The Alpha's Warrior Mate

I Know Her

“Just do it and go,” Anna said dismissively.

“Do what?” 

“Don’t be coy, we both know you wanted to reject me. I wouldn’t have survived it back then, but I’m okay now. Just do it and leave Lizzie and I here. I’ve got a life here, and damn, I was almost the Luna so reject me and you’re free to do whatever you want.” Her eyes were dark by the end of her speech and I could tell she was reigning in her wolf. I hadn’t ever met her and my heart twinged to think that there was an entire side of her that I didn’t know. 

“Anna... I don’t want to reject you. I never did.”

“Bullshit!” She spat. “I heard you. You said it so casually that day in the office with Jack.” There was rage in her eyes but there was also hurt. My heart dropped to my shoes. This is why she would have rather jumped off a cliff than stay with me. The months since that night I could see her in my dreams standing at the edge, the peace on her face was enough to kill me, I was always trying to get to her but I never could. My feet would never move fast enough. 

I knew she was in the room as soon as we had walked into the ball. Her scent had almost knocked me off my feet and I thought I was going to rip that guy she was with to shreds. Everything had happened so fast with Lizzie, I didn’t even know where to begin. 

“See? You don’t even have a good lie prepared.” Anna looked away laughed through her pain. I could tell she was forcing herself to be brave but it wouldn’t last long. 

“What do you mean you were almost the Luna here?” I asked darkly, pulling myself from my thoughts. 

“Mason asked me to be his chosen mate, before he met Nadia tonight.” She said simply. “Darian was helping me save face before you tried to kill him.” I growled at the mention of the male who’s arms were so easily wrapped around my mate. Anna c****d her head to the side as if to try to figure out what I was thinking. I reached for her hand instinctively and she didn’t move her hand which I took as a good sign. 

“Jack came to the packhouse, I didn’t know what kind of long game he was playing. I didn’t know if he had brought extra men and I didn’t want to put you in any more danger. I knew you were out so I brought him to my office to distract him.” The words were tumbling from my mouth faster than I could process them. “Jacob and I were trying to distract him long enough to give Ben a chance to check the perimeter. We were putting on a show, Anna.” She looked away again and I couldn’t read her expression. “We escorted him out but Ben realized he didn’t leave. That’s when he must have gone to find you. When I saw him on the ground, I was relieved.  But I should have killed him sooner, and I’m so so sorry that I didn’t. Ben found about twenty five wolves on the edge of the territory but the pack warriors took care of them after the fact.” I glanced at Anna and saw the tears streaming down her face. I took her silence as the chance to continue even though my heart was breaking. “I thought you were dead when you went off the cliff. The rocks...” I choked on the words. “We looked everywhere... I didn’t know. If I knew I would have found you. I would have looked until the end of the earth.” I felt her hand on my face and I leaned into the warm sparks that came from it. 

“Why wouldn’t you let me mark you?” Her voice was small and her sorrow hung over us. 

“I know you probably think there was some ulterior motive, but I promise you, I just wanted to wait until you were ready to make that commitment.” I watched her survey the walls around us, wondering if she felt trapped. “Do you feel up to go on a walk?” I asked. She nodded her head and moved to get up but stopped when she realized she was just wearing her hospital gown. “Let me go get you a change of clothes, can you tell me where your room is?” 

I followed her directions until I came to a door at the beginning of a long hallway lined with oak doors. It was on the first floor which I assumed was because she was pregnant. When I opened the door, her scent hit me immediately. Her room was simple, in the middle of the far wall was a queen sized bed with lavender colored sheets. Opposite the bed was a vanity with a hairbrush and a few pens in a cup. My heart clenched when my eyes fell on a small bassinet next to the bed. I walked to her dresser and pulled out a pair of leggings and a t shirt but stopped when I heard the softest footsteps at the door. 

The wolf Anna had been dancing with stood at her door arms crossed over the other, a little too comfortably for my liking. I let a low growl escape my lips as he took a step back and held his hands up to show he wasn’t a threat. 

“What are you doing here?” My voice was harsh.

“We just want to know how she’s doing,” the stranger said slowly as of it express his innocuous intent. 

“Who is we?” 

“The other pack warriors and myself. Anna has been training with us, she’s made us better. Naturally we’re worried about her,” his words sank in and they infuriated me even more. 

“She’s fine,” I replied shortly shoving past him knocking his shoulder back.

“Boy or girl?” He asked which made me stop in my tracks.

“Girl” I said continuing my steps. 

“You know, she told me about you once. After a long day, she couldn’t keep it all in. She finally broke when we were scanning the perimeter. I think once she learned I lost my mate she felt like I could possibly understand. She reminds me so much of my little sister. She talked about what it felt like, how something in her snapped and how she fet like

it would never go back to normal. Sure, she smiled and said all the right things, kicked our asses in the process,” he laughed as he said the last part. 

“Why are you telling me this?” My back was still towards him. 

“She fixed herself the best she could. She healed and she tried to move on. She did that by being who she is, not by trying to shove into some title that isn’t hers. Whatever you’ve got against female warriors, it’s going to have to stop if you want to know her- all of her.” 

“You don’t know the first f*****g thing about me,” I stood face to face with him. 

“I know, Alpha, but I know her.” It was the last thing he said before walking away, leaving me dumbfounded in the hallway.