The Human Mate

The dream

Emerald

I just had my first kiss; my first kiss and it was everything I could’ve asked for. He silently asked for permission by moving slowly and I almost pulled away. I was scared but I couldn’t resist the strong pull of the mate bond with him standing so close in front of me. I couldn’t help but wonder if he’s a good one. What if he accepts me for who I am? And with those question running through my thoughts, I let him. I decided to give him a chance, give us a chance. There’s no way he’s like Thomas, his aura was nothing like Thomas’. So, we kissed, he held my face just tight enough with his slightly calloused hands, tilting my head just enough while making my lips part and he pressed his sweet soft lips to mine. His lips tasted like butterscotch candies that I never knew I liked so much until this very moment. Our lips stayed on each other’s for a few seconds before his parted and I could feel the wet between his lips. I gripped the front of his t shirt while we kissed, and I wanted more, a lot more. Calm down, you horny gal. His lips pressed on my own sent shivers down my back. And right before I thought he was going to slide his tongue in between my lips he broke the kiss and rubbed his thumb over my lips, causing another shiver to slither down my spine. This feeling was amazing. It was a high I never wanted to come down from. I never thought in a million years I would experience my first kiss.

“I gotta get back to the office, but ill walk you inside.” All I could do was nod. I was disappointed and I didn’t want him to notice. I didn’t want our time to end but I wasn’t going to be a brat about it.

“Words, baby, I need words”

“Okay, Alp-” I said as I began to walk in the directions of the packhouse. He pulled me by my arm to look back at him.

“Mateo, call me Mateo. Don’t be mad at me my little mate. Okay?” Maybe I was being a little bratty by calling him Alpha but I’ve never experienced disappointment in this kind of matter. Physical and mental abuse. Yes. But disappointment from love. Never. I’ve never been on such a high that was knocked down so quickly. I couldn’t ruin his moment by being like this, so I mentally cheered myself up.

“Yes, Alpha,” I said with a playful grin. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder and ran all the way to the packhouse. If anyone was around, they could hear my laughter as I bounced up and down on his shoulder. He let me down onto my feet, I probably looked a mess, my curls that we worked on this morning were probably now frizzy, and my face red from being upside down on his shoulder. But I didn’t care, I was so happy.

“I’ll see you for dinner, okay?” he said as he pecked my lips.

“Okay” I blushed. Two kisses in one day. I was on a roll. I walked into the kitchen to grab something light to eat and take it to my room. I knew I looked like a giddy teenager. My smile was ear to ear and my cheeks were already sore. I knew if someone saw me right now, they would tease me, and couldn’t handle it right now, I just wanted to savor this moment alone for a little while longer. I went up to my room with a bowl of grapes, I sat on my bed and ate the whole bowl while watching some TV. I lied I barely watched it, I fantasized about my mate and our kiss. I lightly pressed my fingertips on my lips, I could still feel the tingles from his lips on mine. I replayed the moment over and over until I fell asleep with a smile on my face for once in my eighteen years.

My feet are bare, digging into the dirt and through the patch of tulips in Mateo’s Garden, giggling as I run faster and faster. The sun above is bright blue and the sun shone so bright it screamed happiness. My ponytail is trailing behind me whipping through the wind and I am holding the hem of my baby pink sundress dress in my palms, so I don’t trip over it as I run. Slowing down just a little bit and looking over my shoulder and I can see Mateo in human form laughing as he chases me. “I’ll catch you little one” he says picking up his pace and laughing even harder. I shake my head and giggle before I run through the rose bushes, attempting to use their height to my advantage so he doesn’t see me. It was a picture-perfect scene, two mates in love, playing around, radiating joy. Until I run into the entrance of a maze, it was grim looking, unkempt, and creepy. Mateo’s garden didn’t have a maze. The skies were no longer bright and happy, it was now dark and gray, saturated with rain clouds. I hear a menacing growl that no longer sounded like Mateo behind me. I flinched as it shook me out of my playful mood. I stop in front of the maze deciding what to do, hearing another growl followed with a wet snarl I take that as perfectly good reason to run into the maze. It wasn’t the best choice, but it seemed like my only choice. I run into the maze fast, taking random twist and turns to put some distance between myself and the wolf chasing me, exerting every muscle in my legs. I’m used to running and I know im fast, but this was different, I never sprinted with fear following me in my rear. One last turn and wham I hit right into a wall made of twigs, leaves and vines. I was stuck, nowhere else to run, frantically I rub and pat my hands all over the wall of leaves looking for an escape only to find nothing. Another growl creeps from around the corner followed by a giant wolfs head. Stunned by fear and nowhere to run I stand frozen. The wolf walks to me like he has found his prey and was ready to eat. He jumps on me bringing flat on my back to the ground with him on top of me. He’s growling and snapping while I use my hands to hold him off as I scream. The next thing I know I open my eyes and its Thomas shifted back into his human form still on top of me.

