Her Human Mate

Chapter Four: Bloodlines and Burdens

Nate's POV

The Old Alpha knows

By the time I limped back to my grandfather's house, every muscle in my body felt like it had been chewed up and spit out.

Nicole's "training" was just her beating the hell out of me until my instincts kicked in. And even then? I was still slower, still weaker, still not what she needed me to be.

The house was dark when I stepped inside, but I wasn't alone.

"Close the door, boy."

My stomach dropped.

Grandpa Malcolm sat in his armchair, his broad shoulders wrapped in a worn-out flannel, a bottle of whiskey balanced on one knee. His sharp blue eyes pinned me the second I entered the room.

And just like that, I knew.

He knew.

My heartbeat stuttered.

I swallowed hard and shut the door behind me. "Grandpa—"

He inhaled deeply. "You reek of wolf."

My pulse roared.

I forced myself to stay still. To stay calm. To pretend I had some control left.

He took a slow sip of whiskey, watching me over the rim of his glass. "When were you gonna tell me?"

I clenched my jaw. "I—I don't know."

He grunted, shaking his head. "No. You don't."

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

Then he exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple like I was a particularly annoying migraine. "Sit down, Nate."

I hesitated. "Grandpa, I—"

"That wasn't a request."

I sat.

The old wooden chair creaked under my weight as I leaned forward, my hands clasped between my knees. My grandfather watched me carefully, the way a man watches a storm rolling in.

Then, finally—

"I should've told you sooner."

I blinked. "Told me what?"

Grandpa Malcolm set his whiskey down and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "The truth about your parents."

My breath caught.

I had spent years trying to piece together the parts of them I barely remembered. My mom—gone before I even knew her. My dad—strong, steady, but sick. Fading too soon.

And my grandfather had never talked about them.

Not like this.

I swallowed hard. "What truth?"

His jaw tightened. "Your mother wasn't just any wolf, Nathaniel."

Something in my chest stilled.

Grandpa's voice dropped lower, rougher. "She was an Alpha's daughter."

My stomach dropped.

"No." I shook my head, laughing hollowly. "That's—no. If that was true, why didn't I shift at fifteen? Why didn't I—"

"Because your wolf was caged."

The words hit me like a hammer.

I stared at him. "What?"

Grandpa exhaled, rubbing his face. "Your father... he wasn't a wolf. He didn't want you to be one either."

My heart pounded. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," he said, leveling me with a look, "that he bound your wolf before you were even born."

A Legacy of Chains

The room tilted.

Bound.

My father bound my wolf.

I gripped the edge of the table, my vision tunneling. "That's—that's not possible."

"It is," Grandpa said grimly. "It's old magic. Rare. And dangerous as hell."

My breath hitched. "Why?"

Grandpa studied me, eyes unreadable. "Because he loved you."

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "He loved me, so he made sure I'd never be what I was born to be?"

Grandpa's eyes darkened. "He loved you, so he made sure you'd never be hunted."

The words settled in my chest like stones.

Hunted.

I swallowed. "What was he protecting me from?"

Grandpa was quiet for a long moment. Then he leaned back, picking up his whiskey again.

"Your mother's pack," he said.

The air vanished from my lungs.

"What?"

"They were strong," Grandpa said. "Unforgiving. Ruthless. Her father was a war Alpha. The kind that didn't take betrayal lightly."

Betrayal.

A cold weight settled in my stomach.

My father had been human. My mother... an Alpha's daughter.

And she had left her pack.

For him.

For me.

I sat back, my hands shaking. "They would've killed me."

Grandpa exhaled. "No. They would've claimed you."

The words sent ice through my veins.

Because that was worse.

I wasn't just a werewolf. I was an Alpha-born.

And that meant every pack in the country would want me for their own.

They would want me to lead. To fight. To kill.

I forced myself to look up at my grandfather. "Did she know?"

His jaw tightened. "Your mother didn't know what your father had done until it was too late."

Something inside me cracked.

I had spent so long thinking I was nothing. A human boy with a werewolf's last name. A spectator in a world of monsters.

But I had been something else all along.

And my parents had lied to me.

They had stolen my choice.

I swallowed the knot in my throat. "And now?"

Grandpa Malcolm sighed, rubbing his temple. "Now, the bond is breaking. That girl of yours? She's forcing your wolf to wake up. And when it does..."

He met my eyes.

"You're either going to control it, or it's going to control you."

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

I forced myself to stand, even though my legs felt unsteady. "Then I guess I better learn fast."

Grandpa studied me, then nodded. "Smart boy."

I turned toward the door, but before I could leave, his voice stopped me.

"Nate."

I hesitated.

He didn't look at me, just swirled the whiskey in his glass. "Your mother would've been proud of you."

The breath hitched in my throat.

I didn't answer.

I just walked out the door.

Because I wasn't sure if I believed him.

Choosing to Fight

The second I stepped outside, the cold air hit me like a slap.

I sucked in a breath, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Everything had changed.

I wasn't just a wolf.

I was an Alpha's son. A bloodline that people had killed for. A bloodline that could make me a leader.

Or a target.

I closed my eyes.

I could still feel her.

Nicole.

Our bond was getting stronger. The pull between us was sharpening, thickening, curling around my ribs like invisible chains.

She was the reason this was happening.

She was the reason I had a chance at surviving this.

I exhaled slowly, rolling my shoulders.

Fine.

If fate wanted me to be a wolf? If fate wanted me to fight?

Then I was going to learn how to win.

I turned toward the woods.

Toward her.

And ran.