: Fine, I’ll Go

Aiden POV

“Bro, come on!” My twin pleads with me, “You don’t have your mate yet, but it’s not like you are actively trying to find her either.”

“Reid, dad and mom found each other.” I said.

“Yeah, but one of them had to leave their pack. It was mom. Maybe this time, you need to leave the pack. Come on. One weekend, we will go to the coast in the southeastern region. You never know, maybe you will meet her. If not, you still got to see the ocean.” Reid said, negotiating with me.

I’m thirty-two years old. I took over for my dad as Alpha, fourteen years ago. Reid took over as Alpha at Blue Moon, since it was originally my mom’s pack, even though she only went there quarterly, otherwise her uncle managed the pack since he was closer.

Unlike Reid and Rory, my kid sister, I haven’t found my mate. Reid was mated to Navy, and Rory was mated to Jonah, which practically destroyed my dad. She was and remains the apple of his eyes, but he had to accept her growing up. Then Nala and Julian were mated when they turned eighteen. The only two not mated are Isaiah and me. Isaiah is twenty though. He still has time. Adrian found his mate at Blue Moon and went to be Reid’s beta there.

Me, I’m desperate to find my mate. Somehow, I don’t think she exists. I used to visit all the packs in the area, and each time, I came back home disappointed. Lately, I’ve been considering choosing a mate. No matter how hard I try to accept the idea though, I just can’t bring myself to do it.

I know there is one woman that has been hanging on me for a while now. Tina Clark. She is twenty-five years old. She could be Luna, just not my Luna. She’s pretty and has a gentle disposition about her, but Leon, my wolf, and I don’t trust her. I’m not sure what it is, but there is something about her that screams ‘red flag’.

Now Reid wants me to waste more time; going to the coast and having some fun, when I have a pack to run. He is relentless though. Mr. Party Til The Sun Comes Up, is not going to let this go. In my life, I have learned it’s easier just to give into him. “Goddess, you are relentless, Reid. Fine. We will go this weekend. If nothing happens, promise me you will drop the whole conversation.”

“Fine. But at the very least we are going to have some fun. You’ve always been too serious bro. I hope you find your mate and she drives you crazy.” He said laughing.

“Get the fuck out of here. I have work to do.” I said shaking my head.

If I find my mate, I hope she doesn’t mind that I work a lot. After the first ten years of not finding my mate, I’ve done nothing but work. I know mom is worried about me, but honestly, I can at least leave a good pack for Isaiah to take over if something happens to me. I don’t have an heir, so the pack would go to him. He is responsible like all of us Willis kids.

‘I know we have a mate, Aiden. Mood Goddess has blessed everyone around us with mates. We have one too, I know it.’ Leon said.

‘I’m not holding my breath anymore, Leon. I doubt we will ever find her, if she even exists.’

‘She exists Aiden. She has too. I bet she is beautiful too.’

I allow myself to daydream for just a second. If I had a mate, what would she look like? I bet she’d be curvy. Well, it would be nice if she were at least. Hair is not too long, but curly. I have always been attracted to women with big hair. Plus, if she is fearless like my mother was in her youth, I would love it. It would also be nice if she wasn’t an only child. Maybe the eldest, but not the only child. I just think it would be nice to have additional family. I hope she will want a big family with me too. I also hope she is smart. Not trying to act smart or intelligent, but actually smart. I mean, I could list every attribute I can think of, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t think she exists at this point.

‘Excuse me, Alpha?’ Dr. Moreno reaches out in the mind link.

‘Hey doc.’

‘Do you have a minute?’

‘Sure. Do you want me to swing by the hospital?’

‘I’m in the pack house. Do you mind if we meet in your office?’

‘Sure.’

When I get there, I can see that Dr. Moreno looks worried, even though he is trying to hide it. “What’s going on, doc?”

“My nieces are looking for a place to stay. They are having difficulties at home, and they reached out to me. They are good girls and won’t be any trouble.” Dr. Moreno says, as he gets to the point very quickly.

“What pack are they from?”

“They live in the human world on the coast, Alpha. They don’t have a pack.”

Interesting. No pack. They live in the human world, what kind of difficulties would they have there? Wolves are stronger than humans.

“I see, how old are they?”

“The eldest is twenty-four years old and the youngest is seventeen and will be eighteen in the next couple of months. Their mother, Blanca asked me if I could take them in and I told her I needed to clear it through you first.”

Well, with no pack, I don’t have to do transfer paperwork. Technically, they are rogues. But Dr. Moreno has always been an upright pack member. If he says they are good girls, then I believe him.

“Okay. But I would like to meet them when they get here. How long before they arrive?”

“Thank you, Alpha! They can be here in a month.”

“Alright, I will meet them when they get here. You can let their mother know.”

