The Human Mate

The garden

Mateo

“YES,” she replied instantly. Her abrupt answer shocked me. This was a new range of emotion she was presenting to me. Usually all I get from her is skepticism, fear, and worry. Its like she walks on eggshells every second of the day. s**t, it’s like she’s afraid to breathe. Seeing her eyes light up like this with elation and her lips spreading with a dainty smile even if it was for a split second made all those years searching and waiting for her worth it. I was a lovesick puppy already and I didn’t care.

“Do you like flowers?” I asked as we finished up our plates.

“Mhmm” she nodded excitedly cupping her mug with her hands. “I love them.” She had a smile permanently painted on her face.

“What’s your favorite flower?” I asked as I stacked all the empty dishes from the table.

“Calla Lilies, they’re so elegant and perfect but my favorite ones to paint are Hibiscus, they are just so vibrant in color, I could paint a whole wall of them.” She looked so happy talking about painting and flowers. I have to make a mental note to get her some art supplies, I don’t remember seeing her pack any.

“Oh I can do this.” She said getting up from her seat, trying to take the dishes from my hands. “You’re the Alpha, I’ll do it for you.”

“I’m capable of helping with some cleaning. Don’t worry about it. You sit there and relax little one.” I said as I gripped the plates tighter so she couldn’t get them out my hands.

“Oh, are you sure? I can help still. Truly.” She looked unsure about herself. I was afraid she might revert to her shell and after getting a taste of her radiating smile I couldn’t say no.

“Okay. You do the dishes and I’ll wipe the counters and change the garbage bin.” She rewarded me with a smile.

Emerald worked on the dishes while I threw out leftovers and wiped the down the counters and table. I don’t think she realized but she was humming as she washed, I stopped wiping the kitchen island to really listen. I haven’t heard her sing yet, but I didn’t need to, to know that she could. Her humming sounded angelic, she didn’t need music or instruments, her voice alone was more than enough. I was staring at her lost in the moment when she turned the water off and turned around.

“All done.” She said before she twisted her face up in confusion. “Are you okay Matt?”

“Oh yeah, sorry. I was..Uh…was” I got busted staring at her from behind like a creep. “Your voice is beautiful.” I decided to say.

“Thank you” My little mate blushed.

“Of course.” I said with my most charming smile. I looked around the kitchen to see if anything else needed to be done.

“Ready, my love?”

“Yes,” she was beaming.

I led the way to the garden, it was just a short walk behind the pack house but, and she followed a few steps behind me quietly. I slowed down thinking maybe her small steps couldn’t keep up with my long strides, but she slowed down too. I noticed she kept her head low like she was showing obedience. I wanted her to walk beside me, and after a couple of attempts of slowing my steps down she really wasn’t getting the hint. I stopped and turned to look at her.

“What are you doing?” I asked her.

“Wha-what do you mean?”

“Why are you following behind me?”

“I-I thought you..I thought you wanted me to come to the garden with you. Isn’t that what you said?”

“Yes, I do, but why are you following behind me like a cat?” It came out more aggressive than I wanted it to because I was slightly frustrated.

“I-I-I..” her chin began to tremble, and her eyes looked glossy. Is she about to cry? Shoot. This was not my intention.

“No. Please don’t cry. I..” she turned around so I couldn’t see her anymore. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out that way.” I walked toward her to close the gap that she kept purposely putting between us.

“I’m sorry, I misunderstood, I thought you wanted me to come see the garden with you.” Her voice sounded strangled, and shoulders were moving up and down like she was hiccupping and trying to stop herself from crying. I turned her around and held her shoulders so she could face me.

“I did. I do. But I want you to walk with me not behind me.” she averts her eyes to look everywhere else but at me. I grabbed her chin with my fingers to force her to look at me. “Look at me Emerald. I invited you to see the gardens with me as my mate, my future Luna. I don’t know what went on in your previous pack and how wolves treat their mates over there, but you do not need walk behind me as if you were subject. You are my equal. Okay?”

“Are you sure? I’m not what you think…I’m not wort-” I cut her off before she could say something as stupid as she wasn’t worthy.

“Hey, don’t do that. Don’t even. I’ve never been surer little one. You mean more to me than you could ever imagine.” I said as I gripped her chin a little tighter between my fingers. I wanted to reassure her more, but I didn’t know how. She lacks self-confidence so there was only so much I could say and do.

I began to lead the way again and she did exactly what I wanted her to and walked by my side. I decided to take a chance and slide my fingers between hers. She looked up at me in shock but didn’t pull away, I gave her a smile and tightened my hold on her hand, and she smiled back but not before blushing. Baby step Mateo, baby steps.

