A/N

Title: A Chosen Mate

Author: Ihli

Rating/Warnings: M/Werewolves, Slash

Pairing: Hotch/Reid

Summary: Werewolves don't choose their mates, they discover them. Werewolf Aaron Hotchner's life is turned upside down when he meets the very human Dr. Spencer Reid. Slash!

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of the characters I just like to play with them sometimes. I promise to put them back where I found them.

One of the awesome Betas for this story, the talented The Shameless Bookwork has created some art for this story. It's the first time someone did that for one of my stories and I love it. Check it out at http (colon) (slash) (slash) shameless-bookworm (dot) deviantart (dot) com (slash) (pound sign) (slash) d4pwz6c

Morgan really can't resist interfering can he. Thanks again for all of your reviews. They keep me posting so please keep reviewing.

Thanks to RogueStorm84 and The Shameless BookWorm for Beta'ing this chapter! All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 12

Spencer shifted in his chair, again. Normally, he breezed through paperwork. But today, his muscles jerked, and his leg would not stop bouncing. He thought back to the conversation he had with Aaron that morning.

"Today you might feel a bit odd at work."

"Why?"

"Tonight's your first full moon."

"I thought you said we didn't react to the full moon, that we had control."

"We do have control. But we feel it. It's almost a…primal urge. We want to shift. We want to hunt."

"Will it hurt?"

Aaron laughed good naturedly at that. "Will what hurt?"

"Not shifting, shifting, all of it."

"No, it won't hurt. You'll just be restless. It will be easier after your first. Tonight, we'll drive out to the pack lands, and you'll shift for the first time. Then we'll hunt. I have been looking forward to hunting with you."

"How will I know what to do?"

"You don't need to know. It's an instinct. You just do it."

But the day had dragged on and on and on. It was only two o'clock, and Spencer muscles tensed; his leg kept bouncing; he had an uncontrollable urge to run, to go find open space and let loose. He was used to sitting at a desk, enjoyed it even, but today it just made him want to scream or…howl.

"What's up pretty boy? You seem like you have ants in your pants."

"I'm ok."

"Really? I've seen you tear through stacks of paperwork twice as large in half the time."

"I…didn't sleep well last night. I just need to rest."

"You don't look tired. You look like you're strung tighter than a wire under tension."

"Adrenaline I guess. I better get back to it."

"You know, Reid, you can tell me anything. I'm here for you man."

"I know. I'm fine."

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When five o'clock came, Morgan noticed Reid shot out of his chair and started gathering his things. What is going on? Reid never leaves at five. The kid was a work-a-holic.

Then he heard one of the offices open. He looked up and saw Hotch coming down into the bullpen, with his eyes fixed on Spencer.

They must have plans. Morgan still couldn't wrap his head around that one. The two walked out together. He thought about following them but figured he did not want to see more of that.

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"Remember when you told me to let you know if anything popped with Reid and Hotch my Chocolate Hercules?"

"Yes, sweet sugar, whatcha got?"

"According to each of their cell phones, they are together on the road heading west."

"You hacked the GPS's on their cell phones?" Morgan asked.

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing." Garcia said, a little whine in her voice.

"Okay, I'm gonna check it out. You course-correct me while I'm on the road."

"Right, because following them worked so well last time." Garcia's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"You gonna help me or what?" Morgan demanded stiffly.

"Yes, my sweet Adonis. I will help. Call me from the road."

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Aaron parked in the dirt lot filled with cars and men undressing. He got out of the car and opened the door for Spencer who was staring wide eyed at the activity around him.

"Come on Spencer. We need to get undressed or we are going to wreck our clothes."

"Oh."

Spencer got out of the car in a daze and started disrobing. The pack Alpha and Beta came up to them.

"We're here for your first shift."

"Uh, thanks."

"Piece of cake Spencer. Just remember what I told you."

"Right, just visualize myself as a wolf. Sure."

"You can do this. It's an instinct now."

When Spencer was done disrobing, he closed his eyes.

"Just reach inside and connect with the wolf. He is inside you and part of you. Imagine him flowing out, coming to the surface." The Alpha's voice guided him.

There. Deep inside. The animal gleeful to be recognized and embraced. His skin flowing, reforming. His arms tickle-itched as the fur grew. His mouth being pulled by a million invisible fingers, shaping. He was changing. He looked up now, everything black and white. The others looked so much taller.

Aaron bent down now and ran his hand along Spencer's back. Spencer closed his eyes. The pressure on his back warm and soothing. He realized Aaron was petting him.

"Welcome to the pack. You are welcome to hunt with me tonight, but I understand if you would rather hunt with your mate." The Alpha said.

"Thank you. I think Spencer and I are going to hunt together. I have waited for this for a long time." Aaron closed his eyes and shifted, becoming the wolf Spencer had seen before.

