The Human Mate

2- Finding a Mate

Alpha Ryder POV

I had just finished signing the treaty between my pack and the neighboring pack, the Nightshade pack. The treaty allowed our pack members go to a human school if they so choose. Normally we keep our pack members on our land for safety issues but the past 10 years have been the safest we've been in a while. We started with allowing our college level students to integrate into human school a couple years ago and it's only gotten better since then. Morale was up in the pack and it gave them more opportunities to learn.

It was around 6pm when I was finally able to relax, but of course the duties of an alpha are never over. My Beta came running in with a flushed face and an erratic heartbeat and some startling news.

"Sir, we got a report of rogues on the territory but no one seems to know how they got passed the border patrol." While Luke was new at being Beta, I had been Alpha for over a year now so I knew how to keep calm in dangerous situations. Luke became Beta a couple months after his father died, taking over his role.

A couple of hunters got on property armed with wolfsbane and silver. Luke's dad and I had ordered everyone be taken to shelter except the warriors. We didn't want to kill the hunters but we certainly didn't want them to just take over and hurt or kill our people. We tried to talk it out but humans are so stubborn, they didn't want to listen. We attacked and they released their weapons, the amount of wolfsbane in one arrow wasn't enough to kill us, unless we got hit by multiples of them.

I was still in my human form and taking out the hunters one by one, knocking them unconscious. I had just become Alpha and wasn't as smart as I am now, so I wasn't watching the whole scene, just the hunters in front of me. Which is why I didn't see three hunters shoot their arrows at me, but Luke's dad did and stepped in front of me, saving my life. The only thing was he had already been shot by two arrows previous to saving me, so there was no chance for him, and he knew that when he stepped in front of me. I told Luke and his family about the bravery he displayed, and gave Luke six months to deal with everything before stepping up and taking his father's place.

"How many rogues are there?" I asked, grabbing my jacket to head outside. It wasn't all that cold outside, and wolves are naturally hot-blooded, so the jacket was more of if I had to shift, I had something to cover myself with.

"Word is it's just three but only one is lurking around the territory border. Sir, I think it may be a distraction for the other two." Luke said while we met up with my head warrior, and also my Gamma, Maddox. Luke, Maddox, and I had grown up being best friends, so when the time came to step into our roles, it was somewhat easy considering our communication and bond had always been there.

"We can only see one considering the other two are further into the woods. Do you want to send a search party to find them or let them be?" Maddox awaited my answer but I couldn't think straight for some reason. There was a scent in the air that was too intoxicating not to notice, sending shivers up my spine and making me howl in delight.

"Uh, Ryder?" Maddox snapped his hand in front of my face. Usually calling an Alpha by their first name is disrespectful but I welcomed it. He snapped me out of my thoughts but the smell still lingered in the air, the smell of my mate.

"These rogues, were they all male?" I didn't want my mate to be a rogue we go after and hurt. While rogues were considered dangerous, I gave most a second chance on the off chance that being rogue was not their choice. There are some packs with strict rules and the result of not following them can be being banished from the pack, also known as becoming rogue. If my mate was one of the rogues, I just hoped that was the cause of her exile, instead of the other reasons wolves become rogues.

"They were all male. Can I know why you're asking?" Maddox and Luke both looked at me strangely but I was too confused on why I could smell my mate if she wasn't one of the rogues. There were no new pack members since a couple weeks ago and no one was visiting from an outside pack, so where was this smell coming from?

"Just keep an eye out for the one on the border...." I was going to give more instructions but when a shot rang out, gone were the instructions for the lone rogue. Everybody jumped at the sound and started to hide in their houses, I was about to send a group of warriors with me until I remembered about Luke.

"I understand you're beta, but if you choose not to come, I will respect that." I signaled for a few warriors to come with me, leaving Luke to decide on his own.

"Find the rogues and where the shot came from, but if you find a girl, leave her to me." I mindlinked to the wolves following me. I wasn't a violent person unless I had to be, but if one of them hurt my mate, I'd be the most violent Alpha they'd know.

I ran full speed, following the smell of oranges in the forest, the smell of my mate. I could hear three sets of heartbeats, two were normal pace and one was beating so fast I feared their heart would jump out their chest. I pushed myself faster than I ever had, my mate was one of those heartbeats. I just feared hers was the fastest one, the one full of fear.

I run into a small clearing and see blood on the ground, from small drops to a good size puddle. I go to a small blue tent that is ripped into shreds, the smell of my mate inside the tent. My ears perk up to hear where they might have gone to, as her scent is carried with the wind, making lose her track.

