His Special Hybrid Coralanna

7 - His Mate

Anton POV

    As soon as the door to Andrea's cottage opened, I was overwhelmed by the familiar intoxicating scent of roses and strawberries.  I almost couldn't believe my nose as I took deep breaths of that amazing scent that I had smelled so long ago.  I knew I should have went to all of those packs again.  How did I miss her?  I could have swore that I had visited every single pack around here and the human city but didn't smell her scent at any of them.  

    As I walked through the door, I excitedly said, "Where is she?  Where is my mate?"

    Andrea threw her opens around me as she quietly said, "I don't know how, but I knew she was special.  Now be quiet so that you don't wake her up before she is ready.  Come sit on the porch with me.  There are some things you need to know before you even try to talk to her."

    I quickly followed her back out to the porch and sat down beside her.  She grabbed my hand and patted it as she explained, "You need to understand that right now she is broken and needs time to heal.  She has been abused in some of the worst imaginable ways including repeatedly being raped, and because of that, her biggest fear is that her mate will reject her because of things that have been done to her.  Before I let you meet her, I need you to promise me that if you can't look past the things that have happened at her old pack, then you must get back into your car and go back home."

    I scoffed at her suggestion that I would ever consider the thought of walking away from my mate.  I looked her straight in the eye as I replied, "I can promise you, Andrea, that I would never leave my mate because of something that happened before we met, no matter what.  I have waited too long for her, now let me see her."

    "Anton, please, I am not done.  She has several bad injuries and she is scared of men, so don't be surprised if it takes her time to let you close to her.  I know she wants to find her mate, but some wounds and scars take a lot longer to heal.  She will need a lot more love and attention than most shewolves and you will have to control your temper around her.  That is a must."

    I sighed before I said, "Andrea, please, I am not going to hurt my mate.  I know she has been put in a lot of pain over the last several years.  I have experienced pain right along with her, now let's get back inside.  If she is still hurting, she needs me.  Our bond can help her heal faster and you know I'm right."

    "Okay, brother, let's go," she said as she stood up, then walked back into the cottage with me right behind her.  

    Immediately, I ran over to the couch where she was laying and sat down on the coffee table across from her.  She had a naturally bronze colored skin and dark brown hair.  I noticed the many bruises that were all over her frail little body.  Even though she looked beautiful to me and would always look beautiful to me no matter what, my heart still ached at the sight of the bruises, cuts, and gashes that could be seen, not to mention the numerous scars overlapping each other.

    "How long has she been asleep?" I whispered to Andrea.

    "I'd say about five hours.  She should be waking up anytime, I would think," she whispered back.

    As I continued to gaze at my battered mate, I watched her nostrils slightly flare as she inhaled my scent in her sleep.  Suddenly her eyelids opened to reveal the most beautiful light brown eyes.  Right away, I noticed the little gold flecks that sparkled within the light brown color.  After I told I had been looking for her for a long time, she admitted she had been waiting for me to save her.  I felt a twinge of guilt for not finding her when I visited all of the areas around this pack, but I pushed the thought away.  

    When I tried to move her hair out of her face, she flinched away from my touch.  To say it made me sad would be an understatement.  I felt devastated that somebody hurt my mate to the point that she would be scared of her own mate's touch.  She immediately asked me to be patient with her and of course I told her I would be as patient as she needed me to be.  

    As we stood in front of each other, she grabbed my hands and placed my palms against her cheeks.  As she leaned into my palm, I watched her lips curl up into a small smile.  She leaned her other cheek into my other palm and her smile widened before she opened her eyes and gazed at me in awe.  After a second, she asked if I wanted to sit with her.  

    I quickly sat down on the couch and pulled her into my lap.  I was pleasantly surprised when she didn't try to stop me like I had expected.  However, when I placed my hand on her back, she instantly winced as she hissed from the pain caused by the contact.  Right away, I stood up with her in my arms and carried her down to the basement, so that we could have a little privacy.  

