Alpha Born Beta

Chapter 4: Trust

The sunlight beamed brightly through the trees, little ripples of light casting down upon the forest floor. It was relatively warm outside, but a light breeze rustled through the leaves and the grass, and if you listened close enough, you could hear the sounds of the wind as it buzzed through the air.

Ember sat upon a small hill of dirt, basking in the sunlight. She loved the way it felt on her fur - warm and comforting. She loved the forest. She never wanted to leave. This was her happy place, where she could pounce around wherever she wanted. She could chase the birds, swim in the river, and nap under the large trees that cast cool shadows down onto the forest floor.

Ember didn't understand why she couldn't ever leave this forest. She was always stuck there. When she approached the edge of the treeline, there was nothing but white light - like the white room she lived in during Hunter's waking hours. There was nothing else she could see, but she couldn't step into it. She didn't understand why Hunter couldn't shift, and let her out to play. She heard the words of her parents - that it wasn't safe. But it also wasn't fair to Ember! She was a wolf, afterall. How could you just keep a wolf at bay like this? She was a wild animal in her true nature. She wanted to feel the real earth beneath her paws again. The real sunshine. Not this forest she was trapped in, in the mind of her human half. But she supposed she was grateful, as this was better than nothing at all. However, she only got to be there when her human half was asleep and resting. Ember settled for it for now, and even though her moments here were great, she still felt lonely and trapped.

But today was different, very different indeed! They had met their mate! Ember was estactic. Nothing could bring her mood down! Maybe now, she will finally be set free from this trapped mind. She will run around with her mate's wolf. They will play, lick, fight, and mate! Ember couldn't wait. Hunter didn't fully understand the mate bond, but Ember did. It was apart of her! So she could not wait to see her mate. But for now, she would live happily through Hunter - indeed, their human mate was so handsome, so perfect. And he smelt so delicious.

As Ember sat upon the hill, deep in thought of what her wolf mate might look like, she smelt it - him.

Ember was quick to stand on all fours, flipping around fast as she rapidly sniffed the air. Was it really mate?

She ran off the hill, excited, and used her sense of smell to track down that delicious scent. They had just met, but it was her favorite scent! She surely would die if she lived a day without it.

Ember stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide as she stared at the sight in front of her. There he was - mate! Ember could feel the mate bond pulling between their souls so strongly, and her heart raced fast inside her. His wolf was just as beautiful as his human.

The wolf turned towards Ember, their eyes meeting, just strengthening the emotions of their bond. He was huge, like an alpha would be, with dark gray fur and dark blue eyes. His big tail began to wag at the sight of his mate, and he rushed towards her, pouncing on her playfully as he began to lick her face eagerly. Ember whined happily, loving the feeling of her mate's affection upon her fur.

Ember rolled him over suddenly, paws on his chest as she stared down at him, her tail now wagging whilst her tongue drooped from her large mouth goofily. She didn't understand how her mate was there, in her prison forest, but she was happy nonetheless. Ember understood that the feelings in real life would be entirely different, but she thought to herself that the Moon Goddess must be giving her another little bit of a blessing to help soothe her troubled and trapped heart by bringing her mate here, to her world, until they could finally meet.

Without warning, she jumped off her mate, turning around and running as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Less than a moment later, she heard his howl behind her, and the sound of his paws on the dirt as he chased after her playfully.

~

Leaving the house the next morning without being bombarded by a million questions, I thought, was going to be rather difficult. I woke up before my grandparents did, and decided I would take a quick shower and get ready for the day. I was unsure of what Daxton wanted to do exactly, but I was just happy to spend time with him. There was still so much the two of us needed to get to know about each other. I knew there was so much more to discover, like how we were even fated mates, and the questions of who I really was, but I decided all of that could wait for just a moment. I didn't want to have the same overwhelming feelings from the night before. I wanted to spend quality time with my mate. It would put my mind at ease.

As I scrubbed off in the shower, I contemplated what I was going to tell my parents. I knew for sure that I wasn't going to tell them about Daxton, at least for now. I was unsure of whether they would accept it and be happy for me, or be angry and try to keep me away from him, and really force me to be a human. But I wasn't ready to find out which option it might be, so I had to think of an excuse as to why I was leaving so early, and on a Sunday.

