Hold Me Closer, Hate Me Harder: He Loves My Mate

Chapter Two

“This is your nature! You can’t just ignore that, Nellie!” Dad yelled. I rolled my eyes and slammed my head on the table. I sat here for an hour listening to him and I was ready to get this stupid meeting over with so I could go back to the dorm and sleep.

“Nell, we are saying this for your own good. Please listen,” Mom said.

“Forget it, she doesn’t even care!” Dad said. I shot my head up at him and glared.

“I do care but all day you guys b***h an-“

“Watch your mouth young lady!” Dad warned, pointing a meaty finger at me. I groaned at him.

“All you do is yell at me about the same thing every day! I know it’s not what we do but have you ever thought just maybe I don’t want to live by the pack rules for the rest of my life? I want a normal life before I settle down with someone,” I told them.

“You aren’t living by human laws, Nell! You are a wolf!” Dad said.

“I am still a human too! I’d rather be human than an animal!” I yelled, standing up.

“Well you’re not so you will go by our laws as long as you are my daughter!”

“Dominic understands, why can’t you guys?!” I yelled. Mom opened her mouth to speak but dad yelled over her.

“Because we’re your parents, you’re going to be alpha one day and you will follow by the rules!”

“I don’t want to be alpha!” I didn’t want to hear anymore so I stormed from the house towards the meeting hall where everyone but my family was gathered. Jake stood outside the hall waiting for me when I came up to the door.

“Arguing with dad again?” He snarled.

“Does that man not know anything better to do with his only daughter?” I asked. He chuckled and followed behind me into the loud hall, which was filled. I searched the hall for Brienne when Mike jumped out in front of me. His blonde hair bounced in his eyes and the smile he wore was larger than his face could hold.

“Hey, Nellie!” He said.

“Hey Mike, what’s up?”

“Hanging with my girl,” he said. I nudged him in the shoulder and laughed.

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend, Mickey!” I said. He laughed and looked to his left.

“Well, I have to go. My mom is impatient.” He waved goodbye and ran back to his sit, letting me go back to searching for Brienne. When I didn’t see her I walked up to a chair where I didn’t notice Dom sitting.

“Hey Nells.” I looked down into his green eyes and gave him a little smile.

“Hey Mr. Keith,” I said without thinking. He growled under his breath but ignored me calling him by the wrong name.

“You looking for Brienne?” He asked. I nodded. “Haven’t seen her yet. Why don’t you take a seat?” I looked down at him as he patted the seat next to him. Hesitant, I walked in front of him to sit on his left side.

Of course the meeting was a bore. Brienne ended up walking in half way through and ended up having to sit on the stage with the elders. She hated being near them because they grunted a lot and fell asleep during the meetings. Afterwards she met Mike, his girlfriend, Dom, a few of his friends, and I outside in front of the hall. “So Am, we’re all going to the arcade, you wanna join?” Jude, Dom’s friend, asked. Before I met Dom, I had a huge crush on Jude but afterwards I realized he wanted to sleep around more rather than find his mate. He was like me, except the sleeping around part because I have never slept with a guy before. You were supposed to save that for your mate but that was a tradition that died long ago. At least for most.

“Uh…sure,” I turned to Brienne. “You want to go?”

“I don’t know, hanging out with a teacher on a school night? Sounds kinda…creepy!” She said, looking around me to look at Dom. “Are you going to give me a good grade if I be good?” Dom snorted at her.

“Once you stop coming into my classroom screaming like a crazy, I’ll pass you,” He said. She rolled her eyes and locked our arms together.

“Whatever, gets me out of the dorm for a little bit,” She groaned under her breath. Jude turned to his group and let out a loud howl.

“How about it fellas? You want to party?!” His group cheered and ran off into the night. Dom hung back with Brienne and I to direct us in the right direction. Why we didn’t drive was beyond me but the night did feel good since I haven’t been out like this in months.

The boys ran off towards the water howling in the night while I sat in the sand laughing as Brienne stumbled her way after them. Dominic stayed with me the whole night, which was really annoying but the company was nice. Brienne was hanging with Mark, another one of Dom’s friends, most the night so I felt lonely without her. “How’s school going?” He asked, breaking the silence between us. I threw myself on my back and stared up at the stars. I drank four beers and already felt dizzy.

“You should know, you are my teacher,” I groaned. I heard him sigh but didn’t look at him. This wasn’t how I wanted to spend my night when I was trying to keep him out of my life.

“Is there any chance you’ve changed your mind?” He said bluntly. I sat up in a rush of anger.

“Why does it matter? Can’t I live my life for a little bit without someone asking or telling me about my stupid nature?!” I got to my feet and started storming off to where the others splashed in the water.

“Nell, I didn’t mean to upset you! I just need you…I love you!” He said, following me. I stopped and turned to him. The moon was the only light, giving me a full view of the hurt on his face.

“I love you too, Dom, but I want to live my life first. It’s the one thing I can never get back. Please, just give me that even for just a little bit?” I said. I stood there staring at him before walking to him and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. I turned from him again and shuffled off to the water where Brienne screamed at me.

“Oh my gosh, this is so amazing!” She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the water.

“It’s freezing!” I screeched. A few boys came up to us laughing.

“Hey Bri, Tank wants to ask you something!” She turned her attention to them and I tuned out of their conversation. Jude was standing near the water looking out across the lake. He looked so much different than when I crushed on him and although my feelings for him weren’t as strong as before, I found myself watching him.

“Bored, Nell?” He asked as I walked up behind him. He must have heard my footsteps against the sand.

“Yeah, a bit,” I said. I followed his gaze across the water. The moonlight made it look like glass shining against light. “Do you guys always come out here?”

“Not always. Only when we have someone to come out with.” I heard him give a little chuckle and right away I knew what he meant. I rolled my eyes in the dark. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing much,” I sighed. “School mostly. It’s as boring as it sounds.”

“Yeah, I know how that is. So, you found your mate huh?” He said. I turned to him and raised my eyebrows. “I can smell it.”

“You can smell that?” I asked. I stuck my nose in the air and sniffed. “I can’t tell…Have you?” His laugh echoed through the night but was over taken by Brienne’s screams.

“No and I’m not looking forward to it,” He said. “Besides the stink of love around you, you smell nice.” I punched his arm and laughed.

“Stink? Do you really hate love?”

“No, I don’t hate it but I have fun being with who I want to be with, not being forced to be with one person,” He said. A smile crossed my face.

“I know that feeling.” The night slipped out from all of us. Dom was nowhere in sight and everyone else, including me, was drunk. Every so often I would black out and when I came too, my lips were attached to Jude’s. That happened many times throughout the night until I ended up back in my dorm.