We walked to the garden hand in hand. She was breathtaking, her hair was long with curls cascading in different directions down to her waist. I saw that she was wearing the necklace I gave her, and I couldn’t help but swell with pride. And I didn’t notice before but with the sun shining down on us I could see she has little dark brown freckles scattered along her nose and cheeks. I wanted to mark her right here and now. She made my heart skip every time I looked down at her.

Her excitement allowed me to see a different side of her. I was beginning to think she didn’t have any other sides to her nervousness and shyness. She stopped to touch every leaf and smell every flower; she could name every single one of them. She was so happy; she had a constant smile on her face. I was impressed. I could tell she was in heaven and so was I. I would do this with her everyday just to see this glow on her.

We walked side by side as we followed the walkway through the garden. We played twenty-one questions after I let her get her fix of flowers in. I learned her favorite color was yellow, she likes to sing but only her mom and dad has heard her and Carine, but she doesn’t know about that. She began painting as a stress reliever but turned out to be a natural. Her paintings were beautiful. You could tell she puts her feelings into every stroke. My mate was really talented, and you would never know with how socially awkward she is. She has never been off pack lands until she moved to mine. Her favorite food is her moms cooking and after that dinner, s**t, it was mine too. She’s never had a boyfriend, Thank Goddess. She loves to run; she says she’s unnaturally fast for someone like her but I mean all wolves were, maybe she meant because she was really small. I would have to take her for a run to see what she was talking about. She was loosening up; she was getting comfortable around me. Putting off my Alpha duties were worth it. This is what we needed, what she needed. I told her about my parents and a little about my childhood in return. I didn’t have any hidden talents, I was your average Alpha, well for the most part. The most interesting thing about me was my wolf and that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Most black wolves never learn to tame their anger. Yes, it made me stronger and faster than other Alphas but learning to control the beast within was hard. It took years of determination and training. What really did it for me was my mother, she told me one day I will meet my mate and if I didn’t learn to control my wolf I could lose her whether its from hurting her or scaring her away to the point she couldn’t see a life with me. Us wolves live and breathe for our mates, and I wanted to be ready for mine when I found her.

“Matt?” Emerald tried to get my attention. “Did I say something?”

“No, you didn’t. I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?”

“Well, there is one thing you should know about me” I said as I scratched the stubble growing on my face. Emerald looked at me expectantly and eagerly. “I have a black wolf.” Silence. Nothing. If she wasn’t nervous around me before she definitely is going to be now. I took that as a sign to keep talking. “But don’t worry I’ve learned to control my rage.” More silence. She looked confused, almost like she had no idea what I was talking about, unless she really had no clue about what I was saying.

“Emerald?”

“Yes”

“I said I have a black wolf”

“Is that a bad thing? You said you learned to control your-your rage?” she framed her sentence with a question.

“Well yes and no. Its good and bad, depending how you look at it. Its good because it makes me strong, stronger than most wolves. Bad because black wolves are known for uncontrollable rage, anger and even extreme possessiveness when it comes to their mates. Do you seriously not know about this?” she nods her head no a couple of times. “What did you parents do keep you locked away?” I said with a chuckle. She immediately tensed up. “I was just kidding. Does your father have a black wolf?” Now that I think back her father did have a temper and was extremely aggressive over her but he didn’t give off a strong aura.

“No, his wolf is gray” she replied to my question.

“Oh okay….so…you’re okay? You’re not scared…of me?” I needed to be sure so I had to ask.

“You said you can control it?” she looked up at me with those beautiful green eyes.

“Yes”

“No outbreaks?”

“Not for years”

“Okay”

“Okay?”

“Yeah”

We talked a bit more before Derek mind-linked me saying I had to sign the final contract with Alpha Marcus before the day was up.

“I have to get back to the office.”

“Oh okay.” She looked so sad. It hurt me to see her frown.

“I just have to sign the paperwork with your previous Alpha to complete the alliance, but I’ll meet you for dinner. Do you have any preferences?”

“My mom’s cooking,” she chuckled. My little mate made a joke. I smiled at her and turned my body to be in front of her causing her to stop walking.

“I had a great time with you” I said as I held her face, I wanted to kiss her so badly. But I didn’t want to upset her. I went back and forth in my head briefly deciding my next move. f**k it, I’ll move slow, so she has plenty of time to stop me. I start to move my face towards her slowly, and she didn't move then my lips met hers. She let me kiss her, she didn’t pull back. It was like fourth of July in the garden. Sparks were going off everywhere in my body. Nothing compares to this moment. Our first kiss. My skin was on fire, her lips felt so good, so soft, tasted like honey. I wanted to deepen the kiss, I wanted more, I needed more. A taste of her left me greedy for more.I can’t take it. I needed to see her in her room tonight. I just needed her, my mate.