The two moved off together, Spencer following. The night was alive with the sounds of nocturnal animals. The scent of prey was strong on the air. Spencer picked up one particularly strong scent in the direction Aaron was heading. That must be what they were hunting. He wondered what it was.

Spencer trailed Aaron both creeping silently through the night. Aaron was right. Spencer couldn't describe what he was doing. He didn't really know; but his body knew; his wolf knew. It was an instinct bred into wolves for thousands of years.

After what seemed like moments or hours, Spencer spied the source of the scent. It was a cotton tailed rabbit. It's furry nose wiggling as it ate grass. A part of Spencer thought, This is absurd. Since when do I hunt cute bunnies? But the wolf was having none of that. He was a predator. This was his prey. Aaron looked back at him and gestured with his head. They could not speak in wolf form. Their vocal cords were incapable of human speech.

Spencer took the gesture to mean he should take the lead. He acted without thought, bunching his hind legs under him. Ready… Ready… pounce.

His jaws wrapped around the rabbit's neck as he clamped down lifting his head in the air and shaking the rabbit snapping it's neck. He tasted the sweet blood where his teeth punctured the skin. He turned and trotted over to Aaron and laid the prize at his mate's feet.

They touched noses briefly before settling in to enjoy the results of their successful hunt.

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Morgan arrived in the lot where the cell phones had stopped and parked his car. No one was around. He spotted Aaron's car. They were in the middle of a forest. He could hear nocturnal animals moving about. A wolf howl pierced the night. Morgan's belly turned over. Where are my friends?

He looked in the car and saw why the cell phones led him here. He could see his friend's clothes in the front seat of the car. He could see one of Aaron's guns peeking out. What the fuck? Why would Hotch strip and leave his gun?

The forest was alive with activity. Morgan had no idea where to search for his friends. He stomach churned with dread. They could be in danger. But he had only one option. He went to his car and settled down to wait and hoped that if they needed him, he would know.

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After their meal, Aaron gestured with his head for Spencer to follow him. Spencer trailed his mate through the woods, wondering where Aaron would take him.

His heart raced with euphoria. So alive. He had been in many forests as part of many cases, but he had never really connected to it all like he did at that moment. He was a wolf in a forest. There were no unsubs to catch. Life was really very simple. Spencer found himself wondering why Aaron hadn't given himself over to this. He could see the temptation to live out in a rural area with the members of a pack.

Aaron led him to a clearing that was covered in wild flowers. Spencer had no idea what color they were. His wolves' eyes only saw black and white. But the smell? Perfume manufacturers would kill to be able to recreate such a scent for the human nose. Nector and honey and sweet and perfect. Spencer's eyes closed in appreciation.

So he was surprised when something crashed into him.

Then he was rolling and he realized it was Aaron. Why did Aaron tackle me? But Aaron pulled him though the roll so that he was on top for a moment before continuing. That's when he realized, this was play. Aaron started making small snarls and growls and nipped at Spencer. It didn't hurt. Spencer's instincts took over and the two wolves started wrestling in earnest. Spencer had never imagined this side of Aaron. He seemed giddy. Could a wolf be giddy?

Finally, Aaron had him pinned to the ground. He knew Aaron had beat him. He was the larger wolf. He remembered to bare his neck in submission. Aaron rolled off and then curled himself in the grass. When Spencer did the same, Aaron stood up and curled around Spencer. It had been a long day and as the two mates leaned into each other, they fell asleep.

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Bright sun beams streaming in through his windshield woke Morgan. Shit! Did I fall asleep and miss them? He peeked out his window and saw Hotch's car was still parked. Had they gone camping for the night? Spencer Reid camping; that was something Morgan wanted to see.

As he was watching, a small group of wolves trotted into the parking lot. Morgan's eyes widened into saucers. Didn't wild animals avoid humans? But then the shock increased. The wolves melted, stretching changing until men stood around in a group. What the fuck? His jaw dropped like it was weighted with an anvil. I did not just see that.

After he saw it three more times, he knew. He knew that this was really happening. Where were Hotch and Reid? What kind of trouble are they in? Then he remembered the unsub in Kentucky. The bites had looked like animal bites but it had been done with human intelligence. This could be the key.

Two more wolves trotted into camp. Morgan noticed they were heading for Hotch's car. He grabbed the camera he had used to film the last change and set it running. He had proof, but he wanted more.

When the two wolves started to shift and change, his stomach sank. No, it couldn't be. But it was. Clear as day, the two men dressing by Hotch's car were Hotch and Reid. They had both transformed from wolf shape to human shape. Shit! This was much worse than anything he could have imagined.

While he watched, the two men finished dressing, got into their car and drove away. Morgan waited a few minutes then followed.