Some Mate You Are...

“Marvel, dear, do you know where Enzo rushed off to?” Luna Rigina asked, in a soft voice.

“I am sorry, Luna, but I do not.”

“Why did he take off so suddenly?” Alpha Griffith questioned.

They had, obviously, not been paying attention to the events at our end of the table until now. Not surprising, Alpha Griffith and my father were often caught up in discussing pack business. My mother and Luna Rigina made certain to immerse themselves in the conversation as well. As Luna and Beta Female they were just as involved in the pack as the Alpha and my father were.

“Not sure.” I shrugged. “Enzo just being Enzo, I guess.”

“Marvel!” My father snapped. “Do not speak so disrespectfully of our future Alpha.”

“Yes, father. I apologize.” I offered with a bowed head.

“Nonsense.” Alpha Griffith dismissed with a wave of his hand. “That boy is stubborn. His attitude has only grown worse over recent weeks. I have no idea what has gotten into him. I apologize for my son’s rude behavior, Alpha Harm. I assure you that I will set him straight later on.”

“No need for apologies. We are both Alphas and we tend to be a little hot-headed.” Alpha Harm chuckled.

I was happy to hear that Alpha Harm had not been too put off by Enzo's display. I was certain that the Alpha, Luna, and my parents were as well.

“Well, I was going to ask Enzo to take you to the Wolf’s Den after dinner. It would be the best place for you to go to meet members of the pack that are of your age range. However, seeing as he has stormed off, I wonder if Marvel would be willing to escort you?” Alpha Griffith offered.

“Yes, of course. I would not mind that at all.” I responded, a slight blush to my cheek.

The remainder of dinner was uneventful. We finished our meals and the Alphas talked business. But as soon as the dinner was over, we bid the older generation good night. Then I led Alpha Harm, his Gamma Sergio, Tyrus, Aida, and, for some reason, Cora to the Wolf’s Den. As we walked, we talked and continued to get to know each other.

“Marvel is there dancing at this bar?” Alpha Harm queried.

“Yes, there is. I know it’s kind of a small town, backwoods, bar, but in many ways, it is more of a nightclub. Things can get a little wild at the Wolf’s Den.”

“Do you like to get wild, Marvel?” Alpha Harm asked, that same strange twinkle returning to his eye as he spoke.

“Sometimes.” I teased.

“I would like to see that.” He growled in my ear, his hot breath fanning down my neck.

“Well…” I gulped at his proximity. “If you don’t find your mate tonight, then perhaps you will.”

“Even if I do find my mate tonight…” he whispered. “She could wait until tomorrow.”

This comment snapped me out of my flirtatious trance. That was not an appropriate thing to say and it would be an extremely inappropriate thing for him to do. You never shunned your mate for the touch of another, not if you intended to accept them. And if you did not intend to accept them, then the noble thing to do was to reject them immediately. You did not want to risk the bond strengthening before then as it would only hurt the rejected mate more.

Spending a night with another wolf, while you knew where your mate lay, was the ultimate form of disrespect. I was not interested in any wolf that would even joke about such a matter. Mating was meant to be something special and important. This was a gift from the Moon Goddess, and you should not take such a gift lightly. I began to pull away from Alpha Harm putting some space between us.

I was about to respond, unfavorably, to his comment, but I was interrupted. A loud, powerful, yet heart wrenching howl broke out through the silence of the forest surrounding Crescent Falls. My ears perked up, instantly, at the sound. The wind carried the sweet aroma to my nostrils, and I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent, greedily.

I knew this smell and I knew it well. This was the glorious scent that I had caught in the air on my birthday. The smell of a cool ocean breeze, sprays of salt on the winds; this was the scent of my mate. I stepped forward in the direction of the howl. I was certain that he was calling to me, but why had he not yet revealed himself?

