Her Forever

Jack

“You are a complete mother f*****g i***t!” I screamed at Benjamin, who was only in his basketball shorts leaning over a sleeping Rosalie. “What the hell were you thinking? You knew those cameras were out there, and you stepped right in front of one? What the f**k is wrong with you?!”

Benjamin held up his hands. “In my defense, she wasn’t supposed to be watching them. Where were the guys supposed to be watching the cameras? She told me she never watches because other people are tending to them!”

I growled out at him, and he bared his neck in submission. “This isn’t a GAME. I wasn’t ready to tell her yet, and you shocked her! Not only that, she’s been seeing d***s all day,” I grumbled while taking my hand and wiping it down my face. Amanda snickered and covered her mouth, and I quickly darted my eyes at her.

“Is there something funny that I am not aware of?”

Amanda stuttered, “N-no, Alpha!” She stood at attention while the rest in the room were cowering in fear. I had Rosalie lying on the desk with her head being cradled by a suit jacket to make it a bit more comfortable. Before I was about to bark out more orders to do damage control, she started to wake up.

Groaning and rubbing her eyes like a toddler, she began to sit up. “I had a terrible dream,” she said groggily. Blinking a few times, she all looked at us, and her face was crestfallen. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” she whispered to no one in particular. Rosalie’s eyes were wide, yet she didn’t show fear like she had before.

Rosalie threw her legs over the table and sat up straight while fixing her hair. She glowered at me and pointed her finger. “I want answers. Right now.” She didn’t seem so scared of me now. I told everyone to leave, but she stopped me. “Nuh-uh, everyone stays. I’m not alone in a room by myself, even if all of you are some sort of wolfy-cult thing,” she spat.

Sighing, I let everyone stay while we all sat down in the security room. Once we were all seated, we all looked up at Rosalie. She was sitting on top of the desk, so she was taller than all of us at this point, and that’s probably where she needed to be. Feel essential and above us. I’d bow at her feet if she let me.

After she quickly scanned the room, she looked at Amanda. “Why were you in the city working and not here?” s**t, if she answers that, it is going to open a whole can of worms. She was looking for her mate, and when she couldn’t find him, I made her come back since Rosalie was her friend––someone that was familiar with her so she wouldn’t feel lonely here.

“I was looking for a boyfriend, and once I found him, I brought him back here,” she said. Not entirely true, but at least Amanda is trying to help me out. Hell.

Seeming satisfied with that answer, she turned to Benjamin.

“Do you all walk around naked or something? What is up with that?” Rosalie said in a flat tone.

Benjamin stood up, getting ready to explain. “Well, when we shift, we rip our clothes, so a lot of times we just go off naked, there are shorts in different places on the property to change into now that you are here. We didn’t want you to catch us naked but… thatwentalltoshitandImsosorry,” he babbled. Rosalie sighed and rubbed her eyes again with the palm of her hands.

“OK,” she sighed. She was taking this much better than I expected. Still, I could feel the tension and anxiety radiating off of her. At least she wasn’t screaming. “Werewolves, how many of these ‘communities’ are there?” She looked at me for an answer.

“There are at least 100 packs in North America alone. Ours is one of the biggest. These ‘communities’ are actually called packs, just like what the real Wolves have. We take care of each other and work together as a unit,” I paused, waiting to see if she wanted me to go on.

“Tell me more.” Her lips were pursed.

“Werewolves have been around for a long time, same as humans. We were created by the gods; many know them as the “Greek Gods of Olympus”. We were put here to help protect humans. Still, as time went on, we secluded ourselves since humans were seeing us as monsters than anything. With some Wolves, it is the truth, but mostly not, just as there are some bad humans while others aren’t.” Rosalie nodded her head and crossed her arms.

“Why am I here then? This is a community, I mean a pack of Wolves. I’m human. Why am I here?” That was the loaded question. I had two ways I could answer this. Tell her that she was my mate and that we would forever be soul mates if she would have me. Then again, I could tell her I was just attracted to her and needed her for security purposes. Both have pros and cons, and I don’t know how to answer. There was a long pause before she suddenly jumped off the desk.

