Born of Two

All of her

Chapter 15

“Get up, Rosalynn. You need to try harder.”

I got up and dug my feet into the soil beneath me. My anger at this point is trumping my exhaustion. Molly and Jojo had teamed up against me. One was training me to use Adira the best way I could and the other was teaching me how to harness my wind abilities. Nevertheless, every night I crawled into my bed, in my room, inside my mate's house, dead, exhausted, and flattened.

At some point today, though, I will have bruises covering my body. Apparently, since I am gifted outside of wolf abilities, I am slower to heal than others. I put my hands at my sides and began to focus, just like I was taught. I could move a few leaves with a gust but nothing that could actually protect me. Just when I was getting more traction, a gust hit me from the side and leveled me. This time I was pissed. I jumped up and ran at Molly. I was a few feet from Molly when she smirked and pushed her hands out, creating another gust that threw me back 30 feet. Landing right on an old log that shattered on impact. This time I actually let out a yell as I rolled back and forth in a serious amount of pain. Not good. I could see the girls running but I heard the growl first. Lochlyn. His one rule was just broken, I couldn’t get hurt.

“This isn’t training anymore!” I could hear him scream at Molly while I stared up at the sky. “You are taking advantage of her anger at me right now!”

“She needs to learn to control her emotions!!! Don’t tell me how to train MY summon.”

“You are a GUEST HERE!!!!! Not someone that can just come in and hurt this pack's Luna.”

“Don’t act as if you own her!!! She is bigger than you know and she is my duty to protect!!! I HAVE TO PROTECT HER!!!!”

“LIKE YOUR KIND PROTECTED HER MOM AND SISTERS!!!!”

“You motherfu-“

Just then, a bear's roar came from the forest and I felt a snake slide next to me, but I was too stunned to move and still in a great amount of pain. Wishing for something to help, a big furry bear ran up and let out an ear-splitting growl. Crap, I summoned the bear.

“Now, Alpha Lochlyn, that comment was unnecessary, to say the least.” I heard Simon's calm, even voice break up the feuding duo. “And Miss Molly, acting like a child and putting our one chance in danger, isn’t going to train her faster or help her. You preach on getting her emotions in check and yet you are the most volatile person I know.” I feel the tension release.

“I am sorry Simon.” I could hear Molly.

“I am sorry….who are you?” Lochlyn was still very pissed, at me, at Molly, at the world.

“Awe yes. See, we have met before in my animal form but not in the flesh. My name is Simon and I am the summon in the animal world. I like to take a more dignified and low performance, unlike my friend here.”

“So you chose a snake?”

“If I remember correctly, Alpha, your Beta, Gamma, and Delta were curled up in balls in the living room. So yes, dignified and deadly.”

I finally had enough of lying on the shattered log where I was still in pain and honestly having a hard time moving. “Now that all the voices have met could someone maybe help me? I don’t know, I just thought that it would be nice to go see Deren and get checked.”

That was all it took for Molly, Jojo, and Simon to come running, but not Loch. Nope, he was still as pissed at me as the day was long. Jojo helped me to my feet where she helped me walk over to the pack doctors. There Deren was waiting for me with her signature arms crossed and foot tapping. We were in for a long visit. I gave her my best innocent smile but she didn’t return, just glared.

“How dumb are we today, Luna?”

“Double training.”

“What did you do to deserve these bruises?” She said as she admired the black and blue artwork courtesy of Molly.

“Got careless and Molly got over-ambitious with her abilities. I found a very nice log today that I unfortunately destroyed… you know gravity.”

“Yes, but Luna, you have to be more careful. This pack can’t lose you.” Her expression had turned from one of anger to concern as she motioned me to the bed and had me lay down while she started her assessment of me. “ OK final tally. 5 broken ribs, i***t. A very, very, VERY bruised spine, dumbass. Mid-range concussion, little s**t. Finally, to top it all off, you have a very poor and fragile ego.”

"The ego was a pre-existing condition."

"I think I need to teach you some things in the area of focus and f***s given. You're letting your frustration and how you see yourself get the better of you.”

“Ha, your right. Focus isn’t my strong suit today.”

“Speaking of that,” She said as she pulled that circle, wheely chair over. “What the f**k did you do to our Alpha?”

“WHAT DID I DO!!!! WHAT IS HIS PROB-“ I groaned and laid back on the bed.

