Only a Half Blood

Come Home With Me

Aiden was amazed by how well his incredible mate was taking all of this, how did he get to be so lucky. He had been worried that she would have shut down or even refused to listen. Or worse told him to get out and called him completely crazy, but she didn’t do any of those she took in all the information calmly and with grace and was even was able to joke about it. She was truly a wonder to behold.

“Well, next I would love to bring you home with me.” Aiden said with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

“Home with you? When?” Alys looked startled at the suggestion.

“Honestly, I was hoping as soon as possible.” Aiden told her.

“I think this is my cue to check on things in the kitchen, give you two a moment.” Clary stood up and walked out of the room. Leaving Aiden and Alys to talk alone.

“I assumed after all this you would have already guessed that you would come back with me to my pack. You can’t be a Luna from 3 hours away.” Aiden tried to joke but Alys had a frown on her face as she processed what he was saying.

“I realized I would need to move in with you eventually. I didn’t think it would be ‘As soon as possible’” she said throwing his own words back at him with air quotes.

“You didn’t think I would leave you here alone, not with Cody after you, did you?” Aiden tried to keep his tone light, he knew this was a lot. But of all the information she learned this afternoon, why was she fighting this? “Do you not want to accept me?” He couldn’t help the hurt tone as he said those words.

“Aiden, look at this from my point of view. I have a coffee shop, friends, my mom, a life I have worked hard to build from scratch. I have only just met you, had my car destroyed, my house broken into, and found out I am half wolf. Oh and that werewolves are real! It’s a lot to process, and then you throw on top of it all that I need to up and leave everything behind and go be in charge of people who don’t even know me.” Alys rushed out all at once, finally letting the build up of the day surge out of her, she deflated like a balloon and slumped back into the couch and put her head in her hands. Aiden couldn’t help but feel like this was all his fault for making her feel this way, but he couldn’t leave her unprotected, and he couldn’t leave his pack for too long. He didn’t know what else to do.

“I don’t mean that we need to leave tomorrow. Just soon. I can’t leave my pack for too long either. I need you Alys.” Aiden pleaded with his eyes urging her to understand what he was trying to say, but she wasn’t looking.

“I need time to process this. Can we just agree to give me a day or two to process all of this before we start talking about leaving? Please.”

She finally looked up at him and he saw how tired his mate looked.Her whole body drooped the weight of the past few days. He wanted to make it all go away, to fix everything. He pulled her across the couch into his arms and onto his lap hugging her tightly to his body letting his touch calm and sooth her as much as it was calming and soothing him. Each day he felt their bond getting stronger. He knew that if she chose not to go back with him he would stay as long as he needed to win her over. He needed her as much as she needed him.

“Yes, I can give you that. If I could give you the world, I would.” He whispered into her hair as he kissed the top of her head and started tracing lines and swirls over her back in a soothing pattern. He felt her sigh underneath him, and couldn’t help but think for the one hundredth time that day, how lucky he was to have found someone so understanding and strong. She was simply amazing.

“Thank you.” She whispered,

‘Aiden, I cant seem to locate Cody.’ Jax suddenly linked Aiden.

‘What do you mean? Have you checked around the coffee shop, her house, the Inn’ Aiden asked trying not to tense his body. He didn’t want Alys to feel him getting nervous, she had only just started to calm down again.

‘Yes, I even checked a bit into the woods. After I checked the perimeter to the Inn I thought it strange he hasn’t tried to make contact. I went and checked her house again and he hadn’t been back there yet either.’

‘I’m going to send you the address to Alys’s moms. He may have followed us here, or hoped she would come here on her own. I want you to come and check the perimeter here, but carefully. If he is here I don’t want him to know we know.’

“What are you doing?” Alys had sat up a little and was staring at him.

“I was just linking Jax.” Aiden told her then kissed her nose. She wrinkled it and gave him a puzzled look.

“Linking?” She asked him.

“Oh, right. Sorry, as werewolves we can link one another. It’s like being able to speak to each other through our minds. As Alpha I can link the entire pack at once or just pick and choose who I talk to at a time. As regular members its usually just one on one.” Aiden tried to explain as he took out his cell phone and used the map app to send their location to Jax.

