Tale of the Werewolf Alpha and His Mate

Chapter Seven: Je Te Veux

BECCA

“How was school, Becca, sweetie?” My mother slurs as she clasps her Scotch bottle and sprawls on the couch the moment I open the door and let Aria enter before closing it behind me. I look at her grinning face knowing that I should never really expect anything from this woman.

So much for a fresh start! I roll my eyes when the drunken lady calls out, “Aria.” The little girl halts right by the stairs and turns to face her mother, but before that drunken lady can say a word to my little sister, I stomp right in front of her tiny frame and block her from my mother who frowns at my sight. “Becca, sweetie, let me see her. It was her first day too.” She tilts her head, leaning away to get a glimpse of Aria.

Then, I feel Aria’s tiny body sticking closer, her warm hands clutching the hem of my jacket tightly, and I look down at her.

“Go upstairs, little angel,” I whisper to her.

Aria seems confused, and I notice how her eyes are darting toward our mother when I wrap her small hand in my cold one. “Go. I will be right there with cupcakes, okay?”

I warmly smile at my sister, knowing how easy it is to calm little kids. I watch a reluctant Aria let go of my hand as she begins to ascend the stairs but keeps turning time and again to look at me, worried. I smile reassuringly and gesture to her to go ahead before I turn back to face my inebriated mother as she shouts, “Why didn’t you let me speak to her?” She’s struggling to even stand straight. “I filled out the form at the adoption center. I brought her because of you!” She sways toward me and grits, “I own you two right now.”

Noticing Aria peeking out of the room upstairs, I don’t want her to see my mother as I watch the woman staggering toward the bottle and probably hit me. “You don’t get to be rude, understand, b***h? I own you!”

I pace up at her. “You don’t own people forever, Mother. Very shortly, when I turn eighteen, I will be an adult who is allowed to make her own decisions. You will have no authority over me.”

I stand like a rock in front of her drunkard stance with her legs shaking.

“YOU BI-” she screams hysterically and lifts her arm. I would have flinched, but I am not weak. Not anymore. Before she can slap me, I grab her wrist and smirk at her shocked countenance.

“You told me you would change and do a little better for your kids, but I should have known. You are not worth my forgiveness. You can never change, Mother.”

With that, I yank her hand away and grit, “Don’t do anything for us. I can live a better life and keep Aria safe and happy.”

My mother loses her balance and slumps on the floor, crying in pain.

I glare at her.

It’s been years, yet she acts as if her heart’s still broken. Does she not know how that five-year-old felt and grew up with a missing Dad and a deadbeat mother? I quickly wipe off the tears when my mother looks up at me. “Becca…”

My face hardens at her teary-eyed face. I scoff, looking away as I blink away the tears. I sigh frustratedly and pick my mother up by grabbing her arm. Then, with her total weight on me, I struggle to get her on the couch. My mother whines and mumbles incessantly as I cover her with a blanket. I murmur, “Please, don’t be a loser. At least be a parent to that little girl. I have grown up without a caring mother, don’t put her through the same.”

I place her head on a cushion and then take the bottles away as I begin to clean up the mess she made. Two hours later, I walk upstairs with a plate full of vanilla-frosted cupcakes and lots of sprinkles. I find the little angel peeking her head out of our bedroom door. I tilt my head and breathe out a soft smile.

We spend the entire evening eating and giggling before she falls asleep in my arms. I caress her head and smile. I want her to enjoy her childhood and not be a grown-up like I did. I leave a peck and gently tuck her in before shifting on my bed.

My phone buzzes right then, and I unlock the screen and click on the f*******: notification.

3 Friend Requests. From Dakota Hughs, Sarah Jones, and Nathan Crawford.

It’s quite a surprise to see the last name, but it makes me a bit curious. Okay, a lot. So, I click on the account.

The profile picture is a blurry black-and-white photo of him.

He has 610 friends and 5059 followers. And he’s single. I don’t know why I am so pleased, but I am.

I shake my head and scroll through his f*******: wall. Seeing a few more blurred shots of him, pictures of nature, his family, and friends, Nathan looks outdoorsy and adventurous. And oh, he apparently likes to play the piano. Mozart and Beethoven seem to be his friends; there are videos of him playing on his wall; his friends and others even tag some.

I can’t help clicking on a post with a scenic all-white background with pinkish-red petals flowing everywhere. In a lovely white tuxedo, Nathan sits by a grand piano and plays a mesmerizing tune, immensely and obliviously engrossed in it.

The caption says— Je Te Veux by Erik Satie, which translates to ‘I want you’. I plug in the earbuds and turn to my side, looking out of the tiny window across the bed.

