Mated To The Mythical Alpha

Chapter 8

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“Alpha.” I greeted my father at his office door. It looks like he’s looking at blueprints of some kind.

“Son.” He finally looks away from the array of papers around him and meets my eyes.

“There was an intruder at the boundary. Zander and I chased them off, they fled right to the college.”

He pauses for a minute and brings his left arm up to his face. He curls his index finger around his top lip and tucks his thumb under his chin, gently tapping it. I know this look all too well, he does this to me when trying to decide to tell me something. He stared out the office window for another few minutes.

“Well,” he finally spoke, almost amused at the conversation, “Either we have a rogue wolf seeking shelter, or we have a minority at the college! Tell me, what did they smell like?”

She smelt like mate! I push Orion back, I will not be dealing with this “mate” nonsense in front of my father. “Oranges, sir.” Orion growls in my head. Father’s eyes go wide and he smiles for just a second before he looks back at the blueprints and I know this conversation is over with. I turned to leave the office when he spoke again.

“Son, I’ll be needing you to oversee a new project. Get ready to visit the college.” Dammit. I hate that human-infested place. “Yes, Alpha.” is all I managed to say before sulking down the stairs.

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I awake in a cave, the ground is damp and the walls are wet with moisture. It’s cold and dark but there is bright light barely visible a ways ahead of me. Artemis gives me help with my senses and my eyes grow bright blue to counter the darkness. I get up off the ground and slowly walk along the walls to the light.

There is barking in the distance, it’s not moving so it’s not coming after us, but as we creep closer and closer to the light, it gets louder. We walked right into a large den,with a massive fire burning in the center. There is a kitchenette with a fully stocked bar to the left.There is a large bed with black mesh curtains around it to the right. Behind the flames of the massive fire are five huge, black dogs all chained to the wall. They were barking and growling and pulling on the chains so hard, I thought for sure they would break free.

“Arketá!” someone shouts and all the dogs stop barking and lay down. The sheets of the bed start to move and pillows fall to the floor. “Why can’t you dogs just let me sleep!” a female voice cries.

We stand there as a small silhouette of a figure in the bed starts to throw the covers off her and sit up against the headboard. Her long, black hair looks like a bird's nest, wild and tangled within itself. She yawns and stretches out her arms. She sighs and moves the curtains to the side, only to be greeted by an intruder in her home.

She screams out when she sees me standing in front of the fire. She quickly unwraps herself from the sheets and then the curtains and stands beside the bedside looking at me, at least I think she is, her hair is now in front of her face. Didn’t we see her crawl out of a TV screen in that one movie? This is no time for jokes, Artemis.

“Parker! Artemis! How nice it is to see you again!” She says happily. I can’t recall ever seeing this woman and Artemis is going through a list of horror movies we’ve seen her star in. She must see the confusion on my face because just as I was going to ask if we had met before, she says “Ah, wait. I know.” and snaps her fingers and a puff of black smoke engulfs her.

The smoke clears and now standing before me is a tall, creamy white skin, beautiful woman. The loose-fitting nightgown had turned into a tight, full-length, dark red dress with a black corset ribbon bust. Her hair is pin straight all the way down to her butt, and pulled back around her head is a tight, thin headband with black and red diamonds. “Hecate!” Artemis says before I can gather my thoughts.

She smiles at us and strides over to the bar. A tall glass appears and soon the fridge door is open and a bottle of orange juice is floating throughout the den and is poured into the glass and floats right back to the fridge.

“Being the Goddess of Magic has its perks, you know.” she says with a smile as she sips from the glass. “Now. I brought you here for a reason, Parker.” The smile is gone and she tosses the glass over her shoulder and I hear it smash on the other side of the bar. “The necklace I gave you for your powers is still strong but there is news about Alpheus.” She motions for me to sit on the stool next to her.

The mention of his name has my knees weak. Artemis is pacing in my head. I don’t say anything, I can’t say anything. “He’s getting closer to you.” She continues. I think I’m going to be sick. My stomach is in knots, the hair on the back of my neck stands up, a shiver runs through my entire body. “The last pack before Tiagra has spread the word of a rogue in their territory. Some say he has an army of rogues, some say there are only a few and I have also heard he is alone.”

