I'd attempted to make conversation with Leo several times in the last couple days, but he's been ignoring me completely, always walking away or pretending he hadn't seen or heard me. Truthfully, his actions are hurtful, I've gotten a taste of what he must have felt when I hid from him all these years. I feel unimportant, like a nuisance, and I soon find myself keeping my distance from him as well. I want to give him the space he's seeking.
These couple days have been slightly exhausting, my wolf hasn't stopped moping and crying. Not only is Leo upset with me but, his wolf also refuses to communicate with mine. At times, I feel the need to apologize, but then before I make the walk to his office to speak to him, I realize I have nothing to be sorry for and decide against it. I know his anger towards me will subside eventually, but until then, I will just have to keep my distance.
Despite no longer having to wake up early to attend work or complete omega duties, I still find myself waking up right before the sunrise every morning, having become accustomed to getting up at this time.
Being the first up every morning, I've been using the quietness and simmer of dawn to slowly get used to letting my wolf run freely. For years, I had gone months without shifting, in fear of exposing myself to Leo and that had left my wolf in an unhealthy state. I've been going on daily runs every morning and find the results pleasing. Not only was my wolf feeling and looking better, but I felt healthier as well.
As I'm making my way back to the pack house, I'm almost frightened by the surprise appearance of Imad, a good friend of mine.
"You scared me" I confess, as he makes his way towards me smiling .
"I was asked to come check on you" he says calmly
"By who?" I ask opening my arms wide to embrace him in a warm hug, he backs away.
"I was sent by your mate, who I don't want taking my life, if he finds my scent on you"
"Oh" I say as we start heading back home. I don't want the topic of Leo to come up so I change the subject of our conversation.
"How have things been with our people?" I ask walking in-sync beside him .
"Things are pretty much the same." He says with his head shaking.By 'the same' , I know he means nothing has changed for our people financially. Since our people joined the pack, many of us have been living in poverty. Our omega status makes it difficult to get proper jobs within the wolf community.
Imad's family was once one of the wealthiest amongst our people in Morocco, but their wealth was left behind when they decided to flee with us once rumors of a civil war broke in our pack. Now, along with all the other Moroccans that survived the rogue attack many years ago, he lives in poverty. Imad is the kindest and hardest working person I know. He's always done what he could to help the less fortunate, it's something that I've always admired about him. He was always so willing to help and give despite having nothing. I love his humility and sense of justice for people. When I was younger, I would watch him from afar in admiration. He's brave and outgoing, and throughout the years we have formed a close bond. He's the only other person I feel I can trust and count on other than my younger sister.
You can trust our mate - Amina barks before ignoring me again.
" I know" I reply full of guilt. Somehow I feel I should be using my new rank to help our people, but I'm not entirely sure what authority being the Beta's mate provided. I haven't had the chance to have that discussion with Leo yet.
As we're walking back , I notice how anxious Imad appears and ask him what he's anxious about.
"What's wrong? you seem troubled"
He nods "I have an immense favor to ask of you" He looks weary
I stop in surprise. Imad had never asked me - or anyone for that matter - for any favors. He's always been the one to help others, not the other way around. "Ask anything , and I'll do my best to help" I tell him calmly. I've always wished for an opportunity to help Imad after all he's done for not only my sister and I , but everyone in this pack.
He smiles softly before turning to face me . "My brother is ill" he pauses for a brief second before continuing "but I cannot afford his treatment"
His head falls in shame. "He's all I have, and I'm sorry to have to ask but, can I .. "
"Of course!" I wail before he even finishes his sentence while tears threaten to fall. I run into his arms, and lift his head up.
"How much are you in need of ?"
"Anything you can give, I just need enough for him to be seen by the pack doctor." I understand his struggle, unless you're a highly ranked member of the pack, doctor visits tend to be quite expensive.
My heart feels heavy for his dilemma, but then I remembered "I don't think it will cost anything at all. I'll just take him to the pack doctor, I've been taking Salina for regular check-up's ever since my mating with Leo. I don't think you'll be charged if I bring him as a family member"
His eyes instantly brighten, displaying hope "Thank you, Mira, I will forever be in debt to you"
"Don't be ridiculous Imad, you have done so much for Salina and I, this is the least I can do to return even the slightest bit of your kindness towards us throughout these years"
Once we reach the pack house, Imad places his brother Karim in my care. Walking Karim to the pack doctors office, I give doctor Folsom's door a couple knocks before it opens.
"Beta-female, what can I do for you today? " He greets stepping aside to give us room to enter into his office .
"Please take a seat" He directs us to the two seats in front of his desk
"I was wondering if you can examine my cousin Karim. He's been ill for a while now."
"Of course, when was his last check up, so I can see where we're at."
"It's actually been a little while since he's had a doctor's visit so I'm not entirely sure of his medical history."
"That's alright, let's get you checked out Karim" doctor Folsom says reaching out his hand to the timid boy in my arms.
Karmin is naturally reserved and doesn't say much unless he's comfortable with who he's communicating with, so just follows the doctor's orders in silence.
