Becoming part of the Griffin family (COMPLETED)

Chapter 6

I pushed him away and repositioned myself to sit on the couch as Judah sat down also. Judah went to pull me closer but I pushed away, needing to keep some space between us. As we sat we got to know each other. I asked about his childhood, he asked about mine. I asked about what he did during his time with other packs, he asked about my school, my friends and lastly he asked about what I wanted for my future. I paused for a moment before replying “I wanted to be a pack nurse or doctor”. His face turned confused as he asked “why do you say wanted, like past tense?”. I looked down in defeat. “You really think once my father knows you are my mate I will have any other choice? You're an Alpha, soon to be his Alpha, and my brother is in line to be your second. Do you think either of them would forgive me if I rejected you? Made you weak?”. I sighed before I took in what I had just said, “I’m sorry I know you haven’t done anything wrong, it’s just not the life I had planned”. Judah smiled softly as he interrupted, “you don’t need to apologise. I understand where you are coming from. I felt the same about becoming Alpha at one point. I fought it for a while, but it was futile, I was born for this”. A tear crept down my cheek before I realised I was crying. Judah’s thumb swept across my cheek, wiping it away “but you do have a choice. I won’t force you into this. If this isn’t what you want, I will help them understand. You are my mate and I want nothing more than to see you happy, even if that means I settle for being your friend instead”. “You really mean that?” I asked softly, looking up into his eyes. He nodded “I want you to be happy”. I leaned back on the couch as my tears continued to fall. “I thought my mate would see me only as his possession, something he controlled and someone who obeyed him. Not someone who cares about me” I said, more to myself than Judah. “I know we have only just met but I care about you Poppy, about your happiness. I won’t force you into anything. Although you should also know that if this did happen we would be partners, I wouldn’t expect you to obey me.”. I frowned as he answered my unspoken question, “ In public, yes, I would need it to seem as if I was in control, since I am the Alpha, I need to keep the respect of my pack. But behind closed doors, or even quietly in public, like through our link, I want you to feel the freedom to talk honestly with me, give me your honest opinion. I don’t want a mate who just submits to me, I want one who compliments me and leads by my side, my true equal”. “I hear what you’re saying but I still can’t believe it’s true. You're an Alpha, ownership, possessiveness, getting others to submit to you, it’s kind of what an Alpha is in my mind. How can I trust what you are saying?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. Judah placed his hand into mine, squeezing it softly, reassuringly. “I know it’s hard to believe but I will prove it to you” he paused and looked slightly nervous. “I also don’t want to lie to you Poppy, some of the stuff you said is true, that much I can’t change. It’s in my nature. I’m an Alpha and you‘re my mate. I can’t help but be possessive over you. Seeing Jacob, my own brother, touch you filled me with rage I haven’t felt before”. I nodded, understanding he couldn’t fight his nature. “I get it, the possessiveness. But I don’t want to be like your mum either, where men are scared to even talk to me”. He smiled. “I can see why, my dad is fiercely protective over her ever since another Alpha tried to kidnap her as revenge... he almost succeeded and mum was injured. Ever since then, he has been like this. Mum says she’s okay with it but I can see it bothers her sometimes”. “But we don’t have to be that way?” I asked hopefully. But Judah groaned in reply, “The thought of another wolf touching you drives me insane, makes me want to rip them apart. And keep in mind, the only wolf I have seen touch you since I have known you’re my mate has been my brother”. “Maybe we could try? I really don’t want to live a life where I can’t be near half the wolves in the pack because they’re scared of you”, I said, smiling softly. “Ahhh...... I’m sorry Poppy I’m really trying, but I think if any wolves ... especially the UNmated ones touched you, I don’t think I would be able to hold back. Allowing you to be around them unmarked will be hard enough” Judah said, his fists now tightly balled up into white balls, resting uncomfortably in his lap, his breathing seeming tense. I moved his hands to the side as I straddled his lap, the mate bond calling me to calm him, and I, for the first time, simply relenting. Judah's body immediately relaxed, shock quickly passing over his face, replaced quickly with a genuine smile as his hands came to rest on his hips. “Okay how about no touching until I’m marked? But I can still talk to them, be around them?” I asked, not being able to resist smiling back in reply to his large grin. Then he surprised me as he tightened his grip on my waist, pulling me closer, his face suddenly serious “you’re going to let me mark you?”. I softly pushed back, shuffling back a little, looking down as I replied “not for a while... not until I’m sure”. He nodded but his handsome smile still lingered on his lips, “the fact your even thinking about it makes my wolf insane”. I tilted my head “so that’s a yes?”. He nodded “I will try my best”.

