All the things I didn’t know.

Regrets from the past. (Cohens POV)

I offered to walk Charlie up to her dad's house. He had cleared his morning to talk to Charlie and I so his afternoon was going to be jammed with meetings and general Alpha business. I asked if he wanted me to help but he told me he would rather I kept an eye on Charlie, make sure she was okay. I breathed a sigh of relief when he turned down my offer. I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on work. My mind would be on her. I think my mind will be on her every waking moment for the rest of my existence. Man, I'm so screwed. I hadn't even kissed her and already I knew she was it for me.

He was worried. To tell the truth, so am I. I wish I could know what she was thinking. Her mind must be going into overdrive. Basically, we just told her everything she thought she knew about who she was and what her life was like was wrong. Hell, we just told her she wasn't human. That's a lot to take in but she appeared calm, too calm. What was bubbling up under the surface? Would she break down the moment she was alone? It was then that I was struck with fear that ran all the way to my core. What if she doesn't want this life? What if she doesn't want me? She could run and never look back. She would have to reject me or else I wouldn't be able to help myself from following her to the ends of the earth. The rejection probably wouldn't kill me. I'm too strong for that but I'm sure I would wish it did. Knowing her now and having to go my entire life without her seems like a pain worse than death.

As we left her dad's office, she reached for my hand, intertwining our fingers and easing some of the worry wracking my mind. She wanted my touch, whether it was the comfort it gave her or it was me she truly wanted. I didn't know, but I wasn't about to ask for fear of her answer. I allowed my eyes to roam over her as we walked, starting from the top of her head all the way down to her toes. She was gorgeous, there was no denying that, but beyond that, she was genuinely beautiful. Her hair was warm like honey with a thread of gold running through it that picked up the sunlight as we passed by the windows. Her skin was fair yet had a soft glow to it as if it had been touched by the rays of the sun. Her eyes were hard to describe. They were like looking into a deep pool and a meadow of green grass at the same time. No one in history has ever had such beautiful eyes. They were surrounded by long, thick lashes that looked like they were made of mink. My eyes lingered a little too long on her lips. The lips I wanted nothing more than to kiss and claim as my own, the way they were full and softly parted like the most inviting pink pillows that had ever been created.

Her timing could not have been more perfect, she flipped her hair to the side, exposing her long sleek neck. I stared at her sweet spot my canines starting to elongate at the thought that one day, hopefully in the not too distant future, that is the spot where she would bear my mark. The mark that proved she was mine and I was hers. The mark that announced our love and commitment to each other for the whole world to see. 'MINE' Hunter was stomping around in my mind. He wanted her for our own and no one elses. 'Yeah I know dude, I want her too.'

Things only got worse when we made it into the main common area. Charlie was turning heads and I didn't like it. There were far too many unmated males around for my liking. Training had just ended and there were warriors everywhere. I decided to take this opportunity to give them all a warning. 'CHARLIE IS OFF LIMITS TO ANY AND ALL UNMATED MALES. DO I MAKE MY SELF CLEAR?' I mind-linked them, most responded with a nod, some with a 'Yes, Future Alpha' but a few were a bit too brazen for my liking. Specifically, Grayson and Dimitri, they have never respected me the way they should. They think that, because I am technically not of Alpha blood, that I do not deserve to be Future Alpha. f**k them, they can challenge me for my title if they want, but if they think they can come for my girl they can consider themselves as good as dead.

A low growl rumbled through my chest, causing Charlie to snap out of her own thoughts and look up at me. Immediately I felt myself begin to calm. "Are you okay?" she asked, looking up at me with worry in her eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just feeling very protective of you. I didn't like the way some of the men were looking at you." I leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Oh, I thought you were growling because of them." she gestured across the common room. Standing there was a group of my mistakes. She-wolves from the pack that I have had s*x with on occasion over the past few years. The worst of them being Michelle. The rest of them knew what the deal was going in, just s*x. I always explained that I was waiting for my mate and that it was just casual s*x. But a few of them became obsessed, it was like they were competing against each other to see who I would choose to stay with. I thought they didn't like each other because of it, but as I looked at them whispering amongst themselves and glaring at Charlie, it was clear that they now had a common enemy. I caught Michelle's eye and gave her my best 'don't you f*****g dare' look. She averted her eyes and she must have said something to the others as they all did the same.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, hand in hand, until we reached the door to her father's house. Her bags were sitting outside. I picked them up as she pushed the door open and then looked at me. I realized she didn't know which way to go. "Follow me, the guest suite used to be my room before I moved out." I said with a smile, remembering my time there fondly. One day when I'm Alpha, I will move back into this home. Now all I can hope is that Charlie will be there with me.

