Black Mountain Mates

Nevaeh

        Sterling’s eyes met mine the moment I was halfway to them. And I’m not even going to lie, my stupid heart fluttered knowing he was watching me. My body felt like it was doing involuntary things. I wanted to not be this attracted to him, then I could walk around and not look for him wherever I went. It had to be the mate bond thing making me feel this way towards him. There was no other way it was anything else, right?

                ‘Wong, Nevaeh. Sterling is a good man, a good leader, and a good protector. I know we’ve been trashed by the men in our lives, but is it wrong to assume it’s going to happen every time with every man?’ My spirit asked, a strange sadness in her voice.

                I let out a sigh. ‘Spirit? It’s hurting you that I’m being distant with Sterling, isn’t it? Me talking about leaving him and saying that he’s not my mate is not healthy for you, is it?’

                My spirit seemed farther away than usual. ‘It does, but I’ll be fine. I know what you’ve been through, and I want you to take the time to figure everything out at your own pace. I won’t force you to make decisions just because I’m in a little pain.’ 

                ‘No, that’s not right either. If you’re in pain, then I’m in pain and just don’t know it. So, I won’t accept that. I…I do want to see maybe what it would be like to be with him, but I’m so afraid, Spirit. It absolutely terrifies me, and then I resort to pushing him away.’ I said rubbing my arms. ‘What if he’ll never grow to love me?’

                ‘Just remember, he was made for you and you for him. If it makes any difference to you, I talked to his wolf the other night when we were attacked. His wolf wants us. He wants to start going through the steps for mating, and he said Sterling is ready too. He just won’t admit it. So, think about it, Nevaeh. And make sure you hold yourself high against the Wulfkin, do not seem weak.’ My spirit said as I closed in on the royal entourage and Sterling.

                In front of me was a tall burly looking man with a massive red beard and hair. He sort of looked like a Viking, while the woman at his side looked like a regular woman you would see on the streets. She was very pretty dressed in old school bell bottom jeans a plain white v-neck tucked into them, while her light brown hair was in a sky-high ponytail. Her face was delicate looking and her soft brown eyes highlighted her skin tone beautifully.

                In front of them was Sterling, the man who fate decided to be mine. He was as stunning as ever. His chocolate colored hair was perfectly groomed, the side’s nearly to the skin while the top was longer and combed back. His face sported its thick 5’oclock shadow that also seemed groomed and taken care of. He wore a fitted black button up with the sleeves rolled up that hugged his muscles, his black jeans also seemed to fit him like a glove, and around his neck was a chain with a stunning black ring on it. He hadn’t had it on before, and from the look on his face I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to notice it.

                Feeling unsure of what I was supposed to do, I bowed my head in respect before speaking. “You called for me, Alpha Laken?”

                He nodded. “This is Metis Pira and his mate Sasha Pira, the King and Queen of the Wulfkin.”

                I smiled. “Hello, your highnesses, my name is Nevaeh Dows.”

                  Sasha smiled big, her eyes searching my face for something. “Hello, darling. We saw what you did over there. Are you the pack Witch?”

                “Yeah, no.” I said conflicted before glancing to Sterling, unsure of what I should tell them. The rest of the pack is going to slip and call me Luna one of these times, but I wasn’t sure if Sterling wants me to tell them about us. “I’m also Sterling’s mate. It’s nice to meet you and the King.”

                Metis chuckled. “Guess you were right, my love.”

                Confused I looked from him to Queen Sasha whose big smile never faded. “I told my dear husband that you and Alpha Laken were mates. I saw the way he looked at you and knew right away.”

                I glanced over to Sterling and raised an eyebrow. Feeling my heart in my throat. He finally glanced over to me before rolling his eyes at my expression.

                “Are you going to be due soon?” Queen Sasha asked excitedly, but when I didn’t answer she clarified. “Pups? It usually doesn’t take long after the Mating steps have been done. Most are pregnant within a week because of their Heat.”

                Swallowing hard I turned my head so she could see my neck. “We haven’t…”

                King Metis glanced to Sterling and raised a bushy eyebrow. “You mean you finally found your mate and you haven’t claimed her yet? You have a lot more self-control than a Wulfkin.”

                Knowing exactly what he was meaning, my face turned red and I had to look away. To the Outpost pole. “I have some work to do, I’ll catch up with all of you later. It was nice to meet you, your highnesses. Alpha.”

