An Unusual Mate

Chapter Four

Lucius Pov

After my ranked members left my office, I went to find my dad. It was time for me to get some answers about Silver Lake. It still didn't make sense to me why Robert Mathers was so quick to give up his son. I found my dad near the border where there was a huge lake. I wasn't surprised to find him here or that he was fishing. I sat on the ground beside him and just took in the view. On the edge of the woods, the lake seemed to stretch forever, the water was Crystal clear and when the moon light hit the water at just the right angle, in spots it appeared Silver. It really was beautiful and I was always glad it was part on Grey Moon territory.

"What's on your mind son? You seem deep in thought plus you always come here to stare at the water when things are troubling you." My dad asks pulling me out of my thoughts. "Oh yeah? And what brings you out here old man?" I tease him. He holds up his hands which house a beer in one and a fishing rod in the other. "Beer and fish son, beer and fish." I laugh grateful for the carefree love me and my dad had. Even though he was hard on me as I was growing up, he was always there to help me when I f****d up. And at 24, I'd done my share of f*****g up. I looked at my dad, still amazed by our similarities. I had his looks from his 6' 8 height and olive tan skin, to his jet black curly hair. Even our facial features were similar, his almond shaped eyes and pointed nose. I had my mother's deep brown eyes though. She always call me his younger twin but up til now I didn't really realize how true it was.

I sigh softly before looking at my dad only to find him looking at me, waiting. "Dad, how did you know I was ready to become Alpha? How'd you know I wouldn't f**k up and ruin the pack?" He smiles and says, "For me, it was an easy decision. It wasn't just training you from a young age, it was also when you respectfully started challenging my choices concerning the pack. When you would converse with your friends, like true ranked members before you challenge my decisions, we dads knew we could retire peacefully. At 22, you were making choices to better the pack even without the title. I knew you were ready. As far as f*****g up, son, you are going to f**k up. I know I did many times you aren't perfect." I gawked at him hearing that he'd f****d up before. He laughs at my expression. "Son, we are wolves but we still human, we f**k up but the important part about f*****g up is how you fix it. I didn't become Alpha until I was 25. You know that, but what you don't know is, it wasn't me being in college or sleeping around a lot that kept me from taking over, it was simply I wasn't ready. As much as my dad wanted to join the ranked members in their retirement, he respected my decision of not being ready. He know I needed to come to him on my terms. I was a stubborn person and the thought of taking over was all I wanted when I was younger, but when it was time, I realized as much training as I'd put in, I wasn't ready to have 700+ heads looking to me for leadership so young. Honestly, it was your mom who straightened me out." He stops and looks at the water. I wait because I know there's more and I really still didn't get how he tried to run from his responsibilities. "That's just it son, I tried to run. I know that's what you're thinking because it's what your mom said to me when we met. I was thrilled to have found my mate, but she was the one who said, 'you may be my mate, but you dumb as hell. The longer you run, the more you'll always want to run.' I was 24 but her words sliced through me harder than my dad's words ever did. My mate was disappointed in me because she was right, I was being dumb. Even from the beginning, I was scared, but son I'd been ready, just didn't know I was. When you turned 18 and began wanting to do everything for the pack, making them your main priority, I knew I could and would retire earlier than I let my dad retire. You were ready to jump in with both feet, your mom actually told me not to rush you, let you come to me and I did."

I swallow hard and turn to stare out at the moon. "So mom, kicked your butt into shape huh?" He laughs and says, "Yes and I never ran from a situation again. Being wolves doesn't make us infallible, if anything, it makes us more cautious. As far as you ruin this pack, son, you'd rather destroy yourself before you make a choice to hurt this pack, and when you find your mate, you two will move mountains for this pack." I nod and said, "Alpha Mathers has a signed death warrant for his son." My dad looks at me and says, "Ah, I figured something happened, you seem to quiet. Son listen to me, Robert didn't make that decision as easy as it seems. Remember his only other heir is his daughter. She can't be officially Alpha of that pack without her mate because she's a female. No it's not that simple, she could become Alpha but if her mate an Alpha of his own pack it leaves Silver Lake without an Alpha or if her Alpha mate chooses to join her pack, he would leave them without a Alpha. Even if the two packs tried to merge, who know how that would work. If the Alpha turns his pack over to his Beta, that could cause other issues. Then it's the whole mate thing in general, member mates come in all forms. She could be bringing a bear into the pack or human. As alpha her pack would be force to accept them but not without backlash." I stood up suddenly and Sebastian growls and my dad jumps up looking around. "What is it son, are we being attacked?" He gets ready to mindlink the pack. "No dad wait, it's just something you said. Why would it be so bad to have her as Alpha?"

