Alpha's Pet - Free and Complete

Twenty-One: Mate's Love

"What's wrong?" Harris stepped closer to her.

His human body was nothing to snort at. He was toned, his muscles outlined but he was still lithe. He had dark black shaggy hair that hung in his golden eyes and he held out a hand to her.

"Just give in, Alice. You know what the Goddess wants, what she expects. After this, we'll belong to each other and no other."

Alice took another step back. "I don't want to belong to you, and I don't want you belonging to me. I don't love you, Harris."

The man shrugged. "Love can come in time. For now, you should just submit. You know the will of the Goddess. If you reject it, you know the consequences. I promise I'll be the best you've ever had. I'll give you a strong healthy litter of cubs that will guide our pack for the future."

Alice shook her head. "No, I don't want any of that."

Her wolf attacked like a hell hound. The needles from before were back but this time even worse. She doubled over and plopped to her side in wolf form. She wanted to scream at her other self but the wolf form was merciless. 

It wanted their mate. The same man that kneeled down before her and ran a hand down her head to her muzzle.

Her wolf took control and rubbed against his outstretched hand. Alice jerked away and huddled against the wall.

She'd never lost control of her wolf, even for a moment.

Harris smiled at her. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you, Alice. You're my mate. I don't care what you think you feel for that human of yours. I only care what you'll come to feel for me. Your wolf wants me, I can tell."

"I don't want cubs, I don't want to be your mate," Alice growled at him again before her wolf attacked her once more from the inside.

"Alice, be reasonable." Harris pet her again and at his touch, her wolf shoved Alice out of control. She rubbed against his hand for but a moment before she shifted into her own human form.

"That's better," he praised as he stared at her. "You're so beautiful."

Alice's wolf threw herself at Harris and wrapped her arms around him as her lips found his.

"Not so fast," Harris scolded as he pulled away. "My wolf wants you too, but Alice is the one in charge. I want harmony between us all. It wouldn't be right if I did anything with you."

Alice wrenched control back but didn't shift back. She sighed instead. "Thank you." the words were like poison to her lips.

"I've had moments where my wolf has tried to take control. I've always been strong enough to keep him at bay. But I understand what you must feel for her to be doing this to you."

"She's never done this before," Alice said as she glanced away from him. "She must be desperate."

"If you let the mating call wash over you, you would be as well." Harris moved forward and brushed her hair out of her eyes as he smiled down at her. "My love, I want you to come to me willingly. I moved too fast. I've been so excited since meeting you and finding you that I haven't let you breathe. We don't have to mate tonight."

Alice's eyes widened. "Really?" she whispered. There was no way she had heard that properly.

"Really," Harris replied with another smile on his lips. "Just spend the time with me. There will be no mating, no forcing of affections. Let's just get to know each other. You can even tell me about that pet of yours. I have never heard of a wolf taking one to mate with. Aren't you worried about what kind of pups that could produce?"

Pups?

Alice hadn't even stopped to think about anything like that when she had been with Justa. It was all about finding her own satisfaction and that was all that mattered. Though, she had enjoyed watching him reach his own as well.

It had only been once, but what if their time together produced offspring?

"Regardless of what happens, I will take care of you and if any pups are born, I will take care of them as well. You are my mate after all. And even if we take things slower than most mates, that's okay too."

He paused as he stared away from her. His lips thinned into a frown. "But I can not share you. I am not built that way."

"You won't have to worry about that, he's leaving while we're here."

Alice froze. She hadn't meant to admit that. She had let the calm atmosphere lull her. 

"I see," he answered as he tilted his head and watched her. "You don't have to be worried. I'm not going after your pet, and hearing that I don't have to worry about him interfering with us, makes me even more relieved."

Her wolf demanded that they give in. That they let the mating ritual follow its course and give themselves to the other wolf. But just thinking about it made Alice wince and stare back into the darkness.

Was Justa gone? Was he already too far from her that she'd never see him again?

Just when she found out that she had fallen for him?

"I can't do this," she whispered.

"I'm not making you do anything," Harris replied as he put his hands up in surrender. 

Alice lifted her head and faced the other Alpha. "I love my pet. I'll never love you, Harris. I can't go through this mating thing no matter how much time I'm given. I'm leaving."

Harris grabbed her arm and placed soft butterfly kisses on her palm. "You will come to me eventually. You can love another as long as you never touch another. The Goddess has blessed us and we can't turn away from that. Alice, if you want to leave me tonight I will not try to stop you or hurt you. I will just continue showing you the path that you are meant to take."

She was so close to him that the cinnamon and apples threatened to overwhelm her. Her eyes got heavy and she swayed near him. She was only able to keep her feet as she put a hand against his chest to steady herself.

"Harris," she meant it as a stern rebuke, but it came out in a breathy whisper. Her knees quivered as she looked up at him.

Her heart raced as their eyes met. Her wolf wanted him, and Alice couldn't deny she did as well. Her body was demanding she just give in.

This was her mate. This was who she was meant to be with, not Justa.

No matter how much she had fallen for that human, he wasn't her other half.

Harris was.

"Alice," he whispered as his golden eyes grew darker. "I want to wait, but right now all I want to do is kiss you. I can't hold my wolf back much longer. If you don't want me, if you don't want to be my mate, you need to leave right now."

Alice tried to close her eyes to escape him but she couldn't bear to do it. She was a prisoner to the beast inside her. Even as she screamed at herself that she should leave, she leaned forward. The closer she got to him the stronger the bond and her brain shut off.

His lips covered hers with not the same force as Justa's but a different kind of strength. His lips were thin and hard and hungry as they moved against hers.

His arms surrounded her like two metal bands and he held her close as he thoroughly kissed her.

Harris pushed her against the side of the cave and down but as he tried to deepen the kiss Alice pulled away and turned from him. All she could think about was Justa.

"I'm sorry," Harris whispered as he turned away from her and ran a hand through his hair. "I lost control. I didn't mean to scare you."

Alice resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I wasn't scared. I just can't do this to Justa."

"You're going to reject me?" Harris asked softly though his eyes were anything but. They reminded her of two golden glints of hard metal.

"No," she replied. "But we'll be mates in name only. I won't be able to bring myself to have cubs with anyone else."

"That's as good as a rejection. You can hate me if you want, but you know the laws. If you don't agree to be my mate, what will happen to you."

Her wolf attacked her from the inside as if to prove his point. She was a force driven by fury. Bit by bit and piece by piece Alice's insides were torn apart and she spat out a mouthful of blood.

"There there," Harris wrapped her in his arms again. Her soft body melded against his harder one and she followed him once more to the cave floor. "Easy," he whispered as he kissed her forehead. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Her wolf relaxed at his words but Alice did not. Instead of relaxing she tensed and pushed him away. "Stop," she whispered. 

Harris sighed and put his hands up again as he unwrapped them from around her. "I told you I'm not going to force this, but you can't run away from it forever. Like it or not, we're mates. We're fated to have a family together to honor the Goddess."

Alice made a strangled noise in her throat. She couldn't deny any of that, no matter how much she wanted to. He held his hand out to her and she shuddered as she stared at it. But it was true, there was no choice unless she was willing to die.

Alice took his hand and moved closer letting his body cover hers once more.