The Mate He Couldn’t Control (complete)

Chapter 23

“Is that what you wore to school?” Dimitry questioned as I walked up to him and sat my bookbag and heels down on the forest ground.

“Of course not, my outfit wasn’t as comfortable,” I replied, sitting down in front of him.

“You know I can tell when you are lying, but I will excuse it.”

I smiled at him before we both closed our eyes. You’d think me fighting out my frustrations would be my favorite form of training, but it’s actually when we connect with the nature around us. It helps me regain control over my powers and emotions which is probably the safest thing for everyone.

I listened to the elements around me. An image flashed in my mind for a split second then disappeared. I started having a very weird feeling as the wind began to speed up slightly. Suddenly, multiple things started flashing in my head. I saw the end. My end. I came to peace with the idea of eternal life, but now I see that eternity will be cut short. Very short.

I jumped up freaking out as Dimitry's eyes shot open in front of me. I felt wetness coming from my nose and I wiped it to see on my hands that it was blood. I heard running in our direction, so I forcefully calmed myself down. “I’m fine, I saw a spider,” I lied pathetically in the group link. The fact they thought I was that overdramatic made them believe it and the running changed direction. I leaned over, put my hands on a tree, and let myself breathe slowly before I processed what I saw. I felt warmth coming from my hand and straightened as I opened my eyes. My hand was glowing and when I took it off the tree it stopped. Huh?

“Come on, let me get you inside,” Dimitry replied as I nodded to him. I now felt oddly full of energy.

That night while reading the diaries, I learned that King land used to belong to the original coven. They enchanted the trees to heal and provide energy, which became useful once the werewolves arrived. I’m guessing it was all the coven’s land until their arrival considering the ancient witch burial ground’s location. As for the visions, I knew what they were. I was seeing the future, a premonition if you will. The thing is, they aren’t set in stone. It can change as mindsets change, which I’m hoping happens very soon.

-

The next morning my friends mocked me for the spider situation. They knew I was lying but I’m too hard-headed to give in. They wouldn’t understand. The ones that will, won’t hold out the same hope I do. They’d want me to cut out the possibility. Me on the other hand, I want to avoid the possibility.

After my fifth period, I ran into Jesse in the hallway. “Hi Ali,” he said awkwardly as I smiled up at him.

“Hi.”

“I was wondering if you could help me?”

“With?”

“Latin. My teacher moves so fast. I have no idea what she is talking about. You can’t exactly learn a language through a book,” he admitted.

“Yes, I don’t mind.”

“Could you come to the packhouse tonight?”

At that, my eyes widened. That was the last place I wanted to be. “How about you come over to my house? My parents aren’t home,” I replied, opening a mind link to keep people from hearing.

“Are you sure? I don’t think they would like that, seeing as though you have a mate.”

“They encourage me to branch out.”

-

Right at eight, I heard the doorbell go off. I told him just to come in, but I guess he forgot that part. “Hello,” I smiled as I opened the door and he followed me to the living room.

“Hello,” Jesse replied awkwardly.

“So how do you and your brother like the move and the people?”

“We love it here. There are just some things that we don’t understand. I always thought wolves were loyal, possessive predators, but here some people aren’t.” He didn’t say it, but I knew he had a specific person in mind, which made my heart hurt.

“It’s important not to let those people affect us. Otherwise, they have power over us.”

“It just confuses me because you both looked so in love the day I met you.” I couldn’t think of words to say. I didn’t know how to explain it without sounding like a complete i***t. Thankfully, Jesse took my lack of words as a cue to change the subject. “So, where is everyone? I expected it to be less quiet.”

“Dimitry had a family situation and my parent’s left to visit my mom's family.” I finally got Dimitry to come here and then this morning at three he left saying he had a family situation to handle. His whole family’s dead so I’m not sure why he’s lying. Or why he’s doing it so terribly. And then my parents left to visit my mom’s family for the week and left me here even though I begged to go. They’re all three just rude.

“I would never stay in a house this big by myself,” Jesse admitted as I let out a giggle and we started on his Latin. I have tutored some in the past, so this wasn’t anything new to me. Once I learned how to get to him, it was easy.

We were about an hour in and I was making him use the words in a sentence when I felt it. My necklace heated on my chest as my eyes shot up to his. “Jesse, I’ll continue this with you later but for now you should leave. Like right now.” Immediately he started packing up his things and I instructed him on which door to escape out of.

