A Sense of Mate

Lessons

    Delta/venom guy had turned the radio on full blast to drown out the howls as we left The Edge.  It wasn't for my benefit, and I would never tell him, but I was grateful.

     He was currently driving with his window down full, an elbow resting over the open ledge, one hand on the steering wheel.  His sunglasses were on, and he was singing at the top of his lungs.  I say he was singing, but it sounded more like a cat on heat as he murdered 'Take It Easy' by The Eagles.

    I kept my head down and gave him a sideways peek.  He appeared to be pretty pleased with his morning's work.  I tried to guess how old he was.   He looked to be about the early twenties, though given our slow rate of ageing, realistically he could be well over a hundred.  We don't age the same way that humans do.  Our physical age slows down to a ratio of one to thirty.  In basic terms, from the time of our first shift we physically advance one year; every thirty years.

    One thing of notable difference was that damn mist around him.  The red had gone, replaced with a royal blueish colour.  What the hell was with the mist anyway.   I let my mind loose for a few seconds wondering if I was meant to make the mist do something depending on the colour.  Red was the colour for fire - could I make it ignite?  Oh, now that would be a useful ability!

    According to the T.V. and the movies, red was also the colour of love, hearts etc.  I did not want to make that man fall in love with me, and we definitely were not mates.

      I lifted my head to look out the window as we slowed down for the junction into town.  The STOP sign caught my eye, it was red.   Back in my room, he pulsated all over in the dull red colour.  The way he grabbed my hair.  Threatened to do things.  Then it hit me.

    Red is angry. 

    Red is a warning.

    Red is danger! 

   The high note being screeched out from the side of me brought me out of my thoughts.  If I wasn't trying to keep such a low profile my hands would be up and over my ears.  "Make him stop" Esti hissed.

    "Exactly how would like me to do that Esti?  Tap him on the arm and tell him not to give up his day job? I asked sarcastically.

    "I don't know Jessa, but my ears can't take much more of that yowling" she groaned.

    "My ears don't like it any more than yours do" I replied.  "The song should be finished soon" I added trying to sound optimistic.

    "Fine, but if the next song is 'I Will Always Love You' then I'm taking over and ripping his throat out!" she huffed.

    "Es!" I warned.

    "What? I'll be quick, he won't know what killed him" her tone was sweetly dangerous.  There was a power there I had never heard her use before. 

    "Are you trying to get us killed" I hissed back at her, trying to establish a little bit of control.

    "I'd rather us die quickly than have to suffer a slow death through blood loss of the eardrums" she snorted in reply.

    I had just begun to try tuning my wolf out from our disagreement when the song, and thankfully the screeching finished.  Instead of another song playing, the radio D.J began his talk show and call-in segment.  I let out a small sigh of relief.

    The radio quietened as he turned down the volume. 

    "Do you have a name?" he asked.  I wasn't expecting that question. "Pardon" I replied.  To be honest, I was getting used to him just referring to me as mutt.

    "I asked you what your name is" there a slight edge of impatience in his reply, but his eyes never left the road.

    "My name is Jessa" I quickly answered him, keen to not get him riled up again. 

    "Jessa huh, you don't look like a Jessa".  Strange I always thought I suited my name, I know it's not exactly a common name, but how was a Jessa supposed to look?  "Doesn't matter anyway, you'll soon have a new name to answer to," he continued.

    "A new name?" I asked him cautiously.  His one hand tightened on the steering wheel.  Crap.

    "I was going to be nice and just give you some friendly instructions, but apparently I need to start your learning now". he pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car.

    "Look at me" he ordered.  I turned my head to meet his glare.  He took a breath and relaxed his eyes.  A small sly smile appearing at the crook of his mouth.

    "Lesson one - be alert to what is being said, but you will not speak unless told to do so.  Nod your head if you've grasped lesson one."  I nodded my head in compliance.  Ears open, mouth shut, got it.

     "Lesson two - when in the presence of Alpha Andrew or any other superior your eyes need to be looking down unless told differently.  Nod so I know you understand".  I did as I was asked.  The floor and anything below my head were going to get my adoring gaze.

    "Lesson three - whatever ability you have belongs to us, you will use it on whoever we tell you to use it on.  You will however not use it on any superior pack member.  Nod!"  Probably a good thing he's not aware of the mist I can see, by that rule I'm using what I think is my ability on him right now.

    "Lesson four - you maybe some form of special, but you are still an Omega.  That means you belong to whoever the Alpha says you belong to." his eyes glinted as he spoke, and the colour of the mist took on an orange hue at the edges of the blue.  That can't be a good sign.  "You know what I want to see Jessa" he coaxed, and I quickly nodded.

    "Final lesson" he reaches over and takes my chin in his hand, causing me to take a sharp breath in.  "Break rules one and two and there will be severe punishments." I didn't wait for him to ask I just nodded my head.

     "I should warn you Jessa" he continued.  "Break rules three and four and there will be no punishments - there will just be your death".  I swallowed hard but nodded all the same.  The sly smile returned as his fingers released my chin.

    "Now we have that out of the way, we are going direct to the packhouse so the Alpha and his luna can assess you.  You will walk behind me and keep in mind rules one and two.  Got it?" my neck is actually beginning to ache from all the nodding I've just done.   

    He turns his body away from me, puts the car in gear and this time both hands are on the steering wheel.  "One more thing Jessa" his eyes still looking at me.  "Take your braid out, your exposed neck is not for others to see".  His eyes hold mine in place as I take out the band and rake my fingers through my still wet hair.  He bites the edge of his bottom lip, and out of the corner of my eyes, I watch as the blue mist dilutes into burnt orange.

    "Good girl," he says, causing a cold shudder to course down my spine.  He smirks at my reaction as the car slowly turns back onto the road.  Goddess help me I silently pray.