Marks POV
One of my duties as the newly appointed Beta is to make sure no one is in the wrong place or doing something they shouldn't be doing. I do my normal rounds of the pack house, head down the hallway, and spot someone trying to get onto Zavier's floor. Before I pounce on the intruder, I realize it is Amy, a crazy she-wolf who has a thing for Zavier.
She notices I see her, and I give her a piss-off look, and she scuttles off.
"Beta Mark, come to my office." Zavier's mind links me.
"Yes Zavier, whoops I mean Alpha that is going to take some time to get used to."
"Tell me about it."
I just barge into his office as if I own it.
"I have replaced the broken furniture in my Dad's office and need you to go and collect it all from the store. Here is a list of supplies that we need from the supermarket, take two guards with you, especially with all the rogues in the area."
"Yes, Alpha Zavier. By the way, I caught Amy trying to get onto your bedroom floor again." I sigh in frustration. "She needs to be kicked out of the pack. She will cause trouble for you when you find your mate."
"I know, the stupid thing about this is, I have never led her on or anything. She has it in her head that we are mates. I have never spent any time with her for f**k's sake." He says slamming his hands down on his desk.
"I'm pleased I'm not you man."
"Thanks," he says sarcastically.
I need to mind-link two bodyguards to come with me to the supermarket.
"Shane and Ace meet me in front of the pack house in 10 minutes, we need to go to town."
"Yes, Beta Mark."
I go to the garage that holds all the vehicles and grab the key from the wall. I hop in a truck and drive it out, head to the front of the pack house, and wait for Shane and Ace.
As I pull up they arrive and get in.
"Evening Shane, Ace," I say to them.
"Evening Beta Mark."
Titan suddenly seems to be very agitated.
"What are you doing, settle down would you, I'm trying to drive"
"Sorry, I feel on edge"
"Me to Titan." He huffed and curled into a ball.
The drive to town is quick, and collecting the furniture is even easier, the store had it all ready for us to collect, and it didn't take Shane, Ace, and me too long to load it all into the truck. Now just the supplies to collect, then home.
We don't have anything delivered to the pack house anymore, this is to stop rogues trying to penetrate our territory. As we get closer to the supermarket Titan pokes his head up with excitement.
"Mate is close," he tells me and I start to get excited. I wonder what she is like.
"That's everything on our list, let's go to the checkout." we have got everything we need from the supermarket.
"Yes, Beta Mark." The guards replied while pushing a trolley each.
As we walk around the supermarket to the checkout, I'm hit with the most intoxicating smell of Berries and Citrus. It gets stronger the further we walk around the shop.
As we move around the corner of the aisle to head the cheek-out, I see a beautiful girl standing with a group of people who must be her family. She looks like she is sniffing the air, trying to find something.
I feel an intensely pleasurable sensation running through my body when we lock eyes.
I can see a blush forming on her beautiful face, I would never get sick of seeing that.
She is so beautiful with strawberry blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes that look so familiar but with gold speckles in them. Cute little button nose and kissable lips.
Those eyes; I can't believe what I'm seeing, but it can't be her, can it? But it must be and she is my perfect mate.
Now we know why you were so possessive of the photo Titan
Yay, the beautiful lady in the photo is our mate titan says while prancing around in my head "Go to our mate now, I just want to kiss those lips."
"Be quiet Titan"
That gets me out of my trance.
She looks shocked and excited and something else.
It only takes a few steps to get to her and bring her into my embrace, we both say "Mate" simultaneously. I feel like the luckiest man on the planet, I can see a warrior badge on her chest, and a tattoo on her left shoulder. OMG, my mate is a warrior, I can feel myself swell up with pride, that my mate can defend herself.
It is an amazing feeling having your mate in your arms, the electricity coursing through my body is an incredible feeling, she reaches up and caresses my cheek, I can't help but lean into her touch, I never want to let her go.
