Of Beasts and Wolves

Chapter 2: Gavin's Discovery

"She just lost her mother, Alpha. Is it wise to take away her father, too?"

"You're young, Gavin, and I understand that you have questions and ideas of your own. But if you ever question my orders like that again, whether we are alone or not, you will be punished. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"Good. I can't have my Sentinals questioning my decisions. The pack would erupt into chaos. I expect you to do as you're told, quickly and quietly, without complaint or question. That was the vow you took when you applied to be one of my Sentinals, was it not?"

"Yes, Alpha. I'm sorry."

"You are forgiven. But in future, remember what I've said and don't make me repeat myself again."

It had been difficult for Gavin to stand there in that room, silently watching as the other Sentinal manhandled Max through the door. He laughed quietly to himself at her muttered observation of the Sentinal's character, "Prick!" and found himself agreeing with her assessment. Then his Alpha stepped forward to speak with her, and Gavin could barely contain his excitement as the older male exited the room and left them alone together. All he wanted to do was take her into his arms and promise that she would never be hurt again. He could smell her from where he stood against the wall, and she smelled of fresh pine needles and rain. He couldn't help but inhale deeply, committing the scent to memory and knowing that he'd never be able to forget it now.

He'd waited so long for her to reach 18, to be ready for a mate, and today he hadn't been able to stay away from her. The waiting had simply proved to be too much for his patience, and he'd broken his 5-year vow to stay away from her until she came of age.

It was he that she had sensed watching her earlier today, first on the hilltop outside the packhouse, and later, inside the packhouse itself before the ceremony had started. But he hadn't stayed, and he hadn't made it obvious at the time. He wanted to do this privately, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the pack who had done nothing but torment her for most of her life.

As the Alpha exited the room and the door swung shut on silent hinges, Gavin's heart sped up, threatening to leap from his chest if he didn't move closer to her right now. His wolf, Rowan, growled in his head, needing to feel her in his arms.

"Max?" he asked quietly, stepping forward so she could see him. "My name is Gavin. I'm your..."

"You're my mate," she finished for him, her large, honey gold eyes raking over him once, twice, and a third time before coming to rest on his face. "Well, shit."

Not expecting to hear that response, Gavin's mouth twitched upward at one corner in bemusement. "s**t?" he questioned.

"Aw s**t!" she said again, then quickly clapped her hands over her mouth and tried to backpedal. "Not.... not s**t. Not really. Well, I mean, yes, I meant it, but not in the way you.... Oh for Pete's sake. Let me try again."

Amusing him further, Max turned around to face the door, presenting the long fall of her wavy, chocolate colored hair to him. Gavin couldn't hep the grin as she shook the hair from her face, and he could hear her muttering to herself.

After a moment, she turned back around to face him, and he struggled to school his features into polite curiosity.

"Hi," she said politely, extending her hand and moving toward him. "I'm Max. You're Gavin. It's nice to meet you."

Grasping her tiny hand in his much larger one, Gavin grinned down at her and responded just as solemnly, "It's nice to meet you too, Max."

They stood there for a moment, awkward silence building around them, before Gavin used the link of their still joined hands to pull her in for a hug.

Max gasped, surprised by the action, but she went easily enough into his arms and, oddly, found that she really enjoyed it. So did Beryl, who was very nearly purring in her mind. For someone who had planned to leave the pack and live on her own, she was certainly enjoying this mate thing so far. She'd have to see how the rest of it played it, but for now, Gavin had initiated the contact, so she didn't feel too guilty indulging herself a bit.

When she finally pulled away, though, she was surprised to find resistance in the form of Gavin's arms around her.

"Nuh uh," he said, pulling her closer to him again. "I'm not done."

Max couldn't help but laugh at that, though she did settle down against him again. "Eventually, you're going to have to let me go, you know," she murmured against his chest. Closing her eyes and breathing deeply, she smiled again to realize that he smelled like sunshine and books. It was an odd combination, she knew, but they were two of her favorite smells, and it instantly relaxed her. Her mother had always smelled of sunshine and outdoors when she'd come home from her Sentinal duties, and her father always smelled of books, new and old, it didn't matter. The man would have spent his life reading if he thought he could get away with it.

"Do I, though?" Gavin wanted to know. "Do I really have to let you go?"

"Unless you want me to pee on your foot, yeah. You do." She was mostly teasing him, but her bladder was quite full after sitting for so long at the ceremony. She didn't need to use the restroom right at that very moment, but soon, she was certain.

Immediately, she was released, and Max nearly stumbled before Gavin gripped her waist and kept her from tripping over her own feet. She wasn't sure how he did it, but the man seemed to have the quickest reflexes of anyone she'd ever seen. She had barely felt herself start to stumble when he released her, but it almost like he knew she was going to fall before even she did.