“You thought you could run away little human” he grits through his teeth, spitting splattering on my face. “Th-Thomas, what? How? Wh-”

“You thought you could run away from the truth, hide your secrets.”

“No. No. I-I” I thrash beneath him trying to free myself.

“Lies, You’re a liar and a w***e just like your mother. Once he finds out your little secret, you’ll be nothing once again, nothing, just a pathetic human, a nobody.” He says as he goes to grip my neck.

“No. I’m not lying. I’m not a liar.”

“Oh but you are and once he finds out you better run fast and far” he says as his hands make it around my neck holding it tight.

“No, No” I say scratching and pulling at his hands.

I woke up to a hand rubbing my shoulder. I snapped my eyes open and jumped back to the head bored. It was just a dream I thought, I took a few calming breaths before I thought back to the hand that was just rubbing my shoulders. It didn’t even register to me who was in my room until she spoke.

“Oh, Im so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I knocked but you didn’t hear me, so I came in, I said your name a bunch of times before I rubbed your arm.” Carine said with apologetic eyes.

“It’s okay, its not you, I jump easily” I lied. Even my subconscious wouldn’t let me have this happy moment, it had to be ruined with that dream.

“You must’ve been sleeping hard to not hear me, any good dreams?” Nope I just don’t have super wolf hearing I said in my head.

“No, I was just really tired from the walk in the garden.” I lied again. That dream was really throwing me off.

“Oooo, I see” she says while wiggling her eyebrows.

“We just walked and talked; it was nice.”

“Okayyy if you say so, I know what I do on “walks” with Curtis and it aint no talking,” she barked out a laugh after saying that.

“eww” I said squishing up my face.

“Anywho, your mate sent me to get you for dinner. He said he’ll be right down once he’s done.”

“You sure he’ll come?”

“Yea, hes gotta eat too” she giggled.

“Okay, gimme one sec” I say as I scootch off the bed and walk into the bathroom. I use the toilet and wash my hands and face. I stare at myself in the mirror thinking of the dream. I know exactly what it meant. I had to tell Mateo the truth and my mind using Thomas in my dream was exactly what I needed to scare me into it. I shouldn’t have to be scared or forced to do it because I know he deserves to know. Its his life too and he needs to know who and what he is or isn’t getting involved with. I’ll do it tonight right after dinner. Maybe after a great day we had earlier and a full stomach he won’t be too mad. Heck, who am I kidding? He’s going to be livid. Letting out a huff I walk out the bathroom and into the bedroom where Carine is waiting for me.

“Ready?” Carine ask as soon as I walk out the bathroom.

“Yeah lets go.”

We walked out my room and down to the kitchen. Everyone was already helping themselves from the serving plates at the table. Everyone was there, Derek Carine, Cody and Aaron, no Mateo yet. Pushing back the thoughts of my inevitable doom and the dream I greet everyone with a smile and a wave and they do the same. I began serving myself until I feel a pair of arms grab my plate from behind me. Instantly I had a flashback of Thomas choking me, his hands around my neck from behind when I was sixteen because I asked to go to a gathering at the packhouse. I was in my room getting ready in the mirror when Thomas came from behind me and choked me until I passed out. Safe to say he didn’t want me to go and that was one way of stopping me. He felt me tense up, but he continued taking my plate out of my hand while speaking.

“My Luna shouldn’t be serving herself, let me do it.” That dream had me on edge but hearing his voice reminded me where I was, and I had no reason to fear Thomas’ actions again. I nearly cringed at him calling me his Luna, but I had to play it cool until I could get him alone.

“Thank you but I really don’t mind,” I said trying to take my plate back.

“No, no, its my pleasure and plus I saw how much you had for breakfast, and I heard you only had grapes for lunch. That’s not substantial for a wolf even a small one like yourself. You need more fuel to feed your wolf.” The portions I ate were normal for me, for a human one of my size especially. I didn’t need to consume large amounts of food because I didn’t have a wolf to shift into that burned all the calories. But I couldn’t tell him no, I would have to dump my food when he wasn’t looking. We sat at the table and fell into a rhythmic conversation about the flowers I saw in the garden and how I learned the names of them. Books, google, I wasn’t that badly disconnected. The conversation was smooth and kept me distracted from my thoughts. He then took his turn telling me about his day before his eyes glazed over then turning black.

“Rogues are crossing the border,” he snapped. And that’s when all hell broke loose.