The Werewolf Next Door

12

(Natalia's POV)

We were in October already putting little game plans into play, Jasmine and I started teaching the women about the art of moving,  it could be something subtle the way you bent down to look at them or the way you walked, others it was more in food, some of these women knew how to cook like master chef level, some who didn't have the confidence in either was more business or even music, one of the single women had the most angelic voice, it left you entranced with how beautiful it was, and the other was super smart when it came to business and her mate wasn't all too keen about that, but I think the only thing that bugged the man the most was being talked down at.

She was smart but he wasn't as dominant in the pack but he still tried to put her down. So both Tyler and I got involved a little, Samuel wasn't the kind of guy to be super dominant and that's what made him lash out, he was about second to last on the chain, and his wife about fourth on the chain, how did these two end up together who knew, but she loved him, and he loved her, so all we could do is help them give each other that boost of confidence, they hadn't been married very long either just four years.

Then I noticed Colby the big mouth of them pack, eyeing Lily our angel voice singer, he kept trying to talk to her, but then would walk away, with the same cocky air, but whatever. He was the one that was always saying women only wanted money and a mans member, then why was she going after the most gentle and sweet of my girls.

The other married women, had made things work with their mates and they were on more leveled grounds. Stacy one of the single women was a rough and tumble kinda girl, she wanted respect but she wasn't stooping you had to love her the way she was.

Things were slowly changing even I noticed one afternoon, that Nora, our cook, had made an amazing dish, and the look on Joshua's face was priceless, I guess my ideas were quickly spreading, Soon even the old grouch was hanging out in the kitchen more with Nora.

I was re reading some of Mr. White's old letters, and saw something I had missed.

"I know you're worried of someone finding out, before the time is right, but I trust Joshua give him the letters, he will not speak of this to anyone."

The old grouch was in on this whole thing, really.

I sighed how was I going to talk to the guy, that really disliked me about this? My mind was still trying to figure out what had really happened, I mean Mr. White was six years older them my aunt, so when she was just turning seventeen, he was twenty-three, I guess back then they didn't really think of age to much, but the idea of the allege curse being broken that was a big deal.

Taking a deep breath, I put things away in the office and headed to the room, I had been working to get things fixed with one of the restaurants and just needed to have Tyler sign off on it.

"Natalia, I need you down here fast!"

"Already on my way." I thought back and hurried down stairs when I reached the last stair I was in surprise, there was a few people in the entree way, the girl looked made out of procelene  , just perfect and expressionless. I could feel Tyler's wariness as he looked at the girl, then back at the parents.

He then turned to look at me, his expression said a lot.

He walked toward me and took my hand they then followed us to the sitting area of the house. We sat next to each other and He waited for them to speak.

The girl was watching us like a hawk, as he took my hand in his. She sat up taller, and glared at me.

"What's going on?" I finally asked I felt Tyler going rigid, but didn't say anything.

The parents got comfortable and like I wasn't even there turned to look at Tyler.

"You know why we're here."

"Yes, and I'm not going through with my father's plan."

"That's not for you to say, we made a pact, you and our daughter were to be married just after you became Alpha of this pack."

I felt my insides freeze, what was going on.

"That was your plan not mine, I have my mate now, and the pack is changing for the better."

"They need a leader not a friend, they need a Luna not a guidance councilor."

"Hey!" I called, Tyler held on tighter to my hand, but didn't say anything to me.

"Who says that we can't be both, really creating a bond with our people."

"That's soft thinking, Tyler, you're making your men an easy target, that way."

I glared at the man I didn't even know him and I already hated him. The women in the room didn't say anything, only the two men were doing any talking. Looking at the two made me realize these women were molded for this, whatever the other packs were like I guess some ideas were still on going: arranged marriages, the woman was beneath the man, and the woman had no voice in any things that happened. Yes, this was a beautiful woman, but that's all she was beautiful, a regular trophy wife, the bigger question was why were they doing this meeting in front of us?

At that moment I guess he felt my line of thought and he started to worry.

They finished talking and soon, all eyes fell on me. I then looked at Tyler and he took me by the hand, to a different room.

"Ty, what is going on?" He turned and kissed me hard, like he was desperately trying to hold on with everything.When he pulled away there were tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I dragged you into this."

"What do you mean?" I asked but I could feel it, but I wanted him to say it," Tyler what are you doing!"

I said firmly he, kissed me again, then just held me.

"I can't walk away from them, Nat, if I do there will be war, and our pack would be eliminated, I have to go through with my father's deal."

"You walked away before,Tyler, do it again."

"NO, I have too many people counting on me, Nat!"

"So you bugged me to no end to be with you , you turned me, marked me and now...you're just walking away from me."

He looked at me with tears but with a serious expression, he took a deep breath, and took a step back away from me.

"Natalia Gomez, I reject you and relinquish our mate ship."

"Tyler what....Ahhhh!"

A feeling of being torn into, it burned and ripped at my insides, it brought me to my knees, as the whole room spun and I was short of breath, and  puked up blood, my whole body seized up and it hurt so much to move, and I could hear a howl in the back of my head of pain and loss. As it all came to a stop, everything was hazy and soon got dark.

