A Warrior's Love

Becky took a quick shower and dressed after Wyatt left her in her room. He’d given her a kiss that had left her breathless and promised he’d see her soon. Since it was the weekend she was at loose ends and was already wishing Wyatt back because she had nothing to occupy her mind.

She was sitting on the bed, wondering what she should do for the day when she heard her mom call from downstairs, saying, “Becky, a word please.”

Moving quickly, she left her room and moved down the stairs.

Mom was in the living room, seated on the couch, waiting for Becky with a stern look on her face.

Becky nervously sat down in a chair and asked, “Yeah, Mom. What’cha need?”

“Well, I think there are a few things we should talk about, now that you have a mate,” Mom began.

“Really Mom,” Becky groaned, her face heating up, “didn’t we already have “the talk” once already? Wasn’t once enough?”

Mom laughed before saying, “Not that talk Becky.”

Becky frowned, confused now. Her confusion must have shown on her face because Mom gave a deep sigh.

“Okay, let’s start with the fact that your mate is from another pack. Now, he could possibly decide to join our pack, but since he’s Alpha Stone’s nephew I don’t see that happening. So, more than likely it will mean you leaving your home here to go home with him,” Mom said.

“Oh.”

“Yes, oh,” Mom agreed. “I’m guessing he does want you though, since he hasn’t left your side until now, despite the fact that you’re a human.”

“Yes, he wants me,” Becky told her mom as she rolled her eyes. Yet a pinch of hurt went through her at the words. “He even seems to like me, even if I am human.”

“Don’t roll your eyes at me, young lady,” Mom growled, raising her lip in a silent snarl. She then huffed slightly, not looking at Becky as she continued, “I didn’t mean it that way anyway. I just... I don’t want you to be hurt. I feel we’ve sheltered you, and I’m not sure how much you really know and understand about werewolves, even after nine years.”

“I know things,” Becky said, even as she wiggled in her seat slightly. She wasn’t about to admit that she really didn’t know that much because she’d never thought it would matter. She then said, “I listen when you, Papa, and Jeff talk, and I also have a couple of wolf friends. Plus, sometimes I hear other wolves talking at school. So, I’m not completely oblivious mom.”

Mom sat back in her chair and crossed her legs before saying, “Okay then. Tell me what you know about the warrior wolves.”

Becky closed her eyes and quickly thought, what do I know? Mom can’t realize it’s very little or she’ll come unglued! Think Becky think... do I even know a warrior wolf? Her eyes flew open and she exclaimed, “Wait, I know a warrior wolf! Jake and his brother are warriors... and so is Demi’s dad... I think.”

“Who’s Jake?”

“Demi’s mate,” Becky answered.

“Alright, so you know someone who’s a warrior.,” Mom said, nodding. She then asked, “Now what do you actually know about the type of wolf they are? What they do as far as the pack is concerned?”

Becky thought hard, trying to remember some of the things Tim had told her yesterday. She then said, “Well, I know they have to train a lot harder than the other wolves, and I’m thinking since Tim, Jake, and his dad, are all warriors it must be hereditary.”

“Maybe, but a lot of warriors don’t mate because of their job in the pack, and more often than not their mate is also of warrior blood,” Mom informed Becky with a sigh. In a soft tone, she explained, “Becky, there is no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to be really blunt about it. Warrior wolves are known to be brutal, harsh, controlling, and almost completely unfeeling. They are one of the hardest of our kind to really know because they put up a barrier between them and their packmates. They must be almost cruel because they are trained to be the killing machines of the pack. So, yes, I worry about you. I worry that when his cruel side comes out it will break you, not because you are weak, but because you have already been through so much heartache because you are human.” She gave an almost sad sigh, then added, “I thought with you being human you would find a nice boy human boy when you are much older.”

“Mom it’s alright that I have a wolf mate. It won’t be as hard on me as some of the other human mates that didn’t know anything about werewolves. Besides, Jake is a warrior and he’s loving and kind to Demi, Wyatt might turn out to be that way too,” Becky mentioned to her.

“Yes, but Jake is young yet, not battle hardened like Wyatt is,” Mom disagreed, starting to frown again.

“I’ll be fine Mom. I’m stronger then I look, I’ve had to be, so don’t worry so much,” Becky argued back. She didn’t want her mom to say bad things about Wyatt because she didn’t like it.

Mom just continued to frown but said nothing else.

“I’m going for a run Mom, I’ll be back in a little while,” Becky murmured as she stood up and headed outside. As she ran, she thought about the conversation she’d just had with her mom. She knew her life was going to change dramatically, she’d watched Demi’s change when she’d mated Jake. She would no longer just have herself and her schooling to worry about, she would now have Wyatt’s needs to worry about also.

