My Shifting Mate

Chapter 2

Lexi pov

The familiar sound of grunts filled the air, the heavy breathing, the laughing. The adrenaline flowing through me, this was what I loved, above all else. Uncle Lyell laughed as I faked left, catching him off guard. I fell to a practiced crouch on my toes, using my right foot to sweep under him. He fell onto his back and let out a heavy breath, lifting himself up on his elbows to grin at me. “Time out!” He called, holding up a hand with a shaky breath.

Uncle Alarick came towards me grinning, holding out a towel. “I think this is the first time I've seen anyone surpass him.” He said with a grin. “Besides me, of course.” He said with a wink.

I chuckled at him, looking at Lyell as he stood, catching his breath. He shook out his short black hair, beads of sweat flying around him as he grinned at us. “Well, I've been receiving training from you guys all my life, plus you’re both retired now and getting old.” I picked at him with a grin.

Lyell let out a loud laugh as Alarick ruffled my hair. I grinned up at him, shaking my hair and lifting it to get it off my neck. The air hit my sweaty skin, making me shiver. “We’re not that old, you know,” Lyell said with a chuckle, standing up and coming over to us. “We’re only forty-one now.” He said with a huff as he draped his body onto his husband’s.

Alarick giggled, shoving him off of him. “Ewww, you’re all sweaty, go away.” He said, rolling his eyes at him. I looked at the two of them, smiling at their affection. Sure they were forty-one, but they still looked around twenty, their large muscular bodies and big smiles on their faces. The only thing that would signify the older age was the small wrinkles at the corner of their eyes when they smiled.

Lyell grabbed the back of Alarick’s neck, pulling him towards him and kissing his lips. “How are you stronger than me if you never train?” He asked, a smirk on his face. I smacked them both with my towel, smiling brightly at them.

“It doesn’t matter, because you’re both weaker than me!” I said with a smirk, grinning at them. They rolled their eyes at me but Alarick laughed, ruffling my hair again.

“That’s because you’re Alpha Tate’s daughter, of course.” He said with a snicker. I pushed his arm off of me, crossing my arms. Of course I was, my father was amazing. “Let's go, you need to shower, school’s starting soon, little miss.” He said to me.

“Oh, Crap! I got to wake up Zain too!” I said, running to the packhouse. I ignored their snickers as they made fun of me, calling me love-stricken. They were singing ‘Zain and Lexi, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G’ at the top of their lungs. I giggled, cringing at them. They were so embarrassing. I didn’t want to wake Zain up until after I had my shower so I took the fastest shower I could, drying off and brushing my teeth at the same time. I was running late this morning but I had been having fun fighting with uncle Lyell and I wasn’t paying attention to the time.

I pulled on a light blue blouse, wanting to show off my baby blue eyes. I slipped on a pair of jeans Jade made for my birthday last year, humming as I turned around to see how they looked on me in the mirror. I was a tomboy who loved fighting, but I also loved to dress nicely as well. It was a conundrum, but I didn’t care. Humming, I went to the dresser, brushing my hair. It was long, it fell softly to my butt, straight and light brown like my mother. Actually, it was probably a few shades lighter, but not too far from hers. I pulled it back into two long pigtails, remembering with a smile how much Zain used to love this hairstyle. In middle school, he would chase me around, using every excuse possible to tug at my hair. When I’d cry he’d hold me close, tell me he loved me, and brush my hair, fixing it into pigtails for me again. Well, that was before he got popular. I sighed, looking down at the dresser. No. I lifted my head and squared my shoulders, smacking my cheeks lightly. I wasn’t going to think about this. I love him, he loves me, even if he is pretty lax about it now. It was to be expected anyway. Knowing from birth that two people were meant to be together. It hurt, but the logic that he’d want to look at other girls was understandable.