“Yeah hun can’t yell with your ribs broken and I might have squeezed your thigh in the right spot on a bruise. Now, without the dramatics, tell me what happened.”

“Last night Lochlyn wanted to sleep with me. Not like anything hot and heavy, but he wants me in his bed all the time. It’s like homeboy, can I get just a little bit of space? I just got here, it's not like I am going anywhere. It isn’t like I could go anywhere if I tried. I am just asking for a little normalcy. Like the little bit where I get to keep my space and my body to myself. Like god-damn it, can’t I have some breathing room.” I huffed out the breath I was holding in while I spewed the situation to Deren.

“ OK, so it looks like we need some basic wolf lessons as well.”

“Really I thought I was doing really well in this world,” I said with a very obvious eye roll.

“Well love, you are not.” She said while she patted my legs hanging off the side of the bed. “Do you understand this mate bond?”

“Not at all.” I hung my head in shame because I didn’t understand any of this still. Was I broken? Was I even good enough to lead?

“Shut up that voice in your head.” Deren broke concentrated self-loathing.

“How did you know?”

“I can tell when people are internalizing too much and you, my dear, have no poker face.”

“ OK.. tell me what I need to know.”

“Let’s start with your bedroom problem.”

“That is the least of my worries.”

“Oh no, dear. That is the beginning.” Deren wheeled her chair away and walked out the door bringing in a heart rate monitor. “You seem like a black and white learner, so we are going to have a little fun. Put this on your finger.”

“Ok. Done”. Just then, a knock came at the door and Jojo and Hazel entered.

“We doin’ girl talk?” Hazel spoke first. “We doin’ the bird and bee’s with the human?”

“Oh my gosh.” I rolled back down on the bed as the heat rushed to my face as I stared at the ceiling.

“What? I am a realist.”

“And a horn-dog since you got pregnant,” Jojo remarked.

“Jojo and Hazel, did you bring what I asked you to bring?”

“Yeah, and let me tell you, the warriors aren’t going to be happy when they are done training and all their clothes are gone.”

“ALL!!! I told you to grab your mates!”

“Yeah, but we thought a prank on a Wednesday would be fun. Keep them on their toes, you know.” Hazel fessed up quickly with a shrug. “Luna, you are sworn to secrecy.”

“I am not even listening to you,” I responded, playing with the heart rate monitor, still staring at the ceiling.

“Oh, is our little test subject sour?” Jojo came and put her arm over my head.

“Sour is a good word.” I leaned over to her. “I’m in over my head Jo.”

“No, you're not.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Nope. You are more capable than you know. I know because you see the worst in yourself and not the drive and passion you have. Your love for people is your passion, your constant need to be the best will drive you, but it will also be your downfall if you don’t give yourself grace. You are capable of this, but right now I need you to sit up and understand the mate bond so that my…. Brother....can……get…..laid.” Her face made a sour look and she retched at the sentence. However, her words rang true. I could do this but I needed time and I needed to give myself grace. I sat up and nodded at Deren. I was ready to learn.

“Oh hell, the best saying in the world is out of the pan and into the fire. Let’s go.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that yet, Luna. I am about to stick you with a needle.”

“WHAT!”

“I need you to feel pain. Jo, have you warned Beta Chase?”

“Yes ma’am. He isn’t happy about this but he will warn us if Lochlyn is coming and how angry he is.”

“Why would he be angry?” I can’t believe he could be angrier than he was when I told him I wouldn’t get in his bed. “It's not like he can feel this.”

“Yes, he can. He feels all your pain and emotions and that will be nothing until he marks you and then it will be like a flood of feelings.”

“I don’t understand it.”

“Right now you don’t need to understand it, you need to see it and feel it.” Right as Deren said that, she jammed a large gauge needle into my thigh. I immediately cried out in pain. Blood started oozing from the wound and my wolf rushed forward before hitting a weird barrier. She paced in my head growling at the fact that she couldn’t come forward. “That was a special concoction I used to sedate wolves when I needed just the human side. Now she can’t attack us.”

I could hear the heart rate monitor speeding up and I could feel the barrier between myself and Adira becoming more present. Panic started to ensue as I couldn’t reach my wolf. “What did you give me? Why can’t I reach Adira? Why is the room so hot and blurry?”