He c***s his head trying to follow my train of thought. I say, "The moon goddess makes no mistakes, let Tanya become Alpha. If she's ready, her mate will get his s**t together and do what's best for his mate and her pack. It won't matter if he's from another pack, if he's an Alpha, then so be it, he will be smart to grow his numbers and help his mate. Alpha and Luna are always equal anyway, it would just be Alpha and Alpha. Grey Moon would still be an huge ally and her mate would do good to have us as an ally to them." My dad smacks me across the back and said, "That was spoken like a true Alpha, son. I'm proud of you, but it's truly up to Tanya and her dad. As far as his son, Robert has thought long and hard about this, believe me. You have to look at things from the alpha side and the father side, he's loosing his son but he's also doing what's best for his pack. He can't give the pack to his son, that would cause ruin for them. By letting him live just because he's his son, what to stop his son from turning on him? That would ruin the pack as well, they'd be left with a crazed alpha that took the position by force and in turn lose many allies."

He looks as me pointedly and I have to agree sadly, "that would include Grey Moon. We'd never be associated with them if that happened, it would be like signing our deaths. What would stop Mitchell from coming after us again, this time forcing his pack against us." He nodded and sat back down. I drop back down and rub my hands through my hair.

You know he's speaking the truth. Sebastian says sadly.

Yeah but there has to be a way around straight killing him. Is he truly that crazy?

He tried to attack us for no reason! It wasn't a challenge for land or because we did wrong. He attacked because he wanted to.

Am I just being too soft of an Alpha?

I didn't realize I'd asked that question out loud until my dad's hand landing on my shoulder forcing me to look at him. "Son, a soft Alpha wouldn't be weighting option like this in his soul. He just straight up would refuse to even challenge the notion of killing a threat. You have a heart and are putting yourself in Roberts shoes at the thought of making that decision. You will have kids one day and you can raise them to be the best, but at the end of the day, if they f**k up beyond repair, everyone around them has to live with the consequences. That will include you and I hope you never feel the pain of the choice he is having to make."

We sit there for a while until the ripples of the water starts to pull me to sleep. I lean over and hug my dad before standing up stretching. "I think I'm going to go to bed now, I have training in the morning." He stands up and says, "Okay son, think about what I said and understand this, when Mitchell comes at you again, you won't see him as the alphas son but as your enemy. He will be trying to destroy your pack and in that moment, you will do what's right." I nod and head back to the pack house. As I stand in the shower my thoughts swirl over everything my dad said. As I slipped into a pair of shorts and socks, I decide to go talk to my mom. I walk down to the first floor where my parents lived. Most of the former ranked members lived on pack lands but my parents decided to move downstairs. As I go to knock on their door, the door flies open. "Mom?" She laughs as she lets me in, "Your dad mind link me. If you didn't come to me, I'd had come find you. Now sit." She pointed to the chair beside the bed as she sat down. "You and your dad are a lot alike and I don't just mean looks. You two look for the good and everyone, even your enemies." My mouth drops open and she gently taps my chin. I close my mouth and sits back, "I'm not trying to, it's just.." "It's just easier to believe everyone has a good side and most people do. Then there are people like Mitchell, he's power hungry and his dad sees that. He's been this way for a while, but his dad hoped he'd grow out of it. You are the opposite, you don't want the power or responsibilities that come with it. Your dad was the same way but you both found ways to accept that you couldn't run from who you are. Your dad tried but you didn't, and that's was my proudest moment as a mom." With that, I hug my mom and really go to bed. I feel like a weights been lifted and as I pull the covers over my head, sleep finds me quickly.

