Her Mates by Tamara White
Two
“Dani?” Dad calls, closing the front door.
“Yeah, I’m in the kitchen,” I call back to him, stirring my spaghetti sauce.
Dad usually likes to make dinner, but I thought I would cook tonight to ease some of his burden. When he worked late nights, I had to learn how to feed myself rather than order takeout. It wouldn’t do any good for a delivery driver to see a twelve-year-old girl, home alone, answering the door. It could lead to too many questions.
Besides, being in the kitchen puts me close to one of the other guns should a wolf break in. The one in my room stays in there unless we can’t get to one of them. We have them scattered around the apartment in every room, each one packed with pure silver bullets.
“What’s this? You’re cooking?”
“Jeez, Dad, don’t sound so surprised. I thought this was going to be a long conversation, so I assumed we wouldn’t want to cook after. Though you may have to cook anyway,” I explain, wrinkling my nose at the scent. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t smell right. Maybe I added too much salt?
“Sorry, I just figured you would be hiding in your room, cradling a gun, or be packing by now,” Dad replies as he throws his jacket over the chair.
My dad is pretty well-built considering his age. A lot of people see us and wonder if I’m adopted, purely because of how different we look.
My father is six-foot-two and has green eyes and sandy hair. He says I’m as beautiful as my mother, but when I look at her pictures, I just don’t see it. My mom was a petite woman with beautiful red hair and dark green eyes. I must have missed out on the good genes.
“No, I figured you’d be home pretty quickly, so I didn’t bother.”
“Alright, Dani. Turn off whatever it is you’re making and meet me in the living room. I’m just going to get changed,” he says, leaving the room.
I turn everything off and tidy up before nervously sitting on the couch. I’m both excited and terrified by what he has to say. The only thing I know about my mom’s death is that wolves attacked us in our house when I was a baby. Dad told me that I could never trust them, which is why we were constantly running, and Dad taught me how to defend myself.
He sits down on the seat next to me, pulling me under his arm. I know by this one move that he has bad news.
“Dad, just spit it all out. I can handle it,” I tell him.
“God, this is harder than I thought,” he mutters, running his hand through his hair. “First, we moved here because I heard there was a local pack in this town with unmated males. I actually know the alpha. That doesn’t mean much to you right now, but by the end it will all make sense,” he informs me hopefully.
“The main thing you need to know is that your mom and me, we weren’t just regular wolves. Your mom came from a pack of royalty. Actually, she was the heir to the Alpha Queen. She was roughly your age when I met her, but she already had three other possible mates, one of whom was not too happy to have me come into her life.”
He pauses, taking a drink from a glass of water on the table before continuing, “When a princess is close to ascending to the throne of Alpha Pair, she must face the trials alongside her mate or possible mates. The trials usually consist of combat and diplomatic exercises that show the pack the heir will be fit for ruling. They will also look for defensive capabilities in the mates of the future queen.
“Two of them didn’t make it far into the trials, whereas your mother and I got through all of them. Luke, the man who wanted me gone, didn’t make it past the combat trial. He petitioned for another chance and, since his pack was highly ranked, they agreed to let him fight against me. Luke, however, didn’t account for me being the better fighter and lost.
“We were in love, the trials were going great, and then the day of the coronation arrived. We were in our room when Luke burst in. He told us his father was hurt and needed our help, so we followed him. It was a trap.
“Luke and eight of his wolves surrounded us. They pointed guns at our heads, loaded with silver bullets. He gloated about how easy it was to get us there, and how everyone would believe I killed Blair then took off. He went into great detail about how he planned to dump your mother’s body into a vat of acid to eat away all evidence of what he’d done. I only tell you this because I need you to understand how dangerous this man is.
“What he didn’t count on, however, was how much training your mother had been doing with me. She kicked her leg out, catching them off guard, and then took two of the wolves down while I took on the other six and Luke. Once her two were knocked out, she attempted to join me in taking out more of the wolves, but we were overwhelmed so we ran.
