Her Unknown Wolf

Sealed With A Kiss

~Drake

"Mate." I say, my heart skipping and Sage, absolutely elated, dancing around in my head. He's never acted like this before, like a puppy. He's always been so regal and calm.

There she is. She's so beautiful. He swoons. I can't wait until we can finally unite as one.

"I really do mean it. Come closer and I'm going to mace you." Fear trickling into each word she said and I could see her shaking.

I don't know why she's so scared or why she's reacting like this. The mate bond should have her knowing who I am to her. Her wolf should have told her. This is new territory.

"I'm not here to hurt you." I say, holding my hands up in surrender, hoping to make her feel safe, and to show her my sincerity. "I'd like to talk, please."

She doesn't put down her arm holding out the little cylinder of mace. Her eyes thinking over talking before she replies.

"Fine. Talk."

I sigh, relief flooding through me. A chance. "What's your name?"

"Why does that matter to you? Why are you stalking me?"

"I'm not stalking you. You're my mate. I wanted to find you. That's also why I want to know your name. I'm Drake Mitchell."

"Mate?" She clearly was getting irritated. "Why does everything lately revolve around that word? What does that even mean?"

"You don't know?" Furrowing my eyebrows together and tilting my head in confusion, I ask her, half scared of her answer.

"Know what?" She scoffs, slight hysteria in her voice. "What am I supposed to know?"

She really doesn't know? How can she not know? I can feel her wolf. She's there! Why isn't she wanting to run to me? All I want to do is kiss her.

I gulp, my mouth suddenly very dry, hands sweaty. I think it over carefully before deciding to just be forward with it all and tell her right out. She needs to know.

"That you're a wolf."

~Savia

"Excuse me, " I say, "what?"

"You're a wolf. "

"Okay. Are you crazy? Has everyone around here lost their minds? A wolf? Like a werewolf? Those aren't real. Those are stories and fairytale, legends, myths. I think you need to back away slowly and now." I hold the mace out towards him more and grab my key ring sicle.

He looks puzzled and confused. Maybe he needs some mental help and if so, I really hope he gets it because this is completely crazy.

"Yes, a wolf. Haven't you gotten yours yet? She should have made herself known by now. Mine can feel yours. They are fated, just like you and I are."

Tooolllddd yyyooouuu. Vex smugly sang. He's our mate. Tell him I'm here. Trust him.

Oh yes, I'm just going to tell the person who has been TERRORIZING my dreams that I'm as crazy as he is. I reply. She rolls her eyes and sighs.

"I can sense when people are talking to their wolves. Their eyes show it. You were just talking to her." Drake says, taking another step closer, still holding his hands in the air.

How did he know that? I think to myself.

Because wolves can tell when other people are talking to their wolves. Came the snarky reply I knew was coming.

"My wolves name is Sage. He's wise and I welcome his input and his judgement. I hear him," he points to his head, "in my mind. No one else can hear him but me. Just like no one will be able to hear yours but you."

I lower the mace a little and think for a moment. What he describes is exactly what I'm going through. Is it a coincidence? I vote my lower lip and forrow my eyebrows together.

"Can you explain?" I ask. "Can you tell me what's happening to me?"

"Yes. I can teach you everything. You just have to trust me." He replies, lowering his arms a little but still keeping his palms in sight and open. "Can I come closer to you?" His eyes gentle and understanding, he just kept looking at me, waiting for my answer.

"Okay." I say after a moment.

He sighs in relief and puts his arms down as he's coming over to where I am. "I was heading to go to eat at a restaurant if that would make you feel more comfortable talking to me Miss.....?" he pauses and puts a questioning tone to his voice.

He still wants my name.

Of course he does. We know his.

"Reed. My name is Savia Reed."

"Savia." He says slowly as if he was savoring each letter.

......

Walking with him was becoming easier every step of the way to La Nappe Veloutée. I believe it to be a coincidence that this is the very restaurant he was heading towards all along. At least he has good taste. My mom's cooking is to die for. It's a silent walk but looking at him it was plain to see his nerves were wrecking havoc on him.

He's tall. Easily over 6 feet. Now having a closer look at him, he's actually rather attractive. Dark brown hair, brown eyes, and freckles across his nose and cheek bones as if they were tossed there purposefully. I so do love freckles. He appears to have a fit build. Not super skinny but also not too muscular, and yes, there is such thing as too much muscle. He seems perfect and exactly what I have always wanted in a romantic partner.

"Savy! Are you meeting your mother or eating today?" The server at the door said in greeting to me as we entered the restaurant.

"Hello, Dana. I'll be eating today with Mr. Mitchell here." I smile at her politely.

She smirks back. "Alright. Table for two." Then she leads us to a table in the back area of the restaurant. It's the area thats usually reserved for couples and business dinners where diners can eat and discuss what they need to in privacy. Given the nature of the talk we were about to have, I'm grateful she misread the situation and placed us here anyway.

"Can I get you started on drinks?"

"Yes, please. I'll have hot tea." I say.

"I'll have a cup of coffee." Drake says. Dina nods and heads off.

"So....." I begin, fidgeting with my fingers slightly. "A wolf?"

"Yes. I'm assuming you don't know anything, correct?"

"That is correct."

"Usually people know who they are and what they are descendents to. I'm not sure how to explain it." He thinks for a moment and then is still with this look in his eyes. Is this what I look like when I talk to Vex? Is he connecting with his wolf? He takes a deep breath and let's it out slowly. "Alright. You are, by one of your parents, a werewolf. Your rank is usually assigned to you by the ranks of your wolf parents. If you were born to Omegas you would be an Omega. If you were born to a Gamma, you'd be a Gamma. To Betas, a Beta and to alphas an alpha. I am an Alpha for my pack, the Shadow Lake Pack. You don't belong to any pack around here and you don't know about wolves so your rank would honestly be rogue."