I open my eyes to find myself in an unfamiliar area. I turn towards to sound of water and realize I'm standing on sand. The beach huh? I giggle. I also quickly realize I'm in wolf form as I pad towards the water. Sebastian? What are you doing? A breeze tickles my ears and as I shake my head a voice speaks, "sit back and watch I didn't bring you here for the water." I look around but don't see anyone but who ever said that was borderline rude it seemed. "Hush child!" This time I don't think anything, I just look around until I find the young lady down by the shore. Instantly the wind brings her scent to me and I growl in approval. She smells like peaches and vanilla ice cream and I'm ready to run and claim her. The moment I go to move however, I find myself frozen. At first I didn't understand but then it turn black and I can't see anything. Suddenly Sebastian has taken off in the direction of where she was, as we approach we watch her get thrown into the water. Sebastian gives me control and I shift back as I dive in after her. I can't find her and come up for air before diving back down. There is a bright light and I see her swimming quickly to the surface. I swim towards her as the light dies but as I reach for her, I'm met with water. I swim harder trying to reach her and I can hear Sebastian yelling but I'm only focus on getting to her. Finally I reach her but she's unconscious and I wrap an arm around her waist protectively. I push myself until I get us to the surface. I cough clearing my burning lungs as I tap her face. All I want is for her to wake up and be safe. As I start cpr, I pray to the goddess, if my mate wakes up, I'll do what ever I need to to always protect her. Finally, she coughs bringing up water and as I turn her over on her side, she opens her eyes. The voice from before brushes against my ear, "This hasn't happened yet, find her before it does, or this may have a different outcome."

Kaila's POV

After the events of late I gladly welcome the escape of sleep. That is until I find myself back on the beach. This time I am cautious and am jumping as every wave. A breeze rustles through my wings and I moan softly as I try to relax. Everything in me is on edge and I hate being scared like this. I shake my head and walk away from the water's edge. When I feel the energy shift, this time I'm ready and I push my magic seeking whatever this energy is. I growl loudly realizing how hard it is to fight an enemy I can't see. "Come out and fight me!!" I yell getting tired of this game. I scream again as I'm knocked off me feet, in that one sec, my guard slips. Before I can get my bearings, I'm thrown into the water. For some reason I can't seem to get my limbs to do what I want them to. I focus all my magic on whatever is trying to drag me down and I escape for a second. Before I can swim far, I'm dragged down again but I no longer have the energy to fight back. My lungs are burning and my body is exhausted. I pray to the goddesses above as my world goes black but not before the calming scent of salty pine invades my conscious.

Lucius's pov

I sit up suddenly growling as something slaps me hard. "Man, wake up!" My eyes snap open and I'm staring in Frank's face. My light is turned on and I see a group of people in my room. "What the f**k man?" I yell at him as he backs away. "We should be asking you that, son." I look at my dad confused as hell. "You screamed so loud you shook the pack house so we all came running." All the ranked rooms are soundproof so for everyone to have heard meant.. "OMG, Sebastian?"

Someone was hurting our mate. He says smugly.

I groan and say, "I sorry everyone...it was just a very bad dream. Go back to bed." I go to my room door to lock it to find my mom and dad standing there not budging. "What? It was a bad dream is all." My dad shakes his head, "Son, most of us were in deep sleeps.. that wasn't a normal every day scream. So what ever you were dreaming caused you and Sebastian pain." I sigh seeing that if I want to go back to sleep I have to talk to them. I slam my room door and go into the bathroom. I look in the mirror on my way out and am surprised by how bad I look. My hair is soaking wet with sweat and I can swear I smell the scent of beach on me. I sigh and go face my parents. As I describe the dream, neither of them say anything until I finish. "Have you ever seen her before, I mean maybe in school. She would have been younger of course." I shake my head at my dad, "I didn't get a good look at her. All I knew was she was in trouble and she smells like peaches and vanilla ice cream." I think hard and try to remember something anything about this girl beside her scent. "Her eyes! They were baby blue. She opened them right before the voice warned me." "Are you sure it wasn't the moon goddess?" My mom ask. I nod and said, "This wasn't Helena, I heard her voice yesterday. This was a different woman. Now that I think about it through. I don't think she meant to come across as rude. I was focusing on the damn beach and she was telling me something important." I bring my knees to my chest as I recall my mate's scent. In those few moments it had become my favorite scent.

"How do I even begin to find her? There are many beaches and I was out there at night." I try to remember anything about the dream. "When I find her, I'm going to protect her at all cost." My dad looks at me and says, "Don't become obsessed on finding her, you were giving that vision for a reason. Also protect her you will, but you said yourself she was trying to fight on her own. That means she has her own powers as well, don't squander them. If she's your mate, you could use her powers for good. I don't mean use her for her power.." "I know dad, you just saying accept her power as a part of her, don't make her hide it or feel some type of way about them. If she truly has powers, they are gifts from the goddess." I rub my face still trying to figure out why the hell Sebastian yelled like that and when. I don't know who threw her in...hell I didn't know her name. I sigh and realize dad was right, I couldn't let myself fall obsessed with finding her. I had too many other things to worry about.