Her heart rate picks up at an alarming speed, it sounds like it is palpitating, and that is scaring me. She looks like she is about to pass out. Am I that much of a disappointment to her? She looks panicked, then suddenly faints while I'm holding her, and I manage to catch her and hold her bridal style before she hits the floor.
What's wrong with her? Titan demands. Does she not want us?
I'm sure that's not it. I hope.
Did you hurt her?
No! Shut up while I help her.
He whimpers at me don't let her die.
I won't, I close the connection in frustration.
I hear her family yelling "Sapphire!"
"Who are you?" Someone growled? he must be her dad.
"I'm her mate, Mark."
"Oh, I understand the situation now, I'm Travis her dad."
"What's wrong with her?" I growled at him, I was angry as hell.
"You need to calm down, there is nothing wrong with her, she is just overwhelmed with everything that is going on and suddenly finding her mate tipped her over the edge."
"I need to take her to my pack doctor!"
"No!" he threatened "she is not going to any pack."
"Why, what do you mean?"
"I think it is best if you come to the motel where we are staying." I give him a confused look. "We need to explain a few things." That has me intrigued.
What is this family hiding?
"Ava and Evelyn take Mark to the car. While Dean and I will buy our groceries." Travis demands.
"Yes Dad," they say at the same time
I nod at him and follow the girls.
"Shane and Ace take the furniture and supplies back to the pack house, I will let Alpha Zavier know that I have found my mate."
"Yes, Beta Mark," they both say, purchasing the supplies, and then leaving.
I hold my mate tight in my arms and I love it. I wouldn't mind holding on to her forever. I never want to let her go, it is the most amazing feeling I have ever experienced in my life. Electricity is coursing all through my whole body from having her in my arms. I sniff her hair and inhale her Berries and Citrus scent like my life depends on it. I have heard stories about how wonderful it is to find your mate, now I fully understand and will never judge another again.
Her neck is exposed, mark her now
No
Lick her then I want to taste her
No Stop that
One of the girls holds the door open for me to hop in the front of the car with Sapphire, my mate is still in my arms. "Thank you," I say to her.
"I'm Evelyn." she smiles at me with tight lips and looks at her sister in my arms concerned.
"Nice to meet you, Evelyn and Ava, I'm Mark her mate!" I want her family to like me. I hope they think I am good enough for her. After a few minutes, her Dad and brother hop in the car.
"Sapphire is so lucky, her mate is a major hunk." I think it is Evelyn who whispered that. I try to keep a straight face.
"Omg I hope he has sexy friends, I wouldn't mind my mate looking all buff and yummy like him," Ava says
"Ava, you are drooling." Evelyn snickers at her.
"Shut up, you two idiots, he can probably hear you." Dean scolds them. Not bad for a young kid.
I turn my head a little to look over at Travis, I see him gripping the steering wheel. His knuckles are going white trying to stay calm and ignore his daughter's lack of respect.
It is a short trip to the motel. I don't even take note of where Travis is taking us. I can't bear to tear my eyes away from her, especially after her sister's comments.
I hope she is OK.
Me to Titan
She is wearing an awesome-looking bracelet, with two heart shapes, and seven different coloured wooden wolves on it, I wonder if one is from a boyfriend. At that thought, I feel my chest restrict, and I start to get angry that she might have a boyfriend.
The heart with the warrior symbol is cool and suits her.
As I'm flipping the heart shape over I see one side has an S on it and a Z on the other.
"She has a boyfriend" Titan whimpers at me, he crawls into a corner and huffs angrily.
"What do the S and Z stand for?" I ask her dad.
"Oh, her mum gave her that one, apparently the Z is a mistake. It should be S on both sides," I see him huffing as if he doesn't believe that lie.
Titan jumped up, puffing out his chest happily.
"Zinnia Sapphire?" I whisper.
"What did you say!" he demands as we come to a stop in front of the hotel. He gives me a threatening look, he looks very intimidating.
"I will explain in the hotel" I calmly tell him. I can see he is getting angry. Shit, what is going on?
She is still unconscious, her breathing has slowed down.
