Fighting For My Mate (18+)

Chapter 12

Eli POV

It’s been quiet since the first attack happened with the rogues. It makes me uneasy, but at the same time, I feel relieved because it gives me a chance to spend more time with Christa to build our relationship.

After spending time with Christa yesterday, I’ve gotten closer to her than I have ever been with anyone already in just a short amount of time. Because of that, I can feel Christa’s emotions, and she can feel mine. She’s been upset that Chase has still not shown any improvements and she’s been feeling my anxiety about what is going on with this Sigma werewolf. She doesn’t understand yet that it’s my anxiety that she is feeling and not her own. She can’t quit pacing back and forth in my living room. I try and control my own emotions but our connection is so strong already, even just a small emotion from me she can feel. I grab her hand as she passes by me for the 10th time and pulls her towards me.

“Hey, hey, you need to calm down before you run yourself ragged.”

“I can’t help it. I keep feeling like there is something really wrong, but I can’t pinpoint it.”

“Maybe it’s all the stress from everything going on and with Chase.” I say, even though I know exactly why she feels that way.

I want so badly to tell her that it’s my anxiety that she feels because she’s my mate, but I can’t just yet. I don’t know how she will react if she finds out right now. As of right now, the only people that know are Amanda and me. Since Christa has been with me, Amanda has been helping Ethan and Seth dig up more information on this Sigma, but so far, they’ve come up with nothing.

She nods her head at my words and finally settles down.

**Christa**

Yesterday with Eli at the hot springs was wonderful. It was so sweet of him to take me to his secret spot to comfort me and help me forget for a moment of everything that was happening around me.

When he brought up his mom it really touched my heart. It felt like we had connected in a way I can’t seem to explain. I feel even closer to him than I have anyone else, even my own brothers. And it's weird because I think I can feel his emotions almost like they were my own. He does a good job of not showing them, and I have no idea how I know that they are his emotions and not mine. Maybe I am going crazy, but I can feel his anxiety rolling off of me. I keep pacing around in his living room, trying to figure out if the anxiety is his, mine, or a bit both, and what they are about.

He finally reaches out and grabs my hand and pulls me towards him.

“Hey, hey, you need to calm down before you run yourself ragged.”

“I can’t help it. I keep feeling like there is something really wrong, but I can’t pinpoint it.”

“Maybe it’s all the stress from everything going on and with Chase.” He says.

I nod my head agreeing with what he said. I mean, it could definitely be a possibility, but I feel like there is more to it, and I just can’t place it right now. At any rate, the things I have been feeling for him keep getting stronger and stronger. I’ve also noticed he’s been using terms of endearment. Every time he does, I get butterfly flutters in my belly, and when he kisses me on my forehead and pulls me in for a hug, I feel warm and content. Almost like I have been missing a piece of myself, and I’ve finally found the other half.

I think I might be falling in love with him? No, that's impossible. It's way too soon to fall in love with someone, isn’t it? I quickly shake the thought out of my head. When all of a sudden Eli’s phone rings. When he looks at the name on his phone he has a scowl on his face. He gets up quickly and goes to the other room. I can hear bits and pieces of what he's saying but I hear Eliza’s name come up. I immediately get a sick feeling in my stomach when I hear her name. Eli comes out of the room and sighs, and he shakes his head.

”I have some things I need to take care of for a bit. Stay here, ok. Don’t go anywhere and lock the door behind you. Don’t let anyone in.” He tells me. I simply nod my head and follow him to the door and lock it. As soon as he’s gone, I feel an ache I’ve never felt before.

After a couple of hours go by, I start to get ansty

wondering where he is. I look out the window as the day turns to dusk. At first, I don't see anything, and after a few minutes, I see Eli and Eliza outside together. She takes his hand and pulls him towards her, and she goes up on her tiptoes and kisses him, and I don't mean just a peck. She has her tongue down his throat. She then wraps her legs around his waist and starts grinding on him. I quickly move away from the window. I feel like my heart has been ripped right out of my chest; I run to his bedroom and into his bathroom and lock the door behind me. My stomach is so sick from what I just saw I vomit. At the same time, I feel like I’m going to die from heartbreak. Why do I feel this way? I don't understand anything anymore! Afterward, I sit next to the toilet and cry. A few minutes later, I hear Eli knocking on the bathroom door.

”Christa, let me in.”

”Go away, leave me alone!” I yell.

”Please, it's not what you think. Let me explain.”

”Screw you, Eli! I know what I saw! I'm not an i***t!”

”Please, Christa. Give me a chance!”

I slowly get up. I wash my face and brush my teeth before unlocking the bathroom door.

**Eli**

While I was talking and trying to get Christa to relax, my phone began to ring in my pocket. I pull it out and see that it's my father. I immediately know it can’t be anything good. I take the call in the other room.

