My Fated Mate

3. HOMECOMING NIGHT

POV (ALEC)

As Richard followed at my right, still trying to figure out what was bothering me, it became clear my little outburst was the talk of the school.  The events of the morning had quickly traveled to the lips of any worthy gossiper.  However, that did not change our formation.  Bryan, even though he was still hurt by my actions,  wore a smile as he walked on my left, along with Thomas, yet none of us talked. 

I may not be an Alpha on the Holloway Pack grounds, but at the school I sure as hell was one.  There was no way I was going to show weakness around the younger pack members, who could one day become important to me.  I would let them see who I really was, the wolf I hid on the pack grounds.  It was not like they would tell Arthur or Andrew, and if they did who would believe them.  I had been a damn good actor for 18 long years, no one would be able to break my facade. Only these three werewolves at my side knew my secret. 

As we walk through the halls, we were an imposing force of pure male testosterone.  I could smell the lust from the females as they tried to call us over to them but the rules were simple in my group.  When you are with me you showed no one attention but your Alpha. It was a childish rule I had created in my younger years, after Bryan hit on Thomas’ girlfriend when we were at lunch.  The fight that had broken out had caused such a ruckus, that I was sure we would be expelled.  To save us from this never happening again I created rules, at the recommendation of Richard.  Smart ass wolf. 

1. We will never go after another wolf’s girl or mate.

2. When you are in your Alpha’s presence you will not speak with anyone unless the Alpha agrees to it.

3. We will always be a pack.

That last one was mine, to make it clear that no matter how far one of us fell we would always be together. Damn, I was such a child.  Now that third rule was the only thing keeping us from killing each other.

“Are you gonna tell me why you got so angry?”  Richard said, through mind link, thinking he could get a hint. Not a chance.  I quickly shut him out and heard him whimper from the pain of being denied.  He did not deserve this but my blood was still boiling from my fight with Aesir and with each step I took her smell was becoming too overpowering.  That heavenly scent of lavender and sugar, no it was vanilla.  At one time it had wrapped me in a warm embrace, now it just made me sick to my stomach.  I wished more than anything I was not a wolf because my sense of smell was too strong, and being an alpha only made it ten times worse. 

I couldn’t do this.  No matter how cowardly it may be.  No matter how many questions it would arise I could not bring myself to see her.  I wanted to run. 

"Weak ass."  Aesir growled. 

“Oh, so now you come out and talk to me you passive aggressive pain in my ass!”  I barked at him.  Yet, before Aesir could respond, if he was going to, our eyes fell on her and my stomach clenched.  Richard was by my side and as usually his eyes were wandering all over me, like a scientist dissecting a specimen.  He was going to figure this out. 

“Jasmine let me see!”  I heard one of the girls sing out as they pulled on her left hand.  That sweet delicate hand that once found a home in my own.  I saw her glossy brown curls bounce with excitement as the girls circled her like vultures.  She was wearing a yellow sun dress, was she seriously trying to destroy every memory we ever had. 

“Ok, ok, just give me a minute.”  I watched, as she took a step back and produced her left hand for the group to see.  The sparkle from the ring was not lost on my eyes and I could feel Aesir starting to pace in the darkness.

“Oh my gosh! It must have cost him a fortune!” One of the witch girls sung out.

“Wow, look, its as big as a blueberry.” 

The girls buzzed and their constant chatter was making my head throb.  No, I don’t want to go back to that memory, anything but that. Please, don’t make me remember it. 

The smell of the field blanketed around me and my feet raced towards her.  My girl, my mate.  The one destined to be my Luna.  I could not believe that Jasmine was mine.  We had played together in the forest, hiding from the prying eyes of those who did not agree with our union since we were kids and now there was no more hiding.  The first time I had turned I had been scared to show her. 

“You don’t want to see it Jaz.  I’m a monster.” 

“I don’t believe that Alec.”  I felt her hand touch my face as I tried to pull away, but she chased after me. “Show me.  I only believe what I can see with my own eyes.  I bet you look like a puppy.”

