My Abuser, My Mate

Confused

CandiAnn's POV

  I could not believe that, of all the werewolves in this world, I was given Cody Jacobs as a mate. My bully was my mate. How ironic. 

  I finished cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast, and set out on my usual bike ride to school. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing though. My mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that I was mated to the future alpha of the pack, and that he was forbidden to reject me. 

  I could theoretically reject him, as Alpha Kyle's order was not directed at me, but I would imagine Alpha Kyle would still be angry at me if I did reject his son, and I didn't need that. Besides, I had promised him I would give Cody a chance, and I tried to keep my promises. 

  Because I wasn't really focused on where I was going, I didn't notice that I was drifting into the road a little. I was snapped out of my reverie by the screeching of brakes, and a blue Chevy Silverado came sliding to a halt directly beside me, barely bumping my bike and knocking me over. I thought vaguely that it was a good thing I'd automatically put on my helmet and pads before starting out this morning. Luckily I hadn't been going all that fast, and the truck had all but stopped before it bumped me. I only slid a foot or two on the pavement, resulting in a small patch of asphalt burn on my right shoulder, but my bike was so old that even that slight of a bump left the tire pretty mangled. I could've cried. The bike wasn't much, but it was mine, and now it was unrideable. 

  "What were you doing?!" I heard a voice yell, and I heard the truck door slam. Right about that time the scent of oranges and vanilla hit my nose, and I turned my head to see Cody stomping towards me.

  I sighed. Great, I thought, pulling myself and my now messed up bike up. Of all the people to be hit by, I just had to be hit by my ever so loving mate. I heard Ashanda giggle at my sarcasm.

  "I'm sorry," I apologized in a whisper. I didn't want to antagonize him anymore. I kept my head down to avoid eye contact. 

  He grumbled under his breath. "You better pray this didn't scratch my truck, or you'll be paying for the damages," he said angrily. 

  I snapped my eyes up to him. His truck? At least the truck was still drivable. I'd just lost my only mode of transportation. Granted, it was my fault, but did he have to be so mean about it? But to try to avoid more confrontation, I just whispered, "I'm sorry," again. 

  He looked at my bike and sighed. He scowled at me, then pointed to the other side of the truck. "Get in," he demanded, taking my bike out of my hands and tossing it into the bed of the truck. 

  I stared at him wide-eyed. Did he say - 

  "Are you deaf?" he said impatiently. "I said get in!"

  "Oh - I - are you sure?" I asked hesitantly. He may have been a bully, but apparently he was also my mate. I debated if I could trust him.

  "Of course I'm sure," he bit out. He settled it by grabbing my hand, dragging me around to the side of the truck and, opening the door, he shoved me in. He then hurried back to his side and got in.

  I shrank back against the door, staring at him and wondering if I could trust him. His dad had ordered him not to reject me, but he hadn't said anything about killing me.

  "Put your seatbelt on already," he said impatiently. After I complied, he started towards the school.

  We hadn't gotten very far when he yanked the truck over to the side of the road and stopped. He turned sideways to look at me. 

  "W-what are you d-doing?" I stuttered.

  "Look, don't get me wrong," he started. "I still don't want you as a mate, but my wolf won't shut up until I do this."

  "Do what?" I asked.

  Before I could blink, he'd slid across the seat and had my face in his hands. He swiftly leaned down and crushed his lips to mine. 

  I made a little squeak of surprise, but he kept his lips on mine. I could not believe this was happening. My mate - who also happened to be my bully - was kissing me. I felt the sparks exploding in every spot our skin was making contact. Before I knew it, I was returning the kiss. To be honest, this was my first kiss, so I was going purely on instinct. I felt his tongue firmly pressing against the seam of my lips, demanding entrance. I yielded and opened my mouth slightly, granting him entrance. I felt his tongue start to swirl around mine and I moaned. His lips moved from my mouth to my jawline, then slowly starting working their way down my throat. I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his neck, and I felt his hands slowly slide under my shirt, brushing against the soft skin of my stomach. Ashanda was practically purring. 

  Just as suddenly as he'd started, he jerked back from me and removed my arms from around his neck. He slid back into the driver's seat and banged his fist on the steering wheel. "No," he growled, "I don't want you. I don't want this!" He whipped his head around to glare at me. "After this, I want you to stay away from me. Do you hear me??"    

  I blinked back tears. I'd thought maybe we'd started to have a breakthrough of sorts, then he pushed me away. And now he was telling me to stay away from him altogether.  What had I done to deserve this?     