“We hid out for a while, hoping we could go back, but eventually we heard whispers about Luke being Alpha King. Even though your line was matriarchal, in light of the circumstances, they deemed that he would rule until he had a daughter. You see, your grandmother never believed Luke’s version of events of the night we went missing. Your grandfather, however, never believed in your mother. He always thought she was reckless and made the wrong choice by picking me over Luke.”
I soak in all the information my dad is laying on me and just don’t understand. My mom was a princess to the wolves? We’ve talked briefly about who leads us, but never in this much detail. All I really understood was that there was an Alpha Pair—the Alpha Queen and the Alpha King.
I knew there was a lead alpha who controlled all the packs’ individual alphas, but I never believed I could be related to them, let alone the next in line.
“Your mother and I were on the run for three years, living with the constant fear of being found by Luke. Then we learned we were expecting you. Your mother was so scared that we came out of hiding to find a seer she knew and trusted. She wanted to be assured you would be okay and not hunted. Unfortunately, that’s not what we were told.
“The seer confirmed our fears by telling us if we brought you to the pack before it was time, you would die in the trials or before they even began. We were instructed to hide you away until your sixteenth birthday, the day you were due to shift. Only after your first shift would you and your mates be ready to face the trials.”
“Wait, how come I didn’t shift then? And what do you mean by mates? I only met one guy today before I bolted out of the school after he confessed he was my mate.”
My dad laughs, leaning back in the chair. “Oh, honey. Trust you to run away when a wolf says he’s your mate when you wouldn’t run when we faced down a wild bear.” He continues chuckling, and I smile, thinking of the memory.
It was during one of my first hunts with my father when we scented a bear. Dad started tracking it. I wanted to leave it alone, but it tricked us by taking us back to its lair where another bear was waiting, protecting cubs. Dad was hurt, and it was up to me to tackle the bear and bring it down. I gripped the bear’s scruff with my teeth, growling like a wolf in a human body, until its partner backed down. They slunk back into their cave, defeated, and while I felt horrible for treating them like that, I was always proud of that moment. It made me feel like my wolf was with me. That was when my wolf and I first started seeing each other in my mind.
“Dad, seriously, what did you expect? All my life you’ve drilled into me how dangerous they are, and then I run into one in this town, a town I thought was safe. I had to fight the instinct to defend myself in front of the human secretary. Then, he followed me and grabbed me by the arm, so I punched him. If he’s really my mate, I doubt he’ll want me anymore,” I tell him, trying not to let my sadness seep into my voice.
Mates are the lifeblood of werewolf society. Without one, you’d most likely go insane. As it is, I admire the strength my father has to live without my mother. I doubt I would be strong enough to live without my mate. Though if I had a child, I would do my best.
“Dani, I know you doubt this, but how many times do I have to tell you that you’re beautiful before it sinks in?”
I open my mouth to argue when he stops me.
“No. I know you think you’re average, but I promise, as much as I don’t want it to, everything will be different after you shift. Your body will fill out, your hair will change, and hopefully you’ll be content then.
“Now, as for your mate, if he doesn’t want you after we explain who you are and why you reacted the way you did, then he’s not worth it. And besides, you’ll have more mates show themselves soon. Then the hard stuff begins,” he explains then smirks at me.
“Dad, what hard stuff? How many more mates are we looking at?” I question apprehensively. I don’t know why, but the thought of more than one mate excites me. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely terrified, but I’m also happy because my wolf will finally be free.
“I’m sorry, honey, I don’t know how many mates will come forward. They’ll sniff you out eventually. Your mother had four, and from what I was told, her mother had eleven. On the plus side, the trials are designed to weed them out until you’re left with the one most compatible for you. Hopefully, by that time, you’ll have developed feelings for a couple of them. That way when you have to choose, it will be someone you care for or maybe even love.”