“So you can talk to other wolves in your mind? That’s a nifty trick. Will I get to as well?” She asked, her curiosity peaking again.

“Yes, once we are mated and marked, you and I will have an instant connection. And once we bring you into the pack during your Luna Ceremony you will also have the same ability as me, to link anyone or everyone in the pack.”

“So, I guess I won’t need to change my cellphone number.” She giggled at her own joke and Aiden chuckled, he absolutely loved the sound of her giggles.

“Well it only works when you’re in a certain proximity of each other. If we get too far away from one another then you lose contact.”

“Kind of like losing cell service. Aiden… what do you mean by mated and marked, and what’s a Luna Ceremony is it like a wedding?” She sat up further and slid off his lap so she could look at him better the curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

“Mating and marking is when we fully accept one another as true mates. It’s when we join our souls together and take on each others scent and a visible mark to show the world we were made just for each other and we have found one another and claimed each other as ours.” Aiden explained, she was gazing at him intently when all of a sudden a loud crash came from the kitchen and they heard Clary scream. Aiden jumped up from the couch and grabbed Alys’s hand keeping her close behind him as he raced towards the noise. When he got into the kitchen Clary was leaning back against the counter her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, and all the colour had drained from her face as she stared at a large rock laying on her kitchen floor amongst shards of glass. The rock had been thrown through the kitchen window. Aiden looked around as Alys went to her mom hugging her tight and checking her all over for any wounds.

“I’m ok, I am ok. It just scared me, that’s all.” She told Alys taking a few deep breaths to help calm herself down while assuring her daughter she was unharmed. “Why on earth would anyone throw a rock through my window?”

Aiden bent down and picked up the rock, it had two words painted in red on the bottom. It smelled like animal blood. SHE’S MINE. Was all it said, rage enveloped Aiden and he let out a loud vicious growl as his canines elongated and his claws extended. His shirt was starting to rip as he half shifted right there, large muscles bulging. His eyes glowing deep blue. He was about to rush out the back door when he felt a hand reach out and grab him. He whipped his head back and saw Alys’s green eyes meet with his, worry etched across her face as she tightened her grip.

“Don’t go. It’s what he wants.” Alys said keeping her grip on his arm, she turned him around to face her and placed her palm against his cheek then sliding it back and into his hair gripping it hard and pulling his face down as she reached up on her toes crashing his lips against hers, letting the sparks calm the beast until his features returned to normal. He wrapped his arms around her lifting her off the floor and returned the kiss with passion and urgency, reminding himself she was his. No one would take her from him. Once they calmed down he rubbed her nose with his own.

“You’re right. Thank you.” Then he remembered Jax was on his way over.

‘Jax, Cody is here he just gave us another warning. Get here quick.’

‘Will do, I am just about to pull in.’ Jax responded quickly

“Jax is here, I hope you don’t mind Clary. I asked him to come over.” Aiden turned his head to Clary, not ready to let go of Alys just yet, she shook her head at him while she was looking at the damage to her window sighing in frustration.

“Let’s leave this for now, and go into the living room. I think its best for the time being for us all to be together. I don’t want Cody to have the chance to get one of you.” They walked into the living room, once again Aiden and Alys took the couch and Clary one of the big cushioned chairs. At that moment the front door opened with a bang making both women jump, and in walked Jax. Alys sighed in relief then glared at him making him stop in his tracks.

“What did I do?” He asked innocently.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” Alys asked him shaking her head at him. “You scared the living daylights out of us!”

“Oops, my bad. Sorry Luna.” Jax bowed his head in submission before turning to Aiden. “So what’s the plan Stan?”

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head Aiden thought for a moment. “I think for tonight perhaps we should stay here. I don’t trust Cody to not try anything once we leave. I’m sorry to impose on you Clary, but I think it’s best until we can get more of a clear plan. I would also like to call my father and update him on all that has happened. Perhaps we should order in some dinner and try to take it easy for the rest of the evening.”

