:3

xoxo

It was 3 nights later before I was walking back on the path, returning home. I was hungry and tired, but the band of deformed and possessed demons I slayed for one of my favorite villages was worth the trouble. Best of all, I only had a few gashes on my legs, currently being held together by bandages given to me by the grateful villagers, all of which I knew very personally by now.

I looked up at the waxing moon, looking forward to the next full one. I've always been a night sky gazer. Give me the chance and I could stare for hours. After getting home, putting my stuff away and drinking some water, I would probably lay out and sleep under the stars tonight.

A sharp noise made me stop in my tracks suddenly. I whipped out my bow and had my arrow pointed before you could say boo. I waited motionless for a few moments before Jakia walked out from the darkness, hands held out in the universal 'I'm harmless' signal. I hesitated before lowering my weapon. Jakia was slime, but he was pack.

"What are you doing out?" I asked, the red glow that had started to illuminate the end of my arrow dying out.

"Jeez Danny, a little jumpy. I was just walking. Glad to see your beautiful face again." He smiled disgustingly.

It took everything I had not to roll my eyes. Such compliments did nothing for me. "Whatever, Jakia, I'm heading back to the caves." I started back on my way. I resisted the urge to tense up when Jakia fell into step close behind me.

"You and Koga got into it before you left again. You know whenever you leave, our poor alpha goes nuts till you come back."

I didn't bother to respond to that, just kept walking. There was a pause and I heard Jakia's footsteps stop. Out of suspiciousness, I turned back to see why he stopped, truly hoping he just lost interest or saw something shiny. He was gone.

Damn wolf demon speed. Some of them can move faster than my eyes could keep up with. Koga was the worst, but Jakia was no slouch either.

I turned back to see Jakia standing an inch in front of me. Before I could even gasp he had his hands clasped on my upper shoulders, his death grip starting to leave bruises for sure. He scowled down at me, a malicious smirk with just enough fangs showing through was closer to my face than what was comfortable.

"What I want to know," he growled as he squeezed harder, pulling my body up against his, "is why you are so damn special." His eyes wouldn't have told me he was happy to see me, but after being pressed against the front of his body, I knew he sure seemed like it.

I shoved hard against his chest, only moving him a centimeter. "Fuck off!" I snarled. I was more than willing to blast him with whatever kind of surreal energy was coursing through me if he took this any further, but I'd only do it if it was absolutely necessary. Pack was family, even though I wasn't officially in the pack.

"Now now, kitten..." He taunted, running his nose across my cheek. "You know there isn't anything I'd like to do more." He said before throwing me to the ground with a hard thud and long skid.

I immediately sat up with my hand outstretched, a red glow of purifying energy emitting from it. Normally I'd have sent an arrow through his skull, but it was lying on the ground a few yards away at the moment. I had foolishly dropped them when he grabbed hold of me.

Before I had a chance to zap him, a shadow blurred in front of him immediately followed with a loud smack.

I lowered my hand, the red glow dispersing. Where Jakia was standing was now Koga. Jakia was sitting on the ground in front of him, clutching his cheek, and looking shocked. Getting bitch slapped usually leaves that impression.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing." Koga snarled, sounding more murderous and intimidating than I had ever heard before. He said it as a statement, instead of a question.

"K-Koga! I was… I was just - "
There was another hard smack as Koga struck him across the other side of his face. I scrambled to my feet, planning to intervene if this got any worse. Jakia was scum but Koga was notorious for taking things too far.

"You blatantly disobeyed a rule of the pack." He barked. "This calls for severe punishment."

"Koga!" I came up behind him, grabbing his bicep with both hands, trying to divert his attention. He didn't shake me off, but he also didn't acknowledge me.

"She isn't pack!" Jakia yelled back, sounding like he was trying to defend himself.

"Regardless. She belongs to your alpha. You know the rules."

Excuse me?

"Going after another pack member's mate is forbidden." Koga continued. "Going after your alpha's mate is an offense even greater."

"Mate?" I interjected, in shock. "What the hell do you mean mate?"

"Koga, I'm –" Jakia started.

"Leave. Now. We will discuss this further at another time." Koga ordered, and Jakia didn't question him. He was up and gone within seconds, leaving me and an alpha with a lot of explaining to do alone.

I released his arm, jumping in front of him and glaring at him straight in the eyes.

"What the fuck? I am not your mate!" That sounded like a good opening to this conversation.

