What had she done? Had she wanted to do? She had lost control. It was like an out of body experience. She couldn't stop herself and the feeling of wanting to sink her teeth into Emily's olive tanned skin. To taste what was below the flesh and mark her for her own. To take it for her own. She could hear Emily calling for her to return home, but she fought against it. She couldn't return with the thoughts running through her head. It was like all of a sudden she felt Emily slipping away from her. Felt as if something was taking the girl from her. She couldn't lose Emily.
Paige ran. Ran as hard and as fast as she could. But then something hit her like a brick wall, shoving her to the ground and into a tree. It was then she realized that it was another person that had hit her.
"God damnit Toby!" She yelled when she stood up and dusted herself off.
"What are you doing?" Toby said as he marched towards the girl.
"Going on a picnic. What does it look like I am doing?" Paige said, crossing her arms and standing her ground.
"You can't run from this." Toby said, trying to reason with the girl. "Come home, let me and Spencer explain..."
"Explain how I wanted to rip my girl friends throat?" Paige yelled.
"You wanted to mark her, Paige, not rip her throat out." Toby said with a laugh.
"It isn't funny Toby! I wanted to...wait, what do you mean, mark her?" Paige asked.
"You wanted to mark her so other werewolfs would know that you are hers." Toby rushed out.
"Were already bonded." Paige said.
"Yes. Like Spencer and I are bonded. But this happens, these feelings you feel that makes you want to claim her, are because of another powerful were that wants to have Emily as its mate too." Toby spoke slowly so Paige would understand it all.
"But, but, no. She is mine!" Paige said as she slammed her foot down as protest, much like a child. This caused Toby to laugh. "This isn't funny Toby. I can't lose her."
"You won't" a voice from behind Paige said.
"Dad!" Paige yelled as she ran to her father and hugged him. "What is going on?" Paige said after letting her father out of the hug.
"How about we go for a walk?" Nick suggested, Toby turned and ran back towards the direction of Spencer and Emily. Paige looked in the direction of the house, torn between Emily and going with her father. She couldn't feel Emily calling for her anymore and when she concentrated she couldn't even hear the girls thoughts. "She is with Spencer, I promise she is in good hands."
"What is happening with me dad?" Paige asked as they started walking towards the lake.
"Its normal. Well, not normal, but it hasn't happened in over one hundred years. There usually aren't two powerful werewolves in one region at one time. And even if there are, they usually fight over territories, not mates." Nick said.
"Why does everyone think I am this powerful werewolf?" Paige yelled as she stopped at the waters edge.
"Because you are. It is in your genes honey. Your grandfather was the leader of his pack, back when there were more weres in one region." Nick explained.
"So am I the leader of a pack?" Paige asked.
"You could be if you wanted to, but McCullers usually like to keep to themselves." Nick said with a laugh.
"Dad, I am so afraid that I am going to hurt her. And that would just kill me." Paige said as she sat down beside her father on a rock. "I love her. And the thought of someone trying to take her away from me, it just makes me..."
"Calm down Paige." Nick said sternly. "Until you can learn how to fight the feelings of marking her off, you can't let your rage build like this. Marking her, will kill her. Its a transfer of your blood to hers. Your DNA will be shared, but since she isn't just human, her body isn't strong enough to handle the transfer. It is what happened with the last marking. A werewolf fell in love with a human female. Two dominate weres fought for her, the original mate marked her so the other wouldn't claim her first. Her blood poisoned her."
"I can't do that to her. I would walk away from her before I would do that." Paige said.
"You can't voluntarily walk away from her Paige. It isn't in our genetic to leave a mate. They have to say that they don't need you anymore. They have to break the bond." Nick said sadly.
"You walked away." Paige said.
"Your mother broke our bond. She knew that I wouldn't live as a human, and that I wouldn't leave her to be in my wolf form and live. But she knew that I had to live long enough to take care of you when your change happened." Nick said as a tear rolled down his cheek.
"What did it feel like? Because right now, not being near Emily, I can hardly breath. My heart is breaking." Paige admitted.