“Wow, that took effect fast,” Jojo whispered with eyes wider than saucers.

“Yep. Now hand her a shirt.”

Hazel grabbed a shirt out of the pile and handed it to me. It smelled of oranges, cut grass, and sweat. It was immediately repulsive and made my wolf bang against the barrier harder.

“Another shirt.” This one smelled like wintergreen, snow on the ground, and coffee. I leaned over and vomited onto the tile floor. I could see Adira trying to push her way through the boundary. I started calling out for her help.

“Another shirt.” Hazel threw another over and this one smelled like tobacco and sweat. Adira ran herself against the barrier like a feral animal against a cage. The room was spinning and my heart was out of control.

“Another shirt.” Jojo took another to my nose and this one smelled more familiar. It had bits of peppermint, clove, and pine. Chase’s shirt. It didn’t hurt to smell as much as the others. In fact, my heart started to slow.

“Another shirt.” Jojo handed me one more and this one was sweet, with apples and caramel. It was just horrible. Immediately, Adira started howling and thrashing again. It wasn’t his scent, I needed Lochlyn's scent. All of a sudden, I felt Jo and Deren pin me down.

“We need to move her. You might have subdued her wolf, but she can make a powerful forcefield. Her eyes are turning purple.

“What in the world?”

“s**t… we have a bigger problem.” I could hear the panic in her voice as I stared at the ceiling. “Lochlyn is incoming in 5 minutes and he is pissed.”

“ OK, where is his shirt? GRAB HIS SHIRT!!!!” Hazel has all the shirts on her lap but Jojo is the one who had this one. Notes of persimmon and clean cotton and earth filled my nose. Immediately, Adira calmed down and started to pace in my head. I could hear the heart rate machine slow down and I could feel the calm rush over me. I reached out and grabbed the shirt from Jojo. I could hear her giggle as I curled up with the shirt like it was my only lifeline.

“See, Luna.” I could hear Deren’s voice break the silence. “You need him just as much as he needs you. That pull you feel at this moment is the only thing keeping you tethered to reality.” I felt Deren take off the heart rate monitor.

“Mm.hmm.” I nodded my head at her, completely lost in the scent and smothered in his warmth. I hear a knock at the door and I nurse pops her head in.

“Alpha Lochlyn is on his way up.”

“Apologize to the nurse for me.”

“Yes, Beta Josephine. Hazel, Nurse Deren.”

“Thank you, Courtney.”

I stuffed my nose back into my shirt while the girls cleaned up the room around us when the door opened again. Peppermint, Chase. Then it hit me like a warm and soothing presence, Persimmon, cotton, and earth. I sat straight up and launched myself into his arms. Lochlyn barely caught me, when I locked my legs around his waist I could feel him breathing still and I felt him sneak his nose into my hair. “I am sorry.”

“Are you kidding me?” I asked, pulling away from him. “ I didn’t understand and I acted like an asshole. I acted selfishly, again. I am sorry. Can the big bad wolf forgive riding hood?”

“Always, I am sorry I pushed you.”

Lochlyn’s POV

I held Rosie in my arms and realized the asshole I had been all day. I know that I am a wolf and that she is a wolf, but she wasn’t always a wolf. This is still new to her and I can’t push her. Life doesn’t always work the way we hope. Chase chewed me out when I got back to the office for not going with my mate to the hospital. Then I got the link that some prankster had stolen all of the warrior's clothing. I had to go out and stare down 30 butt-ass naked grown men and figure out how all of them misplaced their clothing while we got them new clothing. We had no idea that sneaky Hazel was behind to help Deren and Josephine understand the mate bond. I am sure we can repay the kindness one day.

I held Rosie tighter, breathing in her wonderful smells. She was trembling in my arms from what I thought was the day she had. However, I realized she was trembling from pain. I could feel the dull ache in my head, ribs, muscles, and really all over. I nodded to Deren and mouthed ‘thank you”. I knew what she did for me today, but as much as she did, I needed to meet Rosie halfway, better. The girls clean up the room where we are standing while still holding on to Rosie. I don’t want to put her down, whatever Deren gave her earlier to block Adira from coming out also blocked the mate bond. I felt a dull pain and then nothing after a while. I got nervous when I couldn’t feel our bond and then my wolf started to panic and tell me to go find my mate.

