Mate Bond
735 Words
(Aria POV)
My heart was hammering. Mari was leading me up the stairs towards the Alpha suite. What would she expect from me? Would she try to mark me right now? I tried to squash the panic that rose. I wasn’t ready for that. Would she hate me if I tell her I want to wait? This entire experience felt like a dream. There was no way this was all mine. I was going to wake up in my bed at EastEnd and this all would have been a dream.
Mari led me into her room and closed the door behind us. I walked slowly through the room, taking everything in. Mari had books crammed on every shelf from many different lines of study. Her desk was covered in plans and books with dog eared pages. I turned back to my alpha to see her leisurely leaning against the door, just watching me. That dark golden look was back in her eyes. I blushed.
“Hi.” I tried my best not to squeak and failed. She smiled.
“Hello, little one.” Mari stepped forward and wrapped herself around me. I snuggled into her, taking a deep breath of her crisp, fall scent.
“What are you thinking?” Mari asked me. I shook my head and looked at her. I was thinking about how I could ever leave her, wondering how the Goddess thought that I’d be enough for her, about how I wanted her to touch me. None of those words came out, though.
“I don’t know.” I managed to stammer. Mari looked at me closely, trying to determine if I truly didn’t know.
“I think you do know, you just don’t have the words for what you’re feeling.” Mari finally decided. I tilted my head; she wasn’t wrong.
“No, I don’t. It’s so much.” I admitted. Mari took my right hand and brought it to her mouth. The mate bond danced across my skin and I shuddered. Mari grinned.
“I love that I affect you like that.” She admitted, blowing air across the goosebumps on my arm. I was bright red. Mari led me over to a little sitting area and sat on a couch. She pulled me down next to her.
“Ask me anything you want.” She offered, not relinquishing her hold on my hand. I stammered.
“Oh. I-I wouldn’t know where to start.” I protested.
“Well, how about I ask a question?” She offered. I nodded hesitantly.
“Chris said he adopted you? Where are you from?” She asked, while drawing little circles on the back of my hand. I focused on the little circles to keep myself calm.
“Chris and Kate took me in. I don’t have any memory of anything but EastEnd.” I lied. I did have a few memories of life before EastEnd. There were exactly three of them. And all three didn’t have any helpful information, other than the intense feeling that if I ever was found by my home pack, I would be killed on sight. If Mari picked up on the lie, she didn’t say anything.
“How did you become Alpha?” I asked, almost desperately. I needed the attention off of me. Mari stiffened a little bit.
“About three years ago, we were attacked. My parents were killed. My Beta tried to take the Alpha Bond, but it almost killed him. I couldn’t lose more that day. So, I listened to my wolf and we took the Alpha Bond from Simon before it killed him.” Mari summarized it so deftly, I was sure she had been asked that question many times.
“I’m sorry I’m so awkward.” I lamented out loud. I had no idea what to say. I was hopelessly awkward. Mari laughed.
“You’re perfect.”’ She whispered, standing close to me. I could get used to this. I wasn’t ready for more, but I wanted her to hold me.
“Can you just...can you just hold me?” I stammered. Mari immediately pulled my body into hers on the couch. She held me close and kissed the top of my hair.
“I don’t know why you are so stressed, little one, but you are safe here. Take your time. Let me know if I can do anything. For now, just relax.” She murmured. It was hard to relax with my skin on fire from where her skin touched mine, but I closed my eyes and let her smell consume me.
- Writer