"A rogue?" I say. "Seriously?"

"You have no pack affiliations so that does technical make you a rogue by our laws. Do you know which of your parents are a wolf, if not both of them?"

"No. I wouldn't have the slightest clue at all. I was abandoned at a hospital as a newborn and adopted by my mom and dad. Dad left when my mom proved to be infertile. I wasn't enough because I wasn't blood to him so it's just me and my mom now."

Just then Dana comes over carrying a coffee and a personal tea kettle with tea, a cup, and a little spoon. "Here you go, dears. Do you know what you want to eat?"

"Yes, I'll have whatever your best steak is, a potato, I don't care how it's made, and whatever the vegetable of the day is." Drake says without any hesitation and without looking at the menu in the table

"I'll have my usual, thank you." I smile at her.

"You have a gorgeous smile." Drake says while looking at me as if it had captured his soul. I could feel my cheeks getting warm and just knew I was blushing. No one has ever said that to me before.

"Thank you."

"Do you know anything from your parents?"

"No, my really. They didn't give me my name or leave any more for me. I was found with a necklace and that's about it. Do you want to see a picture of it?" I say while pulling my phone from my purse and opening my gallery. When I get to the photo I pass my phone to him.

He gasps when he sees it and his eyes go wide. "This necklace bears the crest of the murdered pack. 18 years ago the Lupe Pack seized war against the Summers Sun Pack, vowing to leave no one alive, even the smallest members, the babies. The betas wife was pregnant and due any day at the time of the attack. I wonder if you may be that baby. No one ever knew if she actually managed to give birth before she...." He trails off as if trying to spare my feelings.

"Why did the Lupe Pack attack them?"

"No one knows for certain. There's plenty of rumors and theories though. Some think the Alpha of Summers Sun scorned the leader of the Lupe Pack. Others think it was for territory. There are other ideas too but too many to list. No one survived that we know of, my pack searched for survivors or trails to show someone may have gotten away but our hunters came back empty. Some may have went rogue to protect themselves, however. It's possible we just didn't find a trail. We didn't even find your mother's leaving off her territory."

"Are attacks like that common?"

"No. There's always the occasional rogue but mass casualties or wars between packs is close to unheard of. There's never a good reason to kill that many people."

He and I were both completely silent. The silnce made everything awkward. Who talks about murder in a first date? Having nothing come to mind to talk about, I decided to finally try to talk to Vex.

So, you're really real then?

Yes, Savy. I'm really real.

And werewolves...?

You better believe are real too.

I sighed. Do you know anything more? What rank you are or what happened to our parents?

I'm sorry. I do not. I know only what you know about those. I wish I could help. I want to know more too.

"Okay." I say out loud, finally breaking the silence between us. "Tell me more please. Vex and I are curious. I want to know more about mates. Why do you and Vex say it? What is a mate?"

"You are so innocent. It's adorable. A mate is someone you're fated to be with. Someone to love and cherish you forever. Granted to you by The Moon Goddess, mother of all werecreatures."

"Hold up." I interrupt him. "Werecreatures? There are more than just werewolves? I'm hardly able to wrap my mind around all this being real as is but there are more?"

He chuckles lightly and I find myself loving the sound of it. Why did I fear this man?

"Yes. There are also werebears, werelions, weretigers, even werebadgers. You don't want to mess with one of them though. They have a short fuse and will not hesitate to rip a few chunks out of you, whether you meant to anger them or not."

"That's good to know I guess. But, back to mates. You mean you and I are... what exactly?"

"Meant to be together. Soul mates. May I touch your hand?"

I scrunch up my face and just stare at him. "That's an odd request. I guess, sure whatever. Go ahead." He doesn't hesitate and as soon as his fingertips graze over my hand I felt a wave of tingles trace his path, my heart starting to pound. His own face looks like it was full of wonder.

"It's electrifying, isn't it?" He asks, sounding breathless.

It absolutely is. It also makes me want more. More of him, more of his touch, more of his presence. More of this world where you knew where you belonged and what you were meant to do. Where you knew who you were supposed to be with so you never feel heartache. I want all of it.

Without really thinking I lean over the table, pull him closer to me, and kiss him. My first kiss feels exhilarating. Sparks and heat fill my body, consuming every cell of my being, intensifying as he puts his hand on the back of my head, both returning and deepening the kiss. Fire spreads between us the longer we touch. This is heaven.

"Savia?" I hear a chuckle and about jump out of my skin, breaking our kiss. "Who's this handsome man?"

"M-Mom!" I stammer, blushing instantly. How embarrassing. How long has she been watching?

"You never told me you had a boyfriend. Why don't you just walk with him around town? I'm sure he'll protect you from the mall guy."

Drake raises an eyebrow at me and I could feel my cheeks get even redder which I didn't was possible. I shoot him a look begging him not to ask. Now hiding my face behind my hands I groan.

"Mom, Drake. Drake, Mom."

He holds out his hand to shake hers. "Mrs. Reed."

"Please, call me Carolyn." She smiles sweetly at him. "I wanted to bring your food myself. When Dana told me you brought a boy with you, I just had to see it for myself." She got close to me and whispered, "He's cute." Judging by the chuckle he let out, I knew he could hear her.

"Moooom." I groan again.

"Okay. Okay. I'm going. Enjoy your meal."

"I'm so sorry. My mom's so embarrassing." I apologize to him almost immediately after she's out of sight.

"It's okay. I think she seems fun."

"I'm so embarrassed though. That was my first kiss ever and she watched it. It's mortifying."

He reaches for my hand and as soon as he holds it, sparks fly again. "Wait until you meet mine. "