"The Unknown is a scary place, especially foreign feelings."
~Mel
War was at a loss. Tears never, ever had an effect on him. Never. Maybe once, but that was a long time ago. Standing in a small room with his mate, made him realize that he really was swayed by tears.
His mate whose name was Pomelia. Which was a really beautiful name to him at least, was crying. Her lithe body was shaking while she wiped at her tears as they slid down her cheeks and dribbled down her chin. Her plump lips kept pressing together and trembling as if to try and stop the tears. To say he felt awful was an understatement. She was so sweet and kind and he had angrily grabbed her demanding that she sniff him, only to find out that she couldn't even smell!
"Please stop crying," he pleaded softly with her as he contemplated touching her arm. She shrieked and swatted at him. He glowered at her, trying to keep his wolf under control. He was the reason why he held onto her for so long when asking her to sniff him. His wolf was the culprit, not himself... "I'm sorry for upsetting you," he tried again before he smelled a variety of different scents assaulting his nose.
The door slammed open and his mate jumped in surprise. A growl slipped past his lips as two women rushed inside the room. The first girl he recognized. The coward who ran away screaming and left his mate. She was terrible. How could she leave his weak mate with someone like him? What if he were a bad...well an even worse male?
"What is the meaning of this?!"
The other woman he did not recognize. She was tall. Maybe three or four inches shorter than him. Her dark skin stood out in comparison with the long white robes she wore. With purple and cream sashes. She was a priestess from the looks of it. Her dark eyes narrowed at him, painstakingly raking over his form, before glancing to his upset mate.
"Would anyone care to tell me what is going on? Why a warrior comes to such a holy temple reeking of death and why my novice is alone with him?" She tsked loudly, waiting for him specifically to answer.
War sighed, hating how all of this was turning out. His wolf just wanted to grab their mate and go but unfortunately, it was just not that easy. Not to mention she was upset. "Pomelia is my mate...my name is War from Bane pack," he explained to her, knowing he should just get that out of the way immediately. Bane pack was infamous...not a place where anyone wanted to brag about, at least not in such a holy place.
The woman's eyes widened, before glaring at him. "You...you demons come to this holy place reeking of the death of our brethren. You three have no shame," the woman spat as his soft Pomelia gasped, slowly slipping away closer to the priestess. His stance hardened. Both he and his wolf taking that as a form of rejection. His teeth began to lengthen, fangs piercing his lip and hair beginning to spread across his forearms and underneath his clothing.
"She is my mate and she is coming with me," he snarled as Pomelia began to cry harder, holding onto the Priestess for dear life.
The woman's eyes hardened, lips pressing tightly against one another. "Pomelia, honey is he your mate?"
Bloodshot red eyes, flushed cheeks and trembling, Pomelia refused to answer the question, instead burying her face into the woman's robes. The feeling of anger, rejection again, doing something to him. Like a seed of pain blooming inside of him, it was growing quickly, it's roots traveling directly to his heart and his brain, choking his poor organs.
"I am!...don't, don't reject me. I have a house," he spluttered, trying to reason with the terrified, young, novice. What did women like her enjoy? He really didn't even have his own house...he lived with Alpha. He would build one for her though. Then she could fill their house with soft things like her...like pillows and whatever else she wanted or enjoyed.
"Pomelia," the priestess said softly, rubbing her back softly. "You know mates are a gift from our goddess...if this man is your mate you have to be truthful and accept this." War was surprised at how soft and loving the woman's voice came out. She was like a viper when she spoke to him. "Is he?"
A shaky sigh left her lips. "I...I can't smell very well. I can barely smell him, but he smells a little good. Like fruit and, and wood. When we touched, I...it makes sense but I don't want to," she whispered the last part. War still heard it! His mate was beautiful but she was not that intelligent.
The priestess sighed, rubbing her temples and took Pomelia by the hand, dragging her over to War. She was dragging her feet...
