Page 17 of Stuck With His Mate

Immediately denials spring from every corner, but while they rat out and fight each other, Sierra turns around to banter with me.

“As if our Alpha would notice or even care. It’s his favorite human after all.”

Everyone at the table looks at my reaction, unsure if I would take offense or not. I knew this sort of statement would eventually come up, and who else to say it but Sierra?

She was the only one of my lieutenants who had a rocky start with Angelina. She hadn’t liked her from the start, but I knew it was only because of the past we shared.

Sierra and I had grown up in this pack together, and when we had become juveniles, although we had known for certain that we weren’t each other’s mates, we had fooled around too many times to count as was common.

Driven to desperation by the moon, we had submitted to those wild urges, knowing all the while that it would pale in comparison to being with our mate.

And already sex with Angelina dwarfs everything I have ever felt.

Sierra might bear no romantic feelings for me, but she had a very high standard on what was expected of my mate. She hadn’t taken kindly to any women I had met, declaring them all spineless.

Now Sierra, bold as she is, is only able to be this vocal about my life because she is my second female lieutenant, Josie being the first.

Josie was a veteran, or at the very least, soon to be one, but it was not because she couldn’t keep up physically. Despite the salt and pepper hair, her forest green eyes, mind and body remained in prime condition.

She would step down soon, only so she could take on a more advisory role, like Jonathan, while remaining a reserve in the event of an attack.

But now thankfully, things between Angelina and Sierra had settled into what wasn’t quite friendship, more like tolerance, but I’d take that any time. Still I knew I had to defend Angelina, while applying the same tactic I did with Lake; ignore the unimportant parts.

“Yes.” I start. “Angelina really is my favorite human” I stand and make my way to her.

Angelina was mine, and I was going to trust the wolf. He had never led me wrong, so if he wanted to mark her, I won't get in his way.

“Hi Williem. How can I help you Sir?” Angelina has a shit-eating grin covering her entire face as she turns to me, craning her head to look me in the eyes. She always looks me right in the eyes, and I love it because it means I can assess every reaction every time we talk.

Something must have alerted her to my approach. It must have been some sort of pre-arranged signal she and Maric had worked out otherwise I would have heard them warn each other.

“The sentinel trials are today. I want to wish you good luck with it. I am eating my words ahead of time because I know you will do amazing” My words are in great contrast to those I was saying at the last tryouts, and it occurs to me just how so many things had changed in such a short time.

I had gone from hating the fact that Angelina was human, to accepting and even celebrating all the differences we had.

She was nothing like me, or the Lycans I knew, and that was a good thing. She was a breath of fresh air I didn’t know I needed until I got it.

Ours! My wolf growls in my head.

Angelina is my mate. This realization hit me in the center of my chest. I didn’t know why or how I was given a human mate, but I wouldn’t reject a gift from my mother. Especially not a gift as precious as Angelina.

“Thank you Liem” She accepts my well wishes with grace beyond her years, and I want to kiss her right here and now, but I don’t know if she would like public displays of affection.

“Can we talk for a bit?” I ask, staring at her, lost in this reality that only contains me and her.

“Yeah, sure. I’d like that.” She says, and rises from her seat.

Maric, young and foolish that he is, tries to grab her elbow to help her up, but a growl starts deep in my chest; inaudible to all but him because of how close he is to me, stops him dead in his tracks and he gulps.

I stare him down as I extend my hand to her, and although I do not say anything, the wolf dares him to touch her again.

He is just a kid. I remind my wolf, and so, as I close one hand around Angelina’s the other comes down to pat him lightly on his shoulder.

“Good man.” I say. “Are you trying out for any group, Maric?” I inquire.

“No Williem. I am hoping to start college next year, and hopefully become part of the medics” He says, and I am proud of him for not stuttering even though his wolf must have been warning him of danger.

“Well, I have seen you run, you could be a ranger easily. You should try out for that, and later when you are ready, you can try your hand at medicine. Every single group is as important as the others. And training for multiple ones when you are gifted is wise. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.” Shaking him one more time, I secure my grip on Angelina, and start walking out the hall.

---