When I came to I found myself on a bed with no familiar scent and looking around I realized I was in one of the new bunkers Tyler had made, I sat up and felt empty, in my head and inside.

"We are." Said my wolf to me, she sounded weak and tired .

"I looked out the window and the lights were on in the pack house."

Did that really happen? Please wake up, and find this to be a nightmare. The hurt the normal human hurt slowly washed over me, and I slid down the wall in a heap of tears and sobs. I cried like I had not cried before, not even when Christen did what he did to me. Then I got a hold of myself and taking some deep breaths, and just noticed some boxes with my things, I looked through all of it and found everything most important, documents and papers. I nodded and collected everything most important and left the rest in the boxes, they all smelled like Tyler. I looked at the boxes and then went over to the gas stove and lit everything up and walked out of the bunker, walking toward town again toward my home.

(Tyler's POV)

As I carried her to the bunker at the end of the village, i wanted nothing more then to run away with her in my arms, but I couldn't, the guys brought all the boxes and her stuff I laid her down on the bed, giving her a last kiss, I had felt her pain so much but I had to be strong for my men. Jasmine was about to rip my head off when she found out what had happened, but Nelson grabbed her and calmed her or what is considered calming.

I was in bed just waiting to feel Natalia break down, I wasn't sleeping with Esmeralda not now not ever,  Yeah she was now to be my mate but only in the position, if she found a lover I could really careless.In front of everyone we'd be the perfect couple but behind closed doors we went our separate ways.

Suddenly I heard the alarm go off, there was a fire in the village, I looked out the window and saw it was the bunker where Natalia was in, I jumped out the window and ran toward the area, there was a group of men just standing around, when I got closer the words written on the outside were clear, "Go to hell."

"Safe to say she's okay."commented Colby I glared at him, I had hurt Natalia in a way she would probably never forgive me for, but I needed to think of my people, as we made sure the fire wasn't going to spread, we just let the bunker burn, as we walked back, I looked over and found Joshua looking at me then shook his head.

"What?"I asked him as we walked back to the house. he sat there thinking for a bit.

"In the forty years I've known your father, I never thought he had any brains until he was with Julie."

I looked at him, he knew my father and Julie had been together.

"What about that?"

"Like you he to thought duty was better then love, and up until now I thought he had been right, but after the thirty years I watched him and followed him, after Julie left him I wish he had picked love, seeing you two work together and making this pack  flow as it was, made me change my mind set about love, true love completes you in ways no one can imagine."

"We've achieved too much to give it up now, Joshua."

He nodded understanding me, but as he walked past me.

"Then you're a fool boy, everything you achieved was thanks to her, and you will regret your choice just like your father did."

With that he walked past me back inside the house. 

The first month I understood what he meant, Esmeralda had no interest in learning what Natalia had been doing, she wanted nothing to do with our investments, and our businesses. She was mostly into herself, even the other mates didn't want anything to do with her, and she demanded respect from them, so much so that she had her guards try and force it on them. Then her father brought in men to replace a few of mine, my men stayed in the village but were off the team, when I confronted Dean for what he was doing he just said I needed real man power. I tried to get him to back down but the same threat came out of his mouth, he had his people in the right places. What the f**k had I done?

That same month our monthly full moon run, I could feel Natalia, she was fighting the change, and I didn't understand why, but It went deep in my bones as she fought the pain not to change, leaving me tired and breathless, she wasn't close by any means, but I could feel her when she had extreme emotions, but otherwise it was silent, my wolf would howl in despair when it happened, he missed his mate as did I.

(Natalia's POV)

Once I had reached my old house, I was surprised to find my aunt sitting in her car, when she saw me she said that something just had her drive here, and she was glad she did. I left with her and came to find she had moved to the city, closet to town, two hour drive but closer then the flight and drive she usually had to take. I slept in the car and when I got to her house, it was a nice studio apartment, it had two bedrooms, she offered the other to me, I told her I wasn't staying long. She could sense there was something and had me sit down.

"They got to you too, didn't they?"

"What do you mean?"

She pushed my hair away from my neck, where Tyler had marked me, tears slid down my face, I wiped away the tears and avoided looking at her.But she made me look at her, and she held me tightly, as I sobbed silently. in her arms.

She didn't push me into telling her anything, but made me sure I wanted to stay or not. I took her up on the offer, and stayed. We became good roommates I found a job in a clothing store and helped pay for things, I still had money from what grandma left me but I needed a distraction, that first full moon I went for a walk into the forest to change for the first time but to my shock my wolf didn't want to come out, she fought the change and begged for me to fight it back, it was the most bazor thing I have ever done, it felt backwards. By the end of the night I was exhausted and ended up sleeping in the forest, but when I woke up I was in a shelter type thing, I couldn't smell anyone familiar, but got up and headed home. I was eating like crazy, and my wolf was anxious, and I went for runs just to keep her under control, until. My aunt told me I could be getting depressed or could be sick, so she made me go to the doctors. I doubted everything but just so she didn't worry, I went, they took some blood and urine tests, to my surprise the urine test back first.

"I think I know the increase in appetite, two reasons, one wolf," he looked at me and he let his wolf look at me so I knew i was dealing with someone that knew," and second you're pregnant."

I started to laugh and he just stared at me, it wasn't funny anymore.