“Wait, I will tell you; I just don’t know how to explain it,” I pleaded. I pleaded; I, an Alpha, just pleaded with her. I would do it again in a heartbeat, though. She stopped and turned around with a scornful look on her face. Who am I kidding? She was going to be pissed either way.

“Werewolves have someone called a mate.” Amanda looked at me in shock. She knew I wanted to wait to tell her, but I’m ripping it off like a band-aid instead. Rosalie looked at me in confusion while having her arms crossed. “I… we have someone that was especially gifted to us by our goddess. They are made to compliment us, balance our Wolves, and make us happy. They were a gift from her as a thank you to protect those who are less than able to protect themselves.” Rosalie continues to look at me, but her eyes seem softer as she lowers her arms. “Most humans call it a soulmate.”

Rosalie looks around the room for confirmation of what I just said. Amanda smiles, and her mate, Tyson, enters the room with his arm around her waist. Keith, Bruce, and Benjamin nod to show that this wasn’t a joke. Looking back at me, she spoke again with a soft look and a glassy film over her eyes. “You are my mate, my soulmate,” I reached both my hands out to her and took them as I kissed the back of her hands.

“H-how do you know that? I could just be any other person? Why me? Why would you think that?” she started spouting out.

“Your smell,” I laughed, “your smell attracts me and drives my beast, my Wolf, insane. That’s why I nuzzle into your neck, to get more of your scent.” I go to nuzzle her, but she backs away, making me feel hurt. The things she has gone through today… I should’ve realized this was a lot, and pushing her this much wasn’t good for her.

“What if it is just my shampoo or something,” she trailed off, being unsure of herself.

I laughed, “No, Kitten, it isn’t your shampoo. Once we locked eyes back at the hotel, I knew that you were my mate. I knew I was supposed to protect you, love you, be beside you and my whole existence was to make you happy.”

We both stood there as everyone started to filter out of the room, knowing we needed our space. Standing there, almost for a full 5 minutes, she would rock back and forth from foot to foot while I still had both of our hands together. Occasionally, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles. It didn’t feel awkward or forced. She was lost in her thoughts, and I just stood there, giving her the time she needed.

Rosalie looked up at me, to the security cameras, to the chairs where all of us were sitting in and back up to me. She was replaying every piece of information we had given her in such a short amount of time. Eyebrows furrowed and her heart racing, I was ready to hear what she had to say. I prayed we didn’t take a step backward, and I would have to try and win her heart all over again if I even had her heart, to begin with, that is.

“Jack?”

“Yes, Rosalie?”

“This is a lot,” she smiled.

“Yes, it is,” I gave a short reply.

“I-is that why I feel tingles when you touch me? The feelings of being safe and comforted?”

“Yes, exactly.” I smiled at her.

“So you didn’t choose me; someone else did? The goddess?”

“No love, we were made for each other. Two halves that make a whole. Two people coming together to be one person to love and cherish. You weren’t raised this way; I understand that, and we will take our time, just like a normal human relationship.” I brushed a piece of her strawberry blonde hair out of her face.

“Alright, I’m only doing this because I feel like I can trust you. I don’t feel like you are lying, but…” she held up her finger and pointed at me. “You can’t hide things from me anymore, I know why you did it with this, but you can’t do this anymore. Anything else I need to know?”

I sighed, not wanting this tiny little moment to end. I had to tell her about Derek and him being a Vampire. I could bring up half of it, but then she’ll be pissed later. Damn, she makes me have to think.

“I guess I should tell you, there aren’t just Werewolves out there. There are other…beings.”

“Like what? Vampires? Fairies? Elves?” She laughed jokingly. When I didn’t laugh, she stilled.

“They are all actually real and hide just like us.” Rosalie’s mouth opened and closed for a bit before muttering acknowledgment.

“And, we think Derek, your foster parent, might be a Vampire,” I added.

I petted her hair and put her in my arms while I hugged her close. At first, she was hesitant but slowly put her arms around my torso, and I kissed her forehead. “I know this isn’t the life you planned for, but I can promise you it’s worth it. You don’t feel the bond we have as strong as I do because you are human, but I do care for you deeply.” Rosalie looked up at me with her doe eyes and stared into mine. There wasn’t fear, malice or confusion; she really believed me.