My parents didn't really have any problems with me going out, but Sunday's were typically my lazy days. I liked to stay at home and relax, and do whatever I felt like. Every time I made plans on Sunday, they questioned me as if I wasn't feeling okay, or something must be wrong. So I needed to have a really good excuse.

I got dressed, aiming for comfort over style. If Daxton couldn't appreciate me with my lazy day fits, he didn't deserve me. The thought made me giggle, but Ember growled upset in my head, disliking the statement "he doesn't deserve me". I threw up my messy brown hair into a bun, and grabbed my wallet, keys and phone before exiting my bedroom.

I was hoping they would still be asleep, and thankfully, my Grandpa was. He was really the one who would question me, and I had to be careful around him. He could sense when I was lying, and I needed to be careful about Daxton's scent on me, because he would surely smell another wolf. My Grandma, on the other hand, would not, and I was relieved when it was just her in the living room, sitting on the couch reading one of her books.

At the sight of me exiting my room, she smiled brightly, patting the space beside her on the couch. I sat down next to her, giving her a side hug and a kiss on the cheek. She was still smiling, but now looking at me in question.

"Are you going somewhere?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm meeting up with Teresa and some of our friends from prom last night." Sorry, Teresa, I know you hate it when I use you to lie.

"Oh! I almost forgot you were gone last night! How was it? Did you have fun?"

I took the queue to continue the conversation on this path of distracting her from why I was really leaving. "It was fun! We all had a really good time. I'll have to show you pictures when Teresa sends them to me. We're going to look over them tonight, I'll send you some."

She nodded. "Well, have fun, and don't forget to be home before 10. This is your last week of school, you have to make it count."

Thank God, she didn't bombard me with more of the usual questions. I took this as a good sign. "I know, I will." I leaned in to give her another kiss on the cheek as I stood up, then made my way to the door. "I love you!"

She smiled. "I love you, too."

As I made my way down the stairs, I let out a big sigh of relief. Not just because I wasn't questioned as heavily as I could have been, but because it was just hard to be around her currently. I loved my grandparents with all of my heart, but knowing the possibility that they may have been lying to me my whole entire life just made me feel uneasy. The anxiety it gave me was too much for my brain.

Walking towards the main road, I pulled out my phone and pressed on Daxton's new contact. He made sure to put it on my phone the night before when he was taking me home, and made me promise I would call him once I was awake and ready for the day. I held the phone up to my ear. It rang once before he answered.

"Good morning, my Goddess. Are you ready to see me?"

I giggled. I could get used to the compliments from him. "Yes, I'm ready. I just left my house."

"Where are you headed? I want to see you."

"I'm going to get some coffee. I'm surprised I woke up so early today, and the sound of caffeine in my blood stream is exciting me."

He chuckled on the other line. "Alright, we'll get you some coffee baby. Tell me where to go and I'll be there soon."

After giving him directions to the Cafe just a few blocks down from my apartment complex, I hung up the phone and continued my walk there. It was the beginning of June in the Pacific Northwest, so it wasn't cold outside anymore, but it wasn't extremely hot yet either. It was still springtime, so the sun was shining while the wind blew gently. I loved the feeling of the sun on my skin, since so much of the year living there was just rain and cloudy days. Ember loved the sunshine, too. When we shifted, she laid down on her back, belly facing up as she sunbathed on a rock. She wished so badly to feel the sun again, and I wanted to feel it through her, too.

I sighed. I always felt guilty because I couldn't let her out. She was indeed the other half of my soul, and I was just trapping her away from the world she belonged in. I wanted to let her be free, but I couldn't. At least not yet.

It's okay, I will be patient.

Ember's sudden words took me by surprise. I stopped in my tracks. "Well, that's definitely something I've never heard from your mouth before."

She growled, making me chuckle in return. We were always stuck together, and even though some days were frustrating, we were one soul. We loved one another. But it was still fun to give her a hard time.

The Moon Goddess has blessed me in the meantime, to help teach me patience.

"Blessed you? Blessed you how?"

I can't tell you, not yet. I learned many things last night.

Now I was the one growling. "That's not fair. Why are you keeping secrets?"

No secrets. Just be patient. Trust mate.

"I still don't understand."

