The Alpha's Unrecognised Mate

Morning Training

The chapel was full of familiar faces, but the only one I could fully make out was Clint’s, standing at the podium in front of us all. Unlike the last time I’d sat in this situation, his eyes were only on me.

“Mate,” he growled, but with a sense of calm that made it all the more chilling as his voice echoed clearly throughout the hall. Everyone was staring at me now, shocked, but I still couldn’t make out their faces. When I looked back towards the podium, I was surprised to see Clint was in arm’s reach, no longer at the front of the chapel. More importantly, his shirt was gone, revealing an astonishing set of abs that dipped into a pair of well-worn jeans. I looked to see what everyone else’s reaction was at seeing their alpha undressing before their eyes, but somehow everyone had left, and the chapel was empty. It was just the two of us.

“You belong to me,” he growled again, his voice somehow even deeper than before, as he dipped his head towards my neck. At first I thought he was going to mark me, but instead he placed a gentle kiss on my bare skin, sending jolts of energy up my spine. Instinctively, I pulled him towards me, and he made no move to pull away, gripping me back even harder.

“You are mine, Tori,” he whispered possessively in my ear. I spun my head towards his lips, desperate to feel them against my own.

My alarm beeped beside me, interrupting my sweet dreams.

“Oh, shut up!” I slammed my palm down on the snooze button. I didn’t like to be woken up at the best of times, but to interrupt a dream like that was inexcusable. Even Lyra was grumbling, and her complaints had nothing to do with the early start.

It was still dark out, and I checked my alarm. It was five am.

“What the…?” I mumbled aloud, before remembering my plan from the night before to get up early and take Lyra for a run before work. Yeah, that wasn’t happening.

I rolled back over and pulled my pillow tighter, hoping for another hour of rest. All too soon my alarm buzzed again, and I shifted to a seated position, grabbing it to turn it off for good.

“Nuh-uh, up you get,” Lyra pushed into my thoughts. I so badly wanted to ignore her, to push her back down, the same way I had done for years. Now, though, she had something she really wanted- someone she really wanted- and she wasn’t as easy to face down as before.

And she wasn’t the only one who wanted him.

Groaning, I climbed out of bed and straight into my slippers. They didn’t hide the fact the air was still holding a heavy chill. At least I wouldn’t be in my human form for long. Lyra wouldn’t mind this weather at all. Still, I balked when I got to the back door and opened it, letting the true cold from outside blast in.

“We really want to do this?” I asked her, knowing the answer before the question even formed in my head. She wouldn’t be the one stripping down in the cold air, though.

“Hurry up about it and you won’t feel so cold!” Lyra snapped back, already buzzing and ready to go. I may not have been a morning person, but she sure was. Her advice was good, so I followed it, letting my pyjamas fall off my frame to the floor. I kicked off the slippers I had only just put on and let my feet touch the cold timber floors. I hurried outside, naked, and shut the door, not bothering to lock it. I was not going to waste any time in human form.

I shifted, letting Lyra’s warm coat cover me and feeling the chill melt away. While I was disorientated, Lyra was off and running, not wasting any time. She wasn’t holding out, either, pushing herself to her top pace right from the get-go.

“Don’t you want to pace yourself a little?” I asked her.

“You only gave me an hour,” she grumbled back, keeping her pace solid. I could feel my still-sleepy human brain clocking out of the conversation, and gave Lyra the reigns, which she gladly took. This was her moment, and she’d waited a long time for it.

I’d started to get used to her breakneck pace, no longer wincing when we came too close to a collision. Lyra hadn’t failed me yet. Instead, I tried to take in my surroundings and enjoy the view of the forest. The silence of humanity let the hums of nature surround me, the rustling leaves in the wind and tiny critters going about their lives. Familiar bird calls rang out in the trees above, chirping and fluttering their wings. Lyra’s paws on the ground had a melodic rhythm to them, like the drums in a song tying everything together. It was peaceful. It had been a while since I’d known peace.