: She’s MINE!

Aiden POV

Reid has worked on every damn nerve I have this week. He won’t shut up about the trip. Thank the Goddess, we leave in a couple of hours. Then I'm sure he will grate my patience about something else. All week, he has been asking me about things I’d like to do on the coast. What clothes am I bringing? What SPF do I need for the tropical climate? If he wasn’t my brother, I would have thrown him in a cell by now.

I just finished my day in the mines. I was busy making a clearing for some new security to get installed next week. When I took over the pack, I thought of a lot of different ways to bump up security around and in the pack. It costs the pack some money, but we are wealthy, so it’s not an issue. Plus, it gives everyone a better sense of security in the pack. I think it’s worth it and so does everyone else.

My father was proud of me for making changes, of course. He looked at the whole technology thing and told me back when he was younger; he wanted the latest and greatest available too. Then he told me to wait until I’m older. Technology will continue growing and our brains eventually don’t keep up. I laughed of course, but I know what he is saying will come to pass, just like everything else he has ever told me.

Now that I’m back in my room, I go to the bathroom to shower. Then I will pack a carry-on luggage, since we are only staying the weekend. I am not looking forward to this trip, but my brother is, and we haven’t spent time like this together in a long time. It’s probably been close to five years. I know one thing is for sure though, I will not get a moment’s rest once we land. Thank the Goddess for separate rooms.

After showering, I get dressed. I look at my closet, half-filled, and the other half empty. Another one of the things my dad used to tell me. Before he met mom, he always kept her half empty but cleaned. It was his way of acknowledging that he has a mate somewhere, and the Moon Goddess wasn’t ready for them to meet yet.

I adopted the same behavior, though, after fourteen long years, I should probably just give up on the idea. It’s something to think about. Meanwhile, I pulled out the linen pants and tropical shirt my brother told me I had to wear when we fly out. I think I look ridiculous. I much prefer a pair of jeans and a solid button-up shirt. Once again, my brother, being the loud one of us, I give in to his craziness.

I make my way downstairs with my carry-on and meet my brother at the bottom.

“Bout fucking time princess. Took you long enough.”

“Fuck you, bro. I worked all day and had to shower.”

“Big surprise there. You are working all day.” Reid rolled his eyes, “If a hitman ever needed to figure out your schedule, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out. You keep the same damn schedule.”

I flip him off and say, “Are we going, or are you going to continue to complain like a little bitch, dude?”

He chuckles, “Let’s get out of here. Palm trees and ocean air awaits!”

***

We finally landed in Coast City. It’s a human town and we have to keep a low profile. We can’t let our wolves out to run, so we are going to be in human form the entire trip. Leon isn’t happy about it, because he wants to feel the sand beneath his paws. This is our first time coming near the ocean and that part intrigues me.

I told Reid to allow a few hours during the day for me to rest. If this is a vacation, then I want to relax a little. Some time on the beach sounds like a great afternoon, even though I will probably only get three hours if I’m lucky, with Reid around.

“Come on Aiden. You are dragging your feet!” Reid calls out.

“Hey, this is a vacation for me, and I have never seen palm trees in person. Allow me a minute to soak up the scene, will you?”

“Minute is up, move your ass. We have dinner in an outdoor restaurant and its live music tonight.”

I sigh. I knew I wasn’t getting any rest. “Alright, let’s go.”

After we got to the hotel and got to our rooms, we both freshened up and then met in the lobby.

As we make our way two blocks to the restaurant, Leon perks up. He starts grunting and pacing back and forth in my head. He’s agitated. ‘Leon, are you sensing danger?’

‘In a human town, not likely. Something does feel off though, Aiden.’

‘Okay, let me know if I need to act fast.’

Reid seems oblivious to everything. “Hey is Chase sensing anything?”

“Nope. He’s quiet, why?”

“Leon is pacing back and forth. He says something feels off.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting?” My twin says with a raised eyebrow.

“What do you mean?”

“Chase did that when we found out Navy was our mate.”

I stopped. No fucking way. “Are you serious, right now?”

“I would never joke about this topic with you, bro. I know it’s sensitive for you. Yes, I’m very serious. How else do you explain that Leon is pacing like something is wrong, but Chase isn’t?”

Shit, I don’t even think I’m dressed to meet anyone, let alone my mate. If my brother is right, then my mate is close by, and we haven’t caught her scent yet. We walk into the restaurant and Reid is keeping a close eye on me.

Our wolves go crazy when we find our mate. The first thing we want to do is claim and mark our mates. It is instinctual. Reid being here is a good thing. He is going to have to keep me in check. I’m looking around and Leon is getting frustrated.

“Reid, how the hell do you control the agitation?”

