My True Mate

Memory

Rue looks at Darian speechless.

She’s not yet sure of what to make of everything. The confliction of the love she’s felt for him this past year and how quickly things are seemingly changing since last night has her stomach in knots.

Darian’s earlier anger has been replaced with concern and longingness.

She feels her own wolf howl as she aches for her mate.

Rue tries to focus on the tingles flowing between them but that damn fire.

She lets go of Darian and breathes.

“Look, Darian..My wolf says you’re mine too. But I think she’s still confused. She seems to think Manny is as well.”

Rue looks at Darian and sees him flinch but he quickly composed himself.

“Still this? But surely your wolf is confused. And..” he draws out the word and moves his hand to lace with hers, “she must feel the bond with me more.” The last part is not a question. She knows Darian is making a statement.

The fierceness in his voice let’s her know immediately she cannot yet discuss further with him. So she decided to replay, “She just feels for you both.”

Darian clutches and unclutches his fist.

He sighs heavily and takes a few steps to the other side of her room before pacing back. “I will not share you Rue. You are mine! Does this past year mean nothing to you?!”

Rue recoils a bit as she thinks again back to the night of Darian’s 18th birthday.

Rue was originally planning to skip Darian’s party. Had it not been for Finn and their stupid deal she would have likely stayed home.

“You owe me Cousin.” Finn smirks as he leans on her doorframe.

Rue arches her eyebrow and shakes her head. “I know you’re just going to torture that poor Bonnie . Honestly, Finn, can’t you take a hint?”

Finn shrugs his shoulders and smugly responds, “I am taking the hints. She wants me.” He flashes his pearly whites and steps into her room. “But since her stupid brother is going to be there I need you to go with me. Distract him for a second. You said you two were good friends. And besides You Owe Me!”

Rue rolls her eyes.

An hour later they were walking up the marble steps of Darian’s parents home. The whole school had to be there. Between the lawn and the interior, everyone was having a great time. The music was on full blast, but this was typical as Darians home was in the more secluded area of the pack and thus perfect as a party house.

Rue walked in and immediately spotted Manny. He was saying something to Bonnie that made her furrow her brows and cross her arms.

“There she is!” Finn beamed. He pulled Rue behind him as they made their way to the siblings.

Bonnie saw Finn before Manny and her eyes turned to saucers. Manny immediately noticed her facial expression and slowly looked up until his eyes met Finn.

Pissed! Angry! Murderous! That’s how he glared at Finn who cooly approached the two.

Manny fixed his mouth, ready to chew Finn out when his eyes caught sight of Rue. Immediately his body relaxed and he was at a loss for words. Rue blushed in response.

Bonnie and Finn looked between the two of them before Finn elbows his cousin.

“Oh Um,” Rue begins, “hey Manny.” Her cheeks felt warm.

Bonnie cleared her throat.

Rue turned even redder. “Oh uh! Hey Bonnie!”

Bonnie smirked but politely responded back with her own hello before announcing that she was going to grab a drink. Before Manny could stop her she dashed off with Finn a few steps behind her.

Manny steps a bit closer to Rue but before he can get too close a few of their classmates rush between them chanting, “chug chug chug!”

Rue laughs and Manny seems to relax.

“How are you Princess?” He asks, he flashes his biggest smile.

Rue points to her ear and shakes her head, and Manny takes that opportunity to pull her towards the back of the house away from the loudness happening with the keg in the living room.

He smoothly traps her within an archway and says in her ear. “You look great.”

Rue feels warm again but shrugs it off and replies with a polite smile.

“What’s your beef with my cousin?” She arched her eyebrow but noticed as Manny freezes before cooly replying, “He’s an ass after my sister. What’s there to like.”

Rue giggles and they begin talking some more. She tells him how she wasn’t even planning to come and he tells her how it’s her high school right of passage to go to every party that’s thrown. They talk about the latest movies they’ve seen. They talk about how crazy everyone around them is. Manny tells her about some of his childhood stories and Rue tells him some of her own.

At some point Manny asks her what she thinks about mates and she tells him how much she can’t wait until she is 18 so she can find hers. She gushed and gushed about how much of a softy she is for romance and Manny just smiles at her. Eventually she pokes at his dimple and tells him his mates going to be one lucky woman because she can poke his dimple all day. Happy birthday is sung in the front room as they laugh, and Manny leans in further preparing to tell her a new story when a loud roar rips through the crowd.

Darian growls and makes his way to Rue so quickly that she almost doesn’t have a chance to give a look of shock as she’s torn from being up under Manny.

As the new mates embrace each other Rue’s attention is almost so focused on Darian that she forgets about Manny.

Almost.

She takes a moment to glance into the crowd but he’s nowhere to be found. Just as quickly as she turned to search for him Darian is turning her attention back to him and plants a sweet kiss on her lips.

Rue shakes her head at the memory. Darian was so sure the night of his birthday. There was no doubt in his mind. And yet Rue could not say the same about their bond now that she is 18.

“Rue?! Did you hear me?!” Darian’s frustrated eyes bore into her as she finds herself at a loss for words.

Darian growls before grabbing the lamp from her nightstand and chucking it at the wall.

“Darian!” Rue screams.

He turns to her, his gold eyes pouring anger from them. He grabs the night stand and throws that to the wall as well.

“Darian! Jru! Please stop.” Rue screams.

She gets off the bed and charges at Darian at a poor attempt to knock him down. Darian grips Rue’s collar and pulls her closer.

“No!” She shouts firmly. “Let me go!”

She looks in Darian’s eyes and only sees Jru.

“Jru let me go!” She yells, pounding at his chest.

He brings her closer to his lips, but before he can land a kiss she uses her Royal voice to command him, “Let me go now.”

Darian immediately let’s her go and offers his neck as a sign of submission. His face is scrunched and his chest heaves as she watches him try to fight against her command.

Rue backs away from and smoothes out her dress.

“You’re acting crazy.” She whispers. A small tear rolling down her cheek.

Darian’s eyes return to brown as he looks to her with the same broken-hearted eyes she saw minutes earlier.

“Rue, my wolf..I’m sorry..” His body relaxes as he falls into full submission of her command.