Pomelia was forced to face War and she continued to look down, twisting her trembling mouth to the side. "When mates are close to one another they secrete a certain scent. You both are secreting something different. You two are mates."
"I am capable of taking care of you," War consoled her as his mate silently cried. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't reject her. He needed her...
"I am...I'm sure you can W-War...I just want to serve the goddess, I don't want to be with a man," she sniffled as Warren frowned. Well, he definitely wanted to be with a woman, specifically her.
He didn't have experience with women....if that was what she was worried about. That was Trent and Alpha's thing. He kept to himself most of the time, most females in his pack only came around to want to mate with him. Especially around heat. He would refer them to any other male. Thinking about Pomelia going into heat...made him sweat...made blood rush somewhere he really wish it didn't right now.
"That is not up to you, Pomelia. Pack your things, honey and warrior I suggest you, keep your...urges in check. Pomelia may have a lack of sense of smell but I do not," she snapped, glaring at him with such an icy glare he took a step back from her. Her presence was something equivalent to an Alpha Female.
War immediately filled his mind with gore and guts. Blood splatter. Vomit. Anything he thought disgusting.
"Sera help Pomelia pack her things. Warrior, walk with me," The woman suggested as War looked back to Pomelia. She was now gathering the contents of the first aid kit she threw at him out of fear. Her tears had dried some but she was still shaking...
A loud clear of the throat, had him looking to the source of it. The priestess was near the door, impatiently waiting for him. He took one more look at his mate before following behind the priestess. He was only doing this out of respect for his mate. He didn't want to hear anything the woman had to say. Her opinion didn't matter, Pomelia was his...
"Warrior, Pomelia was a promising novice. She is sweet, kind and understanding. She is walking into a lions den going to your cesspool of a pack. Treat her with the respect she deserves or the goddess will have dire consequences," the woman threatened him, her eyes beginning to glow as she smiled, revealing her teeth.
War could snap her neck...he had the ability to but he didn't want to upset his mate...or draw even more attention to himself. "I am going to treat her right," he said quickly, wishing to end the conversation and go back into the room to just stare at his beautiful mate.
After saying that, he left the woman and entered his mate room again. It seemed as if the two novices just finished an emotional hug. The two were moving away from each other and now focused on packing her items into two small bags.
He stood at the entrance watching her closely. She was still trembling, a little less now but the fear was still there.
"Pomelia, remember mates are the goddess' gift to us. Rejecting one would be a slap in the face to our goddess," the priestess announced to his mate. War was surprised she would say that. She acted as if she hated him yet she said that about him...
Then he watched his mate rush over to the priestess and hug her tightly. The woman cracked a smile, hugging his mate back. "You were a promising novice...you will be a good mate. Do not be afraid to speak your mind and use your words when you are upset, remember that," she smiled cupping his mate's face before kissing her forehead.
A wave of jealously flared up within him. He knew he should not be threatened by the woman. She was most likely a mother figure towards his mate...
The scent of pine and blood made him cringe as it suddenly bombarded his sense of smell. The door swung open and his...pack mate and companion, Trent stood in the threshold, breathing harshly and glaring.
"War where the fuck where you? We need to get out of here now. Alpha got into it with some dumb asses. Who...what the fuck is going on?"
Every curse word Trent let loose from his dirty mouth all three women cringed. War felt like chucking the nearby dresser at the man. He was handling this fairly well then Trent had to come in! "Do not use such vulgar language in such a holy place!" The priestess spat, her voice was shaking and not from fear...from anger. It rolled off the woman in waves. His mate and her friend both took two precautionary steps back from the furious Priestess.
Trent turned his head slightly in interest, staring at the woman with an odd expression. "You....do I know you?" He questioned her, as he sauntered over to the irate woman.
"Trent stop," War said quickly, noticing the woman was grabbing something in her hands. Something shiny. The priestess had a knife...