I put her bags down at the foot of her bed. "I think I'm going to take a shower then lay down for a bit, I feel a headache coming on" she said, "but, can I ask you something first?" "Of course, you can ask me anything." I responded immediately, feeling happy she didn't want me to leave right away. She looked down at her feet as if she was embarrassed to ask. She gulped "If I did have my wolf when we met and I felt the mate bond right away, what would have happened?" I could not control the smile that spread across my face. "Here, sit with me" I tapped the end of the bed beside me and she sat. "Well, when most wolves meet their mates they have an immediate attraction. It is extremely strong and we as a species are very s****l by nature, so many can't resist claiming, mating and marking their mates right away. Usually they disappear and we don't see them for a few days", I chuckled to myself. I looked at her face that was riddled with confusion. "What does any of that mean? mate? mark? Oh goddess, I'm never going to understand all of this".

"Don't stress babe". Oh, s**t, maybe I shouldn't have called her that, but she didn't object, so I continued on. "When I say mate, I mean just that, mate. Have sex." She blushed, it was so cute. "When our kind has s*x with our destined mates it strengthens our bond and deepens our connection. Often times, but not always, wolves will mark each other during the mating process." Her face becoming more flushed, she tilted her head to the side in confusion, exposing that perfect spot where her neck meets her collarbone, the spot destined for my mark. I could feel my d**k start to swell at the thought of it. "When wolves mark each other, it's a way to say to the world that they belong to one another, a symbol of their eternal commitment ". I leaned over and moved a few strands of hair off her neck, "You bite, right here", I gently traced my fingers over her sweet spot and could not deny the satisfaction I felt when she shivered and a tiny moan escaped from her lips. She threw her hand over her mouth in embarrassment. I gently grabbed her wrist and removed her hand and looked right into her eyes "Charlie, you never have to be embarrassed about what you feel for me or what I make you feel".

It was as if that single statement gave her permission to give in to her feelings. She closed the distance between us and I couldn't take it any longer. My animalistic side demanded I claim her lips. I pressed my lips against hers, sending tiny jolts of electricity all over my body. No kiss had ever felt like this. Her lips were soft and giving. As she leaned further into me she opened her mouth slightly. That was all the invitation I needed. My tongue moved on its own accord, exploring her mouth and tasting her. Her mouth tasted the way she smelled and immediately my c**k was rock hard. She allowed another small moan to escape, sending me further into ecstasy. Hunter was going wild in my mind, wanting me to do more and go further, but I couldn't. Everything had to be at her pace, her choice. She teasingly battled my tongue with hers. A new smell began to creep in, the smell of her arousal. It was delicious, I wanted to taste it and drowned in it. I gently bit her lower lip before forcing myself to pull away. We sat for a moment with our foreheads against eachother, lightly panting. "Baby you are so much more then I could have ever dreamed of", it was the truth, never in a million years could I have hoped for someone as perfect as her. She smiled with her now swollen lips and suddenly her smile disappeared. "Cohen I have to tell you something" she swallowed hard, "I'm a virgin". She shut her eyes tight expecting me to be mad or upset or something, but all I could do was smile like an i***t. The thought of another man taking what was rightfully mine made my blood boil. "Are you mad?" she asked sheepishly. "Mad? No! Babe, why do you think I would be mad? I love that about you". Then it dawned on me "But I have to tell you and believe me, since finding you I regret it totally,,,". She cut me off and I could see the jealousy written all over her face. "I know you are not a virgin. For one, I mean , look at you, you're like a real life Ken doll only a million times hotter and secondly, I'm going to guess by their reactions to me that you have had s*x with at least a few of those shanks I saw down stairs". Ooh, my baby is feisty. I couldn't help but love the tinge of jealousy in her voice, but it was my turn to hide my face. "You're not wrong. I wish you were but you're not. I can't tell you how much I wish I had waited for you". To my surprise, she laughed. "It's okay. I can't blame them. If I wasn't so shocked, I would have jumped your bones the first time I saw you. My man is a smoke show". Did she just call me her man? Hunter could not be happier if he tried. He was literally purring.

I stood up to stand in front of her. "If I don't leave now, I never will and you need some time to think and have a nap and I, well, I need a cold shower" She stood up to meet me, she lifted up on to her toes to meet my mouth for a chaste but delicious kiss.

"Give me your phone", I instructed her. "Until you have your wolf and are a full member of Jade River, I won't be able to mind-link you, so here is my number. Message me whenever you are ready for me to come back." I kissed her on the top of my head and quickly turned to leave while I still had the willpower to do so.