Divided

The Rogue Cave

“Are You Crazy?!” Steven yelled at Jake.

They were in the Alpha’s office, after it got a quick clean up. Some Omega’s were boarding up the windows, and working quickly since they could see how mad the Alpha was.

Jake was just standing in front of the Alpha’s desk, watching Steven pace.

“Hurry Up and Get Out!” He yelled at the Omega workers. They turned and ran out of the office. Steven followed them then slammed the door.

Jake went over to the window and hammered up the last board that the scared workers had dropped.  He heard the Alpha walk over to his desk again and sit down in the large leather chair, which had once been his father’s, and his grandfather’s.  Jake put down the hammer, and turned to look at the Alpha, scanning the room to make sure they were alone.

“She’s mine.” He said softly.

“Just like that?” the Alpha asked. “You pick a child, not only a child but one without a wolf?”

“She’s eighteen,” Jake said as he walked over and sat down. “I smelled her, Steven, in the woods, she was scared. My wolf wants her, has to claim her. She is my mate, I know she is.”

“But does she feel it?”

“She says she doesn’t, but she did kiss me back.” Jake frowned. He wasn’t a very smart man, he knew that. He was big and strong, and that was good enough, but not he wished he was smarter, so he could be smarter for her.

“Jesus,” Steven swore as he put his head into his hands. “Jake, are you sure? Are you completely sure that this girl is your mate? It makes no sense. You are like 15 years older than her, that doesn’t happen with mates.”

“Maybe she’s my second mate, or third? It’s been known to happen,” Jake said. “You can have more than one mate if they die before you meet. You know that.”

“It’s very rare,” Steven said as he leaned back. “Are you sure?”

“Are you sure the Luna is your mate?!” Jake finally yelled back. He tired of this. For the past hour that’s all the Steven had been asking him. “Yes I’m sure. I felt it, I smelled her. She is MINE!” His eyes flashed, letting his wolf close to the edge.

“Calm down,” Steven ordered. “This is not an easy mating. You are her elder, she has no wolf. She doesn’t feel the mating call. You scare her.”

“I don’t want to scare her,” Jake looked at his hands. “How do I get her to want to mate with me?”

“s**t,” Steven swore. “You can give her up, reject her.”

“NO!” Jake jumped to his feet. The anger that swept over him was intense. He used all his strength to hold back his wolf from attacking his Alpha. The thought of losing Ella was like a stab in the heart.

“Okay, okay,” Steven said. As he watched his friend. “Then here are the rules.”

“Rules?” Jake took a deep breath and sat back down.

“You cannot force her. She must come to you out of her own free will. She must choose fully to mate with you, and she will talk to me before you do. Understand?”

“I have to get her to fall in love with me?” Jake repeated slowly. “How do I do that?”

“I don’t know, my friend,” Steven said as he leaned back. “I don’t know.”

**********

Ella stood and looked at her destroyed house. Her father was wandering around muttering about how he lost a house and car all in one day. Her mother was trying to calm him down, saying that they can get a new car, and rebuild the house. They apparently were planning on renovating in the near future.

“Where are we going to live?” her sister whined, as she shifted through the rubble looking for her treasures.

“We’ll stay at the pack house,” her father said. “The Alpha is opening it up to all who cannot return home.” He turned and looked directly at her.

Ella just looked at the ground. She couldn’t stand the look of hatred that was directed at her, as if she was the cause of all their bad luck. But her father always blamed her for everything bad that had ever happened.

“We’ve lost everything,” her mother said as she started walking back to the pack house with her husband. Her brother a sister followed, as did Ella. She didn’t want to be in the pack house that would put her closer to Jake.

Jake. He was something else. She believed, he believed that she was his mate. Part of her wanted it to be true, wanted him to just pick her up and take her away from everything. He was big and strong, and would protect her with his life. His wolf was huge, as big as an Alpha, and soft. She sighed as she remembered the feel of his fur under her. She had to admit she had never felt this way about anyone, maybe that was the mating pull?

“Are you coming, freak?” Her brother yelled at her as they were standing in front of the pack house door. The Alpha was standing there, beside Jake.

Ella bit her lip as she gave Jake a long look. He was handsome, unkempt dirty blonde hair, black eyes that while menacing, were very kind. At least they were when they looked at her. His hands were about the size of her face.  When she had stood in front of him, she barely reached his chest.

He was strong too. She was impressed when he pushed that tree away. The feeling made her tummy tingle. But then it went away. Yes he was strong and probably could be rough, but she knew that he would be gentle where she was concerned.

She blushed and looked away from Jake when she realized everyone was looking at her. Her family was frowning, the Alpha looked amused, and Jake was smiling.

“I have rooms for you and your family, Robert,” the Alpha continued. “One for you and your wife, and another for the children.”

“I’m not sharing with a freak!” Her brother yelled.