                ‘Spirit? What do I have to do to be able to link Sterling in human form too?’ I asked while heading to Yana’s.

                She hummed for a moment before answering. ‘I don’t know of a way besides starting the mating process.’

                I groaned. ‘Steps, rituals, process. Explain one by one these stages of mating one goes through.’

                ‘Yes, Nevaeh. The first step to completing is meeting and figuring out your mates. Second step is both accepting the bond and announcing it to the pack for recognition. Third, is scenting. That’s where he will place his scent on you and yours on him so the scents become one. Fourth, is marking. Sterling will bite a specific spot on your neck to claim you as his to other males and usually there’s a celebration or feast that night. Fifth, is mating your bodies together, s*x for lament terms. After that, the bonding is complete. But Us Dire’s usually don’t follow the steps one by one. As long as all the above is completed the mating is completed.’

                I nodded. ‘Remind me what would happen if we never complete the process and I leave him now that we have spent this many days together?’

                I heard my spirit let out a whimper, making my heart hurt. ’Well, your bond with him is much stronger than before. I said something about the madness and turning feral, that’s a high possibility. There will never be another for either of you, there will be no moving on. As I stated before if not coupled together yours and his offspring will be subpar. He will struggle to impregnate any female no matter Dire or Wulfkin, and if he was lucky enough to get a live pup it would never be an Alpha. You will miscarry over and over, if you’re lucky to carry a baby to full-term then the child will be weak and a Runt it’s entire life and probably die when it turns for the first time. You mentally will never feel complete, and then you will go mad.’

                ‘That sounds horrifying.’ I rubbed the back of my neck from the stress.

                My spirit seemed to agree. ‘But Nevaeh, I don’t want to pressure you about anything. There should be still a few days before you decide on what to do.’

                I sighed. ‘Why are the consequences so sever?’

                ‘Wolves, both Wulfkin and Dire, are engrained at a young age that your mate is only one thing you cannot control and will love you unconditionally as long as you are the same back. They are brought up to be one hundred percent on board with their pairings. It’s not something that is questioned, like what you’re doing. You were brought up, like a human, where you got to pick your mate or later decide you want a different one. Wolves mate for life, always have and always will. For them it’s not taboo, it’s like a custom or religion that’s beloved.’ She said with a sigh.

                Then I thought of something. ‘Was the fact that he hadn’t marked me a show of weakness to the other’s?’

                Again, my spirit sighed loudly. ‘The truthful answer, is yes. Most of the time within six days of meeting, all five steps are finished. Sometimes sooner than that. At least scented by the second day. So, for a week and two days…it’s a sign that he can’t even be dominate over his own mate, the one person who is supposed to follow him blindly if needed.’

                I groaned out loud, not even seeing Yana coming over to me. Then stopped before saying anything to me.

                “Are you alright, Nevaeh?” She asked.

                I nodded, deciding what I was going to do. “Can you get ahold of Sterling for me? Tell him to meet me behind the common house in the woods about twenty minutes before dinner. It’s really important.”

                Yana nodded. “Yeah, what’s wrong?”

                “Nothing, everything’s okay, Yana.” I said with a reassuring smile.

                So, after looking to the sky and letting out a deep breath, I headed back to the house with Yana.

                I didn’t want to tell her my plans, mostly because I didn’t want anyone else except Sterling to know my reason. I’m his mate, I accept that fact. He did pretty much kidnap me and is currently slightly holding me hostage. But, he saved me I am not going to count the Outpost, because that was his fault. But the other night? That was different. I called out to him, and he came. Fast, and with the strength of a thousand men. Then he gave me that look. The one I think he has reserved for me. It’s filled with everything. It’s a nice look. I felt like I saw a part of him no one was ever supposed to see. I had loved it.

                He did kidnap me, but I also had nowhere else to go. So, in a morbid way he kind of helped me. That’s why I was going to help him in the only way I knew how right now.

                ‘You do know you don’t have to do this, Nevaeh.’ My spirit said quietly, but I knew this is what she wanted, has been craving it, too.

                I can feel her wanting him the way I do getting stronger. It has seemed the more I even just see him, the more I want to run my hands over his tattooed skin. The more I want to kiss his lips again, the more I want my legs wrapped around his hips. I forced myself to stop thinking about Sterling naked and got back to mentally preparing myself.