I growled at her and caught her in my arms.  She laughed, as I brought her close to my chest and looked down into her  honey brown eyes.  “Please, whatever you do, don’t run away from me.”  I said, as I tucked one of her long brown curls behind her ear.  Then with that I disappeared into the woods.  I watched her in my wolf form in her yellow sun dress.  Her tan sun kissed skin had small drips of sweat running down her neck.  She glistened and before I could stop myself I pounced out of the brush.  Maybe I wanted to scare her and make a point that I was no puppy.  I padded over to her and saw her knees wobble.  She really was frightened and Aesir being the ass that he is smiled and licked his lips.  I must have looked like a beast ready to devour her. 

My wolf form, even to others in my pack,  was intimidating.  I was a black as night wolf with two glowing blue eyes and white fangs that appeared to float in my black fur, like the cheshire cat smile from Alice In Wonderland.  It also did not help that I reached her 5’3 height sitting and my paws were the size of her head, with sharp black claws that scratched the earth when I walked.  Seeing the pure terror on her face I quickly regretted my actions and got down on my belly and crawled over to her.  I looked up at her hoping for something.  I whimpered out an apology, since there was no way to speak to her in my wolf form.

Carefully she reached out with a shaking hand and ran her fingers through my thick black fur.  I felt a pur escape my throat, which made her laugh.  “Did you just pur like a cat?”  She giggled, as I shook my head and tried to get up.  “Oh, no you don’t!”  I felt her small hands push down on my neck as she tried to hold me down.  Feeling her body relax I knew I had been forgiven, but I was still a pup and tricking those you love is part of our nature.  Quickly, I grabbed the back of her dress with my teeth and tossed her into the air.  She let out a scream as she landed on my back.  I was about the size of a small pony, and before she could protest I carried her deeper into the woods. 

At first she screamed and begged for me to let her go, but as the wind whipped through her hair and she started to become familiar with the feel of me under her she stopped pulling and let me take her.  By the time I had stopped I had reached the edge of the Holloway border.  I sat down and let her slide off my back and then I waited.  Would she run from me or would she, but before I could think any further I felt her wrap her arms around my big neck. 

“I love you Alec Holloway. You could never be a monster to me.”  Our eyes locked, and a changed right in front of her. I quickly covered her eyes with my hand, so she would not have to see everything, but I could feel her cheeks warm at my touch. Her hands had someone found my bare chest and it was clear she was unfamiliar with this feeling.  But before she could race away from me I kissed her lips.  It was suppose to be a soft peck nothing more, but the moment our lips touched I became hungry for more.  I held on to her and suddenly felt her body relax as her hands reach up into my hair and I snaked an arm around her tiny waist.  I loved this girl, but it would not be clear till we were 18 if she was my mate.  Till that time I prayed every night that she was.  We were only fifteen and believed these moments would go on forever, or at least I did.  I knew the moment I had turned that Jasmine could be my mate.  Yet, she was a witch and would never be able to feel the pull like I did.  For witches loved like humans and only my actions would win her over.  Luckily for me our friendship and dating in secret, since we were thirteen, had done the trick and now she was mine. At least that was what I thought.

Mine.  The word landed like a stone in the pit of my stomach as I looked at the sapphire ring on her finger.  As my fists clenched at the memory of what had once been, one of them suddenly connected with a locker door.  “SHUT UP!” 

Everything stopped. I quickly noticed everyone was looking at me.  I could feel my cheeks heat up.  Had I said that out loud and not only that?  I looked at the poor defenseless locker door and saw how it was now caved in. Books were pouring out of it and by the look of it, it belonged to a witch student.  

"Serves them right."  

Aesir chuckled, and even I could not help but grin at my fortune, until I looked up and saw she was watching me.  Crap!  How was I going to get out of this?  I rubbed my hands through my hair and set my attention on Thomas.  “Won’t you shut up!  You don’t need to yell during a mind link.  I can hear you just fine.  Now look what you made me do.” 

Quickly, understanding what I needed Thomas put his arm on my shoulder and laughed.  “Seriously, if you don’t like my voice shut me out next time.”  He yelled in my ear, causing Richard to shake his head and Bryan to laugh. 

“Don’t worry sir, I will take care of the locker.”  Richard said, as he eyed Jasmine and her coven.

