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Stacie told Aubrey everything. It was a long discussion that Stacie had called Beca into halfway through. Simply, it was a lot to take in. In fact, it was a lot to take in the wolf pack thing alone, not even mentioning mates or pack mentality. Needless to say, Aubrey had a lot of questions about well… everything. The blonde was a thorough, controlling person. She needed to know all of the information to process it. The conversation had started with wolves in general - what being a wolf was like, whether they were immortal, and if they were born like that. Stacie answered the simple questions, as best she could. It was when they got into the harder conversation that Stacie asked Beca to come in her room and join them. As an Alpha, it was part of her job to help explain the matter and invite Aubrey to join the pack.
"So you're, like the- the leader?" It was Aubrey's first question when Beca walked into the room.
Beca eyed the couple as she walked into the room. They were sitting on the edge of Stacie's bed, across from each other, but both of them were staring at Beca. Stacie's eyes were still red, but the flush in her face had gone away. Beca sat down in the swivel chair by Stacie's desk, "Alpha…yes." Beca nodded to Aubrey as she sat down.
"Alpha…" Aubrey repeated the words like they were a whole new language and in a way, it was.
Beca looked at Stacie, "I don't know everything the two of you have already talked about…" She moved her eyes back to Aubrey.
"Just the basics," Aubrey joked, "Your wolves, your an Alpha and your roommates are…Betas? You were born this way and kind of immortal? Oh, and she asked me to…uh, join you. And be her… girlfriend… mate?" Aubrey cleared her throat, "I just… I think I need time to think about all of this."
Beca nodded and kind of laughed at the way Aubrey was processing, "Okay. That's a good start. I just have to make sure that you kind of… know everything before you make a decision. Is that alright?" Beca's words were coming out of her mouth in fragments and nervous ramblings. She wanted to do this right, for Stacie's sake.
"Okay...I'm sorry this is all just so insane to me." Aubrey crossed her legs and turned her full attention to Beca.
"It's okay, I know it's hard to grasp." Stacie put a hand on Aubrey's shoulder and Aubrey took a deep breath. So, Beca got into it. She went over everything she could think of to tell Aubrey and as she listened to herself saying it, she felt like she was running a class. She tried to explain everything she went over with Benji when he first joined the pack. She explained everything under the sun about their abilities, their lives, mates. She breezed over the feelings involved with mates and kind of left it to Stacie to provide the information about mating and how different it was from dating. She tried to be as understanding as she could and answered the questions as they came to Aubrey's mind. Aubrey stopped her a few times to ask questions that were more specific - like whether Stacie and Beca could talk to each other telepathically and if they had ever talked about Aubrey when they were right in front of her. Aubrey had a lot more questions by the time Beca got around to the pack rules and Alpha/Beta dynamic.
"So, an Alpha can… control Betas?" Aubrey nearly choked on the words and Beca could tell Aubrey was thinking more along the lines of her and Beca rather than the general. In Beca's mind, at very least Aubrey was thinking about it in reality rather than in theory. Beca swallowed hard and Stacie shot her a look, "Hey. No Telepathic talk." Aubrey added.
Beca steered back to Aubrey and thought a minute before saying, "Technically, yes. But I would never, Aubrey." She looked into Aubrey's eyes when she said it. Her voice dropped an entire octave, "I know we haven't and aren't always on the same page. If you would like to join us, I would never affect your freedom. This is a family and unless it was absolutely necessary to help you, I would never do that."
"Beca's the only Alpha I've ever met who puts her Beta's before herself, Bree." Stacie added, "She'd never in a million years do anything to hurt us."
Aubrey nodded and flinched at the word Beta. Beca could see that she was unconvinced and nervous about being called a beta, but she didn't know the blonde well enough to soothe her uneasiness. Instead, she let it settle and gave Aubrey the chance to digest. There would be more to talk about if Aubrey decided that was something she wanted. To allow her the chance to think, Stacie and Beca let her leave, after of course promising that she would keep everything she learned a secret from everyone… including Chloe. Which only reminded Beca that now that Aubrey had the options open to her, it was time for her to tell Chloe everything.
Beca: Hey, can we meet up later this week?