“Bro, I don’t know. I’m in an unknown territory with you right now. I felt the bond with Navy and we were marked and mated by morning. I didn’t have to control any urges. You are going to have to reign in Leon.”

Suddenly, the host for the evening steps to the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, Damas y Caballeros, welcome to “El Rincon”!

Everyone is clapping, and I see a band on the stage. All the tables have couples. Each table has a glass of water with plumerias floating and releasing a tropical floral scent. There is also a candle lit and giving an ambience to the room. It’s an outdoor restaurant, so there is a slight breeze, and you can hear the slight rustle of the palms. It’s a romantic setting to meet my mate. I suddenly have an urge to get up and go searching for her.

“Cool your jets, Aiden. You cannot start barging through the area. We are in a human town. You can’t give away our kind.”

“I’m sorry, Leon is making me anxious.” I whisper.

The host continues speaking and then announces the first singer, “Now tonight, we have a special treat. We haven’t had this singer grace us with her presence in over two months. She is here with her family tonight. Let’s give a warm welcome to, Thalia Moreno!”

As soon as she steps onto the stage, her scent hits me. She smells like lime, mint, and rum. She smells sweet, exotic, and strong.

I hit Reid on the arm. “Ow, bro.”

“MATE!” I whisper yelled at him.

“The singer?” He whispers.

“Yes.” I stared at her mesmerized. Her voice is beautiful, though I have no idea what she is saying. She is everything I dreamed of in a mate. Big curly hair, a curvy body, and singing on stage in front of everyone would be considered brave to many. She looks exotic with an olive complexion, dark hair, and dark eyes. She has a red hibiscus flower in her hair and a red dress that hugs every part of her tempting body.

‘She’s perfect!’ Leon said.

‘Yes, she is. She sings beautifully, too.’

As soon as she is done singing, another man gets on stage. “Isn’t my daughter a beautiful singer? Let’s give her another round of applause!”

After everyone quieted down, her father continued speaking, “I wanted to take this moment to invite Armando Reyes on stage for a very special announcement.”

I see another man get on stage and stand beside my mate. Leon is growling in my head, and my eyes are darkening with rage. She’s mine. What is that asshole doing on stage with my mate?

“I wanted to formally announce my daughter Thalia’s engagement to Armando Reyes. I hope you all will join us in celebrating this joyous occasion!”

The crowd erupts and starts cheering. I can’t take it anymore. I stand up and snarl, “MINE!”

: Trauma

Thalia POV

What the fuck is my father thinking? If he thinks making an announcement is going to make me agree to marrying this fuck boy, he is out of his damn mind. I won’t be taken advantage of again in my life. Not by my dad or anyone.

Just as I’m about to announce that no proposal has been made and call my father out for his bullshit in front of this crowd, I hear someone snarl, “MINE!”

I see a tall, gorgeous man walk towards us. Black hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. Walking with him is another man that looks just like him but has light brown hair and green eyes. The resemblance and differences are working against each other in my brain. They are both good looking men.

As he approaches us, I start catching a scent of black cedar wood and leather. It smells manly and rustic, and cozy. The kind of scent I would want wrapped around me. It feels like home. It’s strange, but it’s true. It’s the first word I thought of as soon as it hit me.

I don’t know what that means, but I’m attracted to his smell. Maybe it’s the cologne he is wearing. It smells delicious.

As he gets closer, I can see the anger in his eyes and the other man is trying to keep him from exploding in front of the crowd. Somehow, I feel like I will be able to calm him, so I step towards him.

“Hello.” I said quietly.

He grabs me gently and looks at me intensely with those piercing blue eyes. “Mate.” He whispered, “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you.”

Mate? This gorgeous man is my mate? Well, hell. I didn’t see that coming. Between the intensity behind his eyes and hearing him say he has been waiting for me for a long time, I forgot everyone and everything around me. His voice sounds southern and velvety. He definitely isn’t from around here. I see the man beside him smiling. It looks like a loving smile. I don’t understand their relationship, but I don’t have time to worry about that at the moment.

“Thalia, your fiancé is on this stage. Get up here.” My father whispers harshly to me.

I decided to throw dear old dad a curve ball. “Papa, I have no fiancé. But I do have a mate.” I smirked. I hear an approving growl softly behind me.

“I don’t approve of this man. I’ve never met him or heard of him before. I approved Armando for you.”

“I didn’t ask for your permission papa. I told you; I’m not marrying Armando.”

Then Armando turned red. “THALIA, GET UP HERE NOW! STOP EMBARRASSING THE FAMILIES!”

Before I could react, Mr. Black Hair and Blue Eyes had Armando by the neck. “I dare you to raise your voice at her again.” He snarled.

“Aiden.” His companion said gently, “Reign it in.”

