A Mate
2459 Words
Willow’s POV
It’s after lunch when I walk out of my tent in search of something to do. My boredom was starting to get to me big time. Things had been quiet recently for me and I was enjoying it for the most part, but my paranoia that I was being chased still crept up.
I walked up to one of the other she-wolves in the camp to see what I could help with. She sent me to see a group of other she-wolves doing laundry down by the river. When I got there, I felt like I was being watched. It sent an eerie shiver down my spine. I looked around, but didn’t notice anything or anyone out of the ordinary.
I was soon put to work hanging wet laundry to dry on a makeshift clothesline. I had the line filled with wet laundry in no time and asked if there was another line we could use for the rest of it. I was handed a ball of twine and instructed to tie it between some trees close by.
As I was tying the twine to the second tree I noticed a group of wolves off in the distance. I stopped and inspected them. I realized that I knew them. They had caught up to me. I needed to get out of here and fast. I dropped the twine and started to run for my tent to grab my things. Dread filling my chest and blurring my senses.
As I ran inside my tent and grabbed my bag, I heard a massive fight break out. I didn’t know what was going on but I was curious so I decided to look. It sounded like more than just a few wolves fighting. I peaked out of my tent to see the rogues fighting with warriors from several different packs. I sat back in my tent to hide, hoping that the group that was after me would get caught up in the fight. I should be able to slip away during or after the madness.
The fight lasted for what seemed like hours, but when it died down I grabbed my bag and cautiously stepped out of my tent, looking around for any threat and anyone from the rogue pack I’m running from. I take a few steps out of my tent and catch the strong sweet scent of myrrh.
It smells so warm and inviting, I can’t seem to concentrate on running away. I dropped my bag to inhale the scent more, enjoying how it filled my nose and made me feel safe. I smiled at this warm feeling I wasn’t accustomed to.
A very handsome pack warrior was walking through the cluster of tents when he caught my attention. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. His muscular bare chest and abs on display made my mouth begin to water. His caramel colored skin glistened in the sunshine with sweat from the fight. His eyes were the most captivating of all. Those light green eyes against his skin color and his short black hair were mesmerizing.
I heard Molly, my omega, in my head howl out happily, “MATE.”
My heart started to race in my chest and my excitement grew inside of me. It was quickly replaced with dread by bad thoughts of the past. What if he’s like all the others? What if he’s cruel and hurtful? What if he doesn’t want me after I’ve been tainted by another? After I’ve been physically scarred by others.
Molly put her ears down and whined out at my thoughts. I didn’t want to take the chance of him hurting me, so I took off running when he took a step toward me. While running in the woods, I noticed he was chasing after me so I let Molly take control to get away from him, ripping the dress I had on to shreds. I wasn’t expecting him to be a Beta when he shifted, and I knew he would be able to catch me quickly. His Beta caught up to Molly in no time and tackled us to the ground. I was shaking in fear that he was about to hurt us and tried to get away.
To my surprise he lets Molly up. Molly steps a few feet away from him and tucks her tail in submission. Why would he let me up? It wasn’t long and I heard someone moving through the woods toward us. It’s a warrior with a shirt and shorts. I watch as my mate shifts and puts the shorts on before dismissing the warrior.
He holds the large shirt out toward me and asks if I will shift to talk to him. He even offers to turn his back to give me privacy. No one has ever been that courteous to me before. I decide I would give him a chance to speak with me. I need to find out if he’s cruel or not. Molly nods her head then takes the shirt from him. I watch as he turns his back. I shift back to human form and put the shirt on as fast as I could. He didn’t break what he said and had stayed facing the other way. Is he different from the others?
“Ok. What do you want to talk about,” I ask.
He turned to face me and stared at me. He didn’t leer at me like all the others have before. Maybe my mate was someone to respect because he was respectable.
“I know you know we are mates, so why did you run?” he asks softly.
The sound of his soft deep voice reminded me of the comforting depths of a dark room on a soft warm bed. I automatically look down in submission knowing I can’t fight back. I don’t know any other way to be after not being taught how to stick up for myself.
I answered him saying, “I was scared.”
“I won't hurt you. I promise you have nothing to fear from me,” he tells me.
I look up into his eyes to see if he’s lying to me and only see sincerity there. I nod my head to let him know I understand him.
“My name is Freddie by the way. What’s yours, little one?”
Him calling me “little one” made my whole body tingle. No one had ever called me anything so sweet. Was he the mate I needed to help protect me and find my way in this world?
I smiled and said, “Willow.”
The smile he gave me in return was enough to make my heart skip a thousand beats. It was gorgeous to look at. I allowed him to walk up closer to me.
“It’s nice to meet you Willow. Can I ask why you're a rogue?”
“I was born a rogue. I joined this group trying to flee some other rogues. I didn’t think trying to join a pack would be possible.”