And just like that, a few days later, Beca sat in the middle of the forest, her legs crisscrossed while she listened to the wind blow the trees. She pulled at the grass and ripped it from the roots, twiddling it between her thumb and forefinger. The forest floor twinkled with spots of shades and sun. It was a few miles deep where a few picnic tables were set up and a landmark for Chloe to find, but far enough away from Atlanta to be noticeable. Chloe thought this was a hiking date and Beca felt like she was a volcano about to erupt. She had a change of clothes all wrapped up in a blanket, which Chloe would think is there for them to set up a picnic after their hike. Beca had given this speech twice now to two different people, neither of which felt as important and nerve-racking as this. She just wanted to say it right and do everything the perfect way. She wanted to do in a way that didn't scare Chloe or make her run in the opposite direction. Her hands were shaking and her eyes were burning red, which she was having trouble changing them back. The warmer her brand got, the more her stomach fluttered. The breeze hit her skin, but no amount of wind cooled her off.
"Hey Cutie," At the sound of Chloe's voice Beca forced her eyes back to a blue. After which, she turned her head to find Chloe approaching her in a tank top, sports bra, and yoga pants. She had all the gear necessary for a hike and Beca couldn't help but think about how absolutely beautiful she was. Her hair was up in a bun to match the surprisingly warm day in mid-October.
Beca's throat went dry when she swallowed, "Hey baby," Her voice came out raspy when she stood up. Beca had chosen herself an outfit that she didn't quite care about losing if she needed to. She was wearing simple black shorts, a maroon tee shirt, and maroon shoes to match. She had pulled her hair up halfway and left the back down which covered the back of her neck.
Chloe met Beca at a bridge over the river and they started walking, but Beca was already quiet in her own thoughts. She had spent the last hour going over a speech in her head about what to say to Chloe and how to say it. In fact, she was so lost in thought about what she was going to say, she hardly realized that Chloe had started talking about her day and how weird Aubrey had been acting for the past two days. Instead of listening, Beca was staring around the forest and hearing only her heartbeat in her ears. "Becs," Chloe finally said as she cocked her head to the side and grabbed onto Beca's hand. At the physical touch from her mate, Beca turned her full and undivided attention to Chloe. The redhead frowned and stopped walking, "Is everything alright?"
Beca looked behind them and realized they were already a half mile from the picnic tables and Beca hadn't said a word since they left. To Beca, it hadn't felt like that much time had passed at all. Had Chloe been talking to her the whole time? Had she been ignoring her mate? Beca shook her head and cleared her throat, "I have to tell you something." She finally said, her eyes locking with Chloe's. Beca could see the worry that was captured in Chloe's eyes. The redhead could tell that Beca was out of her head and she wanted to understand why. Beca wished she had brought a bottle of water out with them.
"Okay…" Chloe furrowed her brow at Beca as the brunette walked her a little farther in the woods, pulling Chloe along by her hand, "What's going on?" By now, Beca was sure that Chloe could feel the way her hands were shaking.
"I really don't know how to say this." Beca let the words fall out of her mouth and they hardly felt like they were coming from her, "I, uh, I don't want to freak you out," She was hardly talking above a whisper and she turned to Chloe to make sure that the redhead could hear what she was about to say, "And I am so afraid you are going to run for the hills when I tell you."
Chloe looked down at Beca's hands and gripped them a bit tighter - a reassuring smile filled in her lips, "Becs, you can tell me anything. I'm not going anywhere." Beca pulled her hands out of Chloe's and took a few steps away, "Baby, what's going on?"
Beca wrapped her hands around her head and took a deep breath before looking Chloe in the eye, "I'm different. My roommates and I are, I mean." Beca already felt like she was already going about it the wrong way. Chloe squinted as she was trying to follow the conversation, "We're different because…" Beca's heart was racing and she actually felt like the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth, "It might be better if I just show you." Chloe furrowed an eyebrow at her girlfriend.
Beca walked ahead to a waterfall that counted as another mile marker outside of the city. That meant they were four miles outside of Atlanta and civilization. By the riverside, Beca took off her shoes and pulled her shirt off her back, "Becs? What is going on?" Chloe looked around to make sure they were alone as Beca stripped her shirt and shorts. She was making an attempt to avoid ripping apart another outfit as Chloe added, "If you wanted to go skinny dipping all you had to do was ask…" It was a nervous rambling and Beca knew it. The two had never gone passed making out, in part because Beca couldn't risk how badly her wolf wanted to claim Chloe. The most intimate moment they shared was in the shower before they had even started dating.