I held my head high as we walked towards them.  I would not let her see how upset I was.  She was no longer the sweet innocent girl I had placed on my back and raced through the forest with.  The girl who had told me she loved me was not looking at me now.  No, this girl was a stranger.  She looked uneasy and frightened, something she never was with me.  I watched as she saw my eyes land on the ring on her finger. She quickly tried to put it behind her back.  I smiled as I leaned in close and said just so she could hear. 

“You stink Jaz.” 

I pulled back to see her face flush with embarrassment as I continued to make my way to class.  She opened her mouth to say something in her defense but was quickly cut off by her girls.  They were once again circling her.  

“Why was Alec talking to you? Is he not ok with you being with…”  Ugh, why do wolves have to have such good hearing?  I sure as hell did not want to hear his damn name. 

“No, he's fine. I hardly know that Hallway boy.” Jasmine laughed, as the girls giggled. 

My brothers on the other hand did not find this very humorous. 

"Richard, did that witch just diss of Alpha?" Thomas growled under his breath. 

"I think she just might have." Richard said, very curtly as he cracked his neck.

"No drop of blood, right?" Bryan said, as he rolled up his sleeves, showing off his muscles. 

As my brothers put on a public display of their disdain for the witches.  I was completely and utterly furious.  I wanted to race over and snatch that disgusting ring right off her damn finger. "Hallway Boy." Nice one Jaz, don't think your little joke was lost on me. I could feel my blood boiling and my claws wanting to come out. 

"Kill her. Kill them all Alec. Those who disrespect you don’t have a reason to live." 

Aesir growled, and I for once was in pretty strong agreement. Before I could stop it a not so soft growl erupted from my chest causing Jasmine and her witches to stop talking and look at us. Richard, Thomas and Bryan glared at the witches. If Richard had not figured it out by now there was no hope for him.  I bet Thomas and Bryan had already put the pieces together.

Jasmine turned her head in my direction and her eyes flashed up at me with shock.  Her golden yellow eyes felt like knives in my back.  Yeah, that was the right statement if there ever was one.  Wait, golden?  I stopped and looked back at her, but she had already turned away.  The bell had just rung causing the hall to fill up with students racing to their classes.  I watched as her back vanished into the crowd as she headed to her first class, Advanced Alchemy.

I sighed and chose to test my luck.  “Did you see them Aesir?”  Silence.  “Stubborn ass.”  I growled at him, as we entered the History of Lycans Classroom.  Why did I even try, of course he was going to stay silent. 

As I placed my books down on my desk and let my mind travel back to those golden eyes, I heard him.

"I saw them too. Those were wolf eyes."  Aesir said, causing my mind to become unhinged.  

Wolf eyes?  That was impossible.  Jasmine was a full pure blooded witch.  Her ancestry dated back to the Salem Witch Trials.  She even said there was a chance our families might have known each other, considering how close her coven was to our pack lands. 

It was official both Aesir and myself were going mad.  I had heard stories of wolves that had lost their mates and how they saw and hallucinated their visage regularly.  Some even spoke to it and became sycophantic.  That must be what is occurring. 

“Hello Class.  Today we are going to talk about how werewolves caused the end of the Salem Witch Trials, by removing key figure heads from the church. Get it, heads? Because they killed them." Professor Burns, a werewolf in his early 40's said with a laugh. I could hear the groans from the other students. 

"Well them be the jokes people." Burns said, with a sign. "Fine, I will give you the boring lecture. But keep in mind all of this will be on your midterm in two weeks. Thus, with no leaders left in the church the witches became safe. Due to the werewolves involvement the two factions chose to broker a peace. This was considered the first time peace was reached between the two fighting supernatural factions, even the vampires..." 

"BOOOOOOOO." A group of werewolves yelled out, causing Burns to slam his hand down to hush them up. 

"Yes. Yes, yes. We all know how much you all love the vampires. However, they did join in saving the witches and so a peace was formed between the three factions. It was also the first time information about the three were shared equally.  Many believe this moment marks the creation of the very school you are privileged to sit in. And I am clearly so blessed to teach.” 