“She might steal our wolf!” Her sister yelled also.

Her mother chastised them for speaking in front of the Alpha without respect.

Ella just stood there. She looked down at the ground blinking back tears. A low growl filled her ears, she looked up and saw Jake was frowning. The Alpha had his hand on his arm, as if to keep him in control.

He would kill for me, she thought to herself.

“We will find another room for Ella,” The Alpha said. “Perhaps one more permanent, since she is 18 now, and can move into the pack house. Is that alright with you, Ella?”

Ella looked up at the Alpha, then over at Jake, who looked like a child who was about to get a piece of cake. She was his piece of cake. She wasn’t sure if she should be honoured or disgusted.

“You don’t have to do that Alpha,” her father spoke up. “I’m sure the ruins of our house are fine for the likes of a wolfless girl.”

Before anyone could act, Jake was in front of him, and punching him.

“Jake! Stop!” The Alpha yelled as Jake continued to beat upon her father.

Ella just stood there, her mouth hanging open. Her mother and siblings were screaming. Other Beta’s were trying to pull Jake off him, without any success.

She knew she had to stop him, before he killed her father. Not that she would mourn him, but it might ruin his position in the pack.

She slowly walked up to him and touched him gently, “Jake, Stop please.” She said.

Jake froze and turned and looked at Ella. She took him arm and led him away from her father, who was lying on the ground moaning.  Jake just followed her, as if under a spell.

“Take him inside, my office is on the right,” The Alpha said quietly to Ella as he walked behind her.

Ella did as she was told. She took Jake’s hand and they walked into the house, and she went in the first door on the right.

It was a big room, with a large desk in the middle, book cases lined the room, except for the large fire place. There were a large leather chair behind the desk, and other leather furniture around the room. She let go of Jake’s hand, and closed the door.

She was alone with him, but she wasn’t afraid like last time. He was willing to kill for her. He did feel something for her. She walked over to the wet bar, and grabbed a towel. After wetting it, she walked back over to him, picked up one of his hands and stated to clean the cuts on his knuckles.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered as he watched her. “I didn’t mean to hurt your father.”

“I don’t care about him,” Ella said. “I was more worried you were going to get in trouble. Are you going to get in trouble?”

“I dunno,” Jake said as he watched her clean his wounds. She had such a soft touch, he could just stand here and let her touch him all day. He smiled, she did care for him, at least a little. Maybe she did feel the mating pull, even though she had no wolf. She was like a little human.

“Little human…” Jake muttered out loud.

Ella looked up at him. “The other pups called me a Common Human as a taunt when I was in school. Don’t call me that again.”

“No, sweetie,” he said as he patted her hands. “I mean... I don’t know what I mean.” He frowned. He wasn’t good with words. But he had an idea. Werewolves have mated with humans before, when the humans are bitten, they get a wolf. If she was born a human, she could get her wolf when they mated. But he wasn’t sure how to explain that to her, without calling her a human.

He opened his mouth to try to explain when the door swung open. Ella let out a cry of surprise and dropped Jake’s hand. Jake frowned at watched the Alpha walk in, slam the door closed, then go over to his desk.

He lowered himself into his chair then looked at the two members of his pack in his office. Jake looked calm, as if he knew he was to be punished and was just waiting for it. Ella looked scared. Was she scared for her father, for herself or for Jake, he wondered?

He now believed that she was Jake’s mate, since she made him stop with a single touch, and he allowed her to lead him away. This was unusual for his main Beta. But, on the other hand, Jake did almost kill another Beta, and the Alpha did not allow fighting from his Beta’s. But he agreed Robert deserved it for treating his daughter like that, no matter if she had a wolf or not, she was one of the pack.

“Jake,” the Alpha said slowly, trying to keep his anger under control, he didn’t want to scare the girl.

“I had to.” Jake said, then shrugged like it was no big deal.

“Had to?” the Alpha repeated with a laugh. “You had to react that way to some verbal insults? Nothing physical.” He looked at Ella. “Has your father ever beaten you?”

“Uh,” Ella looked at Jake, afraid of how he might react if she told the truth. But she couldn’t lie to the Alpha, no wolf could, but then she wasn’t a wolf. Maybe she could. “No, not really.” She said quietly.

“Not really?” the Alpha prompted. Ella said nothing. “Ella, I realized that you do not possess some of the qualities that the other members of my pack do. I know you cannot hear my Alpha commands, which means you probably don’t have to listen to them. You can probably lie to me as well, but I would hope that you would have more respect for me, the pack, for Jake, then to lie to me.”

“He yelled a lot, and locked me in a closet,” Ella said. “He never really beat me.”

Jake growled, but instead of running out to kill the wolf, he picked up Ella gently, then sat down and cuddled her on his lap, running his hand over her head like a child. Her first instinct was run away, but then she felt safe in his arms. Like when she was on his wolf’s back. She never had felt safe before. She sighed as she leaned into him. He did smell good.