Beca took a breath in through her nose and out threw her mouth. She closed her eyes. Just as she had a million times before, she began to transform. Her bones reconfigured and slid into different positions. Her eyes turned red in a blink. Her skin stretched to accommodate the new form and fur grew into white with brown tips. Her nose turned into a snout and her eyesight shifted to black and white. Her teeth sharpened into natural canines. Her fingernails grew into dark black claws. Her ears settled into a pointed shape. She landed on all fours, her paws feeling the soft forest floor beneath them.
Then she looked at Chloe.
Chloe's eyes watched Beca in wide-eyed disbelief. Her jaw dropped open and Beca's heart rate was jumping out of her chest. Chloe looked like she was trying to stay as still as she could. Maybe because she thought Beca would attack her if she did move. But she was still. Entirely unmoved and Beca wasn't sure if that was better or worse than a reaction like Aubrey or Benji's. Beca put her nose to the floor in an attempt to show peace. This was a sign of submission in the wolf community, not that Chloe would know that. Still, Beca made an attempt to show Chloe that she wasn't dangerous to her. She bowed her head low to the forest floor and lower her tail between her hind legs.
Chloe stayed still and moments passed them by without any reaction at all. Beca wasn't sure what she would do. She was afraid of Chloe running away from her if she did move. So she stayed still and waited. She waited for a sign that Chloe was reacting positively. When no kind of reaction came at all, Beca decided to make an attempt at changing that. She stood slowly and made no sudden movements. She took it one paw at a time and kept her body low to the ground. Chloe eyed her with each step though, Chloe's facial expression stayed the same. She looked as if she was in shock and Beca wasn't sure she could blame the redhead for that. When she got within two steps of her, Chloe moved both hands over her mouth and covered it. The redhead stared back at her with wide eyes. Beca could've sworn that Chloe was about to cry and the wolf couldn't tell what kind of reaction that was at all. Not knowing what to do next, Beca sat down where she was and stared up at Chloe. And she waited.
Beca was surprised at the sudden movement when Chloe dropped to her knees. In this new position, Chloe was eye level with Beca's wolf form. Beca stayed still and watched as Chloe moved her hands from around her mouth and, without scaring Beca, The redhead wrapped her arms around the wolfs neck and hugged her. Beca could feel Chloe's fingers running through her fur and holding her tight. In this position, Chloe's neck came to Beca's snout. Beca paused, shocked by Chloe's reaction. All at once it made Beca's wolf want to howl, to react, to claim. But Beca forced herself to freeze and allow Chloe to adjusted. Once Chloe settled in the position, Beca lifted her head up and laid her snout on Chloe's shoulder, "Beca?" Chloe asked.
Beca whined into Chloe's shoulder as a confirmation that Yes, It's me.
Chloe let go and looked Beca in her red eyes, still on her knees in front of the wolf. Beca took a chance and licked the side of Chloe's face and for the first time since Beca transformed, Chloe smiled, "Hi, there" Chloe said and Beca licked her face again. Chloe giggled and Beca pulled away. When she did, Chloe watched her with wide eyes. Beca turned around and sauntered over to the blanket she brought with her and picked it up with her mouth. She brought it back over to Chloe and made a poor attempt at unfolding the blanket, before Chloe took it from her, "You want this?" Chloe asked and Beca nodded. Chloe unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around the wolf. Beca took it in her mouth and kept it around her as she transformed back into her human form.
Once she was human, she wrapped the blanket around her body, but stared at Chloe before making any other movements. Chloe swallowed and stood up, their eyes meeting, "I…" Beca couldn't find the words to say.
"You're different." Chloe smiled half heartedly.
"Yeah." Beca confirmed, "It's a bit of a long story."
Chloe took a step toward Beca and pulled the blanket further around the brunette, making sure her girlfriend was entirely covered, "I've got time." She confirmed. Beca nodded and turned back around to the spare clothes she brought with her. Chloe held the blanket up around her as Beca dressed into her spare change of clothes. "So, You and your roommates are… wolves?" Beca was honestly beyond herself with how Chloe was reacting.
