Their Powerful Hybrid Mate

Chapter 5

Lorraine

"Are you sure you don't need a ride there?" My grandma asked as I finished breakfast, quickly slipping on my sneakers.

"I'm sure, it's only a few minutes away." I reassured her, giving her a quick goodbye and heading out the front door.

I wasn't overly enthusiastic about my mandatory community service, but with all the sleep I had gotten leading up to it, I didn't mind getting up early on a Saturday. Especially once I learned what my community service would be, gardening. I had been preparing myself for the worst; picking up trash off the side of some highway, or cleaning some disgusting forgotten bathroom in a park. Removing gum off of tables and chairs. Perhaps even another type of hard manual labor.

From what I understood, we were planting a community vegetable garden. The land was already ready, free of weeds and trees and rubbish. All we needed to do was plant the seedlings for a few hours. I would know more once I got there. 'There' being the welcome center that was next to the Alphas' home, where he and his family lived along with the other ranked members.

I arrived in record time, anxious to get through the day and get a signature for my participation, putting a dent in the time owed. Only when I went inside the small welcome center, there were only three people there. The woman being the counter of the welcome center who obviously worked there, another woman with an unfamiliar face to me, and Zack, the youngest of the triplets.

"Hi... Is this where I'm supposed to be for the community service?" I asked, more forward sounding than I had planned.

"You must be Lorraine." The unfamiliar woman said, clicking her tongue. She was wearing a clean white skirt and a dark blue shirt with matching heels. Hardly clothes for gardening. She had a pair of glasses sitting low on her nose, her sharp features making her look a little...scary. "You're late."

"Oh, I thought we were meeting at seven?" I asked, looking at the clock. Seven-o-one.

"You are a minute late, but you should have been here fifteen minutes early, so really you are sixteen minutes late." She snipped.

"I think what matters is that we are all here and ready to start, so where do we begin, Lori?" Zack cut in.

"Did you even bring gloves?!" Lori hissed.

"I have an extra pair," Zack said, quickly tossing me a pair. Thank goddess I caught them. Lori's critical gaze alone might have lit them on fire had I not.

"I do now." I laughed dryly. I mouthed a thank you to Zack, who winked in response.

"Fine. Zack, you know what needs to be done, I trust you'll show Miss Fuller the ropes?"

"Yes Ma'am." He nodded.

"Good I'll see you back here at three, and Miss Fuller, at three sixteen." She smiled wickedly. "You are both permitted one fifteen-minute break and one thirty-minute lunch."

"Great. We'll see you later then." Zack said, flashing her a smile that would make most swoon, but not her.

She huffed as Zack quickly led us out of the welcome center, but didn't bother to say anything else. I could kiss him for getting us out of there so quickly.

"Sorry about Lori." Zack began, leading us towards a small shed behind the welcome center. "Her mate recently left her for a younger shewolf, and she is having a hard time with it."

"Goddess, how awful." I frowned, following closely behind him.

"Yeah, it's a shame." He sighed. "But I'm glad you are here, it'll be nice having someone to work with."

I couldn't help the blush that crept over me at his killer smile. What a flirt.

"It's just us then?" I asked.

"Yep. Not many people are looking for community service this time of year."

"Why are you here then?"

"This is something that will be great for the community, and now is the time for planting. As a future Alpha, I feel like it will help strengthen our community as well as form a bond and trust with myself and the pack. Not to mention it does count towards my college classes." He said, handing me a bucket full of hand-held gardening tools.

"Huh."

It made sense, but in my head, Zack was still the mischievous teen in high school. I guess it made perfect sense why he would be doing this, if only to win over his pack members who felt the same. He and his brother would be able to take over once they turned twenty-five. That was only a few years from now, it would be in their best interests to have the pack backing them up. Otherwise, they might face other people challenging them for their title. Typically, a challenge was a fight to the death. The winner lives and becomes, or stays, alpha of the pack.

"Why are you here?" He asked.

"I slept through too many classes." I shrugged.

He frowned. "You don't sleep well at night? Someone keeping you up at night?" He added with an uncomfortable laugh.

I stumbled internally, but didn't let it show on the outside how accurate his words were, though perhaps not in the way he thought.

"No, just lifelong sleep problems. They have been getting worse over the past few months. But I'm on a sleep pill now, which is the only reason I'm able to stand here right now." I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you got help." He smiled. "Especially since we have lots of work to do today."

"Well, let's get to it then." I smiled back.

- - - - - - - -

The sun was beating down on us for the first half of the day, but despite the sweat from the manual labor, Zack and I managed to have a great time. I honestly wasn't expecting community service to be so much fun, especially with him.

I made a point to try to keep things casual and carefree, promising myself that I would give the triplets a chance. A chance to be friends or at least be cordial with them. It was lonely at the top, and perhaps I judged them too harshly, misinterpreting their harassment for them trying to make a friend. I'm glad I did because I think I might have made a new friend today.

"Pop or rock?" Zack asked, digging another hole, which I then dropped a few seeds into, covering it back up with dirt.

"Neither, instrumental." I smiled wickedly at his shocked expression.

"You are a hard one to peg." He chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. It was only the tenth question I had bested him on, giving him answers he didn't expect.

"I'm just very particular." I shrugged. "I like what I like."

"I like that." He said, his crystal blue eyes shining in the sun.

Was he flirting with me right now?

"I bet your boyfriend likes that too."

Oh, he was totally flirting.

"I don't have a boyfriend. Nor am I looking for one right now."

"Waiting for your mate?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I guess I haven't really thought about it much, having a relationship like that."

"Why do you think that is?"

Besides being a runaway princess? Spirits keeping me up at night, trying to navigate high school, trying to build a new life from the ground up...

"I don't know, just busy I guess."

Our conversation moved off of me after that, which I was thankful for. We took our break, dowsing ourselves under a hose to cool off, and then, eventually, ate our lunch. Our day was going great. We were nearly done with the project with only an hour left. I was having such a great day...until he came back. The dark spirit from the other day.

"Lorraine..." His voice whispered, his teeth dripping black, his sinister laugh following.

Every hair on my body stood at attention at his sinister voice.

"Leave me alone!" I bellowed, stumbling back. I tripped over my own feet, landing flat on my back.

"Lorraine?" Zack called. "Are you okay?" He asked, helping me sit up.

I frantically blinked, the evil-looking spirit lingering longer this time. It wasn't until Zack got me into a sitting position and cupped my face that he disappeared, and I could see normally again.

"What happened?" He frowned.

"Sorry." I flushed, feeling very embarrassed. "Must be a side effect of my new sleeping pill." I shrugged off, starting to stand, my limbs shaky.

"You were shouting." He said, helping me to my feet.

"Was I?" I scoffed, praying that he would just let it go.

He stared at me intently. I tried not to squirm. "Maybe I should take you to the clinic..."

"I'm fine Zack. Let's just get back to work." I said, regrettably pulling away from his stabilizing hands.

I brushed myself off and got back to work. I don't know what the spirit wanted, but I didn't like it. Not one bit. It was hard to move past. Hard to pretend that I was okay. Especially when I could feel Zack watching me the rest of our work day. I was thankful when we finally finished, and I was able to get away from him and his concerning looks. Lori was waiting for me when I got back to the welcome center and signed off on my community service. Hopefully, tomorrow, things with Zack will be normal again. Hopefully, I won't be visited by that dark spirit ever again.