The back patio door opened and I tried to bite down my fear as Jaylon made his way down the hallways. The images played in my mind again until he came into view and my breath caught. “I was going to surprise you since we have the house to ourselves, but I find this! First, you’re freaking out in the woods saying it was a “spider”, then you act like I don’t exist, and now you’re sneaking boys over here! What the hell is wrong with you Alison?”

“I was just teaching Jesse Latin.”

“Why here?”

“I didn’t want to be in your way at the packhouse.”

“No. You just wanted him alone! I thought you were different. You’re just like the others.” That’s offensive.

“No Jaylon, I’m being serious.”

“I don’t believe you. I give you the world and this is how you repay me?”

“I’m sorry. You can take it back.”

“So, you're just going to give up?”

“I’m not, but I don’t know what else to say. I told you the truth. Look at the books,” I motioned to the table.

“The next boy I see over here will be killed!” Jaylon growled before leaving. I quickly mumbled a spell to lock every door and window in the house. I’m not willing to risk it with Jaylon’s new bad mood. I rushed up to my room and lit candles in a circle around me as the rain started outside. I began trying to use the same technique I practiced with Dimitry and was horrified by the results. Usually, the visions were never the same. Now, they’re exactly the same. Every. Single. Time.

-

School the next day was a blur for the most part, other than Jaylon now being in all of my classes. He sat beside me in each one. We both pretended the other didn’t exist, except for when he argued with Mrs. Plenskofski over being my lab partner in herbalism. He lost. But, Mr. Calvello let him be my Chemistry lab partner so it didn’t do much good. Jheremy was pissed that he got grouped with Ethan and Nick. I feel bad, he’s going to be doing all of the work for them.

In herbalism, Mason apologized to me for what happened last night. I have no idea why, it wasn’t Jesse’s fault. But, now I have to tutor him in the packhouse. It shouldn’t be too bad though, Jaylon, or anyone for that matter, barely goes into the library unless they have to. Except for a specific few. Mason asked if he could join, which I didn’t mind and Jheremy offered to help.

Jaylon silently babysat me all day, with the exception being the tutoring session. I figured he would sit out on that part. Afterward, my friends begged me to stay for dinner and I had nothing better to do, at least not to their knowledge. I would love to be anywhere except here but I knew I was safe with them. Nick saw through my mask. He wouldn’t give up until I eventually caved and let him see into my thoughts, which seemed to scare him more than me. Neither of us would have guessed the events that played in my mind and we couldn’t figure out what might cause them.

That changed the moment they pushed me for the last time. As my friends and I were leaving the kitchen and Nick and I were privately mind-linking, we passed through a living room that I ended up stopping in. I have been asking myself on repeat for two days how Jaylon could do something like that to me, but now I’m placing it all together. He could do it to me for them. For girls that feed his desires. Every time I thought Jaylon couldn’t do something to me, they were right there with him. He ignored me for them. Neglected me for them. Let me cry myself to sleep for them. Made me schedule my time around when he was with them. He ruined us for them. He was never going to break it off. What does his relationship with Loren have to do with the girls he sleeps with? He just wanted the best of both worlds. I’m tired of playing the nice girl because it’s gotten me nowhere but the sidelines as I watch with nightmares flashing through my mind.

My friends turned back to me as my face dropped while watching Jaylon share his attention between Loren and Bridget. Before they could fully register what was going on, I sped up to the throuple and grabbed the two girls by their hair, ripping them from Jaylon. “I have given you plenty of time, you’re all just being stupid at this point. He’s mine. If I have to remind you again, I’ll kill you both,” I growled, throwing them both face first in the wall, not giving a single f**k who had supernatural healing. The lightning storm outside caused the whole house to shake with each bolt that landed on the ground. I turned back to Jaylon with cold eyes and radiating skin as I was fighting the urge to wolf out and hurt someone. “Now you’ve done it,” I warned before grabbing his ear and dragging him behind me. The room we left was frozen in shock, but I didn’t have time to deal with it.

“Ali! Ali! Ali! I’m sorry, just let go of my ear!” Jaylon begged as I pulled him up the steps. Gladly. I let go and grabbed his hair and he started all over again. I burst into his room, threw him on the bed, and crawled on top of him before holding his neck down to the bed with my hand.

“Baby I’m sorry!” he whined under my grip.