But right now, he was standing so close to her, and the wonderful sunshine-and-books smell was permeating the air around her, and all she wanted to do was bury her head against his chest and breathe him in. "I do have to use the restroom," she told him quietly, "but not just yet. Can I.... can we... just... I mean...?"

But Gavin seemed to know exactly what she was asking, and, with a smile, he pulled her against him again and held her tightly. "As long as you want," he answered her broken question. "I've been waiting to be able to do this for a long time. I have zero complaints about finally getting to hold you."

Pushing away from him just enough to narrow her eyes at him and say, "I have questions, you realize," Max was quick to snuggle back against his chest, her own arms holding him around the waist. "But not yet. Those questions can wait until after..."

After what, exactly, she wasn't sure. Max only knew that she didn't want to break this peaceful atmosphere just yet. Once they stepped outside of this room, her mixed blood would have to be discussed, as would her status as an orphan, not to mention how she was supposed to have a mate if she lived with the same wolf family who had been 'watching out' for her for the last 5 years.

But Gavin didn't seem to mind waiting for those questions, and seemed just as happy as she was to put them off until later.

Eventually, they let go of each other, and started to move toward the window seat. Halfway there, Max drew up short and muttered, "I still have to use the restroom." She expected there to be some outrage or at least irritation, but Gavin only smiled and released her hand.

"Hurry back," was all he said.

"Okay," she responded, then leaned up on her tiptoes to press her mouth to his. It wasn't something she'd thought about doing, nor something she'd expected. But it seemed right, and natural, and the way he leaned down to meet her seemed like more of an instinct that anything else.

It was a quick peck on the lips, but it still left them both smiling, and Max nearly skipped away to the bathroom.

She didn't want to be away too long, so she hurried and did her business, then stopped at the sinks to splash some cool water on her overheated face. When she glanced into the mirror, she was surprised to find that her eyes were bright and glowing, her cheeks flushed pleasantly, and she had a smile on her mouth that softened her features. "I'm.... I'm pretty," she whispered in awe, bring her hand up to slowly run her fingers along her lips where Gavin had kissed her.

"You've always been pretty, baby doll," Beryl murmured in her head. "It bothers me that you're only just now realizing that. But Gavin will help you see it better than I or anyone else ever could."

Smiling again, Max tousled her hair to make it fall in charming disarray around her face and answered her wolf. "Thanks, Beryl. I hope you're right."

"I am," came the satisfied response.

But Max only grinned and shook her head before leaving the bathroom to head back to her mate.

Her mate. Holy poo on toast, she had a mate. The realization slammed into her with all the force of a Mack truck, and she staggered backwards, her back hitting the wall of the hallway before she could catch herself.

The sound of running footsteps made her look up, just in time to see Gavin skidding to a halt in front of her, panic on his face and in his voice. "What's wrong?" he demanded, hands reaching out to run over her arms. "Are you hurt?"

Confused as to what he was talking about, Max just stared at him, her question written all over her features.

"I felt you," he explained. "I could feel your anxiety and I was coming to check on you, and then I saw you fall against the wall. I was worried you were hurt."

"No," she told him, shaking her head. "Not at all. I just... I never thought I'd have a mate. But... here you are. It just hit me, I guess. I really wasn't expecting it."

"How come?" Gavin wanted to know.

But Max just shrugged her shoulders, not wanting to delve into her history right now. "I just didn't," she tried, but even to her own ears, the answer sounded lame and unconvincing.

Surprisingly, Gavin didn't press for more of an answer, which just made Max feel more guilty about not telling him everything. She was afraid he wouldn't want her anymore if he knew about her blood and her family. It never occurred to her that he might know already. Holding out his hand for her to take, she quickly slid her hand into his own, their fingers lacing together just as if they'd been designed to fit together. And, really, she supposed they had.

She started to head back toward the Alpha's office, but Gavin didn't move with her, and when she glanced back at him, he grinned and shrugged at her. "Alpha Rhys came back to his office and needed it. We won't be able to go back there."

"Oh." Max frowned a bit, not sure where to go so they could talk and get to know each other better.

But Gavin solved that problem by saying easily, "We can go to my place, if you want. It'll give us a chance to talk more and get to know each other. No obligations."

She thought about it for a few moments, weighing the pros and cons of going to his house, alone, without anyone there to supervise them. Then again, he was her mate. She would never be safer with anyone than she would be with him.

"Okay."

"Great! This way." Still holding her hand, Gavin led the way down the dirt road, away from the main part of the wolves' territory. The houses were large, but spaced out, leaving plenty of room for the younger wolves to run and play in the yards. But Gavin didn't lead her to any of these houses, and, curious, she kept quiet and waited to see where he would take her.