“Hey, Deren, let me know through the link that you are in rough shape. How about we go home? Then I will put you in the best bath ever and then we can watch a new movie.”

“I love that idea.” We whispered in my neck. The feeling of her relaxed breath on me made my wolf go crazy. I couldn’t ignore the sensation it gave my other half as it began to make my jeans feel more like a prison than ever before.

After we got home, I ran her a bath and laid out some of her favorite comfy clothing. Her cropped top Nebraska shirt, which I have seen her wear a million times, and some black quilted sweats. I sat on her bed waiting for her to come out. She came out twenty minutes later surprised that I was still in the same spot she left me. She eyed me curiously and I responded with just a simple shoulder shrug. Life is easier when people don’t always talk about what is going on.

“So I did the thing I wanted to do.” She strode over to the bed still in only her towel with her hair in one of the plushy headbands I saw Jo use all the time, "I made a list.”

“A list?”

“A list.”

“ The last time someone gave me a list of things to do was Sebastian and I barely got it done.”

“This is a fun list.”

“Can I see this “fun” list?” I made sure to put the word fun in air quotes and she just smiled her gorgeous smile that legit makes me weak for her.

“Yes, but once you leave so I can get dressed.” She leaned down and pecked my lips, making sure to keep a tight grip on that towel. Oh, that towel, I could rip that to shreds in a second, and one day I will. Instead of letting her pull away from the kiss, I reached up and snaked my hands around the back of her neck and up into her hair. She gasped ever so slightly at the change in plans, but I stayed on the course. She needed to know how much I wanted her without crossing her boundary. I slowly stood up, not breaking the contact between us. I could smell her scent getting stronger and she was slowly giving in. I slightly nibbled on the bottom of her lips, requesting it to open at my playful touch. One hand still resting on her neck, I slowly traced my finger from her shoulder to her hand resting lower holding the bottom of the towel. I began to trail kisses up to her ear. This was it, it was now or never. I was going to take my shot.

“Without anything happening tonight.” I paused, “Can I see you?”

“See me? Like naked?” Her question was breathy and her arousal was filling my nose. I know human girls call their virginity their flower. I always thought it was a stupid name until I met Rosie, but damn, her arousal smelled like the greatest garden in the world.

“Yes. I won’t touch you and I won’t pressure you, but I want to see all of you.” I said as I ran my fingers out of her and down to the crook of her neck where she would one day bear the mark I would place on her. She shivered as I traced the open spot near her collarbone. “You can say no.”

“Ok. But go to bed.”

I couldn’t believe it. She said yes, I was going to see her naked. Oh my gosh, DO I smell… how do I smell myself without her noticing? Does my breath stink? s**t, what am I doing? I probably look like a flushed, sweaty, train wreck. I gotta be smooth, I gotta be smooth… s**t, how do I be smooth? I started backing away from the bed, trying to play off my anxiety when I ran fully into the dresser behind me. I looked up and saw my mate's concern and holding back her laughter. I smiled at her joy. I will do anything to make her smile all the time. I walked back over and pulled her into me one more time, staring deeply into her perfect blue eyes. She leaned her head into my hand resting on her jawline. A perfect quiet moment in the midst of everything else. My mate and I.

“You know we could skip the whole peep show and go watch a movie? If that’s what you want.”

“Not at all. Just can you give me a few minutes in the bathroom? I know I stink and honestly, you scare me.” I looked at her feeling like I was pitiful when she just smiled back.

“Why is the Alpha nervous?”

“You, my darling. You are new, exciting, perfect in every way and in every atmosphere you are everything.”

“Mmmmm… You make me so happy, honey.”

“Just wait for the ceremony. In a few weeks, m’lady”

“Ok go. Unless you want to miss the show,” She said with a wink. I practically skipped to the bathroom. I got my teeth brushed and made sure my hair was classy, not trying to be messy as a few curls hung down. I thought about giving myself a pep talk but I really just wanted to step outside and see her. I took a deep breath and bounced away from the sink. I had put on some sweat that hung really low, like teasingly low, exposing the body I worked really hard for. I could do this… it isn’t like this is a first. However, it's our first time and we won’t go anywhere because I am going to show her I can restrain myself. I opened the doorknob and saw an empty room.