”Hello.”

”What the hell do you think you're doing kicking Eliza out of the guest room?”

”It’s none of your business why I kicked Eliza out!”

”Her father is extremely unhappy with the way his daughter is being treated as the future Luna of this pack, and he’s about to pull away from our alliance when we need his help now more than ever! YOU WILL MAKE THIS RIGHT! You are taking her out on a date today. No, if’s, and’s, or buts.” He all but screams out. I sigh, rubbing my fingers over the bridge of my nose trying to warn off a headache coming on. I have to appease my father for now until I can figure out when to tell my pack about their real future, Luna.

”Fine. Tell her I’ll pick her in an hour and to be ready to go.”

”You’re making the right choice, son!”

I put my phone back in my pocket and take a deep breath before I open the door and walk back into the living room.

”I have some things I need to take care of for a bit. Stay here, ok. Don’t go anywhere and lock the door behind you. Don’t let anyone in.” I tell her.

I hate leaving her alone like this, but she should be safe here without me for a little while.

I head out and pick up Eliza to take her out. She all but leaps into my arms when she sees me. I take her to her favorite restaurant, and the whole time, she’s hanging on my arm. When the hostess comes to show us to our table, she is smiling and trying to flirt with me. Eliza quickly takes notice.

”Don’t you dare look and talk to my mate that way? You keep your eyes to yourself and do your job. You are meaningless to him. He only has eyes for me! You got that?” She sneers at the hostess.

The hostess seats us and quickly walks away, leaving us to ourselves.

”Well, it’s about time we get some time to ourselves, don’t you think, darling?” She purrs.

”Not really. I could have done without.” I say, not trying to hide my true feelings.

She went on and ignored what I had just said, and she continued to drone on about how excited she was about being my mate and how she will make a perfect Luna. I tried hard to keep myself from rolling my eyes.

Throughout dinner, I couldn't sit still because my joints were aching but it wasn't mine. It was Christa’s. Why is she always in pain? Since she's been with me, I notice she has a hard time moving around, and she limps sometimes, but she does her best to hide it. I need to find out what's going on so I can help.

It was beginning to get late, and I was anxious to get home to Christa. So I wrapped up the bill. I tried to get someone to take Eliza home, but she insisted on walking with me towards the packhouse. While walking back she tries to hold my hand. I pull my hands away and put them in my pockets which causes her to frown, but then she continues on like nothing happened.

When we got to where my living room windows where Eliza stopped.

”So, are you going to invite me up to your place tonight?”

”Eliza, you and I both know nothing is ever going to happen between us. I don't understand why you keep pushing this.”

”Because honey, I love you so much, and I just want to be with you.” She says with a fake pout.

”Do you take me for a fool? You and I both know that you’re power-hungry and don’t give a s**t about me except for what I can do for your image.”

”Oh, but I can do so much for you in return darling. Just give me a chance to show you how much I can please you! Once you have me, you will never think about another woman again! That human woman will never be able to please you like I can! Honestly, I don't know what you see in that vile disgusting human? And you won’t have to convince your pack to accept me.”

”Listen to me; you will never be able to compare to Christa. She will always be better than you in every single way! And to answer your question, no, you may not come up to my room, nor will you ever!”

I turned to walk away, and she grabbed my hand, I turned around, and right at that moment, she shoved her mouth over mine and wrapped her legs over my waist, and began grinding on me with her tongue down my throat. For a moment I was stunned and frozen in place. Once my brain caught up I pushed her away from me. I saw my curtain move from in the living room, and all of a sudden, I had a sharp pain in my chest as if my heart was being ripped out.

Right then I knew, Christa had seen what happened. I didn't have time to deal with Eliza. I rushed up to my house leaving her where she stood. I called out for Christa but there was no answer. I ran to the bedroom and I could hear Christa crying in the bathroom. I went to turn the doorknob, but it was locked.

”Christa, let me in.”

”Go away, leave me alone!” She yells out.

”Please, it's not what you think. Let me explain.”

”Screw you, Eli! I know what I saw! I'm not an i***t!”

”Please, Christa. Give me a chance!”

I hear her getting up, and the water starts running. And I feel relieved she is coming out of the bathroom. I need to see her. I need to make sure she's ok. The pain she felt when she saw Eliza on me tore me to shreds. My heart broke right along with hers and I never want her to feel that pain again! I could kill Eliza for this!

She storms out of the bathroom and starts throwing her clothes in her bag. I’m at a loss for words.

”What are you doing?” I ask, flabbergasted.

”I can’t do this! Chase is in a coma; I found out that everything I thought I knew about my brothers has been a lie, and you… I don't even know how or why I feel what I do for you! I just need to get out of here!”