I follow her dad and family into the motel units. Her dad leads me to one of the rooms and I very carefully lay her on the bed, she looks so beautiful lying there, her lips are slightly parted.
"Get on the bed and lie down next to her" Titan demanded
"No"
I am not leaving her side now that I have found her. I sit on the edge of the bed holding her hand. I want her in my arms again. She has the cutest button nose and strawberry blond hair cascading around her face. I can't wait to see her sapphire eyes that seem like you are looking into her soul. She is perfect in every way. I want her to wake up, but I'm worried about why she fainted in the first place. I hope she doesn't reject me, I don't think I can survive that.
"What pack are you from?"
Shit, I forgot her dad is still in the room. "I'm the Beta from Moon Star Pack" I proudly said.
I hear him take a sharp intake of breath, what is going on?
"I'm Travis from the Night Star Pack, Top Warrior and head of defense."
What? Did I hear correctly? This is the family Zavier is expecting tomorrow, which means my mate is the one trying to find her family.
I was stunned. "Are you OK son?" Travis asked.
I just nod, no wonder why he wouldn't let me take her to my pack, he doesn't know which pack I belong to, smart man.
"My Alpha is expecting you tomorrow".
"That's right"
"Can you tell me what brings you here?"
"I think Sapphire should tell you when she wakes up, it is a story that has devastated our family."
I bet it has, I just nod at him, I can't stop looking at her, she looks very relaxed, and her lips are partly open.
Kiss her you fool, I block him out, I need to concentrate.
I notice her breathing has changed, she is starting to wake up.
"Hi," I say to her
"Hi" her voice is like music to my ears, her cheeks go red. I love the look of her blushing, I never want to stop seeing that.
She is so adorable, I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with her.
And mate with her
Shut up, you're not helping me to concentrate.
I just want to mark her.
No!
She looks like she is having a battle with her wolf as well.
Someone cleared their throat, and I realized that we both had not moved from our positions while keeping eye contact.
She introduces herself and her Dad, her name is beautiful and suits her.
I then introduce myself and tell her she has a lovely family, which she does.
She asks me if her Dad has told me what they are doing here. "No! he wants you to tell me," I reply.
She grabs my hand and leads me to the lounge, it is so nice holding her hand again, I can feel a massive smile on my face, just like she has.
When we sit on the couch, I pull her onto my lap, I need her close to me.
Her brother comes and sits next to us, he won't leave her side and keeps looking at her with sorrow in his eyes, and I wonder what is going on there. She grabs his hand, which puts a smile on his face and I can see some of the sorrow disappear. They have a very tight brother and-sister relationship, which is nice to see. I wonder what she will be like with our pups one day.
She starts to tell her story but can't finish her sentence, I don't like to see her upset, and wipe the tears from her face and try to soothe her and calm her down while rubbing her back.
Kiss her you fool!
I kiss her forehead and cheeks, but I want to kiss her desirable-looking lips. We both forget that her family is in the room at that moment. Oops.
Her dad carries on with the story, after clearing his throat.
As he is telling me the story I get very angry and need her scent to calm me down quite a few times, it is lucky she is sitting on my lap, I don't think I could control my anger. I bury my head in her neck. My whole body is shaking, we finally found her! Zavier and his family will be so happy.
I can feel her devastation and betrayal about losing her family and never knowing anything about them.
I know what she is going through, I have been living with it for the last 18 years, and she is just dealing with it now, I don't know how she is doing it, but now I understand more about what happened to Zavier the other day.
The more he tells me the more I realize that Cindy must have had inside help. Shit, there are more people involved with the kidnapping. This doesn't make sense though, how did Cindy end up with Zinnia, the time frame doesn't work out.
I need to get Zavier and Conner over here right now. I inhale Sapphire's scent to calm myself down before I lose the plot. I press my lips on her throat, making them tingle. I can feel her take a sharp breath, a moan escapes her lips, her heartbeat speeds up fast and a delicious smell comes from her, oops I don't want to get her excited in front of her family, I can feel myself get excited, I need to calm down as well.