She huffed, thinking, maybe I should have paid more attention to Papa’s lessons about werewolves and mates. Never in my wildest dreams did I think there was a chance of me having a mate. I suppose I always figured I’d have a human husband in the future just like Mom did, even if I was raised in a pack, not a wolf mate at seventeen. She sighed then as she slowed her jog down to a walk, I have so many questions. I don’t think Mom will be much help since she seems to be against Wyatt and I being together. I need honest answers though if I want to be a good mate. So, who can I ask?

“Demi. She’s a warrior’s mate, she could help me, her and her mom,” Becky said out loud as she came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Then with a grin, she took off running for her best friend’s house.

Reaching Demi’s front door, she knocked, and the door quickly opened.

“Becky, what brings you here to my humble abode?” Demi asked after she’d waved Becky inside.

Becky just stood in the hallway, staring at her shoes nervously. She was trying to decide exactly what she wanted to ask, now that she was here.

Demi closed the door, then she asked, “You okay Becky? You look nervous about something.”

“Um… well, I kinda wanted to talk to you and your mom,” Becky answered, raising her eyes slightly.

“Oh? About what?” Demi asked, her eyes big.

“About mates and things,” Becky told her biting down on her lip nervously.

“Me and my mom? Shouldn’t you talk to your mom about that? I mean I’d love to gossip about boys with you but... Mom? She doesn’t give the best advice in the world,” Demi said as she led the way to the family room. Sitting down, Demi looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, said, “When I turned fifteen, she told me I couldn’t date until I was thirty. When I met Jake, she told me the first time I make love to my mate it will hurt. At that time, she also informed me to use protection, always, because she didn’t want to be grandma until she was one hundred and ten. That was the extent of our “talk”. So, Becky my friend, Mom might not be the best person for you to talk to.”

“Hey, it worked didn’t it? I’m not a grandma yet! Don’t think I don’t notice how that boy can’t keep his hands off you!” Demi’s mom exclaimed as she walked into the room almost laughing. “Hello, Becky.”

“Hello Mrs. Freedman,” Becky murmured.

“Whatever,” Demi said giving her mom an eye roll. She then mentioned, “I notice how dad can’t keep his hands off of you either, and you’ve been married how long now?”

Mrs. Freedman laughed harder, but once she’d calmed down, she said, “I know. Now, what did you want to talk about Becky?”

Becky nervously rubbed her sweating hands up and down the legs of her sweats thinking, maybe I shouldn’t have come, but I’m here now so... here goes nothing! Taking a deep breath, she began by saying, “I just found out I have a warrior wolf for a mate, and I thought...”

Becky was cut off by Demi’s squeal.

After squealing, Demi pounced on her. Then as she bounced them both up and down on the couch she exclaimed, “You have a mate, that is so cool Becky! He’s a warrior? Oh, wait, is it Tim? I know the two of you seemed to have a good time Friday, but he didn’t put off the whole, “I found my mate” vibe. That would be so awesome though, we’d be sisters!”

“N-no Demi, it isn’t him,” Becky whispered, sad to have disappointed her friend.

“Oh... well, that’s alright Becky. Who is it then?” Demi asked, calmer now.

“Well, as you know, Alpha Stone and some of his pack have come to train with our pack,” Becky murmured.

Demi and Mrs. Freedman both nodded.

Becky swallowed, then said, “Alpha Stone brought his nephew, who is also his lead warrior...”

Mrs. Freedman gasp, her eyes widening before she asked, “Wyatt Stone is your mate?”

“Yes,” Becky whispered as she wondered what Mrs. Freedman knew about Wyatt.

Mrs. Freedman fell back against the couch cushion as if stunned.

“Is... is it a bad thing?” Becky asked, nervous now. She didn’t know Wyatt, had never even heard of him until today. He had seemed to like her though, and she had been so drawn to him. Yet everyone else’s reaction to him, as if they were almost scared of him, made her wonder something. Is he a horrible person who will be a horrible mate? I don’t want to believe that of him, I’m so drawn to him and I don’t want it to be a bad thing. Needing desperately to know why everyone seemed against Wyatt, she bravely asked, “Is he a really bad person?”

Mrs. Freedman sat up then, a shocked look on her face as she exclaimed, “Oh, no dear, he isn’t and I’m sorry if I gave you that impression with my reaction to your news. The fact is, he’s a good person, he’s just hard to get to know.”

