Chapter 3

~~Stephanie

My parents were alive.

How in the hell did they survive everything?

Why didn't they come for me?

Would I even want them to come for me at this point?

All of these questions swirled around in my head. Regardless of our differences in how they see the world, they were still my parents. They still raised me and I didn't know who they truly were until I was 12. They didn't abuse me. They still loved me even though we didn't agree on much.

But my mate.

What if they found out I had a mate? They would be so angry at me. For something that has already changed how I feel in a matter of a few days. I don’t even know if I would want to see them or talk to them if I were given the chance. They turned into horrible people who didn’t have the views of the people that raised me. I was raised on love and acceptance but when it was knocking on our front door my parents changed who they were and what they stood for in life.

This mate thing though. Let me tell you, its something to get used to. I love it and I hate it at the same time. Its so different than a human relationship that doesn’t literally rely on the other person or cause us to be this close 24/7.

He's literally always there.

Yesterday when I needed a moment to breathe because he was towering over me as I wrote out the grocery list, I almost strangled him. I needed space. I needed him to understand what space was at this point.

But as of today he still isn't understanding what personal space actually is. He's currently standing in the doorway of my room watching me pack. He's on his phone for the 5 billionth time today answering pack emails and phone calls. He doesn’t leave me for pack business. He does it with me by his side. I have already met many people that are becoming members of the pack. All refugees. Shifters and humans alike.

On a good note, I’m moving into his pack house today. I'm kind of nervous about it but with change, good things can come. Elizabeth is going to be staying with Dom's mom. Dom's mom is already in the process of even adopting her so she is legally bound to Miss Sarah. A good stable and secure home for her to stay in.  I'm glad she could have a place to stay where she knew everyone.

I was only going a few miles up the road, thank God. In the small town we were in, it had a huge clearing where they built the pack house over the past 2 to 3 months. 

I had 4 suitcases and clothes were thrown everywhere. I didn't know what to pack or to pack everything. I should donate like 90% of this stuff and I would still have a ton of things. I alway have my trusty pants I always wore with the same tshirts. I don’t need a lot.

Did a girl really need 38 pairs of underwear though? I ask myself as I tear through my underwear drawer. My sight wanders over to Dom who is now sitting at my desk chair staring at all of my stuff. His muscles flexed in the shirt he was wearing. I wanted to climb him like a tree.

So the answer is now officially yes.

"Little one." Dom said gruffly.

"Yeah?" I asked, walking quickly in between my closet and the suitcase.

"Why do you have so many...panties?" He asked as he reached into the box. His face turned a deep red as he picked up a pair of red lace crotchless underwear.

"I don't have THAT many. And stop going through them. Those are only if you are a good bear." I said softly. I smirked at the panties he was holding as he turned to look me right in the eye. 

His face morphed into something different as he looked up at me. It was a mixture of him being pissed off, jealous, and uncertain all at the same time. I bit my bottom lip as I peered up into his eyes. His eyes were completely black. Yano was out and super pissed.

“Babe?” I asked cautiously. His body tensed as I spoke and he stood up and took two giant steps to be in front of me. The back of my knees pressed up against my bed. I could feel every inch of his body pressed up against mine. If I didn’t know any better I would have moaned out loud.

"Has someone else seen you in these?" He asked, trying to keep Yano as calm as possible.

"Yeah." I said shrugging realizing where this was going. I wanted to make it seem like it was no big deal. Even though the only person who had seem them on me was my stuffed animals in the corner. But he didn’t need to know that.

I don't even know if I can explain how he reacted to that one word comment. His entire body seized up and he growled so deeply it made my entire body shake. I slowly stood up as straight as I could while looking straight at him. His body heaved with the intensity of his breathing. His face was deep red with anger. His hands were slowly ripping apart to show the claws that Yano had.

"Who the fuck was it?" He asked gritting his teeth.

"Dom." My voice came out in a soft whisper.

"Who the fuck was it?' he roared.

His hands grabbed my waist and brought me closer to his body. He sniffed along my shoulder to my ear.

"You still smell innocent." He growled out.

"The hell are you talking-" I started But he interrupted me as he pushed me on to the bed. Yano had definitely taken over.

"Who the hell was it?” He asked again, rubbing his hands all over my sides as he crawled on top of it.

"Mr. Tickles!” I yelped pointing up at the stuffed monkey on my dresser. “I bought it yesterday after I went grocery shopping with your mom. You were at a meeting with your Alpha." I said, my eyes widened at his aggressiveness. But I can’t even lie it was a total turn on at the same time.

His breath went back to normal as he looked at me, but his body still tense.

"Get off." I whispered, unsure of what to say or do.

"So perfect." He whispered, nuzzling his nose to my neck.

I kissed his lips softly, wanting him to calm down and relax...which he finally did. The kiss became longer and more passionate every time. I invited his tongue in wanting to take control, which would never happen.

"Little One. I don't know how much I can keep holding back." He whispered huskily when he broke the kids.

"Then stop holding back. I'm not a fucking China doll, I won't break if you touch me." I whispered while kissing his neck.