I wasn’t ashamed of being a rogue. I never did anything wrong to become one. Neither did my mother or my father.
“Would you like to come join me at my pack?” he offers.
I shifted my weight in uncertainty that I would be welcome in a pack. He tensed up and I looked at the ground thinking he was about to show me who he really was. I thought he was going to hurt me.
“I mean you no harm, little one. It’s completely up to you if you want to come with me. I would like you to,” he says in a soft voice.
He wasn’t showing me agression. Maybe he was just afraid I would run again? I wouldn’t run unless he gave me reason to.
I looked up at him, “Will your Alpha allow me to join the pack?”
“Yes. Duncan is an amazing Alpha and my best friend.”
That means he must be the second in command of his pack.
“I take it you're his Beta then,” I say, feeling like I’m being watched from a distance.
“Yes. It means I can keep you safe.”
I could hear the confidence in those words from him and looked at him nodding. He held his hand out to me.
“What are you waiting for? He said he would keep us safe. Go with him,” Molly urges me.
“Ok. First sign of cruelty and we run though,” I tell her.
“Deal,” she agrees.
I slowly reach out and put my hand in his. I felt warm electricity running through my hand, up my arm and to the rest of my body. It was like I was being brought back to life from the dead. I couldn’t help but stare at our hands touching. The intense feeling brought tears to my eyes. I had longed for this feeling for so long.
I looked up into his light green eyes and felt a tear spill from mine. Freddie lightly brushed it away with his thumb. He was gentle and kind. I hope he is like this all the time and there’s no raging monster hidden away.
“Why are you crying, little one?”
“I never thought I would find my mate. I thought I would forever be a lost rogue.”
“I’ve found you now, so it’s alright.”
I hope he’s right. I hope he can keep me safe. I don’t want to ever be hurt again. I don’t want to be beaten or screamed at ever again.
He did something that no one has ever done to me before. I watched him closely as he brought my hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it. His eyes held mine the entire time. I sighed out involuntarily at the gesture. It was sweet and intimate, things I wasn’t used to.
He drops our hands down slowly between us and says, “let’s go meet Duncan and then go home.”
“Ok.”
We went back toward the camp site to find his Alpha while still holding hands. When we reached the tents, he picked up my bag. He was looking around and found a group of his pack members near the river. He talked with someone about Duncan. I didn’t listen in. I was too busy scanning the area for the rogue group I was running from. They liked to call themselves the Prairies Forsaken Rage.
Once Freddie is done talking to the other warrior he turns to me and asks low in my ear, “what is it, little one?”
I guess he could feel me getting uneasy and wanting to leave.
I whispered back, “I just don’t want to be here longer than I have to be.”
I try to stop scanning the area and rely on the fact that I’m with my mate. It’s different thinking that I can rely on someone else. For the past eight years I’ve really just relied on myself.
A man finally came down from the hilltop and I assumed it was the Alpha. His presence screamed leadership and power. I could hear him giving instructions and news to the warriors.
His eyes land on me holding onto Freddie’s hand and smiles wide asking, “and who do you have, Freddie?”
“My mate, Willow. Willow, this is Alpha Duncan of Trinity Forrest,” Freddie says.
Alpha Duncan holds his hand out to shake mine, but I move to hide behind Freddie. The only Alpha’s I have ever met were mean, arrogant and commanding. He takes his hand back and straightens up slightly.
“I assure you that I mean you no harm, Willow. I’m glad Freddie has found you,” he says.
I took a deep breath. He sounded different than all the other Alpha’s. He didn’t sound mean or cruel either. I stepped out from behind Freddie and put my hand out to the Alpha. He took my hand gently and gave me a soft smile as he shook my hand.
“When can we go home,” Freddie asked as the Alpha and I released each other's hands.
“The witches will be helping with rogues that want to join packs. We might be going home with several new members, so we have to wait a little while,” he answers while looking around.
I stand there and watch as rogues start to join the pack I’m standing with. These packs were allowing other wolves to join them. It made my heart happy to see the kindness that was happening thanks to the pack leaders.
I see the witch standing with the pack cast a spell asking,“Why are you a rogue?”
So many of them were born rogues like me and some even ran away from their packs. I could feel the eyes on me judging me and wondering why I hadn't done what the others had. So I decided I would prove myself. I dropped Freddie's hand and walked up to the witch.
She cast her spell on me and asked, “Why are you a rogue?”
“I was born a rogue,” I answer truthfully.
I walked back to stand with Frieddie and the other pack members. When the witch was done, Duncan welcomed the new members into the pack, including me, giving them access to the pack link.
I now had a pack. I felt so incredibly happy to be a part of a pack. It was something that every wolf longed for. Wolves aren’t solitary creatures, so to be on your own is like torture. Being a part of a pack was like being set free.
What a crazy day this turned out to be. I found my mate and found my way to be part of a pack. Maybe my life was about to turn into something amazing.
- Writer