“Marvel, what are you-“

The howl rung out again, even more desperate this time. This was the sound of my mate and he needed me. I did not think about what I was doing. I did not tell anyone where I was going or why. Instead, I just took off, as fast as my legs could carry me towards the sounds of my mate. I followed his scent as it carried through the air, knowing that it would lead me towards him.

The others called after me, not knowing the reason behind my sudden departure. I could hear the fabric of my dress begin to rip as I forced my legs to move faster and my gait to widen. I was fortunate to be one of the fastest in the pack, wolf-form or not.

I continued to track the scent, chasing it deeper into the forest. It was then that I noticed something peculiar, my mate was moving. He was traveling away. He had stopped long enough to get my attention and now he was attempting to flee the scene. He planned to leave me behind...again.

I was growing more desperate now. He was running and I had to catch up to him. Without missing a beat, I willed myself to begin shifting, and before I knew it, I was flying through the air on all fours, feeling the wind rush through my thick, black coat. My strong leg muscles propelling me forward at a much faster rate. If I was going to catch him, this was how I was going to do it. If not, then I might as well give up on ever finding him.

My muscles burned as I continued to force myself, pushing my limits to keep up with my mate. Whomever he was, he must have been a strong wolf, as he kept a decent lead ahead of me, despite my excellent agility. I was beginning to pant now as I attempted to keep my breathing steady despite the difficulties that I was beginning to experience. My fatigue begged me to stop but I would not.

That was until…his scent mysteriously disappeared as suddenly as it had come. One moment, I could clearly smell him, the next it was as if he was never there. I screeched to a halt, the forest floor building up in front of me as I created small trenches in the mud, the result of my skid. I spun in circles trying to catch him on the winds, perhaps he had just changed directions.

My efforts were to no avail. No matter where I turned or what I tried. The beautiful aroma of my mate was gone. I had been abandoned. He had called me out, deep into the forest, and then left me here. I could not help but wonder what his motivation had been. Why present yourself just to run away? It hardly made sense to me.

I turned and began to walk home, slowly. My head drooped low and my ears were pinned back against my head. No one was out here to see me anyway, so it did not matter if I pouted. I could feel sorry for myself for tonight, tomorrow I would decide my next move. For some reason, my mate refused to present himself. It might as well have been a rejection; they were essentially along the same lines.

I sighed. I had never before considered the possibility that I would actually get rejected. I may not have been the most desirable female in the pack, but I certainly was not the worst. I was strong and agile, my bloodline was that of a Beta’s, and I was considered attractive by the male wolves around me. I could not comprehend why my mate would not want me.

“There must be something wrong with me. Something I have not recognized.” I thought to myself, trying to determine a reason why my mate would distance himself from me.

I wandered back to the pack house and found Aida pacing the back door, waiting for me.

“Anything?” She asked, eagerly.

I responded "no" with a shake of my head and whimpered, lightly. I did not have to hide my true feelings from Aida. She and Kiara were my best friends in the entire world. I knew that I could confide in her and count on her above all others in this life. We always kept each other’s best interests at heart always.

“Kiara is on her way over. I popped some popcorn. Let’s go pick out a movie. We’ll have a girls night.”

She tossed some clothes at me and I quickly shifted, pulling on the pajama shorts and top that she had picked. I sighed, running my hands through my long, black hair a few times in an attempt to detangle it.

“What happened to Alpha Harm?” I questioned, knowing that I had left in the middle of leading them all to the Wolf’s Den.

“Don’t worry about him. Tyrus took them the rest of the way. He left them in the CAPABLE hands of Cora.”

I snickered at the thought. Cora certainly would not mind taking care of Alpha Harm. If not her, then he would probably find another willing she-wolf at the Wolf’s Den. He would be well taken care of, which let me off the hook. I did feel badly for his mate though, I was not certain that he would make a very good one.

Of course, it appeared that my mate was not going to make a very good one either. My shoulders slumped as I headed inside, followed by Aida. I was going to curl up between my two best friends, pig out on snack food, and cry at sappy movies. This sounded like the best way to deal with my broken heart. I was grateful that I had them beside me.