He groaned on top of me and got up.

I rolled my eyes in frustration. At this point I was about to fucking packing my BOBs if he didn’t fucking touch me. I was going absolutely crazy with this back and forth. The sexual tension was so thick his dick might even have trouble poking a hole in it at this point.

It has been like this since we met. We would start something but he would always end it.

A girl has needs and I was getting antsy as hell. Who gave a shit if I was human. I still felt the pull from the bond. I still felt the sparks when we touched each other.

I rolled off the bed and adjusted my band tshirt and started packing again.

"Little one." He whispered.

"It's fine Dominic." I said back, lying through my teeth.

I could feel his hand reach out to me, but I pulled away to finish packing. I know he felt the same way but rejection is still rejection and it hurts.

My whole life sat before me in 4 suitcases. I was donating the house to the pack in case a family fleeing from the war needed it and they could join the pack.

This pack, which was my pack now because I found my mate, was very different than any other pack. We had all kinds of shifters and many humans lived here too. Humans that were on the shifters side and fought with them.

Dominic, silently, grabbed all 4 suitcases and put them in the car. Elizabeth ran outside and gave me a huge hug.

"I will miss you sister." She said crying.

"I will miss you too, baby girl. Y'all are coming for dinner tomorrow so don't forget." I reminded her.

Thank God it's a short drive. I don't know if I could put up with a long awkward drive after this afternoon. The proximity of our bodies was almost too much for me at this point before I literally rip his clothes off to take him

"We are here." He murmured and I turned to look at him. He looked like he was in deep thought and I knew something was off.

"Dom-" I started.

He shook his head and grabbed me. Pulling me over to his seat in the car so I was straddling him. He grabbed the sides of my face and sighed as he looked over my face.

"Fuck it." He whispered and crashed his lips into mine.

I had never seen him so needy for something. I ran my hand down his cheek as he pushed right into my hand. I pulled him in for a kiss and ran my hand through the back of his hair. His hands stayed on my hips but they dug into them to keep me planted where I was.

It would have been perfect, but after about 30 seconds someone knocked on the window.

We both groaned at the intrusion only to realize it was a guard who needed us to move the car. I swung the driver's side door open and stumbled out and almost fell to the ground. I laughed as Dom got out so gracefully. He was just laughing at me as we walked into the pack house.

This was going to be a good start.

~~Dominic

She would be the death of me. Artio, one day you will tell me why you paired me with this one.

She's perfect in my eyes, beautiful, strong, mouthy, and honest. But she's also klutzy, loud, and blunt.

Perfect for me but completely the opposite. Never in a million years would I have thought I would have received a human mate. But now, I wouldn't change it for the world.

I have seen war and death. But nothing scares me more than my little mate. No, she's not little for a human. She's just smaller and shorter than me.

Yano loves her. It's why I'm always around her. She left the day after we met to run to the store. She was gone 15 minutes before Yano and I made the decision to go looking for her. The worst thoughts ran through my head. When I got to the grocery store out of breath and thinking the worst, she was in the produce aisle.

She was listening to music through her headphones and softly singing so no one could hear her. I watched her from afar but it took about a few minutes before she realized I was there when she looked around and finally landed on me. Her eyes lit up like a cub at Christmas. I haven't left her side since.

I'm terrified to hurt her. It's why we haven't finished the mating process. I knew I would need to mark her soon. She would go into heat if I don't, just because she isn't a shifter doesn't mean it won't happen.

I just can't willingly put her in any pain at all. Even if I know it would be just for a moment. All shifters mark their mates differently. A werewolf and a vampire bite on the neck. A bear makes claw marks on their mates ribs. I know it's not attractive but it heals instantly. But it marks a mate for other people to not see but to feel that this person is taken.

When we complete the mating process our scents will become one. She will still smell like a bakery but also me at the same time. It wards off any unmated shifters.

Kissing her at the house and then kissing her in the car is making it tougher for me to keep my paws off of her.

Yona is getting restless and so am I. I know she is too. I can tell it in her eyes as I watched her get out of the car and almost stumble, I almost laughed at her. She's the most amazing thing that has happened to me, I just need to keep her safe.

Now, I have to introduce her to the pack house. People are gathering at the front door. They can smell her and they know she is human.

I walk up behind her towering over her making sure no one looks at her for too long. Women are introducing themselves. The men are kindly saying hello and then walking off, knowing I will rip off their heads if they stare any longer.

Then the children are flocking to her. She plops herself on the floor as they all run over her. She's a jungle gym for them and she doesn't care. She lets them play and the little girls play with her hair while the boys try to show off their strength. She looks to be in heaven.

I clear my throat and all the kids jump just now noticing my presence. She calms them and lets them know she can play later.

I take my mate's hand and take her up to my - our room. I didn't want to hold back anymore. Seeing her with the pack makes it all make more sense.

She is mine and I need to make sure she understands it.

I slammed the door shut as I saw her twirl around taking everything in. She looked beautiful just looking at the walls and the pictures I had. I needed her now and no one was going to bother us.

I locked the door behind me as she jumped into my arms.

I love her.