My breathing is uneven, I feel faint and weak. I grabbed my necklace and ran my thumb across the wolf head. Artemis stays silent. Hetate puts her hand on my shoulder gently, “Parker, Gaea is also becoming very angry with your mate as well. You need to find him soon.”

If that Goddess of earth touches my mate, I’ll go after her myself. Stop growling, Artemis, I’m losing my mind here. Alex and Alpheus are closing in; my mate pissed off a Goddess; I could have crossed into the ancient territory and pissed off unstable, predominantly transformed werewolves. What else could possibly go wrong?! Don’t forget little wolf, you’re also working on the Academic Hall with the director of the college in two weeks. Gee, thank you again, Artemis.

“Parker, I know this is a lot.” Hecate brings me out of the edge of a panic attack. She gives me a smile and removes her hand from my shoulder. “But, of course, I will not let you leave without some good news! You and your mate are close, and all I can tell you is be patient. Also, you are not the only one my magic is cloaking, so when you see him again, please let my little fae know he’s doing a very good job.”

Before I can ask what any of this means, she jumps from the stool and grabs both my wrists and drags me off of mine so I am standing in front of her. “Be safe, Parker. Be patient, Artemis. Good luck with your library project!” She takes a deep breath and her eyes turn pure white and a gush of wind comes from underneath us. Black smoke is spinning around us, Hecate is chanting something in Greek. I close my eyes and my body feels like it’s floating.

When I open my eyes again, I am back in my bed in the dorm room. The sun is just starting to creep into the windows. I look at Brek’s empty bed and sigh, I can’t wait for him to come back. I miss freckles. Artemis says in a sad voice. I looked out the bedroom door and stared at the couch and the TV and suddenly remembered the tall figure that was at the base of the dark woods. Nope, I’m good in bed. I reached over to the drawer of my nightstand and reached for the bottle of mint lotion. I rub it on my forehead and down my arms. I made the executive decision to try to get some sleep. I take a deep breath of mint and try to think about my mate. Not Alex. Not Alpheus. Not Gaea. My mate.

BANG. THRASH. CLUNK. BANG.

What the f**k is that?

BANG.

Artemis takes over and jolts my body out of bed and stands in the doorway of the bedroom, glaring at the doorknob to the dorm. My palms are warm, Artemis is on the verge of a growl when a fresh scent seeps into our nostrils. That’s new.

Before we can process what the smell is, another BANG comes from the door and the doorknob starts to jiggle. Artemis goes on high alert, our legs are spread apart, feet firmly on the ground, knees slightly bent in case we need to attack, my sight has become colorless so my eyes must be bright blue.

The doorknob turns, the door opens and a giant box goes halfway through the slightly opened door. Another BANG and the new scent almost knocks us over. “Bullocks! Par! I hope ya ain’t sleepin’!” The door opens up all the way and Brekin stands there with three bags and a huge, long box at his feet.

“PAR-” He stops mid yell and his eyes go wide with shock. He kicks the box out of the doorway, takes a step inside and tosses all the bags off his shoulders and slams the door shut. “Par! Yer eyes! And put some damn clothes on!”

I quickly realized I was only in my bra and underwear. I never changed after I undressed in front of the window and saw that person staring at me from the trees. I ran back into the bedroom and found a shirt and shorts. I ran back out of the bedroom and immediately hit a wall that was not there before. I am engulfed in that new smell from before and I feel large arms wrap around me and a chin is resting on my head.

“I mis’ed ya so much! I am so hap’y to be back.”

“I missed you too, Brek!”

“That big box says it’s fer ya.”

He lets me leave the embrace so I can go examine the mysterious box. It’s very large and long. There’s a small notebook taped to the side of it. “Thought you might miss the hunt. Love Paul and Seth.”

Brek hands me a kitchen knife so I can open it. Paul had sent my bow and arrow from Redwood! I quickly took out the bow and inspected it. He must have gotten my old string replaced. I grab one arrow and set it in place. I take my stance and align my bow so I can pull the string back against my cheek. The new string is tight, surly to give my weak arm a work out.