Beca finished dressing and wrapped her first outfit up in a ball to put under her shoulder The two started walking through the forest as Beca replied, "Yes, we are. Genetic Lycanthropy technically. We're a pack." Beca explained, "They're my pack."
Chloe nodded and Beca could see the gears turning inside Chloe's head, "Did you actually live in Maine?"
"I haven't lied to you about anything I didn't have to. I hope you understand why I hadn't told you before now. We have to be careful." Beca said, her voice full of nerves and shame, "Stacie, Jesse, Emily, and I moved from Maine. We all grew up in the same pack. Benji joined us shortly after we came to Barden."
Chloe nodded, "Okay… and what does all that mean?"
Beca took a deep breath. This conversation was going to last a long time and even longer than just this one. It would last for days, even weeks for Beca to make sure that Chloe knew everything. That is, if she was even interested in knowing and didn't disappear after she found it all out, "Well… a pack is a group of wolves led by two Alphas and consists of Betas. An Alpha is kind of another word for the leader…" Beca didn't want to make it feel like a lecture, but it was a long story, "Alphas and Betas present when they turn sixteen. Alpha's have red eyes, betas have yellow."
"So you're an Alpha of your... pack," Chloe added as she linked their fingers together. Beca hardly expected Chloe to recognize that her wolf's eyes were red, "Is Stacie the other?"
No, that would be you. Beca coughed, "I am, but um, no. Stacie is a Beta and that's a bit more complicated. You see… wolves have mates."
"Mates.." just hearing Chloe say the word made Beca's throat dry. This was what her wolf had been dying over for a month since she'd met Chloe. Since her Brand burned for the first time at the Activites fair not so long ago.
"Wolves mate for life." Beca stopped walking and looked at Chloe. Chloe turned to her and her eyes were watching Beca intently. Beca took Chloe's hands in her own, "We have supernatural abilities and one of those, includes knowing when something is right." Beca cleared her throat as the realization hit Chloe, "There's uh. My tattoo." Beca clenched her eyes at jumbling her words. She pulled up her sleeve, ensuring that one hand was still holding Chloe's. Chloe looked at the brand intently, "It's really a brand for my pack. And when I'm near my mate… it gets really warm. It almost… burns." Beca felt like she was outside of her body watching everything play out.
Chloe's eyes were burning through her skull and the redhead bit her lip. With her free hand she ran her hand over the ridges of Beca's brand, "Is it.. warm now?" Chloe asked, her eyes looking at the brand as her fingers traced it. Beca took a sharp breath in when Chloe touched it.
Beca could only nod. Her brand was burning to the point of actual pain. Her wolf was screaming to take control of the situation, to claim. Beca had already had a hard time holding it back. Now that Chloe knew the truth, it only made Beca want her more. She was understanding, kind, and she was listening. It was nearly impossible for Beca to stay still when Chloe was so close to her. She wondered how her wolf would react if Chloe actually agreed to all of this. Chloe's lips ghosted over Beca's and her breath was hot against Beca's skin. Beca cleared her throat and took a big step back, "I have a lot to tell you.." Her voice was strained and raspy.
Chloe nodded and licked her lips in an attempt to recompose herself, "Right. You were saying...about mates?" Chloe raised her eyebrows at Beca.
"This all sounds crazy, doesn't it?" Beca couldn't help herself but ask. She needed to know what was going through Chloe's mind and she wouldn't be surprised if the redhead thought the whole thing was insane. She was already shocked she'd gotten this far.
Chloe giggled and Beca couldn't help but think of how infectious her laugh was, "To tell you the truth Becs, if I hadn't just watched you.." Chloe nodded back to the waterfall and Beca knew she was talking about her transformation, "I would've thought the whole thing was crazy. But I just saw it...How could I say it isn't real? I mean, either that or this is one complicated dream." Beca was thankful for Chloe being able to joke about it. She wasn't like anyone else in the world.
Beca took a deep breath in and let it out very slow. They started walking again, "When we're really young, we're taught that every wolf has a mate. Kind of like a…"
"Soulmate," Chloe confirmed.
"Mates are destined to be together, y-yes," Beca was only pretending to have some type of composure at this point, "and they can be anyone. Wolf or not." Chloe tightened her grip on Beca's hand, "Though, an Alpha's mate is most usually born wolf because it's not often that a turned human is a Beta."
