Hidden Within

Mate

Tingles ripple through every fibre of my body. It tickles, and I start to squirm. My eyes flutter open and meet the deepest blue eyes I have ever seen.

Out of nowhere, a very confident femine voice yells, "MATE."

Pulling my eyes away from the deep blue ones staring into my soul, I search for the source of the voice.

"Mate, mate, mate! it's me, dummy, Yahni, your wolf. Remember?"

"Where are you? It sounds like you're in my head! Wait, you can talk?" I reply, confused.

"This might take you by surprise, but umm, I am in your head and of course I can talk." she laughs.

"Now, stop talking out loud. You look like a crazy person in front of mate." Yahni huffs with exasperation.

Confused, I look back at Blue Eyes, who is still intently staring at me. I suddenly feel very self-conscious.

"Who are you?" I stutter out realising the position I am in. Spralled out across his lap with his big strong arms wrapped around me. I gulp.

After what felt like a lifetime, blue eyes answered me with a deep, husky voice.

"Jax, and who might you be, little wolf?" he replies with a confident smirk on his face.

"He's delicious, I could eat him up." Yahni yaps.

"Mutt. I groan, I mean Dalia." I stutter out like an i***t.

I hear a low growl coming from his chest, and I slowly push away from him.

The contact between us is broken as I scurry back a bit. I glanced around again when my eyes landed on the large brown wolf that tried to eat me. Its body ripped open, blood glistening all around it.

A whimper escapes my mouth as the memories of the last few hours flood back into my mind. I start to panic and try to stand up, but everything is spinning, and I get so dizzy.

"Calm down, Dalia. You are safe." Yahni tries to soothe me.

Her voice in my head makes it worse, though. She's so loud. None of this can be real. A wolf inside my head. A moon goddess. Giant wolves.

A dream, this is a dream. I start to laugh out loud, expecting to wake up.

"Ohhh, great now Mate defiantly thinks we are crazy!" Yahni whimpers.

Directly in front of me, a big black wolf comes running out of the tree line. I let out a scream. As it starts to contort into a man. A very naked man.

"Alpha, they are gone." Naked wolf man says, and that's the last thing I remember before I collapse, out cold again.

JAX POV:

Rushing forward to catch my mate before she hits the ground, I can't help but feel anger at my warrior for causing her to faint.

"I don't think she knows what she is. Yahni said she grew up with humans." My wolf, Sunny explains.

"You spoke to her wolf?" I respond while scooping the tiny girl up.

"Breifly, but she was worried about keeping her calm. She's so beautiful, wait until you see her!" Sunny replies over excitedly.

"Alpha, the doctor is waiting for her. We should go." My beta interrupts.

Turning on my heal and marching in the direction of the pack house, I shout over my shoulder for the warriors to double their patrol tonight.

Walking is much slower than running in wolf form but it gives me time to study my mate.

She is beautiful. She has a petite face with pouty, delicate lips, long auburn hair, and her eyes, the most beautiful green I had ever seen.

Back at the lake, I watched her eyes flicking between hers and her wolf. What shocked me was the colour of her wolf's eyes. Pure silver like the moon. Usually our eyes just go black when our wolf is on the surface. I have never seen someone's eyes turn that colour before.

My body is trembling, and my wolf is close to tearing out of my body as the pack house comes into view because the more I studied her, the more bruises I found. This girl has been beaten badly and not to mention, she weighs less than a feather.

"Beaten and staved, sunny roars." I will kill them!" he yells with absolution.

Reaching the pack house, I feel the stares of pack members along with their panic. They can feel the anger rolling off me.

"Out!" I yell, and everyone scambles to get as far away from me as they can.

I march straight into the infirmary room, which is located on the basement floor. The doctor is waiting for me. I see her stiffen, picking up my murderous aura. She is scared. I try to rain it in a bit so she can check mate.

Laying Dalia down on the bed, I take a deep breath to try calm myself and motion for the doctor to check her.

The doctor lurches forward and starts checking her over.

I growl when she lifts her shirt, the doctor flinches and stops. I turn to my beta and demand he leaves.

"Get out!" I growl.

"Chill, man, I'm going. You need to settle down. The doctor can't concentrate." he smirks and leaves the room.

The doctor continues the examination motioning for the nurse to come over.

"Sponge her down and get a gown on her. She needs some fluids." The doctor instructs the nurse.

Turning to me now, her eyes sweeping over me, I think to check if I am calm enough.

"The girl is very dehydrated and emaciated. She will need a strict diet to gain some body fat and a few bags of fluids. She needs to stay here for twenty-four hours to get the fluids into her. " she explains calmly.

I mindlink the head kitchen omega, Nat, to come get diet instructions from the doctor.

"Whatever she's been through has been brutal. I would say on going for a long time. She has scars upon scars. She won't heal from those, possibly inflicted by silver." She stiffens as I start to vibrate with the amount of rage I'm trying to hold in.

She gulps and continues.

"The bruises that cover her are all in different healing stages but they will go within a few weeks. I think the worst part is not her physical body but it will be dealing with the trauma of whatever has happened to her." The doctor sighs with disappointment.

"She will need ongoing counselling, and after her fluids, she needs a comfortable, quiet place to rest." she continues to explain.

"She won't be awake for a bit. Can I suggest you go freshen up and rest a bit, Alpha? I will be here for a while setting up the iv and you don't want your mate waking up and looking like this." she points at my naked body with a smirk on her face.

I looked down and grimaced. I was completely unaware I had no clothes on. I was so worried about getting Dalia back here that I didn't think to chuck some pants on. I'm covered in blood and mud too.

"I guess you're right, Annie, sorry." I apologise.

Annie has been in my pack since we were kids. She only left to go to medical school and then came straight back to be the pack doctor.

"Can you stay until I am back? Nat will be here soon to get the diet instructions." I ask in a much calmer tone.

"Of course, Alpha." Annie smiles and nods towards the door.

I head out, making my way to the stairs. The Alphas floor is the top level. I take two stairs at a time. Lost in my thoughts, I make my way to my room. Where did she come from? Who did that to her? Does she know I am her mate?