My heart sank as I walked into the space where Rosie’s scent still lingered. When I was about to go downstairs, I saw that my balcony door was open. It was 10 o’clock at night. Most of the pack were asleep or indoors, away from the frigid night air. But she was standing outside leaning against the railing admiring the sky that would soon bring its winter snow to us. Her skin glowed in the moonlight as the light bounced off her. Her entire back was exposed to me and her sheer forest green robe hung loosely above her ass. Her brown wavy hair hung loose in its low bun, leaving a few tendrils of hair to frame her face. I let out a small cough to let her know I had found her. She stood up slowly, shoulders rolling back like she was the queen addressing the crowd. Her head still bowed to the moon as if she was finishing a silent prayer when she did it. She slowly, painfully dropped the robe to the ground. I could see it. All of her. I hadn’t even seen the front of her and I was going to fling myself over the edge. I had her all to myself and she was mine. I walked up next to her without saying a word. But before I reached the door, I dropped my sweats and slowly stepped out of them. If she was going to bare it all to me, I would respect her to bare it all to her. I walked up the rest of the way and stood next to her. I waited for her to turn because in my peripherals I could make out how the moonlight hit her face. How it made the blue in her eyes sparkle and move like the Superior. I could see how untouched her neck was and where I would lay my mark and, at the bottom of it, I could see where the contour of her breast began. A shiver ran through my body as I touched the small of her back and I felt the strength of sparks flow through us. She turned to face me and I was taken away by her beautiful nature, her silent strength, and her present confidence.

She looked at me with a reserved smile. “Is this what you wanted, Alpha?”

“Lochlyn, Loch, Lo. Call me anything but Alpha love.”

“I thought I was supposed to. Jojo said it makes you-“

“Stop talking, Rosie. You don’t need to say anything to make me want you.” I rested my hands on her shoulders and took a step back from her to look at her.

Her eyes were shining bright in the moonlight. Her full flushed pink lips are curled up in a small smile. Her face is perfectly framed by her hair. I followed the curve of her neck and collarbone down to her breast. If my eyes could pop out of my skull they would have. They were perfect and round but not perky. They formed a perfect teardrop shape, small on the top but full and bouncy on the bottom. Enough to move with her, but not so much that she always keeps them confined to a bra. My giant hands would play with the pink perky n*****s showing themselves in the cold night air. I followed down to the navel where I saw a flat tummy covered in scars. My heart broke to see something that would have at one point caused her pain. There was, of course, the obvious bruising that remained from today. You could see the ribs that were broken and where they undoubtedly hurt her the most. However, when my hands brushed the bruise my mate showed no signs of pain. I continued my journey from her navel to the area between her legs. Not spending much time there as there was more to her. I could tell she had her preferences and didn’t look like some bare barbie down there. No, she let herself be a natural woman in that area. My wolf went crazy with that thought. Next were legs. I could sink my teeth in them. They jiggled as she shifted her legs. They weren’t twigs, just solid muscles. Legs that could carry her for miles and legs that could fight if she needed to.

I pulled her close because I saw how cold she was getting. “Can I ask you something?”

“Is it about my scars?”

“Yeah.” I felt guilty asking, but I wanted to know if she was OK.

“Hey, I am OK.” She looked up at me from our hug. “I had some really hard times after my dad died. I wasn’t ready to let go of the grief I was feeling because it was the only thing reminding me that he existed in my world. So I did what any grief-stricken teenager would do.” She said with a shrug.

“You kept the pain going.”

“Yep. Until I saw my mom getting sick. Then I had to be stronger than my grief. I had to be there for her. 2 years of self-harm until I woke up and realized I was more than the pain locked in my heart.”

I wrapped my mate in a hug. As if she couldn’t get any better. She was real, she was honest and she was brave. I picked her up bridal style and carried her to the bed. I laid her down and motioned for her to stay there. I grabbed the lotion and walked back over. She looked at me confused.

“I would like to take care of my mate tonight.”

“Lotion? Kind of a Silence of the Lambs vibe.”

“No, I just want to rub your feet and give you a leg massage. I know you have to be sore. Then I am going to dress you like a real creeper.” She laughed at my comment. “Then you are going to show me that fun list you made.”

“ OK and then can I sleep here tonight.”

I grinned with joy. “Yes, you can sleep here forever.” Her smile could power a million cities but right now it was powering the beat of my heart.