    After I asked her if I could see her injuries, she tried to pull her sundress off.  I could see the pain flash on her face and immediately took over for her.  Gently I pulled the dress the rest of the way off.  When I looked down, she had her eyes closed but I could see the tense way she was keeping them squeezed shut.  She had her lips pursed which must have been hurting the wounds that were still visible on them.  

    Seeing her in this state was tearing me apart.  I wanted to kill the mother fuckers that did this to my mate.  My sweet, beautiful mate did not deserve what these psychos did to her and I will make every last one of them suffer for the pain they have caused her.  

    When she finally opened her eyes, I could see the fear, pain, sorrow, and anger that she held buried deep inside.  As I walked around to look at her back, I noticed so many more scars than I had expected.  It was obvious she had been beaten with a whip on many occasions and I wanted so badly to take that pain away.  I slowly reached up, and traced my finger down the most prominent of the scars.  She tensed up more for just a second, before she let herself relax just a little.

    I pulled my finger away from her and brushed away the tears that were rolling down my own cheeks.  I pulled my shirt off, then wrapped my arms around her from behind and pulled her back against my bare chest.  I was hoping that the sparks would help sooth the pain she was experiencing from her wounds.  She relaxed more as I held onto her and buried my face into her neck.  I took deep breaths of her scent as my tears continued to roll down my cheeks.  I heard her melodic voice say, "Anton, please don't cry."

    "I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner and help you before they did all of this to you.  I'm so sorry, mate," I regretfully said as I cried for my mate.

   She turned her head and kissed my cheek before she said, "Mate, you are helping me more right now than you could ever possibly imagine, and that means the world to me."

    The sweet little unexpected kiss on my cheek had been enough to bring a smile back to my face, but the words she said touched my heart and made me feel better.  I kissed her cheek in return, then replied, "I will do anything and everything to make you feel loved for the rest of our lives.  I promise that I will never do anything to harm you in any way.  I will protect you from those that wish to bring you harm.  I, Anton Biloxi, accept you Coralanna as my mate from this moment forward until the day I die."

    As the words left my mouth, I could feel the slight strengthening of our mate bond.  When I heard her say the words, "I, Coralanna Baker, accept you, Anton Biloxi as my mate until the day I die," I felt the bond strengthen even more.

    I kissed her ear before I asked, "Can I have the honor of placing my mark on you?"

    She sighed before she replied, "You can mark me, but don't expect me to mate any time soon."

    "We will wait as long as you need," I responded before I kissed her ear again.  Still holding her back against my chest, I kissed my way down her neck to her sweet spot while enjoying the intoxicating smell of roses and strawberries.  I gently licked on her sweet spot earning a moan from her.  My canines elongated, then I sank them deep into the crook of her neck.  Her hands flew up to my head and she tangled her fingers in my hair as her body instantly tensed up before it completely relaxed against me.  As I pulled my canines out of her and licked the spot where I had just marked her, I could feel the mate bond strengthen a lot more and our mind link formed.  I mind linked her, 'I can't believe I am holding my beautiful marked mate in my arms right now.'

    I heard a little giggle before she drowsily said out loud, "I almost can't believe it either.  Can I mark you?"

    I moaned in anticipation before I responded, "Please claim me as yours."

    She immediately pulled my arms away from her waist, then stood up and walked to stand in front of me.  I had also stood up and was smiling down at her with happiness.  All she had on at the moment was her panties and she was breathtaking even with the injuries and scars.  When she reached me, she placed her hands on the back of my neck and pulled me down to her since I was almost a foot taller.  She kissed my ear before she said, "There is no going back now."  

    A second later, I felt her canines pierce my skin as she sank them into my neck.  Instantly I felt a wave of pleasure rush threw me.  I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her almost naked body against mind.  When she pulled her canines out and licked the wound on my neck, it was my turn to moan from the pleasure she had just given me.  I hugged her tighter as I declared, "mine."  She giggled and hugged me in return while she nuzzled her face against my chest as she repeated, "mine".