“Are you serious? So, what, I have to date any wolves who come forward saying they’re my mate? And why not just tell me before we moved that there are wolves here? Why leave me to be surprised by all of this?”
My dad just shakes his head at me and sits forward, looking me square in the eye.
“It’s my job to make sure you’re safe. I wanted to make sure that I had all the information I needed before broaching all this with you.” He pauses, his eyes filled with sympathy. “The alpha is one of the males who failed to win your mother, but he became alpha of his pack not long after. I’m hoping to organize a meeting with him once you’ve found a few mates. If he knows they’re from his pack, he’ll be more willing to hear me out—I hope.”
Well, that doesn’t sound ominous at all. “So, my mates only come from one pack then?” I inquire.
“Not necessarily. You may get one or two from his pack and a few from others, or all from his. Who knows?” He shrugs and closes his eyes. I guess this conversation is making him as tired as it is me.
“Alright, Dad, I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to get a nap in before dinner. You should too.”
He sighs before pulling himself up and offering me his hand. We walk to our rooms, and he hugs me before I collapse onto my bed.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I know. I love you too.”
“Hey, Dad? Are you driving me today?” I call out.
He’s showering, but his hearing is strong enough to pick up my voice over the sound of the water. Thank God I got in first. Dad takes forever in the shower.
“Yeah, honey, I’ll drop you off on my way to work. Be out in fifteen.”
“More like thirty,” I grumble to myself while grabbing some cereal. Might as well eat before I go. Oh, and I have to get Dad to write me a note to excuse my absence yesterday.
Exactly thirty minutes later, he comes rushing out of his room, pulling on his shoes as quickly as he can. I laugh when he falls flat on his ass and huffs.
“Jeez, are you ever going to be on time?” I tease, as he hauls himself up before rushing around the kitchen and getting himself enough food to last the day. He never eats breakfast.
“Ha, ha, very funny, Dani. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah, but I need you to write me a note for skipping yesterday. Just say I got scared or something. Oooh, PMS is always a good excuse,” I offer with a smirk, watching his face flame.
As much as he loves me, I’m sure I infuriate him more. Especially when I mention PMS. That’s a subject that my dad loves steering clear of.
We get to school in no time, and he thrusts the note into my hand. I can tell he’s worried about me, but I just don’t know what to say to reassure him.
“Dani, I know you’re scared about your mate, but trust me, things will be easier once you start the trials. The best advice I can give you is to give any mates that approach you a chance. Your mother didn’t like me at first, but in the end we fell in love. You never know what you’ll find unless you open yourself to them.
“As much as I hate to tell my teenage daughter to get involved with multiple men, it’s the only way you’ll be able to get through the trials and take your rightful place. If you need me, though, please text me. I know I’m not your mother, and this would have been her area of expertise, but I’ll guide you through this as best as I can. I’ll see you later, honey.”
Dad leaves me speechless. I get out of the car in a daze. Walking through the students, I don’t notice anything going on around me until I run smack into someone.
I almost fall on my ass, but at the last minute, arms wrap around me. That’s when the scent of mint hits me. Great, not even ten minutes and I run into my mate.
“Well hello, sweet thing. Guess you can’t help falling for me?”
I rip out of his arms to see him smirking at me, surrounded by humans. I don’t stop, I just walk straight past him and his friends and into the office.
“Hi, I’m here to drop off a note excusing my absence. I had to go home early yesterday,” I tell the secretary, looking sad, as if it was the most horrible thing I’d ever done.
“Oh sure, hun, that’s no problem. Our principal is out at the moment, so I’ll just pass it along later. He’ll add it to your records or call your father for confirmation. Hurry to class, sweetie, you don’t want to be late.” She smiles a little too sweetly for my liking.
“Okay, then,” I say, leaving the office confused. Why was she smiling like that? It was as if she knew something I didn’t.
“So, would you like a guide to class?” a voice asks, making me jump and turn. Pete catches my fist right before it hits his jaw.