“I just need a little time alone. I’m not mad or upset or anything; I just need some time to process things.” I nodded, not wanting to let her go, but she willed herself to leave and head up the stairs. Once she shut the door, Keith walked in with a smirk on his face.

“Well, at least she didn’t run?”

“Get Daniel and Benjamin in my office,” I grunted.

“Aww, are you mad she saw someone else’s D before yours?”

“Shut up and do it.” I marched up the stairs to my office and slammed the door.

***

After chewing out i***t pack members and their insolence, I head back up the stairs to the 3rd floor to check on Rosalie. Looking at my watch, it was past 11:30 p.m.; thinking she must have gone to bed, I put my ear up to the door. I knocked a few times and didn’t hear anything. I couldn’t hear any breathing or heartbeat. I opened the door quickly to find the bed still made, and a few clothes folded neatly in a pile.

Starting to panic, I ran to my room to see if she had crawled into my bed, a beautiful surprise that would have been, but she wasn’t there either. Mind-linking the people in the house, no one seems to know where she is. I didn’t want to invade her privacy, but if I can’t find her, I’ll use my basic instincts of using my nose and smell her out.

She had been to several places in the house, the kitchen, dining room, living room, but then her smell lingered by the gaming hallway. At the end of the hallway was the pool; the chlorine hit my nose hard as I continued to walk closer. Ripples were coming from the side as I neared the glass door to the entrance.

Rosalie was in a black tank top with a swimsuit underneath and black spandex biking shorts that went down to her mid-thigh. She had goggles on and was taking a dive off the diving board doing laps in the pool. Her fingers danced across the water as she did her freestyle stroke. As she reached the other end of the pool, you could see the tank top really inhibiting her swimming, but I could understand why she was wearing it. She was hiding. Hiding what she had been through.

Finally, having the courage to talk to my mate after our life-altering discussion earlier, I opened the door, and she quickly darted her head to it. She sank down into the water to hide, and I could help but chuckle. “You don’t have to hide from me, Kitten.” I walked towards her and sat beside her at the end of the pool, not caring if I got my clothes wet.

“I’m not hiding,” she said solemnly.

“Really then? Can you stand up?” Knowing she could reach the bottom and come up to her waist, I decided to tease. “So, did you shrink?” She stuck her tongue out at me and stood up. The blacktop hugged her body so I could see her every curve. Rosalie wasn’t top-heavy; she was the perfect size for someone who was athletically active. If only I could get a back-side view.

“Why are you wearing a top? You know you don’t need to, right?” I said with concern. She didn’t speak; she sat there contemplating what I said.

“I… I’m just embarrassed. You are a good-looking guy, and I’ve got baggage,” she said. “I’m self-conscious about it. I have been for a long time. It isn’t something that can be fixed overnight.” I nodded my head in understanding.

“I just want you to know that I care about you, Rosalie. Scars and all, and I’ve seen your scars, and you make them out to be this horrible thing about you. You feel ashamed when you shouldn’t be. You didn’t do this to yourself; if anything, it shows how strong you are. I care for you, and no scar would ever turn me away from that.” Rosalie looked up with me, tears in her eyes.

“You are just so handsome. You are the first guy I’ve ever dated, so, of course, I’m going to be self-conscious regardless,” she laughed, “but I’m glad you told me that. I believe you.” Rosalie smiled at me and put her hand on mine, sitting next to her in the water.

“How about we get you out of there and into bed? Why were you even down here anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep; I think I’m used to sleeping in your bed,” she blushed while I smiled. “And Macaroni now spreads out like she owns it so I can’t get in without her trying to push me off.”

“Well then, let’s get you showered so you can come to bed with me,” I growled in her ear.

After showering and getting dressed, Rosalie came to my room and hopped into my bed, where I engulfed her in my arms. She nuzzled into the crook of my neck. Our legs wrapped around each other’s as we both fell into a deep sleep.