Kaila's POV

I shot up in my bed gasping as the scent faded from me. I pull my knees to my chest confused. I needed to know who was in the water with me this time. As many times as I'd had this dream, no one had ever been there in the water, I always heard them afterwards. I smile thinking of the scent, just the thought of it was calming. It made no sense to me but I knew someone who could make sense of it. I reach over and grab my phone ready to call Tanya when I realize its barely two in the morning. I sigh and return my phone back to my nightstand. I get up and go to the kitchen to make me some coffee. I know I'm not getting any more sleep so I don't bother trying. I'm just about to sit down on my sofa with a sketchbook and my mug when my phone rings. I frown as I answer after a glance at the caller ID, "Mom, what's wrong?" "Nothing baby, why are you up? Don't say it's because I called you either. I can hear you are wide awake and you answered too fast." I sigh knowing I can never slip anything pass my mom. "Mom, I had the dream again, but it was different. Someone was in the water with me...I think they were trying to save me." "Oh? Do you think it's the same person whose voice you keep hearing?" "I don't know." I hesitate as to whether to tell her about the smell. "I hear a but at the end of that. Tell me what else happened." Her voice interrupts my thoughts. "Who ever it is... They smell like salty pine... Like the ocean and woods combined into one." I say sighing happily.

The line goes quiet for a moment then I hear movement before my dad answers. "You say that it has suddenly become your favorite scent, honey." "I think it has, dad." There's more movement then I get an incoming video phone call. I hit the video button and turn the phone to look at my parents. "Did I do something wrong?" I ask not understanding. "No, honey. Now describe that scent again." I sigh as I describe it. "I know it doesn't make sense but it was really like my two favorite scents mixed together." My parents look as each other before looking at me with big ass smiles. "Okay you two. Please tell me what you two know that I don't." "We'll give you a hint, do you know why honeysuckle is my favorite plant?" I shake my head still not getting it. "I didn't know what honeysuckle was until I met your mom. It became my favorite scent after." My brain catches up but I'm in disbelief. "Are you trying to tell me I have a mate and I was smelling him? How can I even have a mate.. I'm no shifter!" "Baby, humans have mates as well. So that doesn't mean anything." "Yeah well I know for a fact, humans don't know if their mates have a scent or not." I counter with. "Also honey, you are part shifter.. you have wolf DNA."

My brain was hurting with all this information. "I'm part wolf?" I stared at them as both nod. "I'm part wolf?" I'm trying to absorb this as I take a slip of now cold coffee. "How? Are you sure?" They both nod and my mom said, "When I was pregnant with you, I didn't need the dream from the moon goddess to tell me you had wolf DNA. You were growing faster than humans. Your dad's DNA was definitely stronger than my human DNA. You were the reason he changed me. You know that right." I nod having known this my whole life. "What you don't know is, the moon goddess didn't visit me alone, she brought someone." "Sabrina." She nodded and smiled, "They told me you'd be special and gifted beyond belief. Sabrina also let me know that she would help me as your powers started revealing themselves. I didn't know how until you were five, she sent James to us."

"Wait, you've known James since I was five... Why wait five years to introduce us then?" "He was ten at the time and just coming in to his own powers. It was his decision to stay away, he said it was for your safety and sanity." "I was raise by two wolves, I was safe and I'm sure my sanity handled that just fine." "If I had come around too early both of our gifts would have been severely affected." He says appearing out of no where. "HOLY s**t!!!!" I yell jumping up as I drop my phone and knock the cup over. "s**t!!!" I yell again grabbing my book before the coffee hits it. "How about some goddess given warning when you gonna do that!?!?" I yell at him. I sink into the couch trying to slow my racing heart. "Sorry but you should be able to sense me before I teleport in. Not only because I'm your brother but because all Angels can." I hiss at him before picking up my phone. "Sorry, this ass just dropped in scaring the s**t out of me. Say hi James." I say sarcastically. He smiles at them as he drops into the couch beside me. "Shouldn't you clean that, coffee stains?" I growl as him, "No you should you pop in scaring me like that." He looks at me all serious suddenly. "You really didn't sense me? You're being serious." I give him a duh look as I hand him the phone. I begin cleaning my sofa shaking my head in disbelief. "I think my brother is going to be the death of me yet." I mutter as I make a new cup of coffee.