Ember stopped speaking after that, making me grunt in frustration as I continued my walk to the cafe. What the hell was she even talking about? What happened to my overly dramatic, sensitive, and upset wolf? Why was she being so... reasonable?

I decided to let the thoughts go for now as I entered the Cafe, standing in line to order. I didn't like the fact that Ember was keeping secrets from me, but at the end of the day, she knew so much I didn't know, and I had to trust her. I just didn't like being in the unknown.

After ordering my latte, I went and sat at one of my usual window spots. The window faced a big park with a soccer and football field. There were lots of kids out playing today, and a soccer team on the field. I liked human watching, it was interesting to me. It also helped me learn certain mannerisms and things of that nature to better "blend in" to their world. And all the years of human watching really had helped me feel less anxious in their world. But I definitely was never comfortable, and don't think I ever could be. It just wasn't me, it wasn't who I was meant to be. These silly little humans lived for short periods of time, and had strange politics and laws. They were unaware of the supernatural world around them.

Thousands of years ago, a supernatural leaked information about our world to a few humans. They were killed shortly after, but as the years progressed, these stories of supernatural beings became fiction and fantasy stories in the human world, since no one had any proof. They didn't know that we were living in the world around them. They were unaware of our presence.

There were many supernatural beings in the world. Werewolfs and Vampries were of the biggest populations, since they were the first supernaturals born on earth. Followed in order by biggest to least populations are Hybrids (Werewolf and Vampire hybrids), Witches, Faeiries, Wizards, Elves, Dragons, Sirens, and Demons.

Over time, all kinds had adjusted to living as half humans and half our true selves. In the beginning of time, we lived as the creatures we were born from. But the faeries worked their magic and helped make it easier for all of us to live half as "humans" - not really, since we still hold certain gifts and other traits. But it would be easier to live in human bodies around actual humans to keep our identities protected.

So, it was just a funny thought in the back of my head, especially every time I sat at this window and people watched - that humans would never know about us, but we know everything about them.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door opening, and the wind carried in my mate's scent so strongly I almost passed out in my seat. I would never get over how heavenly Daxton's scent was.

I turned my head towards the door, and watched as my model of a man strolled right on in so confidently. He was wearing a black t-shirt that was tightly hugging his body, just showing off his large muscles. Down below the waist, he was wearing black skinny jeans and some sneakers. Simple outfit, but still the hottest man I had ever seen walking this goddamned earth. My favorite part, though, was his long blonde hair was down, the waves rolling past his shoulders and stopped mid-chest. I couldn't tell how long his hair was when it was in a bun, but seeing it now, I just really wanted to run my fingers through it with his tongue in my mouth. I pictured myself straddling his lap, fingers lost in his locks as I felt his hands roam my body and his lips fight against mine.

I could suddenly smell my arousal in the air, and I scolded myself silently for the dirty thoughts. It was hard to control them whenever I saw him, but I was going to have to figure it out. I really wanted every single inch of him, but I also really wanted to wait. He was my mate, after all. The time would come. I just wanted to get to know him first.

Daxton had a smirk on his face as he approached me. He could smell me, too. I could feel myself blushing, really embarrassed over how little control I had of these thoughts and feelings when it came to him.

I stood up as he approached, smiling through the pain of my hormones, trying to act cool. He wrapped one arm around my waist while his other hand grabbed the back of my neck before crashing his lips onto mine. The sparks that ran through my body wherever he touched lit up like wildfire. I couldn't help but give in.

He only kissed me for a moment, but it was filled with passion. He pulled away, smiling down at me as he placed a soft kiss on my forehead and motioned for me to sit down. I obliged, and watched him as he pulled open the chair opposite of me.

"You look so beautiful. The Moon Goddess carved you from a rock of perfection when she made you."

My heart was pounding, and I could feel myself blushing even harder. I had never been complimented so much in my life, and it was better with the wolf compliments thrown in there. It made me feel content, and more myself. "Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself." I winked, trying to flirt, but really just showing him my awkward attempt at flirting.

Daxton chuckled and shook his head, grabbing my cup and taking a sip. He put the cup back down in front of me, and motioned towards it. "It's good. You should hurry and drink it though, so we can get out of here."

I looked at him in question. "What's the rush?"