“I’m sorry he did that,” the Alpha said. He had sat back down, and just watched the girl snuggle into Jake’s arms. He almost laughed out loud when he saw her sniffing him. The mating pull was there. He looked at Jake, who was smiling and smelling her air.

“Jake, you must be punished, you know that.”

“Yes, Steven,” he said as he looked up from Ella’s hair.

“One month. Say goodbye.”

Ella looked up, wondering what that meant. She looked at Jake, who looked very sad. “What does that mean?”

“I am to be locked up in the Rogue Cave, for a month, as punishment for attacking another Beta. It is not a very harsh punishment,” Jake said.

“Harsh?” Ella jumped up and looked at the Alpha. “Don’t wolves go crazy in that cave? You want to make him crazy?!”

“Don’t yell at the Alpha, Ella,” Jake said as he pulled her back against him. “It is not right. I was wrong. I must be punished. The worst will be leaving you, little one.”

Ella just stared at him. Why was he worried about leaving her, they had just met. This whole mating business was insane. And why was she feeling like this, like she was about to lose something. She looked over at the Alpha. “No.”

“I’m sorry, Ella, but I cannot play favourites. Jake will be fine. He’s spent longer in that cave when he was a young man.”

“Alpha, Steven,” Jake said slowly as he pulled Ella back into his arms. “You will make sure she is safe. Away from her family.”

“You have my promise, my friend, I will keep your little mate safe.”

“I’m not his mate,” Ella muttered as she hugged Jake. She didn’t understand why she was even hugging him.

Jake smiled and leaned down, tipping Ella’s face up he kissed her softly, waiting for her to respond. Once her mouth opened and her tongue slipped out, he deepened the kissing pulling her tight against him.

She moaned as she kissed him back, running her hands through his hair. She didn’t want to stop, she wanted it to continue. The feelings running through her body was like nothing she had ever felt before. She wanted to feel him against her. She gasped as he broke the kiss, then started nibbling at her neck. She moaned as she leaned her head back giving him full access.

“Enough!” The Alpha said. “Jake, don’t you dare bite her.”

Jake kissed Ella’s neck softly. He was ready to bite her, to mark her as his, to mate with her. He knew she was willing, he could smell her arousal, her juices following. His wolf was clawing to get out and claim this young beauty in his arms.

“It’s time to go, Jake. Put her down,” the Alpha ordered. Jake slowly lowered Ella to the ground. Steven came around and took Ella by the arm, pulling her away. He then turned to her. “Ella, you are a welcome member of this pack and household. I will have to find a room for you to stay in, which I will after I deal with Jake.”

“She can stay in my rooms,” Jake said. “Since they will be empty for a while.”

“Good idea,” the Alpha smiled. He knew it would also rest Jake’s mind to know she was somewhere safe and close to him. “You stay here, Ella, I will be back to show you to your new room.”

The Alpha turned and took Jake by the arm.

“Good bye, Ella,” Jake said. “I will see you in a month. You will be safe with Steven.”

Ella just stood there, on the verge of tears, watching the Alpha lead Jake away. The door closed.

She was alone. She never minded being alone before, but now her heart was aching. She placed her hand to her chest, it was pounding. But it wasn’t her heart that was pounding. She started to pant, not understanding what was going on. She felt like she was being ripped apart. She was scared. She wanted Jake. But he was gone.

“Jake…” she moaned as she passed out.

 ********** 

“Let me go back, Steven, she’s upset” Jake said as the Alpha lead him out of the pack house. Other Beta’s were waiting to help escort Jake to the Rogue Cave.

“She’ll be fine,” Steven said. “You can just feel her uneasiness of being alone in a new place. Keep that feeling with you, it will help keep you sane.”

“You believe she is my mate now?” he asked.

“I watched you two together, and although she didn’t understand her feelings, yes. As odd as it seems, you two are mates.” He shook his head. “The age difference is a little bit hard to explain.”

“No,” Jake said as they walked together into the forest. “I had other mates that died before they reached age. Then a new one was born to replace her. That’s is why she is younger. That makes sense.”

Steven just nodded. He kinda figured it really didn’t work like that, but he wasn’t too sure. He just knew that his best friend had found his mate, and how he had to leave her.

“Stay sane, my friend, I will see you in 30 days,” the Alpha said as they reached the cave.

A Beta opened the door, then Jake turned and walked in.  The door was closed and locked. Jake was alone in the dark cave. Food and water would be delivered once a day, but other than that, there would be no one.

He looked around, then sighed. There was nothing comfortable to sit on, or even enough room for him to lay down. He quickly shifted into his wolf, then laid down on the hard earth. It was easier to survive his punishment as a wolf, as he had discovered years ago.

We will keep the memory and smell of her close. He told his wolf. She will be waiting for us when we get out.