  Ashanda was growling. 'Nothing, my dear girl,' she said angrily. 'We haven't done anything to deserve this. He's just a fool.'

  'But my own family doesn't even want me,' I argued. 'Maybe I'm the fool to have even thought for a second my mate would want me.'

  'No, CandiAnn,' she insisted. 'This isn't our fault.' 

  I sighed and stared out the window. At least we were almost to the school and I wouldn't be stuck in this truck with my so called mate anymore.   

Cody POV

  Jared was howling with happiness in my head. He was happy to have had any contact with our mate. As for me though, I was anything but happy. How could I have let myself lose control like that? I didn't want the wench, I thought angrily.

  'She has a name, you big dummy,' Jared snapped.

  'Duh,' I snapped at him. 'But I'll call her what I want."   

  He snarled at me. 'Not if you want me to keep talking to you.'

  'Maybe I could use a few days without you yammering,' I replied, snorting inwardly.

  'You wouldn't be able to shift either,' he pointed out. 'Rogue attack? You'd be screwed.'

  I sighed. 'Ok, ok, I'll ask if I can call her Candi. OK? You happy now?'

  'Not yet, but that would be a start.'

  I glanced over at CandiAnn. She was staring out the window quietly, just as she had been since our kiss. 

  "Can I call you Candi?" I asked her gruffly.

  She looked at me, surprised. "You actually care about what I want to be called?" she asked.

  I felt a little uncomfortable. I knew we'd called her some not so nice things in the past. "Well, um, yeah, I guess I do," I replied.

  "Well, I suppose Candi is an improvement over wench," she said wryly. "I'm fine with it."

  I offered her a small smile. "Thanks."

  "You're welcome."

CandiAnn POV

  I sat in my first period class, not really paying attention to my surroundings, trying to figure out what had happened that morning. 

  Had he seriously just asked me what I wanted to be called? He nor anyone else in this pack had cared for eighteen years, so why start now?

  'Because his wolf threatened to stop him from shifting if he didn't stop calling you wench,' Ashanda informed me.

  I was surprised. 'How do you know that?' 

  'Because we wolves can sometimes communicate without involving our human halves,' she replied. 'By the way, Jared is very happy to have us as a mate.'

  'Jared? Is that his wolf? I've never heard his name mentioned,' I remarked.

  'Yes, that's him,' she said. 'I like him better than his human half,' she added with a laugh.

  'Sounds like I might like him better too,' I replied with a giggle. 

  'Hopefully he can make Cody come around,' Ashanda said.    

  I sighed. 'I don't even know if I want him coming around. He's pulled a lot of mean pranks over the years, Ashanda. I don't know if you realize how much he's done to me,' I said quietly.'  

  'I know, sweetheart,' she answered sadly. 'I have access to your memories, remember? I can see the things he did. Like when he stole your lunch tray every day for a week in eighth grade, even knowing that was the only meal you got each day, then laughed at you for getting caught stealing food. Or the time he glued the bathroom door shut here at the packhouse and it was thirty minutes before someone came and let you out. Or - '

  I mentally held up a hand. 'Please don't,' I begged. Those memories were painful and I didn't like rehashing them.     

  'I'm sorry, baby girl, I didn't mean to upset you,' Ashanda apologized. 'I was just saying, I can see what you've been through and how you felt.'

  'I know you meant well,' I told her. 'Those are just difficult things to think about.'

  'I'll try not to bring it up again,' she promised. 

  'It's ok,' I said. 'Maybe one day I'll get to where I can talk about it, but I'm just not there yet.'

  "Miss Ambersen? Is there a reason you're not paying attention?" Mrs. Lovelace - my first period English teacher was standing right beside my desk. Apparently she'd been trying to get my attention for several minutes. Everybody in the class was staring at me. (And yes, Mrs. Lovelace was Ethan's mother.)

  "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lovelace," I apologized. "I just met my wolf after midnight last night, so I'm still getting used to it. I'll do better."

  She smiled. "I know how that is, CandiAnn, but you have to pay attention in class, ok?"

  I nodded. "I will."

  'Throw me under the bus, why don't you,' Ashanda grumbled. I had to fight to suppress a snicker.

  'You love me,' I replied. 

  'You're right on that one, my girl,' she said. 'You are right.'

  'I love you too, Ashanda.'