As the teacher droned on and on about party lines and agreements that made the union of the three kinds living together possible, I rested my head in my hands and pretended to be deep in thought.  Lies, it was all lies.  There was no union, there was no understanding.  We should have let them all die back then and then I would not have to feel this pain.  I could feel my blood starting to boil as my mind was relentlessly being battered with the memory of that homecoming night. The night her lies became seen.

I could still smell her as she leaned in and kissed my cheek, her lips were soft like a feather.  I wrapped my arms around her and promised her that if our team won, against our rivals, I had a surprise for her.  She snuggled in my embrace and said she would wait at our usual spot behind the big oak tree. 

Thanks to the amazing soccer skills of Bryan, Thomas and myself we had crushed the Ridgeback Academy team and now it was time to retrieve my prize.  My heart was pounding in my chest with the excitement of claiming her.  Making her my Luna and laughing at all who believed a wolf could never love a witch, or a witch could ever love a wolf.  This would be the Homecoming to end all homecomings.  I thought about how shocked our families would be.  I knew she would have to get her father to agree to our union, but I was certain that forming a peace between our two factions was something we all wanted.  We could be saving the lives of so many…

“Ha ha ha, stop it Victor. I mean it.”  Jasmine giggled, as my pace slowed to a halt.  I watched as Jasmine, my Luna, was being chased around our oak tree.  Her brown curls bouncing in the moonlight as Victor grabbed her arm.  I felt my fangs elongate as my claws itched to come out.  Victor Voltare, one of the most powerful warlocks, and much like our Holloway bloodline, a royal. I could feel my blood pounding in my ears, making it hard to understand them.

“Jasmine, you have to say yes.” 

"No, your being too pushy and I don't like it. " 

"What would you have me do then?  Get down on one knee.  Propose like a mortal."

"What I would like is for you to tell the truth, for once Victor.  The truth."

"I don't need this and neither do you. The truth is I love you and you will be my queen."  

“Victor, we have talked about this.  I’m not ready.  Your not ready!” 

“I refuse to believe you have fallen for a mutt!”  Victor hissed out.  That part I heard loud and clear.  I was done with this passive wolf game and I was going to tear him to pieces and let his blood water our oak. Damn the peace treaty.  As I took a step closer I watched in horror as Jasmine reached up and touched his face. 

“There is only one man I love and that is you Victor.” Jasmine said, as she placed a kiss on his cheek.  I felt angry tears roll down my face and the pain that shook my chest was unlike anything I had felt before.  I tore off my clothes and turned right there.  I howled something primal and guttural.  She must have heard it because her vanilla smell started to follow me.  Quickly, I  raced into the forest and made my way to the grove we used to play in as children.  As I ran I could hear her yelling for me to stop. 

“Alec stop!  Please, come back.  Let me explain.” 

Yet, her words fell on deaf ears.  The moment I reached the grove I destroyed it.  I threw my body against the trees and shattered them.  I could feel ribs breaking but I did not care.  I ripped at the flowers she had planted.  She had been so excited to show me how she had learned herbal healing magic from friend.  I had helped her plant those herbs, since she wanted to make sure if I was ever hurt she could heal me. 

“It’s not funny Alec.  Your brothers are evil.  I don’t trust they will protect you if you were badly injured.” 

I ruffled her hair and kissed her nose.  She blushed as my hands landed on hers.  I howled at that foolish boy.  That pup who had been tricked.  I tore at the herbs that now were nothing more than weeds under my feet.  I did not care that some burned my paw pads or cut at my skin.  She had warned me about them, how the roots were for healing and the tops for protecting.  Nothing mattered. 

Carefully, I opened my eyes and realized I was back in the classroom.  The teacher was lecturing about how after the witches had regained their powers some left their covens disgusted that they now owed a debt to the werewolf clans.  It was said they swore that they would one day find a way to kill a werewolf without shedding a single drop of blood.  For the peace stated, if blood spilled a great war would begin.

I watched as Richard took notes. I would ask to borrow them so I would not look like a slacker.  I rubbed my eyes and sighed.  The grove was gone and the girl I once loved was nothing more than a bittersweet memory.  Now, I would have to do the one thing that I was sure could possibly kill me.  I certainly hoped the demon's words had some truth to them, for if I did not do this Aesir was going to possibly take me down the path of starting a war between the witches and werewolves.