"Would you like me to stay with you Karim? " I ask
"I think I'll be fine alone" he replies softly. I nod " Alright, but if you need anything, I'll be waiting outside with your brother."
I leave to sit in the waiting area right outside the doctors office. Imad sits beside me, nervously. His legs are trembling, and I rest my hand on his knee to comfort him "He'll be alright"
"Thank you for your help Amira! " He leaps into my arms embracing me tightly. I hug him back without thought.
Leo clearing his throat causes Imad to jump away from fright.
"Beta" Imad bows backing even farther away from me
Leo advanced towards him calmly, jaws clenched, as if ready to attack.
I jumped in between them , resting my arms gently on my mate's chest to stop his strides.
"Leo, please stop" I plead. His eyes darken and my wolf senses his agitation and fury.
"Beta, I apologize. I overstepped my boundaries, it won't happen again" Imad says, head still bowing, likely afraid of staring my mate in the eyes.
"You're right , it won't, because from this day forth, you're forbidden from even being in the same room as my mate, leave" Leo growls
Imad's head shoots up, opening his mouth to say something, but then decides against it, pressing his lips together angrily. He nods in submission and briefly smiles to me with pain filled eyes before leaving.
"That was unfair" I state saddened "He was only thanking me for .."
"Thanking you for what? " Leo barks. I thought whether I should lie or tell him the truth. I figure, he will be mad either way so I might as well tell the truth.
"I helped him with something " I say vaguely
He raises his brows "And what did you help him with?" he asked accusingly
"His brother was ill and they couldn't afford to have him checked by the pack doctor, so I offered to take him" I wait for his reaction
He sighs in relief "So you're alright?" He pulls me tightly against him. I'm taken back slightly, he's been so upset with me these last couple days, I never thought he would be worried about me at all.
"Yes, but.."
"Someone informed me of you being at the doctors, and I thought you were hurt. I'm happy you're alright" his next action of leaving a soft kiss on my forehead causes me further confusion.
I blush, stepping away from him slightly. Before any more words could be exchanged, the pack doctor came out with some papers in hand.
After flipping through the paperwork briefly, he says "It appears he's suffering from a rare case of the flu"
"The flu? How is that possible? " I ask bewildered. Werewolves typically never got the flu.
"After some test, I found that his wolf isn't developing properly and it's affecting his immune system. His body is more human than it is wolf at the moment. Since it's currently flu season he likely caught the virus from a human at school."
"I'm glad it's nothing too serious" I say pulling Karim into my arms as he sniffles.
"What do you think is wrong with his wolf then?"
"It's likely malnurishment. He'll just need a proper diet"
"Thank You " I say bowing . As we leave the doctors office, I'm reminded of something "Leo.."
He's been reading messages on his cellphone, but looks up once he hears my call "Yes?"
"I need to see his brother"
"What for?" he growls
"Leo please" I beg using the mate bond to my advantage to sway him
He sighs before agreeing , and lifts the ban that prevented Imad from seeing me
"Thank You" I say, before leaving with Karim walking closely by my side.
"But Amira" He calls, I turn back around "Yes?"
"Can you meet me in my office later, around 5?" He asks
I nod reluctantly, I'm hoping we'll be able to resolve our issues. I'm really beginning to miss his touch and my heat will resurface soon. It'll be awkward to ask for his help to lessen the pain of it if we're still avoiding each other.
I make my way to Imad's home and knock on his door several times before it opens.
Imad has a worried look in his eyes, but welcomes me in with his brother in hand. Imad leads Karim up to bed for the night and when he comes back down he makes me a cup of a tea and sits at the table in the seat across from me.
"What did the doctor say?" His eyes look so concern and heavy, he hasn't slept
"Karim will be alright, he just somehow caught the flu"
"The flu?" Imad asks with the same shocked expression I had when the pack doctor had told me.
"I'm sorry to say, but he's malnourished and his wolf isn't developing , the doctor said his immune system is equivalent to that of a human's so he easily caught the virus from a human at school "
Imad stands and paces the room looking defeated before he sits back down.
His fingers brush his hair as he rest both elbows on each knee . He shakes his head and says "I've failed him. I can't believe I allowed this to happen"
"This likely isn't your fault Imad, things happen" I say trying to comfort him
"How is it not my fault, when it's my responsibility to make sure he is fed. Amira, I've been working so hard these past few months, but it seems no matter how hard I try, I can't support him financially. If it wasn't for you, he could have died."
Getting up, I embrace him in a hug, I'd never seen him so torn. I can't imagine having to deal with something like this with my own sister.
"Everything will be alright and to make sure of it, I would like for you and Karim to join us for each meal." I offer excited about the thought of cooking for them .
Imad smiles "That's sweet of you Amira, but I have a very strong suspicion that your mate isn't too fond of me and you making us food every morning would just fuel his hate for me. But thank you"
"I'm sure my mate won't mind and if it does bother him, I'll speak to him. Let me help you this once" I beg.