"Turned human…" Chloe repeated the words and Beca froze, realizing only just now that she hadn't talked about that at all.
"Wolf law states that a wolf can't stay with a human who is human alone." Beca felt small saying the words out loud, "To mate properly, a human must turn." Beca added, "An Alpha's relationship is most important to the health of the pack. A pack at it's best has two Alpha wolves who compliment one another's leadership styles." This was where the conversation diverted from what she had to tell the Betas, to what she had to tell Chloe in particular.
Chloe was piecing the puzzle together well considering how poorly Beca was easing around the real topic, "You mean that you think if I… turned… I'd be an Alpha wolf, like you?"
Beca chuckled and licked her lips, "I know you would be." She stopped walking. At this point, they weren't getting very far on a walk anyway. She pulled Chloe close to her and wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck, "Chloe. You are my mate." Chloe smiled as if she had been waiting for Beca to say the words to her and Beca looked down at the ground in relative shame, "I'm so sorry that this is the first time you've heard about all of this. This is a lot of baggage to carry around and if you don't want to be a part of any of this, I understand…"
Before Beca could continue, Chloe captured her lips and kissed her hard. It was a kiss that left Beca's lips bruised, ground their teeth together, and left them both breathless. Beca took the kiss in and licked Chloe's bottom lip to gain access. As soon as Chloe allowed it, Beca explored Chloe's mouth with her tongue and the only thoughts she had left in her mind were to take Chloe as hers and claim her on the spot. Luckily, Chloe pulled away before Beca could lose herself. As the two girls made an attempt to catch their breath, Chloe leaned her forehead on Beca's and for the first time in their relationship, Beca didn't force her eyes to return to a deep blue. She allowed them to stay red and allowed Chloe to see them in their natural form, "I know this all sounds crazy, but I want you, Beca Mitchell. And whatever that means being apart of I want that too." Chloe's voice was raspy and breathless.
Beca squeezed her eyes shut and backed away, "I want you too, Chloe. Which is why I'm telling all of this to you now. I don't want our relationship to be based off lies. I want to be honest with you. I don't want you to answer right now. I want to tell you everything and I want you to make a decision for yourself. And I want you to be sure of it for yourself. Not for me, but for you. Because I don't want this if you don't want all of this. Not just for me, but for you."
Chloe looked down at her shoes and then back up to Beca, "Okay. I will think about it."
"Okay." And Beca went on. She told Chloe about everything she could think of. She told her about her mother and her father's packs. She explained why her brand was the combination of her parent's family crests. She explained that she had come from a long line of Alpha's and what it meant to be an Alpha. She went into great detail about what abilities came with being a wolf, both pros and cons as well as mating and the mating mark. She told Chloe about the hardest times she experienced as an Alpha and that even though she'd been through a lot that she wouldn't change anything for the world. She told Chloe that it came with the responsibility of everyone in the pack and how she would be able to control Betas, but that Beca believed in freedom despite traditional wolf law. Beca was honest about how she had been looked down on by the elders for her beliefs, but that she didn't believe in ownership over a family. And she didn't skim over the responsibilities of what an Alpha was expected to uphold in the community either. The responsibilities that included "owning" Betas and taking responsibility for their actions. The ones that said that any claim her Beta's made to a human would be the Alpha's claim. The ones that said if Beca and Chloe mated they would be owned by one another as well as the Alphas of the group. She was open and completely truthful about everything she could possibly think about. And it wasn't until Beca gave her absolutely everything she could think to say that they headed back to Atlanta. Once back by the city, they parted ways, on the promise that Chloe would keep from telling anyone anything with the exception of the pack and Aubrey, which Beca filled Chloe in that Stacie had told Aubrey and that Aubrey was Stacie's mate.
"I'm not going to try to talk to you," Beca told Chloe, "I really want you to take a few days to think about all of this by yourself and when you come back, then you can tell me what you think. But not till you figure it out for yourself."
Chloe opened her mouth to disagree and Beca could see the way that Chloe wanted to make up her mind now. Beca was grateful for it, but Chloe said nothing. She closed her mouth and kissed Beca on the cheek and they went their separate ways - not to be together for a few days - when Chloe would let her know how she felt.
Just a few days of hell, that's all.