Her Human Mate

Chapter Two: The Awakening

Nicole's POV

The first lesson

The moment the words left my mouth—"You're my mate"—I knew I had lost him.

Nate's body tensed, his dark brown eyes scanning my face like he was searching for the lie. Searching for a way out.

Then he laughed.

It was short, sharp, and edged with disbelief. "Okay. Cool. And that means... what exactly?"

I clenched my jaw. Moon, give me patience.

"This isn't a joke, Nate." My voice came out harsher than I intended, but I couldn't afford to be soft. Not when we were standing on the edge of a storm. Not when he was the only one too blind to see it. "You're changing. You've already felt it."

His fingers twitched at his sides. That brief flicker of gold in his eyes was gone now, buried under layers of human stubbornness.

"I don't know what you think you saw, but I'm fine." His voice was tight. Too controlled. "I don't feel anything. I don't—"

A sharp breath hitched in his throat. His hands trembled. He took a half-step back, pressing his knuckles into his temple.

And then, just for a second, the scent of wildfire and frost flared through the air again.

I exhaled slowly. "That's your wolf, Nate. He's waking up."

Nate dragged a hand through his hair, pacing a tight line through the damp grass. "This is insane."

"This is real."

He stopped and turned to me, eyes blazing with frustration. "I don't even know you, Nicole! And you're telling me that—what? I'm supposed to trust you? Believe that I've got some kind of werewolf soul hiding inside me?"

I let the silence stretch. He was unraveling, his carefully built walls cracking one by one.

Good.

"Fine," I said, crossing my arms. "Then let's prove it."

Nate frowned. "Prove what?"

"That you're not human."

He scoffed. "Oh, this I gotta see."

I gave him a slow, knowing smile. "Oh, you will."

The Breaking Point

We stood in the empty clearing behind the school, where the forest stretched wide and deep. The moon wasn't out yet, but the air carried its pull.

Nate rubbed his hands together, shaking his head. "This is ridiculous."

I ignored him. "I want you to hit me."

That got his attention.

He blinked. "What?"

"Hit me." I spread my arms, feet planted firm. "Right here. Don't hold back."

Nate hesitated. "I'm not hitting you."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not going to hurt me."

"That's not the point!" He threw up his hands. "I'm not—"

"Hit me, Nate."

Something flickered across his face—annoyance, uncertainty, something deeper. He exhaled sharply, then took a step closer.

"Fine."

His punch was fast. For a human.

But I was faster.

I dodged easily, tilting my head just enough for his fist to cut through empty air. He stumbled forward, cursing under his breath.

"What the—"

I didn't give him a chance to recover. I moved, striking out with a quick, sharp tap to his shoulder. Not enough to hurt. Just enough to knock him off balance.

He barely caught himself before he hit the ground.

His breath came short now, ragged. Good. Let the frustration build.

"You're holding back," I said.

Nate shot me a glare. "I'm not."

"Yeah?" I arched a brow. "Then try again."

He did. This time, he came at me harder, faster. His punch skimmed past my ribs. I could feel the tension in his muscles, the heat rising under his skin.

His wolf was waking up.

But he still wasn't listening.

I twisted, hooked my foot around his ankle, and knocked him flat on his back.

He groaned, staring up at the sky. "Okay. That sucked."

I crouched beside him, resting my elbows on my knees. "You want to know the truth?"

He didn't answer, but I saw the flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

"If you were just a human," I said, voice quiet, dangerous, "you wouldn't have lasted this long."

He frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means," I said, leaning closer, "you are a wolf, Nate. Your instincts are already trying to break free. You just don't trust them yet."

He swallowed hard. "And if I don't?"

"Then the first time you shift," I murmured, "it's going to tear you apart."

His breath hitched. Fear. The first real trace of it.

I stood, offering him my hand. "So what's it gonna be, Heth?"

For a long second, he didn't move.

Then, slowly, he reached up and took my hand.

The Alpha's Blood

Later that night, I found my grandfather waiting for me outside the packhouse.

Garth Heartwick stood like a statue, his silver-streaked beard shifting in the wind, sharp blue eyes too knowing.

"He's not ready," he said.

I crossed my arms. "That's why I'm training him."

Garth exhaled through his nose, watching the stars. "You can't force him into this, Nicole."

"He doesn't have a choice."

"He does," my grandfather said quietly. "And if you push too hard, he will run."

I clenched my jaw. I knew that. But I also knew that if Nate ran, he wouldn't make it far.

"He's not just any wolf," I said, staring at the dark treeline. "He's the blood of an Alpha."

Garth was silent for a long time. Then, finally—

"I know."

I turned sharply. "You—what?"

"I knew his mother," Garth admitted. "I knew who she really was."

My stomach twisted. "You knew he was an Alpha-born?"

"I suspected," my grandfather said. "But when he didn't shift at fifteen, I thought the blood had faded." He met my eyes, solemn and heavy with things unsaid. "I was wrong."

A cold wind curled around us. A wolf howled in the distance.

I turned away, clenching my fists. "Then we don't have much time."

"No," Garth said. "We don't."

The Call of the Moon

Nate's POV

I couldn't sleep.

My skin felt too tight. My bones ached. My head wouldn't stop spinning.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw gold.

I saw her.

Nicole. Her voice echoing in my mind, sharp and relentless. You're changing, Nate.

I shoved my blankets off and stood, breathing hard. My fingers twitched, my pulse roared in my ears.

Then I heard it.

A low, distant howl.

Something inside me answered.

My breath hitched. My stomach twisted.

Because I wasn't just hearing the howl.

I was feeling it.

Deep inside my bones.

Like my body was finally waking up.

Like something inside me was trying to break free.