The Alpha's Claimed Mate

Chapter 4: What's Chocolate?

--Stranger--

"WHERE IS THE BASTARD GIRL?! I GAVE YOU ONE SIMPLE TASK OF FINDING HER AND BRINGING HER BACK, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN DO THAT!" Her angry father, Alpha Peter Bloodmoon, was yelling at his trackers and warriors.

"Why not let me find her? She is my mate after all." Alpha looked at me. "You won't go because you'll kill her on sight. I want to have that pleasure."

Several warriors came rushing in. Bowing, they said they had news. "Alpha, the traitor is deep within the Winters' Pack territory. The young alpha over there has captured three of our warriors as prisoners.

Alpha Peter's face grew from devilish to pure fury. "SHE IS WHERE?! HE DID WHAT?! Those bastards are going to die."

--Jeremy--

Three Bloodmoon Warriors were now in our holding cells. When Marietta saw us dragging them in, she lost it. She ran to another room, sobbing the whole way. When one of them heard her, his head snapped in her direction, and he began to struggle.

Punching the wolf in the gut, I growled. "She's mine, dog." A dry, wicked laugh escaped the prisoner's lips.

"She ain't yours, yungun. She's Beta Preston Bloodmoon's mate." He spat in my direction, receiving a hard kick to the gut. This resulted in the werewolf coughing up blood. I had my warriors interrogate them and use any means necessary to get answers. Meanwhile, I went to go try to comfort my mate. On the way, my mind stirred up a million questions.

Why was she mated to somebody else when I was her mate? How does this guy share her last name? What did she mean by her outbursts in the room about beatings and rapes? What had she been through? Would she ever truly trust me? Would she ever open up to me?

Breaking me from my thoughts, I ran to the room upon hearing a crash. Barging into the room, I saw my Marietta sitting on the floor with a broken dish at the base of the wall. She was sobbing with her knees pulled up to her chest, her white nightgown around her like a flower. Her hair cascaded around her shoulders and knees. I softly walked over to her. "My Mari," I whispered, sitting beside her. To my surprise, she practically threw herself into my arms.

--Marietta--

My inner wolf, Mary, let out a howl when Jeremy entered the room. "Mate!" She cried out. I chided her sternly. "He can't be my mate. Even if he is, we were claimed by another. He wouldn't want us if he knew." I knew he sat down by me. I couldn't help myself. I knew he was supposed to be my mate, and my wolf took over. I threw myself into his arms. I sobbed into his chest as his arms wrapped protectively around me.

"Little Mate, I have to know how you're mated to another when we're true mates? How do you share his last name?" With the tenderness in his voice, I sobbed harder.

Finally, I managed to speak. "My uncle. Forced on me. I was thirteen and if I rejected him, I'd be dead. I didn't want to die." I could sense his anger rising as he pulled me closer to him, my scent calming him down and his scent of dusty pine calming me.

After a while of him holding me with my head against his chest, he gently lifted my chin and kissed me lightly. I let my wolf have control as we kissed. He tasted of something sweet, but I didn't know what it was. When he pulled back, I sighed lightly. He chuckled, sending shivers up my spine. "Dear Marietta, you're so sweet. Your lips taste like cherries and chocolate. You're mine." I laid my head against his chest and just stayed there.

Finally, I looked up at him, curious. "Don't think I'm stupid, but, what's chocolate?" He looked at me in total shock, his green-blue eyes wide.

Then he laughed, a deep hearty laugh. "You don't know what chocolate is, Darlin? Let me change that." Quickly, I changed, and he led me downstairs. He pulled out a container full of what I assumed to be chocolate. He unwrapped a piece of the stuff, and handed me a piece. When I bit into it, I groaned. It was so good and sweet. Where had this been my entire life? I stuffed about twenty bars into a bag, daring him to stop me. "You'll get sick if you eat all of that." I weakly laughed, and ran faster than I thought I could. He chased me, not too far behind. When I got to the room, I laughed, shut the door behind me and locked it.

When I turned to the bed, I stood there in shock and fear coursing through me. The guy sitting on the bed scared the s**t out of me. I screamed, and turned to the door to unlock it and flee. Before I could unlock it, I was hit from behind, I screamed, then was knocked out.