He gave me a childish-like grin, so big, like he was opening a gift on Christmas. "It's a surprise. But I want to spend my day with you there. I think you'll love it."

I was suddenly very nervous, but mostly excited. He wanted to surprise me? I felt honored to receive something from a man who looks and acts like a God. "Okay. I hate surprises, though."

Daxton grinned at me and gave me a wink. "You'll love this one, promise."

I finished my coffee quickly, and Daxton took my hand as he led me outside the cafe. As we approached his car, he opened the door for me and gestured for me to get in. Such a gentleman.

I got in, buckling my seat belt as Daxton made his way to the drivers seat, getting in and starting up the car. As he backed out of the parking spot, he unlocked his phone and handed it to me. I looked at him confused, but his eyes did not stray from the road.

"You pick the music."

I smiled and nodded, happy to be the one in charge of the tunes. Music was one of my favorite things in this whole world. I had songs and playlists for every single mood. Music was my therapy, and it really helped me in different experiences. I also loved sharing music with others. Music is an unwritten and unspoken love language that is just as impactful as the rest, at least to me.

I put on one of my favorite rock playlists, and it sparked up a lot of conversation between Daxton and I. He was surprised by the first song that came on, and we talked about the different genres, artists, and songs we both liked. We actually liked a lot of the same music, and some of the artists I spoke of that he had never heard of, he asked me to put on a few songs, and he really enjoyed them. I was excited about listening to all the music he loved so much that I didn't know about in return.

I really enjoyed how easy it was to talk to Daxton. He made me feel comfortable, whereas most of my partners or dates I felt awkward and slightly uncomfortable. It was also hard to meet people when not everyone shared any common interests, but were close-minded about experiencing, learning, or trying something new. It was just nice to have someone to talk to who was open-minded and understanding. Plus, his deep voice was like music to my ears. It had such a calming effect on me. I could have sat and talked for hours just to listen to him speak.

The drive wasn't very long. I recognized where we were as we started to drive away from the city, but when we got off the freeway and were driving on a backroad through the forest, I didn't know where we were at all. This was outside of what I was used to. Even though I had lived in this state for so long, I had yet to actually explore much of it. I tended to stay where I was most comfortable, plus my parents always told me venturing so far off on my own wasn't safe. Another wolf might spot me and think I'm a rogue. Only if they knew another wolf had found me, it just happened to be my mate.

About ten minutes down the road, I rolled down the window to breathe in the fresh air. I loved the smell of the forest. The trees, the dirt, the animals, the air quality. Everything was just so refreshing. Ember was purring around in my head, eager to see where our mate was taking us. As I took in another deep breath, I suddenly smelt it. Something so familiar, something I hadn't smelt in so long. Wolves.

My heart froze in my chest, and I looked over at Daxton worried. I wasn't ready to see his pack yet. This was too much for me. My frozen heart suddenly began beating rapidly with nerves.

Daxton glanced over at me, and just smiled reassuringly. "We are on my pack lands, but I'm not taking you to them. Don't worry. But there's somewhere here I want you to see."

I was relieved, and I felt myself starting to calm down. I was glad Daxton understood me without having to ask. It really was comforting and reassuring.

He turned onto a dirt road, and I was intrigued to see where we were going even more than before. I wasn't ready to meet his pack, but getting to be on it and see it firsthand was exciting for me, I just didn't want to admit it yet. I hadn't been on pack lands in so long, and it made sense why the smells and the feelings made Ember and I so happy - even though I wasn't ready to be Luna, I was indeed mated to the Alpha of this pack, and by destiny it was my home. It truly felt that way, too.

Daxton suddenly put the car in park, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked ahead, and all I could see was the trees of the forest. The dirt road had ended, though, so I wasn't surprised when Daxton said we would have to walk the rest of the way to where we were going.

Again, he held my hand, gently leading me. I was in awe of how beautiful it was. Tall, evergreen trees and green grass. I could hear the bees buzzing and the sounds of birds chirping away high off in the branches. I didn't remember much of my pack, but it wasn't like his pack. We lived deep beyond the mountainside, and most of the year, the pack lands were covered in snow, so the trees were almost always dead, and it was freezing cold. But here, it was warm, and the nature was so much more beautiful.