“What is it with you and trying to hit me? Damn!”
I smile, dropping my hand to straighten my backpack. If he wants to follow me, he can. I won’t encourage him though.
“So, Danielle, you going to tell me why you freaked yesterday and took off? I figured meeting your mate would be a day for happiness, not terror.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I was surprised and I panicked. I’m not exactly used to wolves,” I tell him, being honest. I could have lied, but if he ends up being my chosen mate then I don’t want to lie to him.
“Okay, let’s start with not being around wolves. What do you mean by that? What’s your pack name?” he questions, cocking his head and looking puzzled.
“Look, it’s a long story and I’ll explain it, but not right now. I’m going to be late for class,” I mumble, frustrated when I hear the bell ring. I take off at a run, hoping I’m not late on my first official day.
Once I’m sitting down with my book out, I sigh, relieved at making it in before the teacher. I don’t want a late slip as well as a missing day on my file.
No sooner do I relax when I smell them—mint and orange. Or what smells like orange? Either way, it’s citrusy and another wolf.
They sit on either side of me and my heart sinks. Something tells me this other wolf is my mate too. Call it intuition or a gut feeling, but I can sense it.
Class starts with the teacher droning on about some material I’ll probably never be able to fully catch up on. I don’t think he even knows I’m here. Proving my point, he tasks us with a reading and question assignment from the textbook without ever looking up or taking attendance.
“Can I look at your textbook please? I don’t have one yet,” I ask, looking at Pete. I hear a thump on my desk and turn to see the guy on the other side of me looking pissed off. His dark hair and cerulean blue eyes make a striking match.
Pete is staring at the other guy, clearly confused. “Nate, what’s your problem, man?”
Nate is still staring at Pete, and he keeps flicking his eyes from me to Pete. Pete seems to get what he’s communicating, because his eyes fly open with shock. He looks back and forth before he starts laughing.
“Oh, man, we so need to have a chat when class finishes,” he states, chuckling and clearly amused.
“Whatever,” I mutter, not knowing what he figured out. He stops laughing and just smiles my way.
They are both staring at me, creeping me out with the heat in their gazes.
Ignoring their eyes on me, I open the book and place it on the side of the desk so Nate can see it too. I tune back into the teacher and try to listen to what he’s saying, but I’m still thinking about what to do next. I’ve barely been around attractive boys before, yet now I’m faced with two who are so drool worthy that it feels criminal.
I hope I don’t screw this mate thing up.
Class is finally finished, so I pack up my notes. Handing the book back over to Nate, I thank him quietly. He takes it from me and brushes his hands against mine as he does, causing a shiver to travel up my spine.
We walk out of the classroom one after the other. Pete grabs my hand and pulls me after him. Nate is on my other side, following us as we turn a corner into a little nook that’s hidden from view.
Nate is the first one to speak, asking, “What the hell, man? What’s going on? And why do you keep touching her?” He snatches my hand from Pete’s and tugs me against him protectively.
I pull myself away from Nate, standing out of their reach. “Seriously? Do you guys not know the meaning of personal space? Jeez.” I mean, come on, it’s not fair that two attractive guys keep pulling me against them. A girl can only take so much.
Pete takes one look at my face and cracks up laughing. “Yeah, man, you might want to let her go. She’s got a wicked right hook,” he warns between fits of laughter.
He takes a few seconds to compose himself enough to be able to talk without laughing. “Nate, did you smell your mate when she came into history?”
Nate nods, staring at me as if I’m some fascinating creature.
“I thought so. Care to explain?” Pete inquires, turning to stare at me.
“Look, like I said, it’s a long story. My father has told me not to say anything until we’ve talked to your alpha, but there’s the slight possibility I might have more mates out there,” I tell them, hoping I won’t cause a bloodbath. The stories my father told me about mates say they become very possessive and protective. I’ve got news for them though, that won’t happen with me.
I’m way too dominant to let wolves, mates or not, boss me around.