“Don’t even start with me! I’m done playing games. All I have wanted was for you to respect me, maybe even care about me, but no. You underestimate me. You manipulate and cheat on me. You give me nightmares every time I close my eyes. You don’t deserve me. I have tried over and over to trust you and hold out hope, but I am done. We are done.” He didn’t say anything but watched with tears streaming down his face as I frantically took off all of the jewelry and dropped it down on the bed around him. I quickly went into his closet and shoved the few things that were mine into my bookbag before coming out and giving a warning growl to the now-standing Jaylon.

“Ba-”

“No, I’m not your baby. I’m not your Ali either. Hell, we aren’t even on a first-name basis. You can call me Miss King,” I cut him off before storming out. I temporarily spelled his door before going across the hall to my room and taking off my clothes. I threw them in my bookbag and wolfed out, grabbing the bag with my teeth, and leaving. I shut off my mind link from not only Jaylon but also my friends and a very concerned Dalton.

-

I woke up in my bedroom. It was dark and I surprisingly couldn’t see a thing. Night vision should be helping. . . but it’s not working. I sat up and tried to grab my phone, but I couldn’t feel it on the bed or nightstand. None of my lights were working either. The powers out? The power never goes out. Maybe a breaker flipped? I opened my bedroom door to see that the whole house was dark. My skin was starting to crawl. I’ve never been scared of the dark, but something felt very, very wrong. The red tent coming through the windows didn’t help.

Officially freaking out, I bolted to the packhouse. It's a basic instinct. Something isn’t right. I tried to shift or run faster, but it was like I was a human. I couldn’t do either and I was starting to slow down and run out of breath. Everything was much worse the more I realized. I couldn’t hear anyone else in the forest. No wolves were running around, no patrols, no birds, no nothing. I couldn’t feel anyone. I could normally feel the pack and my connection to it, but I was empty. I couldn’t link anyone.

I looked down confused. I was wearing a plain white dress. When did I change clothes? Where did I even get the dress? Someone came up behind me and yanked me back, causing me to freeze. Their touch was cold and their presence made the hairs lift on the back of my neck. I was completely frozen. I had no idea what to do or how to do it. “I’ve been looking for you baby,” I heard from a familiar voice.

I turned around confused. Something about him wasn’t right and it told me to get out of there. “Y-you have? Where is everyone? I can’t feel anyone. It’s like they just vanished. Did something happen?” I blurted out, looking around the forest.

“Calm down. The pack is in their homes resting. I have asked everyone to close their links tonight as we mate,” Jaylon smiled down at me. His face mimicked his gentle, loving smile, but his eyes had a sinister glint in them. It almost looked like amusement.

“What? Since when are we mating? I just left you!”

“Alison, my love, it’s October. That was August.” My love?

“October? No, it’s not October. I left you at the packhouse earlier. It was August 3rd!”

“Ali, that was months ago. Listen, you have been having these little episodes. You keep losing track of time. We agreed that mating is what would be best for you.”

“No. We can’t.” I protested, taking a step back.

“I love you so much. Just come with me. Everything will be fine in time.”

Suddenly, he tightly grabbed my wrist and began to pull me behind him to the pack house. Silent tears slid down my face as we made our way. There was not a single light on or soul awake and my mind started screaming that this isn’t Jaylon. His normally hot touch was now ice cold. The sparks weren’t there and he acted as if he were mimicking himself. I felt his grip loosen for a second and took it as my opportunity. I ripped his hand off and screamed as loud as I could the whole run back down the stairs, but not a single person came out of their rooms.

My eyes widened as I saw the moon when running out of the pack house. It was blood red. The whole sky is blood red. What? It didn’t stop me though, I took off to my aunt's house. It was the only safe place I knew. My parents were gone and Jaylon, or whatever that was, knew that.

I was so confused about everything happening. There were absolutely no lights in the packhouse. None on the trails. And now, none in my aunt's house. Only the red light from the moon. I locked the door behind me and rushed into Dalton’s room, who wasn’t there. Bridget wasn’t there. My aunt and uncle weren’t there. What the hell is going on? I heard Jaylon break down the door downstairs and quietly opened my aunt's window and snook out onto the roof as he ran upstairs. I jumped down onto the forest floor and took off. It must have been the adrenaline keeping me going because for some reason that jump hurt like a b***h.

I was heading for the little wolf suburbs a few miles past the pack house when I was shoved into a tree and dropped onto the ground. I opened my eyes as my surroundings swirled around before finally focusing. “What is going on?” I sobbed out, slowly sitting up and scooting back until I hit the tree.

“You know exactly what you did!” he glared down at me, stepping forward as I tried to stand up against the tree. I tried mumbling spells, but nothing came. Not even weather magic.