The scenery changed suddenly, and I was in awe as we stood at the edge of a large clearing surrounded by trees. The blades of grass were even taller here, and little flowers sprouted out of the ground. Butterflies danced off the petals and fluttered around in the sky.

Daxton let go of my hand, and turned towards me, a big grin on his face. He seemed so excited, and his heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He really was so cute when he was so happy.

"I want you to meet Everest."

"Everest?"

"My wolf."

No. I can't. No shifting. I was about to respond in disagreement, but he held his hand up and just shook his head, smiling.

"And don't worry, I don't expect you to shift. It's okay, baby. Please, take your time. I won't rush you." Daxton reassured me, calming the beginning of my unsteady thoughts. "But Everest has been dying to meet you. He has been practically begging me. He understands you won't shift, but he still wants to meet the human part of his mate. We both think you are so beautiful..." He nervously rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "... And he wants you to give him lots of scratches and cuddles, as corny as that sounds."

I giggled, shaking my head as I looked at my mate. He really was so cute. He was patient with me, and he understood how I felt without me having to speak. As long as I didn't have to shift in return, of course I wanted to meet his wolf! It would surely give Ember satisfaction, as her tail was wagging rapidly inside my head. "I would love to meet him, and give him all the affection my alpha deserves."

Daxton's face started to beat red as soon as I said "my alpha", and he turned around, embarrased. It was dangerous knowing I had such an effect on an alpha, but I would never use that to my advantage. It was just adorable and surprising to me.

"I have to get undressed, but you're welcome to watch."

Now I was the one blushing. He turned back to look at me, a smirk of satisfaction on his face towards my reaction. I just shook my head, and turned around. "I'll give you your privacy."

I heard him chuckle, and waited patiently as I listened to him take his clothes off. My mind was going crazy. I didn't know how much longer I could withstand the mating part of the mate bond. My body craved his. I was dying to feel his touch and his lips all over my body. I wanted him inside me. I wanted to give him so much pleasure, the pleasure I was sure I would get the moment he laid me down in his bed.

I listened as I suddenly heard his bones shifting. I winced, remembering how painful it was when I shifted into my wolf for the first time. It's literally every single bone in your body breaking and reforming, and it was not enjoyable. But I also couldn't wait to feel myself through Ember again. The world through her eyes was so playful and exciting.

There was a whimper, and I turned around, eyes wide as I looked at Everest. This alpha wolf was huge, as most were, but I was still surprised. But he was just as beautiful as his human form. Everest was a dark shade of gray, with flicks of silver through his fur. He still had blue eyes, like Daxton, but they were much darker. Just sitting down a few feet away from me, he was much taller than me.

I smiled, walking over to Everest and instantly wrapping my arms around his big neck. He howled in pleasure, and I laughed as I watched his tail wag. I leaned my head up to look at him.

"Hello, Everest. It's so nice to meet you. You're so handsome."

Everest barked at me, his tongue hanging out of his mouth happily. I couldn't help but giggle. He was just as cute as Daxton. It was funny to think that this was an Alpha, someone who just caved into my touch and acted like a love sick puppy just by being near me.

For a while, Everest and I just lay in the clearing, basking in the sunshine. I had my head against his shoulder while his head rested on my lap. His eyes were closed as I scratched behind his ears and under his chin. He made soft pleasure whimpers in response to my touch.

I closed my eyes, breathing in my mate's scent, which was much stronger in his wolf form. Everything about my mate felt like home. I understood then why wolves died without their mates, and why they needed each other to survive. Our souls were carved for one another, and were destined for greatness together. The realization of this at that moment made butterflies flutter in my stomach. Destined for greatness together. The Moon Goddess put us together for a reason. There was a destiny for us. Things we are supposed to accomplish and experience together. I may not be prepared to step up as a Luna, but I needed to let some of my built-up nerves go, and trust in my mate. He would help guide me and solve the mysteries of my life. I knew he would. I needed to trust him, and I did.

I don't know what changed in me then, but I didn't care about the rules I was taught my whole life. I didn't care about hiding and being human. I wanted to experience this moment with my mate, but I wanted to be who I really was. I needed to let it go, just for now.

Everest's eyes opened wide, staring at me as I suddenly stood up, looking down at him with a big smile. He tilted his head at me in question. I just grinned happily.

"I'm ready. I want to shift."