"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK."
Pierce couldn't be Achilles' mate. There was no way. Right? He was a human and she had never heard of human-wolf pairings. Had she?
Pierce sat on the bed and stared at her as if he she had grown two heads.
"What happened?"
Astrid grabbed clothes from his dresser and threw them at him.
"Get dressed we have to go."
"Where?"
"Somewhere. Now hurry up she's about to leave."
"Ooh it's a she?" Pierce smirked at her and Astrid rolled her eyes trying to move him along. Once he was finished getting dressed, she started walking to the pack.
"If you're taking me out the woods to kill me you could've told me first. You didn't have to lie."
"I'm not lying Pierce now hurry up."
Once they got to the border, Astrid snuck Pierce past the patrols.
"You know what, stay here."
Astrid sat him down on a hidden stump so he wouldn't get caught.
"Yes, right. I'll just sit in the middle of these woods."
"Do you trust me?" Astrid put her pinky out and waited for him to take it.
He stared at it reluctantly, but then he took it.
"I guess I do."
Astrid smiled at him and ran to Andrew's house hoping that Achilles would still be there. She didn't like Achilles, at all, but she loved her friend. He would never find true love if Astrid didn't introduce them. Mates could only truly love their other half.
Once she got to the door she ran to Andrew's office and luckily Achilles' scent was still there.
She barged through the door.
"I have important news."
She pointed at Achilles who gave her a disgusted look back.
"I don't like you, but you have to come with me."
"What makes you think I'd go anywhere with you?"
"Smell my hand." Astrid held out her hand in expectance.
"What? No I'm not going to smell your hand you freak."
"Just do it." Astrid looked at Achilles' parents and hoped they would understand what she was doing.
"Sweetheart, smell her hand. This is important." Thank goddess. Achilles' mother has a knowing look in her eye and a smile threatening to form on her face.
Rolling her eyes, Achilles leaned over to smell Astrid's hand.
"Is that a new perfume to coverup your dog stench."
Wow I'm doing something nice for you and you're still being a bitch.
"No you asswipe. It's the smell of your mate."
Achilles' eyes widened and she jumped out of her chair.
"Wait, why were you with my mate?"
"Because he's my friend. Now come on."
Astrid led the group to the spot that she had left Pierce and, surprisingly, he was still there.
"Pierce, meet Achilles. Achilles, meet Pierce." She introduced them, but they weren't listening. They were staring at each other as if they were the only people in the universe.
Pierce broke the silence first.
"Hi."
Achilles smiled and jumped to hug him. They both looked so in love and Astrid knew that it was the mate-bond at work.
A few seconds into the hug, Pierce snapped out of his trance and backed away from Achilles.
"Wait... you're Achilles?"
Achilles' smile began to fall when he asked her the question and looked at her with a hint of disgust on his face.
"Yeah. What's wrong?" She went to go hug him seeing as he was in distress, but Astrid could tell that Pierce was putting all the puzzle pieces together.
"You're the psycho bitch whose been terrorizing my friend?" Pierce's began to raise his voice, suddenly becoming very protective of his best friend and first love.
There was an audible gasp from everyone. Achilles' father looked as if he was ready to punch Pierce for saying such a thing to his daughter, especially since they were mates, but her mother held him back to not cause a scene.
"Don't talk to my daughter that way you bastard."
"How am I the one in the wrong. Your daughter was the one who bullied my best friend."
Astrid went to go grab Pierce so she could better explain the situation but Achilles grabbed her arm.
"Don't touch him. Don't think I don't smell you all over him. He's mine now."
At being called hers, Pierce scoffed and started walking in the direction back to his house.
"I can't deal with this shit today." He muttered under his breath but everyone could hear him. Astrid began to walk after him but she was stopped again, this time by Andrew.
"Let him go. You'll only create more problems with Achilles if you go with her mate after she marked her territory."
And so Astrid watched helplessly as her friend walked deeper in the woods. Achilles began hysterically crying and her alpha talked with Andrew to allow them to stay an extra few days. Pierce and Achilles would have a conversation once he cooled off.
~~~{ }~~~
Astrid was laying down in her bed that night as Andrew stood outside debating whether or not he should go in. They needed to have another serious conversation, but that conversation kept getting sidetracked.
Thanks to her training at the academy, Astrid knew that Andrew was standing outside her door, and she could tell he was nervous. She walked over and opened the door to great a pacing Andrew.
"Must you pace when you're nervous." She tried to lighten the mood by cracking a joke and he smiled a bit.
"A nasty habit I suppose. Can I come in?"
"Sure."
He walked into her room and sat at the desk chair. He rotated back and forth while deep in thought.
"Can you stop fidgeting around and just say what you need to say."
Andrew looked surprised and nodded.
"Achilles and Pierce are going to talk tomorrow. I suppose after that they'll make up and become partners. The mate bond doesn't hold off for too long when both parties feel the tug."
"Pierce was a bit shocked, but I think he'll get over it."
"What about you?"
"Huh?"
"Will you get over what happened?"
"Do I have a choice? I can't exactly come between mates now can I."
"No I suppose you cannot."
Andrew took a deep breath and gathered the courage to ask his next question.
"And what does that mean for us?"