Three.

Nate

It took longer than expected. Mason and I had been standing outside the bar for over an hour before she appeared. Her baby blue eyes were wide as she spots me.

“Stay here.” I mutter to Mason. 

He follows my gaze. “Alright, you win, she did make it here.”

He remains behind as I cross over to her. Just like last night, she couldn’t take her eyes off of me.

It takes some convincing, but she agrees to come with me. Now I just needed to find the words to tell her that she isn’t human anymore.

She sits in the back of the car next to me as Mason drives. After a brief quiet moment, she begins firing questions at me.

“What’s wrong with me?”

“How do you know I can smell you?”

“How did you know I would come to the bar?”

“What’s wrong with my hearing?”

“Elsa, just wait.” I mutter, draping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her in next to me. I hope it would be enough to settle her nerves. That I could be some sort of comfort to her or my scent would.

The questions keep coming and Mason looks at me in the rearview mirror. He links me, ‘Are you sure she is ready for this?’

‘Yes. Otherwise she would have been able to stay away.’

“Then let’s hope she is ready.” He mutters out loud.

“Ready for what?” Elsa asks, frowning.

“We are connected.” I reply as Mason pulls us in through the large black gates.

“Connected?”

“That’s why you can smell me. The same as I can scent you.” 

She scowls at me and moves herself out from under my arm. “You are going to kill me, aren’t you?”

“No.” Why did she keep going back to that?

She turns to look out the window as we roll up to my home. “This is your place?”

“Yes.”

Getting out, I open the door for her. She hesitates but takes my hand and steps out. Her eyes scanned the large white house. “Wow!”

There was no better time to tell her than right now. I was going for it.

“I’m a Lycan.”

Even Mason looks surprised by my announcement.

Elsa starts laughing. “A Lycan. As in the big bad scary wolf?” She mocks. “Do you change on the full moon too? Like in the fairytales?” She continues to laugh and starts making little howling sounds

“I’m serious. And the reason you can smell me is because you are my mate and I have marked you. You are changing into a werewolf.”

She clutches her ribs as she laughs. 

“Told you she wouldn’t buy it.” Mason mutters in my ear

“Of course I’m not going to buy it. I mean, you could have come up with something better than…..”

I follow her gaze. One of my pack members was exiting the forest in his Lycan form.

Mason cocks an eyebrow at me in amusement. 

Now we would really see what she thought.

She backs up to the car as her eyes follow the Lycan. I could feel her fear. I could hear how her heart was thudding in her chest.

“I know it’s a lot. But I can explain everything.”

“Take me home!”

“Elsa, it’s a huge shock, but….”

“I want to go home.”

Mason links me ‘I will drop her off.’

‘She can’t, she’s changing. She needs to be here.’

I watch my mate shut herself inside the car. Her eyes glued on the Lycan.

‘I respect you, Alpha, but look at her. She isn’t ready.’

Reluctantly, I agree. I hated it when my Beta was right. But he wouldn’t be a great Beta if he didn’t have an opinion.

She refuses to look at me as I try to speak to her. Her fear was controlling her.

When Mason returns, he drops down into the free chair in my office. 

“Well, did she say anything?”

“No. “ He shakes his head. “Not a single word. I dropped her off at the place she calls home.”

“I haven’t seen anyone react this badly in a while.” I take a swig of my drink and pour another for Mason.

“It’s been a while since anyone was changed. Are you sure about her?” He tilts his head to one side, gazing at me with his green eyes. “She hardly seems like wolf material.”

“When I caught her scent that night in the rain, I knew exactly who she was.”

“Doesn’t mean she is wolf material.”

“I couldn’t have marked her without changing her and I want everyone to know that she is mine. In a day or two the bite mark would have changed into my mark anyway.” I shrug. “She can’t hide from that!”

“Maybe just give her some time. It’s a lot to get her head around. Lycan’s, werewolves. Wait until she finds out what else is out there. It’s like she said, a fairy tale. Only no one expects it to be true.”

I nod my head, accepting my Beta’s words. But it didn’t stop me thinking about her. The way she had sat on my lap last night with her arms looped around my neck. How her eyes lit up everytime I said her name. 

She had drunkenly told me how shitty her life was. I could take her away from that. I could bring her here. A place where she will be adored and have power.

I had to get her to accept what she was becoming. The full Moon was less than three weeks away. She would shift for the first time. She would have no control. She needed me to guide her through it.

A few hours passed and I could feel the bond between us strengthening. Her body was changing and adapting whether she liked it or not.

A wave of pain hits me. My ribs burn as though they have been broken. I was alone, it had to be her pain.

Grabbing my jacket, I charge out of the house.

Mason looks at my scowl and follows me without a question.

“Her house.” I mutter climbing in the car. Another wave of sickening pain hits me.

“Is something wrong?” He asks as he pulls the car away.

“Just drive!” I snap, holding my ribs.

The car screeches to a stop outside her house. I had been here the night I marked her. Slipping her in without making a sound.

The house was lit up and I could already hear shouting coming from inside. But neither of the voices were hers.

Opening the door, I spot Elsa on the floor, curled up in a ball. Her green sweater soaked in blood. The older woman stood over her, calling her allsorts of vile names. The younger blonde has her leg ready to kick Elsa again.

“Get the fuck away from my mate!” The growl is deep as anger floods through me. 

“Fuck off you weirdo! This has nothing to do with you.” The young blonde screeches at me.

The older one had her hazel eyes on me. A flicker of recognition in her eyes as she takes in my frame.

“Get out of our house before we call the police!” The younger one makes a threat.

“Sadie shut up.” The older one snaps. Her eyes shifted to Elsa before they returned to me. “No fucking way. You’re one of them.”