They wound up on a trail behind the rest of the town, one that wound into the surrounding forest and up on the side of the mountain that rose above the valley and created a natural wall around their area. Max was thrilled to find that they were approaching a decent sized cabin, away from the rest of the houses, tucked in among the trees and shaded by the thick canopy of leaves above them.

"This is yours?" she breathed, closing her eyes and tipping her head back to smell the forest around them and enjoy the feel of the cool breeze on her skin. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks! But it's ours," Gavin said quietly. "If you want it, that is. And me."

Max wanted to shout "YES!" as loud as she could, but she wasn't sure if that would go over very well. "Let's take things slowly, get to know each other, and see where it goes from there. Okay? I don't even know you. I'm not sure I've ever seen you around the town before today."

"We've met," Gavin told her. "Once. Five years ago."

"Really? Are you sure?"

Gavin nodded. "I knew you were my mate then, and was told by the Alpha to keep away from you until you were 18 and ready to find your mate." Shrugging, he went on, "I never even went to my own mating bond ceremony. I already knew who you are, and knew that I was meant to be yours, so there was no sense even participating. I wouldn't have found you then, anyway. You were too young."

Despite her shock at his words, Max only shook her head. "But why did the Alpha tell you to stay away from me? I don't understand."

Smiling, Gavin unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter before him. "Let's go inside. We can talk more and for as long as we want."

That sounded really good to Max. Besides, the less time she had to spend at her 'home,' the better, in her opinion. So, she followed Gavin into his house and waited until he shut the door behind them, then followed him over to the couch. Sitting down, he reached up and drew Max down beside him, then arranged them both until he was satisfied.

Barely holding back her laughter, she teased him, "Comfy, are you?"

Realizing what he'd done, Gavin actually blushed. "Oops. Sorry. You don't mind, do you? I just wanted to be as close to you as possible."

"No," Max told him with a smile. "No, I don't mind in the least." Wriggling herself into a more comfortable position but still touching Gavin as much as possible, she settled down beside him with her legs draped over his, leaning against the back of the couch with her elbow propped there to support her head and her other hand stroking softly up and down her mate's arm.

When Gavin just sat there watching her, Max raised one eyebrow at him in question.

"What? I like looking at you."

Shaking her head, she told him, "You're weird. You know that right? Nobody likes looking at me."

"I like looking at you," he insisted. "You're my mate. I plan to do a lot of looking at you over the years."

Now it was Max's turn to blush, and she swatted him playfully on the arm. "You don't even know me!"

Gavin shrugged. "So? Isn't that what we're doing here? Getting to know each other?"

Max nodded, but looked down at her own hand where it was tracing along Gavin's arm, watching the way his arm hairs lay down when she passed over them, but then sprang up again the moment her touch had passed. "I think I know why the Alpha told you to stay away from me," she said quietly, half hoping that he didn't hear her.

But he did hear her, and he waited for her to explain, brows quirked in silent curiosity.

"He didn't want you to accept me as your mate."

Gavin's look was one of pure surprise. "Why on Earth...?" he started to ask, but then realization dawned. "You think Alpha Rhys would deny you the opportunity to find your mate because of your bloodline?" The question was gentle, and not at all what Max had expected.

"You know....?" she asked sadly, certain that what was coming next would be his rejection.

Far from rejecting her, Gavin reached out and drew her closer to him. "I know, sweet one. I've known from the beginning, and I still want you. I always have. Alpha Rhys didn't tell me to stay away from you because he planned to deny you your mate, sweetheart. He told me to stay away from you simply because you were only 13 when I turned 18 and felt the mating bond trying to form. He didn't want me imprinting on you because it wouldn't have been fair to you."

"Not fair?" she wondered. "But how would that have been unfair to me?"

Gently tucking her hair behind her ear, Gavin told her, "Because I would have moved you in here, with me, away from the rest of the pack and taken care of you until you were 18 and you felt the bond then, too. He said it wasn't fair to deprive you of a childhood with other children your age."

Max shook her head, incredulous at his answer. "You're joking, right?"

"No. Why? That's literally what he said to me the day I told him you're my mate."

"The day my mother died and the Alpha ordered my father killed, he then sent me to live with a family that pretended like I never existed. Sure, I had a roof over my head, but that was it. I ate breakfast and lunch at school. Went to Jessica's house for dinner most nights, and basically lived at her house during the summers. I wasn't their slave or anything, but I certainly wasn't 'family,' either. I'd have preferred to be out here with you. At least I would have belonged, even if I didn't know we were mates then."

As she spoke, still not looking at Gavin, his face grew more and more angry. "Had I known that," he growled, "I'd have insisted." When Max looked up at him, he assured her, "Alpha Rhys didn't know how they were treating you. If he had, he'd have taken you out of there. You were entrusted to them to be looked after and raised until you were 18. Not ignored or neglected."

