Mates: Melanie's Warrior

Chapter 19

~Geoff~

The sparks are more than I’d ever imagined they could be, and I didn’t want her to let me go. Unfortunately, it seems like a flipped switch when we stepped into the elevator. Melanie lets me go and pushes herself to the side of the elevator. I want to stand next to her or even behind her. I want to wrap my arms around her. I fight all of those urges, much to the dismay of Thor.

The elevator dings, and I take an invisible deep breath. I have to do all I can not to attack her, which will be a chore. I step in front of the elevator doors and allow Melanie to walk out, her scent choking me as she goes. I follow her out of the elevator and out of the hotel.

The party is off the side of the arena. They put down a hard floor and put up tents. There are different-sized tables under the massive tents, and we find a two-seater off the side. There’s music playing and a buffet available.

We approach the buffet together and load up our plates. The initial moments at the table are a bit awkward, and I shift in my seat. Melanie is nibbling on her food, attempting to look anywhere but at me. Talk to her.

I want to, but what do I say? She makes me so f**king nervous. I’ve never felt this before.

Look, human, don’t waste this opportunity we have. Talk to her. I know Thor is right, but it’s easier said than done. It’s crazy because I’m an Alpha, yet this woman has me dry-mouthed and fearful.

“Well, as great as it was to share this air with you. I’m beat, so I’m going to go.” Melanie moves to stand, but I quickly place my hand over hers. I see the moment our bond impacts her; her body slacks, and she settles in the chair.

“You agreed to spend this night getting to know me. You can’t back out now.” Melanie yanks her hand away and sits back in the chair. She crosses her arms over her body and huffs.

“You aren’t speaking, so it just seems like you changed your mind.” I smile and sit back.

“You aren’t speaking either, so it seems like we are both a bit nervous.” That perks her up. I swear I love the fire she has.

“I am NOT nervous. I didn’t want to do this, remember? This is strictly for your benefit.” I lean forward and reach out toward her face. Melanie jerks away from me, and that makes me smile more. My hand lands on her arm, and I let it slide down. I see the shiver the sparks cause, and I try to swallow my chuckle.

“Are you trying to tell me that you don’t feel that? You can’t feel your body respond to my touch? Are you trying to say that my scent doesn’t get your juices flowing? Can you truly tell me that this heat between us is lost on you?” I can see her eyes swirl with black, and I know her wolf is fighting to break through. If nothing else, I know her wolf wants this bond. It’s just a matter of bringing her human along for the ride.

Melanie visibly gulps, but she doesn’t respond. Honestly, she doesn’t have to because I already know the answers to my questions. I know she feels the bond the same as I do, and I know that Melanie is moments away from falling in. I just need to figure out how to get her the rest of the way in. I decide to leave that topic and move on. I feel more confident and don’t want to waste that feeling. “Talk to me, Melanie. Tell me about you. How did you become the Gamma of your pack?”

Melanie clears her throat and looks relieved at the change in topic. “You mean, how did a woman become a Gamma?” I shake my head.

“No, that isn’t what I meant. To me, the gender of an individual is irrelevant if they are skilled and can do the job.” Melanie’s face softens just slightly.

“I was the best for the job. My Alpha said that she had always had an eye on me, watching me as I trained for a warrior position. She liked what she saw, and she offered me the job.” I nod. I know what her Alpha saw in her because I’ve seen it myself and barely met her yesterday.

“I thought your story would be that you and your Alpha are best friends, and so on.” Melanie chuckles. I’ve noticed that this is the usual story for ranked members. It’s either that or they inherited the position. It is kind of rare for a person to become a ranked member simply because of their skill. It should happen more, but werewolf society isn’t that open to change.

“No, that would be the Alpha and Beta Jax. They were friends since they were in diapers. I knew them, but we didn’t hang out. We didn’t get close until later.”

“Doesn’t your pack have two Alphas?” I’ve heard about Summit Mountain before, and I met Alpha Jayden even though he didn’t know who I was. I haven’t met the female Alpha.

“Yes. Alpha Kehlani and Alpha Jayden. Alpha Kehlani is the original Alpha of the pack.”

“So, I’m curious now. You are Gamma, but I have a feeling that you aren’t protecting an Alpha. Who do you protect?” I smile at the smile that grows on her face.

“I protect the most amazing little girl in the world. Well, both of the most amazing girls.” Ah, the girl that I’ve seen her with. That must be who she’s talking about.

“The little girl that I’ve seen here?”

“Yes, that’s Brooklyn. Alpha Jayden’s daughter. Her coming to our pack, we immediately accepted her as if she’d always been there. She has a baby sister named Kamila. Those two lovely girls are my reason for breathing.” I wonder if she’d be willing to move away from them. Fear sets in, and for the first time, I’m not as sure about our bond as I was before. There may be a real possibility that I can’t have my mate by my side.