Koga stared blank faced down at me. I stood there, waiting for a reply, and received none. Seconds went by, and still nothing. The wind blew softly, some of my unbound hair falling over my shoulder, slightly wavy from having been in a braid for 3 days. I saw Koga's chest rise a fraction of an inch higher in his breathing than it had before. He had breathed in my scent.

I stared into his eyes, trying to figure out what was going through his head, but growing impatient. "Koga!"

"I declared you my mate." He abruptly answered. "I did it months ago, in order to ensure no pack member would get any ideas."

My jaw dropped. "You can't just go around declaring someone your mate without telling them!"

"Yes, actually, I can." His face was still frustratingly blank.

I straightened up, closing my mouth and shaking my head. "Damn sexist pack. So what, the girl gets no say in the matter because she's the woman? Well fuck that, Koga. I don't have to go by your rules. I've loved living with the pack, but if this is what it means than I'll find somewhere else to go." I turned on my heel to go to the cave and get my things.

Koga gently grabbed my wrist to stop me. I twisted back to face him, finally seeing an emotion on his face now. I just didn't know which one. "Is being my mate really that terrible for you?" I didn't know what to say. His question caught me so off guard, I stood there speechless. He continued. "You have been my mate for 4 months and you haven't even noticed."

"That's because I didn't know." I said, finally having something.

"But it didn't change anything."

"But I didn't have a say in it!"

"I didn't ask you because I only did it for your protection."

"I don't need protection!"

There was a long pause where neither of us said anything, just stared at each other. It was 2 or 3 minutes before Koga finally said in a quiet voice. "As my mate you do not have to do anything."

I felt my cheeks flush pink with the implication, but thought on what he said for a moment. I couldn't really argue with this. I'd spent the last 4 months like how I spend the first 2, mouthing off to Koga and doing my own thing. A lone wolf you could say. A sassy wolf, but lone too. Although my independence was my first concern there was another one on my mind. I looked down at the ground, something I never do unless feeling immensely uncomfortable, and asked him quietly. "Anything?"

I felt his hand tighten fractionally only of a moment on my wrist before answering, "Not unless you want to."

That got me to look up involuntarily, and I wished I hadn't. I knew the look in his eyes now. It was one emotion, with one name, and I didn't want to face it. Lust.

There is always sexual tension with certain figures in your life. Koga, a figure of supposed authority that I eagerly challenge almost daily, but also live with and respect was one of them. Of course he was attractive, the strongest in the pack, and could keep up with my attitude, but I always shoved those thoughts to the back of my mind. I didn't want to go there. I couldn't go there. I've never had strings in my life, and I wasn't about to attached myself to anything in this era, especially a man.

I swallowed, trying to control my blood pressure, breathing, heartbeat and smell all at the same time, which was impossible. But I knew what he could sense. All of it.

Arousal has a smell, the heart beat and breathing was audible to his sensitive ears, and my body temperature rising could be felt through his touch. Worst of all, he had my eyes locked with his. I couldn't look away. I didn't want to, damn it.

Koga stepped closer, and I didn't move. He released my wrist, and I still didn't move. His face came close to mine, looking down at me, his lips hovering dangerously close to mine. I lost control of all my body's natural tendencies now, my heart racing, breathing unsteady. Lord only knew how aroused I smelled, but if it was half as strong as how aroused I felt, there was no lying my way out of this one.

His hand slowly reached up and cupped my cheek. It was rough as it slid back into my hair, grabbing a handful of its tangled craziness. I took in a sharp intake of air with the roughness of how he grabbed it, liking the dominance. I wasn't a wolf, but I was a dominant being, and had endless respect for any man with the cojones to even try and take dominance over me. I could even go so far as to say it was a turn on.

I broke, grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his lips down to mine. They fit together perfectly, moving hungrily in harmony, almost in competition for control. His free hand slid down my waist, sending a shiver shooting through me. It moved to my back, pressing my body against his, my breasts pushing up against his unarmored chest. A grunt of hunger and satisfaction rumbled through his throat, causing my back to arch into him.

It wasn't a second later when I stopped, releasing his lips and realizing what I was doing. Koga did not try to proceed either, however he did not ease up his hold on me. I pulled my face away far enough to have a respectable distance between our faces when I stared into his eyes.

"This doesn't mean I'm our mate." I tried sounding deathly serious, despite my lack of oxygen.

The corner of his mouth turned up, giving me that damned crooked smirk I always liked. "Uh huh."

"I'm serious, Koga. This doesn't change anything."

When his grin didn't waver, I pushed myself out of his grasp with a scowl on my face and headed back to the caves. I had a feeling he was still smirking.