitchen table, pulled out a chair and asked her to take a seat by his side. Fleur complied and thanked her mom quietly when breakfast was placed in front of her.
"Morning, Pup" Andrew took in his stepdaughter lovingly and reached out to squeeze her hand. His wolf had grown attached to the little girl beside him, and he saw Fleur as his own child. She shot him a shy smile before turning back to her breakfast. Even though he had known her for two years, Fleur remained a mystery to Andrew. As soon as he thought he could read her, she would retrieve it back into herself, drawing up another wall for him to break down. Andrew knew he would never give up on his relationship with Fleur and that it was important to do it at her own pace. His wolf agreed, so slowly and gradually, they were fighting for a space in Fleur's heart.
"Are you ready for school? - Don't you have photography class today?" Andrew tried to make conversation with Fleur, who still was looking down at her breakfast while slowly nodding.
"Yea, Uhm, I'm excited we get to start our term projects today," Fleur's tone was soft as she replied, still not meeting his eyes. Even two years later, it was a mystery for Andrew how someone like Fleur was real. She was this shining light of love, but in her own eyes, saw herself as nothing but a flicker.
About fifteen minutes later Fleur heaved herself into Andrew's truck already annoyed at the cold. Sure it got cold in the human settlement but she couldn't ever remember it snowing so much especially not in November. The heavy door on the driver's side was thrown open and Andrew lifted himself into the truck.
"Right kiddo let's get this show on the road!" Fleur thought he definitely sounded too excited for it only being 8:30 in the morning. The car ride to school was only about fifteen minutes but Fleur still proceeded to crack open her book and get back into reading. Andrew had long accepted that this was their morning routine but he wanted to address something with Fleur first. As they were pulling into the school parking lot he thought he would let her know what is question was.
"Fleur there is a pack meeting happening tonight and your Mother is joining me I think it would be beneficial if you came as well" Andrew took in the stunned teenager as she slowly closed her book and already was looking for a way to compulsively fulfill a nervous tick at the thought of attending a social gathering of that size.
"But I've never had to go before" She replied in a breathless tone. Her eyes flitting nervously around the car and she subconsciously started picking at the skin on her fingers. Fleur could feel her heart starting to beat faster. What was she meant to do at a pack meeting? She wasn't a wolf and everyone there would know it. No she couldn't go and if the amounting pressure in her head was anything to go by today was not a good day for her social anxiety.
"Just think about it. I know it would mean a lot to your mother" Andrew gave one of her hands a squeeze and sent a reassuring smile before turning straight again putting the car in park. Deeply lost in thought Fleur slipped out of the car without so much as a goodbye.
If Fleur was anything it was definitely a people pleaser and if there was anyone she wanted to please the most it would be her own mother. She knew that her mom sometimes craved for a daughter who she could take to things and introduce easily to her friends. Fleur also wasn't ignorant of the fact that making her mom deal with numerous anxiety triggers wasn't an easy task.
If Fleur could she would easily agree to come to the pack meeting but in her mind large social gatherings appeared to be these mountains she didn't know how to climb. Completely lost in thought and trying to stop a wave of frustrated tears from falling Fleur hadn't realized that Theo Devereaux's Jeep had also pulled into the school parking lot.
"There she is – That's her!" Oliver pointed at the small body slowly trudging her way to the school building. Theo's wolf growled in frustration because she was completely wrapped up in a dark blue coat which swayed around her ankles. Oliver, however, had already sprung into action, hopping out of the car and easily making his way to the girl. Theo cursed under his breath the last thing he needed was for his nephew to ruin his first meeting with his mate. Wasting no time Theo exited the car ignoring all the stunned wolves who dropped to their knees at the sight of their Alpha chasing down his nephew on the high school parking lot.
"Hey Fleur wait up!" Theo heard Oliver call but there was not reaction from the girl in front. The closer Theo got the more his wolf went into a frenzy, never in his thirty years had he smelt anything remotely as heavenly as the smell the little human in front of his was giving of. Theo had just caught up with Oliver in the moment where he decided to reach out and grab the girls shoulder to get her attention.
