Her True Mate

Chapter 9 - Donuts and a Talk

Present Day

Kaitlin’s POV



The rest of my set was thankfully uneventful. I desperately needed a shower. I headed to the locker room to do so. Thankfully, I remembered to pack a spare set of clothes in my small purse. I felt like I needed to, and now I know. I don’t need to inform Blayn; I can feel him close. After his minor verbal assault on the douche Beta Ryan, I feel more connected to him. I smile, thinking of the mate comment. Blayn is adorable but not my type.

I feel bad I haven’t given our bond as Alpha and Beta a chance to solidify. We have been friends forever. I just thought it would be easy to grow from that. I guess I was wrong. Trust has been a massive thing for me. I am trying to open up and be trusting again. Blayn has shown me over and over these last few weeks his dedication to me and our new positions.

I step into a private shower and enjoy the feeling of the ice-cold water; I am so damn hot and sticky it feels marvelous. I don’t take my time as I don’t want to be a frozen popsicle, and I am getting hungry. I shower quickly and get dressed. As I exited the locker room, I scanned the room for Blayn. He is leaning against a vending machine on his phone. I walked over to him as quickly as I could, ready to find a place to eat.

“Need coffee? There is a Dunkin’ Donuts on the way back to the Hyatt.” He stated, showing me his phone. Did I mention this man is fantastic?

“You have read my mind!” I looped my arm through his arm, and we exited the gym. The city has woken up, and the cars are zipping by on their morning commute. I swear it is more dangerous here than in New York! We stroll, discussing how much we hate the city, and enter the store—packed like always. When we finally reach the counter, Blayn orders us our usual Latte’s and a dozen donuts to share. I love sweets, and so does he. We just burned so many calories. I think we both could devour a dozen each.

We are laughing as the thought occurs to us both, and he shrugs his shoulders, "Six donuts each is more than enough." As he pays, I breeze to the side and find a place towards the exit. I was looking out the front window. I started to think about the day. We meet with the council at 11:30 AM. They will introduce us all, and I am still determining what to expect. This training isn’t just for me; three other Alpha’s have just been announced since the last Alpha meeting, and we are all getting an impromptu crash course. Blayn struts over with our coffee and a box of donuts, and we head back towards the hotel.

Instead of going up, we grabbed a table on the patio outside. The hotel is stunning and has beautiful views of the harbor. I am enjoying the breeze from the water, “This is probably the only beautiful thing here,” I state. Blayn nodded in agreement as he shoved the entire donut into his mouth. I laugh at him and take a bite out of mine, moaning at the soft, warm thing. I hear footsteps behind us, and they quickly stop. I didn’t want to turn around and see who it was; the footsteps slowly resumed. I recognized the scent of the annoying Beta from earlier. What was his name again? Oh yeah, Ryan.

“Alpha Hamil?” I heard his familiar voice, which wavers a bit, and my interest was somewhat piqued by that alone. So I decided to see what he wanted. I taunted, “Are you sure you want to approach? I have already had enough of your masculinity in my morning.” Blayn snorted at that.

I hear him mutter, then clear his throat as he approaches us. He is then suddenly in front of me. He has cleaned up from the gym and is wearing a tailored black suit that fits him nicely with a neat white shirt and narrow black tie. It's tight over his muscles but not small, and I can see what the fuss is about dressed like this. “I wanted to apologize again; I should have known better and even noticed your aura. My behavior was unacceptable.” He started. I held up my hand and leaned forward on my seat.

“Do you always treat women the way you just did?” I said coolly. He looks nervous, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“Um, yes, ma’am,” he replied. I was shocked at his honesty but kept my face annoyed.

“Do you think it is appropriate to talk like that to all women?” I c****d my head to the side, looking at him sternly.

“No, ma’am.” His voice is a lower whisper.

“If I were you, seeing as you are quite a looker.” I paused, letting him see me checking him out. His eyes were wide. “I would seriously reevaluate what the word woman means to you. Regardless, if you found I wasn't an Alpha, that was an unacceptable way to talk to a woman. I can tell by that little interaction you have not found your mate. Let me tell you that if you started the way you did with me to her… I can almost guarantee you will lose her almost immediately. Women are not some object you can look at and talk to like we don’t have our own feelings, thoughts, or emotions.” I told him firmly, some of my Alpha authority in my voice, but I kept going.

“Women deserve the same treatment you give to a man: respect when speaking. We do more for you than cook and clean. We bear your children through hours of intense pain, help you with your troubles when you need an ear to listen, help clean wounds when you're injured, and nurse you back to strength. Those are only a few examples. Think about this the next time you decide to approach a woman. We are more than your plaything.” He looks at me like I see most men do when I start imparting wisdom, as I like to call it. Stunned.

“If you find girls, note that word, throwing themselves at you without a hint of respect for themselves or your mate, then they are not worthy of your time. That is why they are girls, childish and selfish, wanting something out of you that you likely cannot give. This can affect YOUR mate bond. Women respect themselves and their partners. They are not throwing away a gift that is themselves. A mate should cherish that.” I finished my speech and sat back in my seat. He looks at me, and I see pain and actual remorse in his eyes.