I hear violent coughing coming from up ahead, a woman's coughing... my mates. I shift into my wolf and charge to check on her or protect her. What I run up to see makes my blood run cold. My mate is running away from a large auburn wolf, a knife clutched in her hand. The wolf takes her down by clawing her side, leaving large gashes by her ribs. I sprint to her and growl, telling the wolves to back off. I gave them no warning as I jumped on them and ripped them to shreds. I only stopped when it was hard to tell their bodies apart. Shifting back to human I ran to my mate who laid on the ground shaking in fear and pain.

"Please" The small whimper came out of the woman in front of me, making my heart ache from the pain she must be in. I reach my hand out to caress her face but stop when she flinches back in fear.

"Please stay with me." I whisper as her eyes start to close. Her breathing and heartbeat start to slow down, but not slow enough to start worrying. I take off my jacket and place it on her wounds to hopefully slow down the bleeding. I hear bones cracking behind me, signaling the rest of my group is here with me.

"Sir, we found a dead rogue and human a little ways back. I think the human was her dad." Luke said and I could tell he felt for my mate. Both their dads were taken before their time, but defending those they cared for.

"Ryder we need to get her to a healer, and quick." Maddox was always the sensible one. I picked up my mate bridal style and hurried to get her to our pack witch. We all notice another scent heading opposite the direction I saw my mate run. Why was she running away from someone she came with? The scents were similar, just the other one wasn't as sweet as the woman's in front of me. She was protecting someone, that's why.

"Find who else she was with and make sure they know their sister is being taken care of. They might be frightened depending on how much they saw." I order Luke and Maddox along with half the warriors we brought. I cradle my mate delicately in my arms and jog back to the middle of our territory. Something wet started to soak through my shirt, as I look down I notice her wounds bleeding out even more.

Worry starts to set in as I realize how much blood she's lost, and her being human means she doesn't heal like us. I start to pick up my pace, not wanting to be too late to save her. I just found her after 6 years and I don't plan on letting her go anytime soon.

Houses start to come into my vision but my eyes only search for one specific house, the witch’s house. I see the cabin start to get closer and next thing I know I'm in a full sprint and get to her house. Within seconds I burst through the door and find the witch already standing by a table in the middle of the room.

"Most people knock but I guess this is an exception. Set her down on the table so I can see how bad it is." I set her gently down on the table, making sure her head has enough support before setting her down. I let the witch look at her wounds, but keep her delicate hand in mine.

"I have good news and bad news. Knowing your kind you want the band news first, yes?" She watches me nod before closing her eyes and wiping her forehead, making me more anxious by the second.

"I will have to erase her memories from tonight, so she won't remember meeting you, but I can heal her." As soon as I laid eyes on my mate I realized I would do anything to make sure she was safe and healthy, even if that meant sacrificing my happiness or myself.

"Please, just do whatever you can to save her. I can't lose her, not after all this time." I pleaded with the witch before she nods her head and gets started on healing her. I take this time to really observe my mate and her beauty. Her brown hair sprawled out on the table, matching well with her olive complexion. Her freckles that dance across her face, and her eyelashes I wish would flutter open so I can see the color of her eyes.

"I made a paste to heal her wounds, the rest is a spell to make her forget and to help her heal faster." It's a statement that comes out more as a question, she's making sure I'm okay with letting my mate forget me. As selfish as it is, I would be okay with meeting her under different circumstances, under better circumstances. I also don't want her to forget about loosing her dad, about the fact that werewolves exist. I nod my head and let the witch proceed, all while holding the hand of my mate.

Sir, we found a little girl. We’re pretty sure it is her little sister. Should we bring her to you? Luke asked through the mindlink. It all clicked when he said that. She sacrificed herself to save her little sister. She ran away from safety to make sure her sister was safe. My mate is a strong, brave, and selfless one.

I’m at the witch’s house getting my mate healed. Go ahead and bring her sister here. I let Luke know. I guess we will have to wipe her sister's memory too.

Luke brought her sister in and let the witch work her magic for her too, erasing both the sisters' minds. We carried the sisters back to their campsite and fixed up the site, trying to make it look like nothing had happened. There was another tent in the opening they were staying, probably their dads, so we changed out the tents, blankets and all.

I felt bad that they wouldn't remember the last moments they had with their dad, assuming they had some. The only thing keeping the guilt at bay was in case their last memory wasn't a good one with their dad sacrificing himself for them.

I set down my mate on the air mattress and covered her up in a blanket. The witch helped fixed the rips in her clothes using the same thing she does for our clothes. She put a spell on any clothes we've bought so when we go from human to wolf, back to human, our clothes will stay and be there when we're in human form.

"We need to leave before they wake up. I've called the police and they're on their way." Luke put his hand on my shoulder, letting me know we need to leave. I want nothing more than to kiss my mate on the forehead and tell her everything will be okay, but I can't. I can only hope to see her again and that she remains safe.