At the impact of someone grabbing her roughly and turning her around Fleur was rattled back to reality with a fright. The two looming figures in front of her were definitely to close for comfort. Still dazed from her thoughts Fleur took a fatal step back just to let out a shrill shriek as she started to realize she had slipped. She was fully falling before any of the reaching hands could ahold of her. She caught herself on her hands and butt but her left wrist was the first to make impact with the floor and sharp pulsing pain spread across her wrist. As she gasped in pain she felt hands all over her trying to aid her to stand but that was the breaking point for Fleur and a set of thick tears started falling from her eyes. Fleur didn't know these people and if there is anything she hated was people she didn't know invading her personal space and crowding her. Her breath came out in labored panicked gasps as she tried to see through a fresh onset of tears.
"Stop it! Stop touching me!" She started numbly pushing at the overcrowding figures around her with her right hand as her left one lay limply on her lap while more tears made their way down her face. First a pack meeting and now she fell in front of the whole school whilst on the verge of an anxiety attack this day truly couldn't go any worse for the young girl.
"Please please stop touching me" She kept pleading desperately her breath hitching as she pushed to let out the words. Theo was also in distress but for different reasons. Why was this the first meeting he had to have with his mate who was now sat in the wet snow weeping and cradling her hurt wrist. In a move of primal protection Theo pushed Oliver to the side and stooped down to pick his mate up into his arms. Fleur wasn't sure what was happening to her but she was hopeful that this stranger would bring her back home. Whether her mother wanted to let her or not she had decided that the day was over for her.
Theo gently placed his mate onto the passenger seat and he tried to do his best at ignoring all the whispers of his surrounding pack members. With one pointed glance from him they all turned away to carry on their usual business. He needed to get into contact with his press office the last thing he needed was someone selling pictures of what had just transpired to some tabloid.
"Oliver go to school" He harshly remarked to his nephew before turning on the spot and getting into his car. Taking a deep breath he took a look at the sniffling girl in his passenger seat. As she slowly looked up and barely met his eyes it was as if he had been punched in the gut. Under heaps of blonde locks was a fragile slim face with a set of hypnotizing blue eyes staring back at him. Theo's heart broke at how miserable Fleur looked sitting there her face flushed, eyes tinted red and her full lips drooping in a frown.
"Hi little flower" He tried to keep his voice as gentle as possible not wanting to scare the girl even more "I'm Theo, I'm your mate"
As soon as those words left his mouth all of Fleurs leftover resolve came crumbling down and she released a new wave of tears. She was cold and wet and her wrist really hurt and now here was this man who claimed to be her mate. Worst of all she didn't even know if she still had to attend that stupid pack meeting tonight. Fleur just wanted to crawl into bed and stay there.
"Hey, hey you're alright come on little flower none of that" Theo reached out towards Fleur which only made her sink more into herself. Fleur was intimated by the massive man in front of her. He was without a doubt the biggest person she had ever seen, but it wasn't even just his physical built which was without a doubt imposing. There was something about his aura which demanded respect and compliance. His face held a frustrated scowl as deep frown lines creased between his eyebrows.
Theo felt absolutely helpless had he blown this already? Why wasn't she happy about the fact that they had met each other?
"Can you take me home please?" Theo released a deep breathe he didn't know he was holding as her bell-like voice filled the car. Theo had never been devoutly religious only preforming all the necessary rites for the moon goddess, so he couldn't understand how the moon-goddess blessed him this much? He was way passed the age where it was normal for a wolf to find their mate and he had come to accept that but now this. Nothing could have prepared him for the drenched blonde nymph in his passenger seat.
Fleur didn't know what to say she had summoned all her courage to ask the terrifying wolf in front of her to take her home and now they were sitting there him staring down at her as if she were about to disappear into thin air.
"Yes flower I'll take you home, we'll get your wrist looked at and then we'll have a talk" Theo replied when he finally snapped out of his daze. He started the car and pulled out of the parking lot "Why don't you tell me where I need to go?"
A/N:
Hello everyone! Hope you're all well
Finally our main characters meet! I'm so excited for how this story will progress!
Please let me know your thoughts to far!
Be kind to yourselves.