I went through the bathroom into his room, not bothering to knock. We didn’t care to knock, we’ve seen each other naked numerous times growing up so there wasn’t really any point of caring. Not in that way, we were both virgins, or at least I was. I never knew with him anymore. It was slightly my fault. When my brother announced to us all that he was gay and Emmett was going to be the new Luna I stupidly announced to everyone that it didn’t matter because Zain and I would supply the heir of the pack for them. Ever since then Zain has been trying to get into my pants, but...it wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. Not yet. He didn’t seem to understand. He thought: what was the point of waiting? We could use protection until we were ready to have kids, why wait until we were married when we knew all our life we were destined to be together? But...I don’t know. I can’t explain it. When we’re both half-naked, making out, his hand cupping my breast, rubbing against me. When his body is pressed against me, it just feels wrong, not right. Not ready yet. I always shove him off, and now he doesn’t push me anymore. He’s become distant since then, and it doesn’t help that he’s the star of the basketball team now, Mr. popular of the school. He had girls drooling over him left and right, and I just kept pushing him away. So yes, I couldn’t help but feel like it was my fault.

I pushed open the door and walked into his room, taking it all in. He was sprawled out on his bed wearing only boxers, laying on his stomach with the blanket falling over the side. He always moved around in his sleep. His tv was on, a blue light flashing since the PlayStation turned off. It was time-sensitive, if he didn’t touch it for a while the PlayStation would give him a warning, and then it’ll turn off. I sighed, turning off his tv as I looked around the room. Mumbling I picked up his dirty clothes from yesterday, throwing them in his laundry hamper. I picked up his uniform and put it on the hanger, knowing it was clean since I washed it. The whole pile of clothes I washed the other day was laying around his room and I huffed, refolding them and shoving them in his drawers. I slammed the drawers shut and he grumbled, rolling over onto his back, still sleeping. I glared at him, annoyed.

His hair was everywhere. Pale blond like his mother, hanging the length of his ears. His bangs parted in the middle, the left side he usually kept pushed behind his ear and the right side hung in front of his eye. If he ever decided to be proper he would brush it back, but it’s been a while since I saw that. I tried not to look at his body, even though I’ve seen it so many times before. Rock hard with muscles, tanned skin from being outside all the time. I placed my hands on his chest and shook him. “Zain! Wake up! Time for school!” I yelled at him. He grumbled, reaching up and wrapping his arms around me, yanking me into him. I shrieked as he pulled me against his chest, punching him until he loosened his hold on me.

Moaning he opened a light green eye at me, glaring at me. “Must you be so violent?” He asked me. I rolled my eyes, huffing at him. He started it. He looked up at the ceiling and lifted his free hand to his mouth, kissing his fingers and blowing the kiss upwards. I rolled my eyes again, looking up at the stupid poster he had taped to his ceiling of a model. “Morning Ashley,” He said, winking at the poster of a mostly naked woman with dark brown hair and brown eyes. I rolled my eyes at him, punching him in the side again. What was the point of that? My boobs were just as big as hers, my butt just as shapely. It was stupid. “What? Don’t be jealous of Ashley, baby! You’re the only one for me!” He said with a grin as he wrapped his arms around me and kissed the side of my head.

“Yeah, sure. If I was the only one for you then you wouldn’t have nasty posters hanging on your ceiling.” I grumbled, pulling out of his hold. He grinned sheepishly at me and sat up, standing and stretching.

Completely ignoring my comment he grabbed some clothes, slipping them on as I sat up, fixing my hair. I watched as he ruffled his hair, running his fingers through it and shaking out his hair. It was so effortless for guys, it was frustrating. He didn’t even look in a dang mirror and he looked like a model. I watched him pull out his phone, sending a quick text. I must have been looking at him weirdly because he rolled his eyes at me, bopping me on the nose. “It’s just Grayson.” He said, turning the phone around for me to see. I rolled my eyes at him, shrugging. That didn’t matter, maybe this particular text was Grayson, but I could see the number twelve flashing next to the back button, indicating twelve other text messages to read. “I told him we’re leaving now.” He finished, not caring enough to notice my mood.

I stood, stretching and he winked at me, smacking me on the butt. I punched him in the side and he chuckled at me, roping his arm around my waist and pulling me in for a kiss. I sighed against him, my hands tight in his shirt as I closed my eyes, parting my lips for him. He pulled away, smirking down at me. “Love you, Lexi.” He whispered, kissing my cheek. I blushed, punching him again as he pulled away laughing, holding up his hands. “Just saying, Ashley isn’t this violent.” He said, dodging my right hook as he ran out the door laughing.

“Ugh, he’s like a child,” I muttered, pressing my fingers against my nose as I took a deep breath. I sighed, shrugging. But what can I do? I love that child. I followed him out the door, heading to school, for our first day of senior year.