Amid the clear evening sky, there is an ever-glow of the moon and starlight. My worries disappear, and I smile blushingly. The night has never looked this beautiful to me ever before.

“Mine.” His words play along with the music in my ears. I then stare at his video and admire how graceful he looks, but my eyes begin drooping, and very soon, I fall asleep.

NATHAN

I have been playing basketball with my homies before we turn into our wolf forms and run in the wild. I’m soaked and reeking of sweat. “Hello, Olivia,” I greet her once I enter the house. A middle-aged woman, Olivia turns and smiles at me while watering the pots. The guys enter the next second when Olivia asks, “How was your day, Nathan?”

“It was good, the usual. We won.”

I open the refrigerator and pull out a bottle before I gulp it down rapidly.

“Psst.”

I frown.

Ethan hushes, “Tell her.”

“Tell me what?” Olivia asks and looks at us curiously. Damn, she heard it! Those bastards mischievously beam at me, and Perseus howls. I sigh, “I found...”

“The Alpha found his mate!” Ethan butts in comically, and then the rest of them exclaim, “We have our Luna!” as if giving a dramatic background score to the scene.

I mumble and groan, “Deduct 50 bucks each for overacting. Ugh!”

Perseus happily yaps, and Ethan winks when Olivia startles me by screaming and squealing, “OH MY GOD! You finally found your mate?”

I eye them all in suspicion. With tears brimming in her eyes, Olivia hugs me, and I let her. “Oh, dear, I am so happy for you.” Her voice cracks as she briefly squeezes me and then looks back at me. “Your mother would have been so thrilled.” She begins to sob as I smile when she shakes her head and clears her throat. “No, no crying. Tell me, how does she look? Your mate? When are we meeting her? Is she pretty like my sister? How old is she?”

Olivia isn’t my mother but my mother’s sister and my uncle’s widow. The accident, years ago, took her mate, her sister, my mom, and her baby girl. At the same time, former Alpha Walter Crawford, my dad, and I lost my mom. Post-retirement, Dad spends his days with his friends drinking, gambling, and reminiscing about old days while Olivia takes care of the Crawford mansion. The Blue Hounds pack is a close-knit community.

“First off, no one can be pretty like Mom, but…” I giddily sigh, “But Becca’s beautiful.”

“Ooo, Becca. That’s her name, huh?” Olivia teases me with a little sob at the end.

I faintly smile. “So innocent and kind, and she does remind me of Mom.”

Olivia says, “She sounds perfect then, dear one,” with tears rolling down her cheeks.

“She is, Olivia,” I mumble as glimpses of Becca flash across my mind.

“Woo, look at him smiling, Olivia,” Ethan, the Beta, teases, and everyone cheers and laughs. Someone enters and asks, “What’s going on?” My dad. Oh, is he back from his gambling den? He looks at the guys and then frowns at Olivia’s sobbing face. He then looks at me, “What happened? Why is Olivia crying?”

I glance at the people in the room. Olivia eagerly nods, and my friends excitedly beam as I respond, “Well, I found my mate, Dad.” For confirmation, my dad looks at the others, who enthusiastically nod.

“Walter, isn’t this exciting news?” Olivia coughs up and says, “I wish Renee were here to see her son all grown up and to be in love soon.” She cradles my face in her palm and smiles. I smile a more relaxed one, especially after noticing my dad seems relieved. He looks at me and asks, “So, when are we meeting her, Nathan?” I notice their eyes sparkle with pure happiness as Olivia exclaims, “We should have the Alpha and Luna ceremony as soon as possible, Walter.” She smiles at me.

“Oh, Olivia, you’re absolutely right.”

The guys snicker, and Ethan playfully nudges me, narrowing my eyes.

I sigh, “But Becca is a human.”

Their spirited voices turn mellow at my words trance as they all turn to frown at me. I shrug, ignoring my wolf glaring at me as well. “What? She’s a human. So, there is a chance she might not believe and accept me…”

Olivia steps up and shuts me up. “Oh, dear one, when you love someone, you not only understand but accept the other person wholeheartedly. I hope you will make her fall in love with you.” Those comforting words were more helpful than I thought they would be. My dad seems to be too.

Finally, having a mate is such a surreal feeling. I might be acting very indifferent, but I couldn’t be any more delighted. All I know is I need to learn about her and be with that beautiful green-eyed human.

I then turn toward my piano, take my seat, place my long fingers over the keys, and play.

Perseus dances and howls happily, and I smile.

Je te veux, Becca.