Before he could argue against it I received a text from Leo asking where I am. I look at the time and see that it is past five already. "Shoot, I lost track of time, Leo's waiting for me, I'll let him know that you two will be joining us for meals from now on. I'll see you two tomorrow for breakfast." I wave goodbye and run off leaving him speechless. I hope they really do show up for breakfast tomorrow. I plan to make a big meal. Karim especially loves my waffles and bacon, and Imad loves breakfast burritos and drinks his coffee black every morning before heading to work.
I shift into my wolf so I can get home in half the time, once I reach the pack house I quickly shift back and put on some hidden clothes left outside. I make my way to Leo's office which is located on the side furthest left of the pack mansion.
Arriving at his door, I prepare to knock to notice him of my arrival, but halt once I hear laughter. It appears he had company.
I wait a few minutes thinking his previous visitor would have left by now, but as time flies, I decide to make him aware of my arrival and knock on his door.
It was upsetting to find the door opened by Cora.
"Hi" she welcomes with a fake smile. Playing her role as the good girl like she always did when my mate was around.
I step in and offer a smile that also wasn't genuine back. Noticing the silence between us , Leo steps in and tries to break the discomfort. "Cora, this is my mate, Amira, and Amira this is Cora,she's one of our pack warriors."
"We've met before. I actually know her quite well." I confess.
Leo looks to Cora who becomes visibly nervous for confirmation "Yes, we've met before. I wasn't aware she was your mate" Cora lies. I battle internally not to roll my eyes at her lie.
"How long have you two been friends?" Leo asks, appearing slightly nervous himself.
"We aren't friends" we both say at the say time,
"Oh" Leo says , slightly confused
"I think I should leave" Cora says and swiftly grabs her bag and leads herself out, leaving Leo and I in awkward silence for a few seconds
"I'm sorry I'm late" I say, breaking the silence
"It's fine, I'm sorry for making you wait. So where did you and Cora meet?" he asks immediately, his curiosity eating him up.
"She was a senior my freshman year of high school, she also came around to the Diner quite often" I say not wanting to continue talking about my relationship with Cora
"Did you two have classes together? How do you know her so well?" he presses on , curious of I and Cora's relationship
"No. Honestly, she didn't like me very much" Leo's brows frown indicating he understands that Cora was my bully.
"I'm sorry, She's actually much kinder once you get to know her. I think the warrior in her makes her slightly more aggressive than most wolves " he says defending her past actions.
"You two must be close" I say, jealous that he's defending her
"We grew up together and now we work together so you could say so" he says calmly
"Cool" I say sounding like a teenager with my response. I'm hoping my jealously and insecurities weren't so prevalent.
"She really is just a friend" Leo says reading my thoughts
I nod not wanting to speak about Cora any longer "So why did you want to meet me?"
"Right. I want to apologize for how I've been acting these past couple days" when I didn't respond he continues "I thought about our argument and if us being married mends things between us, then I'll agree to it " he says flatly
My blood begins to boil. I can't believe this was his way of apologizing. I turn around in aggravation, trying to stop myself from crying. He'll only be marrying me because he wants to sleep with me, not because he loves me enough to have me as a wife.
"Amira?" Leo calls as I walk away from him, heading towards my bedroom. I need to be alone.
I can hear Leo's footsteps trailing behind me during the short plod to my room. He follows me, leaving appropriate space between he and I. I could sense his nervousness, he knows he'd said something to upset me, but likely doesn't know which part of what he'd said I'd found upsetting.
"Amira, please just speak to me" he pleads silently as we reach the entrance to my bedroom. I stand still, my back still facing him, blinking quickly as a means to suck back in my tears. I don't want him to see me weeping, I've never allowed anyone to view me so vulnerable.
"What did I say to anger you?" he asks
I turn the knob, finally stepping into my bedroom. Leo follows, closing the door behind him.
I face him, hands fidgeting with the sleeves of my shirt nervously, as I prepare to tell him how I've been feeling.
"Are you only marrying me so you can sleep with me?"
Leo's brows rose in bewilderment. "Of course not! " he growls "Im marrying you because it's what will make you happy " he says
"But it's not what you want, is it?" I say quietly
He shakes his head "No", he pauses "But that doesn't mean I'm not committed to you or love you any less"
I nod "I won't force you to do anything you don't want to Leo"
"I'm sorry to say, but a ring on your finger means nothing Amira, but my mark on you will provide you protection and strengthen our bond"
It's clear that Leo was against marriage. But, the fact that he was even willing to agree to it just to please me in a way was thoughtful.
I sigh not knowing what to do. In my culture, I really cannot mate until I'm a married woman. But not mating is driving both his wolf and mine to insanity. It's been a couple months since we've met, I don't know how much longer I can hold off before my wolf takes over and takes things into her own hands and truthfully a part of me wants her to.
Leaning over, Leo caught me by surprise when he places a kiss on my forehead and then begins kissing down my neck, until his lips finally reach mine.
"Would you mind if I slept here tonight?" he asks. As I told myself not to give into the huskiness of his voice, my wolf was emerging, and I was slowly losing control.
My reaction to his touch was enough to give away my need for him. Smiling, he turns the lights off, and makes sure my door is locked because gently leading me towards the bed
"I know it's your first time, so I'll be gentle" he whispers into my ears
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Another update!
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