His Mute Mate

Chapter Nine

Ambers POV

“I want my mate” the man growled at my sister.  She tensed up and growled right back at him.  

“Your mate is my sister and you will calm down”, Willow said in her Luna voice.  Even though he wasn’t a pack member, her aura still had an affect on him.  

“Yes Luna, I apologize for my actions.  I’ve just been frustrated trying to find my mate and my pack was starting to threaten me with having to choose a chosen mate.  I was just excited and didn’t stop to think of how my actions would affect her”, he said.  My sister was looking at him and then a ghost of a smile appeared before disappearing.

“Well, I think it would be best if, after the ball, we met in the Alphas office to discuss this, as this situation is not as straight forward as you would’ve hoped it to be” my sister said.

“Yes Luna, I look forward to the meeting” he said, and then walked away.  My sister looked at me and then guided me to a room upstairs so we could have some privacy.  Once there, we began to mindlink each other.

Amber, what's going on in your mind right now?

I’m scared.  I don’t really want a mate.  Not after what Teival did to me.

Well, I can tell you right now, he is nothing like Teival.  His soul is actually pretty pure, which surprises me, since only pups have a soul as pure as his.

What does that mean?

It means he has not once done anything horrible or awful, unlike Teival, whose soul is blacker than black if that’s even possible.

Hmm, I still don’t know.  I’m not ready for a mate right now and I don’t know if I’ll ever want another one again.

Maybe give him a chance.  He hasn’t actually done anything to you.  I can understand his wolf more than likely took over because of his desire to have his mate.  You don’t have to accept him right away, but at least give him a chance to prove himself to you.

I still don’t know.

Amber, I know you look longingly at the families around the pack. This guy could be your chance to finally have that.

How do you know I did that?

You do it all the time when we are out together, even though you try to hide it.

I hate that you’re right.  Since when did you grow to be wiser and more mature then me little sis?

Since I found my own mate and he helped me get through all the trauma I went through as a child.

OK, I guess I’m willing to give him a chance.  But I only want to be friends right now. Maybe in time I’ll accept him as my mate.

Willow smiled at me and then we went back to join everyone else in the festivities.  I still felt unsure about all of this, but I know it’s not his fault for what happened to me.  I stayed close to Willow and she never let me out of her sight.  We still had a lot of fun together, dancing and drinking a little.  For a brief moment, I forgot about everything that had happened to me and felt happy for the first time in a while.

When it struck 3am, it was time for everyone to go home and rest.  The meeting I would have is at 9am to give me time to sleep a little.  When I got home, I crashed.

I woke up to my alarm going off and sleepily turned it off.  I dragged myself out of bed and got dressed for the day.  Willow would be there by around 8:30 to pick me up for the meeting.  After showering and getting dressed, I went and saw my children.  I gave each and every one of them a hug and a kiss.  Then I heard a knock at the door, which must be Willow.  I went to open it and there she was.  She hugged me and then I got in the car with her.  The ride was quiet as we drove to the pack house.

Once we arrived, we went upstairs to the Alphas office.  My sister took her spot next to Alpha Talamonti.  A few minutes went by and someone knocked on the door.  The Alpha called for the person to come in.  My mate walked in and sat right next to me.  I felt very uncomfortable with him being so close, so I scooted away.  He looked hurt but then my sister cleared her throat.

“So please tell us your name” my sister asked.

“My name is Salman Mckinney, omega of the blood claw pack” he said.  My sister and the alpha nodded.

“And this meeting is to discuss me and my mate,” he said.

“Yes, well there is a lot you need to know, but most of it is not for me to say.  What I will say is she is mute due to trauma and so she can only communicate through sign language or writing”, Willow said.

“I have no issue with that” he said.

“She also refuses to leave the pack and we are allowing it due to what she has gone through”, Willow said.  He looked a bit stunned.

“What do you mean she refuses to leave the pack?  The female is supposed to leave her pack and go to the males' pack” he said.

“Only if she accepts the bond”, Willow said.

“I’m her mate, why wouldn’t she accept the bond?” he asked, a bit annoyed and confused.

“I am not at liberty to tell you, since it isn’t my story to tell.  However, if you want her to even consider accepting you, then you’d better do everything you can to prove you are worthy of her”. Willow snaps at him.  He bows his head in understanding.  

“Would it be okay then if I were to stay as a guest here in the pack at least to try and prove myself to her?” he asks.  I was a little taken aback that he’d be willing to even do that, since most males wouldn’t even entertain the idea.

“Yes, I don’t see why that would be an issue, but you had better talk with your Alpha about it”, Alpha Talamonti said.  He nodded and then, after talking a bit more, his Alpha came in.

“Hello Alpha Talamonti, I am Alpha Bastion. You requested to speak with me in regards to one of my pack members?”  Alpha Bastion said with a bit of concern in his voice.

“Yes, Alpha Bastion, I requested to speak with you as we have a bit of a situation that we need your input on”, Alpha Talamonti said.  Alpha Bastion looked a bit alarmed and concerned.

“What is the situation?” Alpha Bastion asked.  Alpha Talamonti then proceeded to explain how I am his mate, but due to trauma, I need to stay in the pack and he has to earn my trust and acceptance.  Alpha Bastion listened and never interrupted.

“So what is your opinion on the situation?” Alpha Talamonit asked Alpha Bastion.  He looked to be in thought for a moment before speaking.

“I think it’s more than acceptable for Mckinney to stay here for a while to get his mate to accept him.  I understand how trauma can affect someone, as I actually had a similar situation with my Luna, so it is more OK with me, and depending on what is decided, I’ll even be willing to release him from the pack so he could join yours, if that is what they decide” Alpha Bastion said.  After a bit more discussion, it was decided that Salman could stay in the pack for at least a few months and then they would get together for a talk to consider what the next steps would be.  I, of course, was asked if all of this was OK with me and I nodded.  I thought it was more than fair since he was willing to at least stay here to prove himself to me.  The meeting was then adjourned and we all left.