"You take one more step towards me and this throwing knife will be embedded into your flesh. Leave this room, he and his mate will be out in a moment," the woman growled, her words dripping acid.
Trent was frozen in place, it looked as if he had seen a ghost. It wasn't fear making him stay in his place...but something else was bothering him. "I said go!"
A snarl ripped from the man's lips, his face immediately in a snare. "I don't know what the fuck is going on...Come on War."
He left the room quickly, slamming the door shut with so much force that the wall shook. War looked to the priestess noticing she was shaking still. She seemed exhausted maybe...? Whatever the reason be he needed to leave.
"We have to go now," he told his mate, walking over to her and invading her space, by accident. His legs were long and sometimes he miscalculated his steps. It was a good accident though because he was close to her and being close to her felt...nice?
War could hear her heartbeat, it was thumping quickly within her chest. "I'm ready," she told him, not making eye contact again. He took a nice long whiff of her air, silently groaning at her scent. His hands reached out brushing over her knuckles and grabbing her bags when she dropped them out of surprise from him touching her gently.
He gave her an awkward smile, and she quickly looked away hugging her friend one more time. "Priestess Arana are you okay?" She questioned as the woman sunk down in a nearby chair.
"Yes...today's events just fell upon me. I am fine. Be safe, Pomelia. Keep her safe War," the woman stressed a smile as she said her parting words with a more than exhausted look to herself. War momentarily wondered what was going on and instead concerned himself with his mate beside him.
He murmured a thank you to the priestess before heading over to the door and opening it, letting his mate go out first. Attempting at being a gentleman.
"Who the fuck are you?"
War snarled, closing the door and grabbing Pomelia, pulling her closer to him and glaring at Trent. "She's mine," he snarled as the man's eyes widened. Then he laughed.
"This sweet little thing is your mate?" Trent questioned a full grin now placed upon his lips. War pressed her deeper into his side, loathing that she whimpered slightly when he did so.
"We have to go. Lead the way," he told Trent as he watched his eyes travel over every feature of his mate. War thought distracting him would make him ignore Pomelia...of course that wasn't possible though. Trent was staring intently at her. He was pretty sure that Trent was attempting to count her damn freckles on her face.
Then he smirked. "Don't look so scared babe. The worse he'll make you do is fuck him. It might be pleasurable depending on-"
Losing all sense of his cool, War let go of his mate and his cool demeanor flew out the window and into Trent's face. The blow to his packmate forced the large in height and width man to stumble a few feet backward. A sickening crack sounded. Trent groaned before his hands went to his face, letting loose a slew of curse words.
His full name was Warren, but that didn't suit him much. War was his name and he felt the surge of the power from that name flow through him as he stalked over to Trent.
"Don't talk to her!" War barked, using his free hand to grab him by the shirt before flinging him into the wall.
Gods, he was furious. How dare he? Use that language in front of his mate...not only to demean War, but to demean her! Trent groaned as he slid down onto the ground, crimson blood dripping freely down his mouth and shirt. War broke his nose, most likely.
"Oh fuck you and your dramatics," he spat, the blood seeping into his mouth splattering onto his shirt below as he hurled insults and curses War's way. Ignoring him, he stepped over his legs and grabbed a terrified Pomelia.
She screamed.
War winced at how loud it was, the scent of her sour fear rolling off of her in waves. She shook her head, placing her hands in front of her as if to shield herself from him. "No, no I'm sorry but I can't. I can't do this. Please let me stay. Please...that was awful what you just did." She gasped as she stumbled back, before losing her footing.
"Shit," he gasped before dropping her bags and catching her. War had never felt responsible for someone's wellbeing. Only felt responsible to keep doing his job to the Alpha...
Now he did have a purpose. Making this freckle splattered, beautiful, curly-haired mate like him and to keep her safe.
*********
Hey guys, how's everyone holding up?
I'm honestly going crazy over here😩
Any predictions🤔
Hope you all enjoyed this chapter!
Stay safe & stay clean!😁