“What do you mean by that Mom?” Demi piped up to ask.

“Well, if you speak to him, he’s always polite but doesn’t say any more then he has to. Alpha Stone, like most Alphas, will use any excuse to bring the pack together to socialize. They have barbeques for everything, birthdays, anniversaries, mating ceremonies, births. Yet Wyatt goes to none of them. He’s what they call a lone wolf, and most of the Stone Pack believed he would never have a mate. Of course, we now know that theory is incorrect!” Mrs. Freedman exclaimed, giving Becky a grin. “Anyway, that belief doesn’t come from how he treats women Becky, it stems from the fact that he stays away completely away from them.”

“But... but he’s so...” Becky sighed dreamily as she thought about how good-looking Wyatt was. “He’s what Demi would call a tall drink of water. His looks alone could get him any woman he wanted, even if he is standoffish.”

Demi giggled, and her mom laughed.

Becky felt heat run up her cheeks as she continued to think of her mate. His looks and his kisses.

“That’s probably true Becky, yet as far as I know he’s never even had a girlfriend. Although, it wasn’t from lack of trying on the Stone Pack females’ part. They always followed him like he was their favorite treat in high school, but he ignored them all. When his uncle asked him about it, Wyatt told him, “if she isn’t my mate, I have no time for her”. He’s stood by that all these years,” Mrs. Freedman concluded.

“Wow Becky, you have a mate as innocent as you are,” Demi teased.

Becky felt her face heat even more.

Demi giggled, pinching Becky’s cheek before asking, “But Mom, how do you know so much about him?”

“I’m from the Stone Pack Demi, remember?” Mrs. Freedman asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Demi said, “sorry, I forgot.”

“You’re from the Stone Pack, really?” Becky asked.

“Yes, Becky, I am. Demi’s dad came to do the annual training with our pack, that’s how I met him. I was outside training with the other females when he walked in with the male warriors and their Alpha. As soon as I looked at him, I just knew he was the one for me,” Mrs. Freedman said with a happy sigh. “I have family still there, and they keep me in the loop about all that goes on. Wyatt was nine when I met your dad Demi, and Wyatt was such a sweet boy but already strong. When his parents were killed a year later, he changed completely. He became closed off to everyone but his family, and even more quiet than usual because he was never a loudmouth like a lot of boys are.”

Becky gave an unhappy sigh which caused Demi and her mom to look at her.

“What’s wrong dear?” Mrs. Freedman asked.

“It’s just... you’re a strong female, a wolf, that makes you a good match for Mr. Freedman. I’m just a human girl, a handicapped one at that. How could I ever be enough for a strong warrior wolf-like Wyatt?” Becky asked, feeling her insecurities almost swallow her whole as a tear dripped from her eye.

“Oh honey,” Mrs. Freeman murmured as she got up. Walking over, she sat down beside Becky and pulled her into a hug.

“Listen to me, Becky. Yes, Wyatt is a strong warrior if he wasn’t, nephew or not, Alpha Stone would have never made him his lead warrior. Make no mistake though, his wolf chose you for a reason that only he knows. One day he may tell you, or as you get to know one another it will become clear to you. For example, Bradley is calm and cool, always, he never gets riled up, but I get angry at the drop of a hat and will fight just as quick. Bradley says my anger has a hair trigger, but all he must do is wrap those big arms around me, whisper he loves me, and just like that,” she snapped her fingers, “my anger is gone. We balance each other out and that makes us perfect for each other.”

Demi spoke then, saying, “Jake and I are just the opposite, I’m the calm one.”

Becky laughed a bit and said, “You? Calm?”

“Hey!” Demi said but giggled.

“The point is Becky; our wolves are never wrong in who they match us up with. So, you are the perfect match for Wyatt, and one day you will understand how and why. Until then just enjoy being with him and don’t let what others think to bother you,” Mrs. Freedman said. She then stood and left the room.

“You’re stronger than you think you are Becky,” Demi said solemnly.

Becky shrugged.

“No, you really are. You have overcome so much, losing your parents, your leg, and having to learn to live with animals,” Demi said crossing her eyes and grinning.

Becky laughed at Demi’s silly behavior. She then said, “Yeah, Jeff is an animal, isn’t he?”

Then they both laughed.

Mrs. Freedman called out that lunch was ready just as someone knocked on the door.

“Wow, we are important people today, wonder who that could be?” Demi murmured as she stood up from where she was seated on the couch.

Becky shrugged and watched with Demi as Mrs. Freedman went to the door and opened it.

“Hello ma’am, is Becky here?” A deep voice inquired.