Aiden. That’s different. I don’t think I’ve ever met an Aiden before. The name suits him. I need to break this up. I see Armando turning a light shade of purple. I get on stage, “Aiden.” I say gently, “Let him go, please.”

Aiden whips his head to me and tosses Armando to the side like a rag doll. I see him start gasping for air while the color in his face goes back to normal. Aiden grabs me and puts his nose to my neck and I stiffen. He’s inhaling. Like he is smelling me. Weird. Is this normal in wolf culture?

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered.

“ENOUGH!” My father snarled and yanked me away from Aiden. The sudden loss of his embrace gives me an instant sadness that I don’t understand. “WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?”

“Let’s take this off the stage.” I suggest.

My father starts dragging me away and Aiden looks ready to shred my father into pieces.. I personally wouldn’t mind if he did, but I don’t want him to go to jail over it either. Once again, his companion is trying to calm him down. Once he does, we all walk to a nearby office. I noticed Armando is close by. My father, however, stops him. “Armando, allow me a few minutes before I call you in, please.”

“I will not be embarrassed, Diego!” He said angrily, “You better fix this now!”

“Everyone inside!” My father snarled.

Aiden and his plus one come into the room. “Names.” My father demanded.

“Alpha Aiden and my twin brother Alpha Reid.” Aiden said. Okay, first, that explains the behavior and while they look alike but don’t look alike. Second, they are alphas? How the hell am I mated to an alpha?

I see my dad’s eyes tighten for a second, but then he shook it off and got defensive, “What the hell is going on? How do you know my daughter?”

“I don’t. Moon Goddess paired me with her. She is my fated mate. She isn’t marrying the asshole outside. She’s mine.”

“There is no way she is your fated mate. She doesn’t have a wolf.” My father said and I closed my eyes. Shit. My mom told me that in the wolf community, if you don’t have a wolf, no one wants you.

“She most certainly has a wolf, or I wouldn’t be able to scent her.” He growled.

“Then you will need to reject her. Because she is betrothed to the man outside as part of a marriage alliance.” He began, “Besides, she’s not even pure. Why would you want her?”

Tears begin to form in my eyes. My father is painting me in the worst light to this man, so he won’t want me. I lost my innocence brutally and not only is he making me relive that memory but then exploited the fact I don’t have a wolf either.

“YOU WOULD TALK DOWN ABOUT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER?!” Aiden roared.

Reid steps forward, “Aiden, you have got to get Leon under control, bro.”

“It’s the truth, Alpha Aiden. We are packless because of her disgrace.” My father said, knowing full well that what he is saying is a lie.

“She is no longer packless.” He says, as he steps up, and I feel his aura radiating from him. It’s completely directed at my father, and it has him on his knees. I’m glad. I don’t want to help him. Let him feel it.

“THA-LI-A,” My father called out in syllables from the pain he was feeling.

“Promise me, you will not force Mia or me to marry Armando or any other man we don’t choose for ourselves.”

“Fine. I promise.”

I look at Aiden and touch his arm, “Thank you, Aiden.”

He lets go and wraps his arms around me. “No one hurts you, Thalia.”

I don’t know this man, but it’s hard not to want to be with someone who is protecting me this fiercely without even knowing me. Or only knowing the worst parts of me; a damaged and wolf-less woman. He looks at me with nothing but pure love in his eyes. I have no idea what that is about either, but I guess I will need to spend time with him to calm him down.

Armando then enters the room and pulls me out of Aiden’s grasp, “GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF MY FIANCE!” He yelled.

“I AM NOT YOUR FIANCE ARMANDO! THAT WOULD REQUIRE A PROPOSAL, TO WHICH I WOULD TELL YOU, ‘NO’!” I yelled at him. “I’M NOT MARRYING YOU, ARMANDO!”

I push him off hard and against the wall and run out of the room. I need air. I’m feeling suffocated again. Too much. It’s all too much. A forced proposal, someone else claiming me, being told I have a wolf when I have never had a wolf, my trauma being put on display, the yelling, the embarrassment, then finding out I have a mate, and he is no less than an Alpha. My head is spinning. I need the ocean. It’s the only thing that will calm me. I keep running until I get to the coastline. I run straight into the water. It’s cold, but I don’t care. I need to be numbed by the events of this evening. As soon as I plunge myself into the water and come back up for air, I scream. Loud and guttural, releasing all of my frustrations.

Why? Why does my life have to be a complicated and fucked up place? I’m crying and I hate crying. I stopped crying a long time ago, but tonight, I can’t help it. I don’t know how long I was crying for, but when I finally calmed down, I started hearing footsteps. I don’t recognize them, so I crouch in the freezing water.

“Thalia?” His southern and velvety voice called out to me. “Do you want to talk?”