“That’s all I can ask." I shrugged before smiling back to him. "Now tell me about your wolf. What’s his name?”. I saw his eyes flash darker before he closed them, taking a deep breath in before they opened and he replied to me, “Salem... to say he is eager to meet you, your wolf, would be a grand understatement". "Tell me about him" I ordered softly, hoping to appease Hope just a little. she was fighting to be free, to fulfill her mates desires but I was;t quite ready for that just yet. I knew if they met I would be marked and mated within mere minutes. Hope sighed in reply, "you're not wrong" she confessed. "He's a true Alpha, stubborn, possessive and strong. If he had his way he would have marked you last night in my office, the moment we had you alone..... now tell me about your wolf. Her name?” Judah replied, bringing my attention back to him. Again, Hope howled happily, so easily pleased at their curiosity to know more about her. “Her name is Hope," I smiled. "I haven’t known her long, since I’m not long eighteen, but she seems strong, loyal and smart. She notices things before I do and thinks about them differently too". I grimaced as Hope howled louder, ecstatic I was complimenting her to her mate. "We had a rogue almost attack us the other day after I changed," I continued, "but she sensed him and left a trail for him to follow before we bathed in the river and came home. She had wanted to fight him at first, but I wasn’t ready. She also has been screaming to let you mark us so she can talk to your wolf but I’m not ready for that either”. Judah tensed beneath me as I spoke and then he remained silent. “ What’s wrong?” I asked, looking down curiously as he breathed, obviously trying to calm down either Salem or himself. His hand moved to hold my chin firmly “Why didn’t you call for help, with the rogue?” he asked, his eyes glaring into mine as they moved between light and dark. I shrugged “we had it under control, plus if my father knew how many rogues we had faced while going back and forth from school he would never had let me go back”. Judah held my jaw tighter as his eyes went completely dark, his voice deeper as he asked “it’s happened more than once?”. I grimaced, releasing I was;t with Judah any more “Salem, please, you’re hurting me”. He quickly released my chin, his head shaking before he looked back at me, his eyes their normal light blue once more, “f**k, I'm so sorry Poppy. Are you okay?”. I nodded, rubbing my chin, "Not exactly how I thought I would meet Salem..... is he okay?". Judah leaned back, his hands moving to rub up and down the sides of my thighs. “His fine Poppy, sorry too, but fine”. I shrugged “It's okay, I’m okay”. He sighed, returning to his earlier unanswered question, “how many rogues?”. I rolled my eyes, sighing in defeat and realising that he wasn't going to let this go easily. “ Don’t worry, none of them even got close, most of them aren’t very smart, and I always wore perfume to distract them from my scent”. He groaned continuing with his stubbornness,“Poppy, how many?”. I sighed, relenting, “over the years, and I do mean years, there have been five, but one keeps coming back. I’ve seen him like four times” I admitted. I could see the anger on Judah’s face as he again battled Salem, “ It's okay....” I began, but he interrupted, “you can choose from the warriors, one will be accompanying you from now on”. I quickly got off the couch, off his lap as I near yelled “Like f**k. I’m not agreeing to that. To being followed everywhere I go”. “Poppy, please you have to understand you are in more danger now than before. Having been this close to me," he said, motioning between us, "my scent now lingers on you. I have had women hurt before by wolves trying to get to me. I can’t risk it. Especially if you insist on attending a school outside the pack grounds”. “I don’t want to hear about your previous bitches" I snapped "I have been fine so far and I now even have my own wolf to protect me. I refuse to have my freedom crushed by being followed by some guard”. With that, I stormed off to my room and stayed there until nightfall. Hope too displeased by our mates lack of faith in us, especially in her ability to protect me.