Brek comes out of the bedroom with his hands up. “Woah, woah, woah. Take it easy. I come back in peace!” I laughed and brought the bow down.

Another BANG comes from behind the dorm door. I gave Brek a questionable look and pointed my thumb behind me. “Some arsehole movin’ in next ta us. New semester, new neighbors.”

There was a few knocks on the door. Brek pushes me aside and opens it up so that I am standing behind him. “Hey, where’s the hot chick with all the goods? Let her know when she needs company, I’m across the hall.” came a male voice in front of him.

“Go fuk yerself, don’t ever, ever knock on dis door again.” And with that, Brek slams the dorm door. A loud “f*****g prick!” was voiced behind the door. Brek sighs and flops on the couch with a big heavy sigh.

“It’s so good to be back! Can’t wait to get back to astrology.” He pats the cushion next to him and jesters me to sit down too. “Tell me abo’t yer break.”

We traveled into the woods and met a mint werewolf. We could have pissed someone off and now we’re being watched. Our stalker and abuser who wants to kill our mate is getting closer to finding us. And we just visited a witch Goddess who told us our mate has angered the Goddess of the earth and if we don’t find him soon, we will be cursed to be mated with an asshole for the rest of our lives. Oh yes, Artemis, let’s just tell him everything.

I sigh. “Nightmares, a little walk through the woods, nightmares and plenty of emails from the construction company explaining how excited they are to be working with me on the Northern Borealis Academic Hall. How was going home to see all your brothers?”

He looks at me with those sad, tired green eyes surrounded by freckles. “I wish I just sta’ed with ya here. All six of those arseholes askin’ abo’t if I’ve got’en any ass or what kinda trouble my roommate and I have gott’n in.” I forgot his family doesn’t know he is gay and I realized how hard it must have been to keep it all in for almost three weeks around all his brothers and his parents. “I told em, I got a female roommate and it’s been goin’ great but fer the most part I was just spenin’ time with me ma in her vet clinic. Lots of dogs comin’ in fer surgery.”

Artemis whines in my head. Probably just getting spayed and neutered, I tell her. Brek continues “It was a pain in the arse bein’ arou’d everyone for a while, but I did get to enjoy the warm air and run through the flowers.” He finds the remote for the TV and waves it in his hand. “‘Nuff about home, let’s watch some Twilight.”

Home for twenty minutes and goes right back to obsessing about Edward Cullen. I missed freckles. I lay my head on his shoulder and got ready for another marathon and him drooling over the sparkling fake ass fairy vampire. As I pull the blanket over us, I get another whiff of that strange scent again. It’s definitely coming from freckles, ask him what flowers he frockled through at home.

“Brek, what flowers did you run through at home? Did you bathe in them too?”

Brek goes rigid. He sits completely silent and stares intensely at the Twilight play menu on the TV screen. He wraps his right hand around his left wrist. “FUK! I FERGOT MY WATCH!” He yells. He starts to breathe heavily as I try to shush him.

Why would he freak out about a watch? He can just go buy another one. I tell him to breathe again and again and he starts to calm down.

“I gotta call me ma. Par, I need that watch.” Brek says with all seriousness. He takes his phone out of his pocket and looks at the time. “Freakin’ time difference. Tomor’ow.”

I sit there watching color return to his face, but he still looks on edge. I reached over and grabbed the remote from his hand, and pressed play. Hopefully, seeing the fairy vampire will calm him down a little.

The movie starts and I breathe in another whiff of that scent. “Blooming Heather.” Brek suddenly says. “Blooming Heather is all over the fields. It’s a purple flower.”

I took another deep inhale. It’s different from what I've ever smelt before. It’s a woody but mossy scent. “I like it a lot!”

“Better than the mint lotion?” Brek asks. Artemis growls in my head. No. Mate smells like mint.

“It’s nice and unique, but not as calming. It’s a smell just for you.” I said with a smile. Brek smiles back and shakes his head in acceptance. Twilight plays in the background as I drift back to sleep on Brek’s shoulder.