Clary was nodding as she listened to Aiden’s plan and agreed that it sounded for the best then she went to get her phone so she could order some pizza, Jax went with her into the other room just incase, and Aiden took that moment to look at his mate. She sat with both legs pulled up and her chin resting on her knees as she stared off into nothing, he could feel concern and worry coming through the bond and he used two fingers to lift her chin up so he could look into her dazzling green eyes.

“Are you ok?” Aiden asked her, pure concern for her flowing through him.

“Yes, it’s just a lot. Is it always so exciting living as a werewolf?” She tried to laugh but she didn’t have any strength behind it.

“No, not quite. It’s always interesting but not nearly so dramatic.” He chuckled and couldn’t wait to get her to safety so they could finally have some real time with one another. Jax and Clary came back in and Clary had brought a deck of cards with her.

“Since we are having a little get together this evening. How about we play some cards.” She suggested as she pulled the cards from their package and started shuffling.

“That’s a great idea. Just excuse me from the first game. I’m going to call my father.” Aiden smiled and Clary nodded, she started dealing out the cards to Alys, Jax, and herself across the coffee table. Aiden leaned down kissed Alys on the head and she beamed up at him, then he stepped out of the room to call his father and update him on the events of that day. As he was hanging up from his call with his dad he saw the pizza delivery guy walking up to the door.

Aiden paid for the pizza and brought it in to the living room to cheers from the other three and he sat on the floor beside Alys placing the pizzas in the center of the table. The rest of the night was passed in relative calm. They laughed, ate pizza, and played cards. Alys asked Aiden and Jax all about being a wolf and their pack and they told embarrassing stories of growing up together in Blue Lake. It was a perfect night.

***

Cody sat back eyes glowing in the shadows, watching Clary’s house. Watching Alys. He was just far enough away that they wouldn’t smell him unless they came all the way outside, but still close enough he could still see in the windows with his wolf sight. He had hoped Aiden would come out after he threw the rock, but unfortunately Alys had stopped him. That sight almost made him to lose all sense of control and he growled again at the mere thought of it. Alys was supposed to be his. Everything was going wrong since that man stepped into his town. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this, she was supposed to mourn her dead husband and then turn to him for comfort and he would make her forget him and eventually show her the wonders of being a wolf. He was supposed to be the one to mark her and claim her as his. His mouth started salivating at the though of marking her, her delicious creamy skin under his teeth, screaming his name as his canines pierced her marking spot, making her his for all to see. She was his.

Aiden walked back into the room sitting down beside her and said something to make her laugh. She was so beautiful when she laughed. Cody snarled and took off into the night. He needed to kill something. He was furious that everything was going so wrong.

He came out beside the only pub in town, just as a group of girls walked out the front entrance, laughing and stumbling around holding on to each other obviously very drunk. One of them he recognized as Alys’s friend and employee Hannah. Perfect. He thought. That should send Alys a message not to go against him. He stepped out of the shadows and watched as Hannah tripped fell down and he was there in an instant to catch her. Her friends not noticing as she fell behind.

“Hannah, how drunk are you?” He asked her knowing already she was completely inebriated, he could smell the peach schnapps on her breath as she laughed her hair falling into her face.

“Cody! How drunk are you?” She retorted, slurrying her words and laughing at herself.

“Come on. I’ll walk you home.” He slid his arm around her shoulder and started walking her in the opposite direction of the way her friends went.

“I’m not ready to go home yet!” She tried to turn around but he kept steering her away into the darkness. “Cody, is this the right way?” her voice quivered a little as she was being led further from home. Then she caught his glowing eyes flashing under the street lights. She was starting to feel the danger even through her drunken stupor. However it was too late for her, if she ran he would relish in the hunt. He almost wished she’d try. It had been a while.

“Cody this isn’t the direction of my house.” She tried again and pulled away, then she stumbled falling to her knees. She looked up in terror when she heard him growling. He’d had enough, suddenly she got up and took off in the night. Cody shifted to his wolf and sniffed the air savouring the fear rolling off of Hannah as he gave her a head start. She took one look back and he howled. Hannah screamed.