"Your bond is strong. Stronger than your mother and I's. But when she said that she no longer needed me, my heart stopped. I was no longer needed for her, so my heart stopped beating for her. It used to be in perfect rhythm with hers, like yours is with Emily's, but it just stopped. I believe that it is killing me faster than the cancer." Nick said with a sad smile.
"I have so much I need to understand." Paige whispered.
"That is why I am here now, if only for a little while. I will help you over come this need to mark her. First we need to find out who it is that is causing you to feel this way." Nick said, not wanting to waste the little time her had.
"I know who it is. Bobby Kauffman from the swim team. I knew something was off with him. The way he would stare at Emily and me. God, I knew I recognized the smell from her that night at the party! It was him that was trying to take advantage of her!" Paige then went on to tell her dad about the party and how Emily had smelled like something that she didn't recognize.
"Kauffman is a strong, old bloodline Paige, you must be careful. But what you were smelling on Emily was his smell, his mark. You smelling it is probably what set off your instincts. But the fact that it took almost twelve hours for a reaction from you means that it is not that strong. We will over come this, you will overcome this." Nick said, resting his hand on Paige's shoulder. Paige could feel the deeper meaning behind the last statement. She knew her father had a very short time left.
"Dad, I have been having this dream." Paige said.
"About killing Emily?" Nick asked.
"Yes?" Paige said.
"I had it too. It is the animal part of you trying to escape. There are times when it will be appropriate for you to let go and let the beast out, then there will be times when you need to control it. But you need to speak with Emily about these needs and her wants. Its a mate thing Paige, and it is different with every bond." Nick said. He turned to his daughter when her heard a whimper escape her mouth. "Go home to her Paige, I know she is calling for you. I will meet you in the backyard tomorrow around six."
Paige's dad got up and ran towards the woods, turning into the white wolf along the way. Paige stood and ran in the direction of Emily calling her, turning into the white wolf along the way. Breaking into a full sprint on four legs was the most freeing thing that Paige had felt in a long time. It was the way she felt when she was in the pool. Like nothing bad could go wrong. Reaching the yard where she saw Emily standing alone Paige stopped and looked at the beautiful girl, not yet turning back.
"Paige." Emily said as she walked the short distance to the girl and reached out for her, Paige backing up a little bit. "I'm not afraid of you." Emily said sternly.
"You should be." Paige said as she turned back into her human form, still keeping a bit of distance between herself and Emily.
"I'm not." Emily said closing the distance, pulling Paige into a hug.
"I am so glad that you aren't." Paige said pulling Emily into a kiss.
"I guess we have a lot to talk about." Emily said when they pulled back.
"I couldn't hear you." Paige said. "You were blocking me out again." She said with a dejected face.
"There were things I needed some time to think about too. You left without a warning Paige, after almost, I dunno, killing me!" Emily yelled as she pushed Paige in the shoulder, her anger coming back full force after she thought about the girl just leaving. "You can't just leave after doing something like that, Paige! We are in this together. I am your girlfriend, your mate!" Emily pushed Paige again.
"I know!" Paige yelled back, finally losing her resolve, pulling Emily into a searing kiss. "So hot when your mad." Paige said as she moved her lips to Emily's neck, causing Emily to let out a groan as the pressure between her legs started to grow. "No!" Paige yelled as she stepped back from Emily. "We need to talk about this."
"Just let go Paige!" Emily said as she pushed Paige on both shoulders causing Paige to become angry. Paige pulled Emily into the house by her hand. The minute the backdoor closed Paige slammed Emily against the door and attacked her neck. Slipping her hands down, grabbing Emily's thighs and pulling them up so Emily could hook them around her back. Paige growled into Emily's neck when she felt Emily rut her center against Paige's taunt stomach. "Paige, God." Emily moaned out.
Paige turned and carried Emily up the stairs, slamming the bedroom door closed and throwing Emily onto the bed. Paige crawled on top of Emily and started ripping the girls clothes off one by one, before ripping her own off. "Letting go." Paige whispered in Emily's ear before sucking it into her mouth.