  After class, I was walking to my locker to get my science book for second period when I caught a whiff of Cody's scent. I turned to see him standing with Ethan and Katya about twenty yards from me. David was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't quite the norm but whatever. I honestly didn't care.

  Katya had her arms around Cody's neck, and he smirked at me before turning back and giving her a deep, steamy kiss. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest, and Ashanda was fuming. 

  'Let me out!' she demanded. 'I will claw that b**ch's eyes out! And HIM! I will knock him OUT! LET ME AT THEM!'

  Before I could even think about responding to her, a deep, low growl reverberated through the hallway. 

  "MINE!!"

Cody POV

  I was still trying to figure out just what had happened in my truck that morning. All I knew was that Jared was going insane in my head, demanding that I claim CandiAnn - or should I say Candi - and mark her as ours. I kissed her to shut him up, but the kiss ended up going so much further than I intended. It was like once I touched her, I couldn't stop myself. The sparks when we touched were much more intense than I expected. If I hadn't managed to stop when I did, I would've mated and marked her then and there.

  When we got to the school, she'd practically ran out of my truck and into the building after saying a quick thanks. 

  Katya was waiting outside my classroom when first period ended. 

  "There's my handsome alpha," she said seductively, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  I forced myself to smile at her. "Happy birthday, princess," I said, trying not to choke on the pet nickname I'd always called her. What was wrong with me? 

  'Because she's not our mate, her sister is,' Jared retorted. 

  'Shut up, you mutt,' I retorted back.

  I caught a whiff of roses and vanilla, and turned to see Candi staring at us. Part of me wanted to go to her, but the rational part of my brain was telling me not to be stupid, that she was too weak to be my mate.

  'Weak is the last thing she is,' Jared snarled.

  'I thought I told you to shut up,' I snapped.

  I smirked at Candi, then turned back to draw Katya into a kiss I wasn't really feeling. I was just about to pull away when a loud, menacing growl reverberated throughout the hallway. 

  "MINE!!" I heard a voice roar from the end of the hall. 

  I turned to see my best friend, my future beta, striding towards me with murder in his eyes. He strode over to us and snatched Katya out of my arms. "MINE!!" he roared again, his face just inches from my own. I had 2 inches, 20 pounds, and a slightly stronger bloodline on him, but at the moment he looked like he could've ripped me apart with his bare hands.

  I stepped back with my hands held up to show him he had nothing to worry about. "Sorry, dude, I didn't know," I apologized. 

  "You have your own mate," he snapped. "Leave mine alone!"

  Ethan stepped in between us. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's going on here?"

  Katya was staring at David, her jaw hanging open. "Um, well, apparently, David is my mate," she sputtered. She shoved against his chest. "But this can't be! I'm supposed to be a Luna, not a Beta female! And what does he mean, you have a mate?!" she snapped at me. "Who is she?!"

  I winced. "Well, I haven't really had a chance to tell anyone but - "

  "It's CandiAnn," David interrupted me.

  Now it was my turn to glare at him. "That was not for you to tell," I snapped. 

  Katya's gaze snapped to where Candi was watching everything from a distance. "You?!" she screeched. "You think YOU have what it takes to be Luna of this pack?!"

  She tried to lunge towards Candi, but David held her back. "Babe, stop it! It doesn't matter anyway. You're mine!" he said forcefully.

  "It does matter!" she yelled at him. "What if I don't WANT to be yours?!"

  "You'll get used to it," he snapped. 

  She broke out of his arms and lunged at her sister. Before she could touch her, I surprised myself by stepping between them. "Don't touch her," I growled at Katya.

  She stared at me with wide eyes. "You're DEFENDING her now?" she said in disbelief. 

  "It seems I am," I growled at her. "Now leave. Go with your mate. You will not bother her." I used my alpha tone to get my point across.

  David pulled her away down the hall. Ethan stood with his jaw hanging open, not knowing what had just happened or where to turn. I turned to see Candi staring at me, her eyes wide as saucers. 

  "Are you ok?" I asked her gruffly. 

  She nodded in response, not seeming to trust her voice. I nodded back.

  "Good," I said. I turned to the crowd that had gathered and, using my alpha tone, said, "All right, y'all, there's nothing to see here. Go back to what you were doing." I turned back to Candi. "See you around."

  I turned and started to walk off when I heard her voice behind me. "Cody?" 

  I turned back and looked at her. She averted her eyes, but whispered, "Thanks. No one has ever....well, just - thanks."

  I gave her a curt nod. "You're welcome." With that, I turned and walked away.