“Where is everyone?” I yelled out, pressing my palm against my forehead to help slow the bleeding.

“Don’t worry about them. We need to mate. Now.”

“NO!”

“Fine. You want to do this the hard way, we will.”

My eyes shot open as I gasped for breath. When I realized my surroundings and who had just woken me up, I kicked him into my fireplace. He usually gives me more time. He’s spawning here now? He is not going to kill me again!

Jaylon put his hand to the back of his head as he grunted in pain. “Stay the hell away from me!” I growled through my teeth. Jaylon’s eyes widened with fear and a little pain. He tried to get up, but my growl deepened. “Don’t think I won’t hurt you! I won’t let you win this time,” I continued making him lean back to the wall. I took the opportunity to run out the open balcony door and jumped down. I’ve tried every route, but this time, I’m going to use the size of the packhouse against him. I was stopped when I got tackled to the ground.

I threw him back-first into a tree before I took off again. “Alison!” he screamed behind me, making me run faster. Someone grabbed my arm so I swung them into another tree. I’m not stupid. I know this game. It’s been days. I wake up and he’s pretending to be sweet then I’m mated and dead. Each time in a new, painful way.

I heard someone coming at me from the side and grabbed them before they could me and slammed them onto the ground. I wrapped my hand tight around their neck and glared into their eyes. “You are not killing me again!” I growled, right before being ripped off.

I tried to stand up and run again, but I was pulled down into someone's lap as their legs wrapped around me. “Calm down! Calm down! What’s wrong?” Jaylon breathed out behind me worriedly, rubbing my hair back towards himself.

“Let me go!” I screamed as loud as I could in his arms, trying to kick my way back up as I sobbed.

A brown wolf ran up in front of us and looked at me with worried eyes. Nick. “Is this real?” I stopped, looking into his amber eyes. He nodded to me and I ripped Jaylon’s hands off me and crawled under Nick, latching onto one of his front legs. I looked down to see the sweats I put on before I fell asleep and up at the moon to see its normal silver color then sighed in relief.

“What the hell was that?” Seth groaned, crawling up beside us in pain. I looked at him confused before realizing he must have been the person I thought was Jaylon. I looked beside me to see Dalton laying on his back in shock, trying to catch his breath. Oh no.

“What’s wrong?” Jaylon asked, trying to come closer but Nick growled. It was only then that I heard the difference in his voice. It was slightly off from the dream. I guess my head didn’t have it perfect.

“You’re going to be the one to kill me,” I whispered, looking away from him. I ignored Jaylon’s quick protests as I watched Dalton slowly sit up before turning my attention to the moon I was thankful to see.

“What is going on out here?” Malachi questioned, running up to us with Jacob and security.

“Well, no wonder she’s gone crazy! What were you thinking Jaylon?” Dalton yelled, ignoring him. I watched the moon and stars above us until Nick looked down at me before growling again at Jaylon. Jacob bent down in front of me and placed gentle fingers on my neck.

“I-I didn’t do that! I just got to her a minute ago! You were all behind me, you know that! I’ve been trying to wake her up. What is that?” Jaylon blurted out with tears streaming down his face. “I could never do that to her!”

“Don’t lie,” Malachi pressed.

“Do you really think I would do that to her?” Jaylon shouted.

“We don’t know! You're an ass to her every chance you get!” Seth cut in.

“If you think I would do that to her, none of you know me at all!” Even though I knew all of this was real, looking at Jaylon instinctively scared me. When I looked into his eyes though, they weren’t evil. They were filled with love and pain. It felt like everything around us slowed until something cold fell on my cheek. I looked up to see that snow started falling above us. . . in the middle of August. I also see that my powers wanted to add to the chaos.

Malachi quickly sent the guards home which told me that he knew. They all knew. Dalton looked down at me and then back to Jaylon. “He didn’t do it. If he had, she wouldn’t be as calm as she is now. I’m sure she will know what happened if we give her time,” Dalton defended.

“For your cousin's sake, I hope you're right,” Seth glared at him.

Malachi walked in front of me and met my eyes. “Did Jaylon do this?”

“No,” I whispered. Malachi pulled Jaylon up, ignoring his protest, and instructed Dalton to do whatever he thought was best before leaving. The others stayed for a second. Nick’s wolf wouldn’t let them near me but Seth and Jacob tried to talk me out of my silence.

Dalton stood for a second, watching the snowfall around us before shaking his head in disbelief and sighing. “I’m guessing you don’t want to go home?”