But Max scoffed at his words. "Please. The Alpha has never cared about me. He had my father killed the same day my mother died. If he had cared about me at all, or about what happened to me, he wouldn't have murdered my dad."

Gavin froze at that, and for a moment, Max thought she had made him angry. He was, after all, one of the Alpha's Sentinals. But no, he wasn't angry, and a moment later, he relaxed. "He's the Alpha, Max. He has to make hard decisions sometimes, and having your father killed was pack law. He did it to protect his pack, not to hurt you. Unfortunately, that was a side effect of his choice, but he did his best to look after you. He did what he thought was right, at the time."

Max only shook her head. "I don't see it that way. Can we just... not talk about it? Please?"

Gavin nodded at her and, curling his arms around her shoulders, pulled her in close. "Of course. We can talk.. or not talk... about whatever you want."

"Can we maybe just.... sit here for a while? This feels really nice."

He didn't say anything, but basically picked Max up and plopped her down in his lap. She curled up against him and tucked her legs up onto the couch, resting her head against his shoulder. Once she was comfy, Gavin's arms tightened around her, holding her close.

"You said this was our house?" she asked a moment later, unable to stand the silence now that she wasn't alone.

"Mmhm," came the answer, the sound rumbling in his chest against Max's ear. She smiled to herself to hear it, and nuzzled her face closer to his throat, where that sunshine-and-books scent was strongest.

"How would that work?" she wanted to know. She wouldn't take advantage of Gavin like that, but if he was serious, she would MUCH rather live here with him, even as just roommates, than with the family she'd been 'living' with for the past 5 years. So far, in less than an hour with him, he had shown her more kindness than her whole pack had shown her in her whole life.

"Well, I have a room set up for you. It even has a private entrance, so it's like your own apartment. The house came that way when I moved in, but I've added a few things and made some upgrades that I think you'll like."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, Max sat up and looked at Gavin to see if he was teasing her. His face was settled and relaxed, though, giving no indication that he was lying or making it up. In fact, when she looked at him, he smiled at her. "You're serious?" she couldn't help asking. No one, except Jess and her parents, anyway, had ever thought enough of her to make sure she had a place she felt safe.

"Of course I'm serious. Why would I joke about that?" The honest curiosity in his voice convinced Max that he was telling the truth. "I've had that room set aside for you from the day I realized you were my mate. I had intended for you to live there, without interruption or interference from me, until you turned 18 and were ready for the mating bond ceremony." Shrugging, Gavin continued explaning, "I never got the chance to do any of that, of course, once the Alpha decided that I had to leave you alone. He basically gave me an order not to come near you that I've followed explicitly for the last 5 years. Until today."

"It was you," she said quietly. "I felt you earlier today. Outside the pack meeting house first, and then later, inside, before the ceremony started. Why did you let me sit through that if you already knew we were mates?"

Again, Gavin shrugged. "I had orders from the Alpha. He originally wanted you to go through the ceremony with the rest of the wolves your age, but I asked him not to make you go through that. I requested that he allow me to tell you about the bond myself, alone, to give you a chance to make up your own mind without being influenced by your peers."

"I guess that makes sense." Still, Max wished that she had been told about all of this. It would have made the ceremony easier on her, knowing that she hadn't been deliberately overlooked or denied the chance to find her happiness. But, at least she knew now, and so far, Gavin seemed like he truly wanted her, and wanted to accept the bond with her. But he was leaving that choice up to her. It was a lot to decide on, having only just met the man, and she wasn't quite ready to make that commitment yet. "Can I see the room?" she asked instead.

"Of course!" Gavin beamed at her, pleased that she was interested in at least looking at the room he'd set up for her, and more than willing to show her around the house. Waiting for Max to stand, he quickly followed suit and gripped her hand again, leading her back out the front door and around to the side of the house. There was another door there, with a Welcome mat on the stoop, and Gavin leaned down to pick up one corner of the mat and pull out a key. Straightening himself, he handed the key and Max and said, "Go ahead. It's yours. You should be the one to open in."

Max couldn't deny her excitement as she took the key and stepped forward. Was she really about to open the door to her own place? Did she finally have a place she could call home? She hadn't had that since the day her parents had died, and now, she could hardly believe that it was about to happen.

Seeing her hesitation, Gavin stepped forward and covered her small hand with his own, helping her guide the key into the lock. When the door swung open, Max gasped with delight at her first glace of the room within. "This is mine?" she asked incredulously.

"Only if you want it."

Without another moment of hesitation, Max whirled around and threw herself into Gavin's arms, loving the way he instantly held her close. "Yes!" she cried. "If you're sure you want me, then yes."