The Alpha Takes a Mate (7 page)

“Good night, Mom.”

She turned her back and started up the stairs. Frowning, she walked down the stairs to glance at her mother. Vivian had gone back to the window. The shirt she’d been wearing was pulled down exposing her neck. She prodded her neck as she stared at her reflection.

Shrugging her shoulders, Elle walked up to her room. She couldn’t think of her mother’s strange reaction.

Removing her clothes, Elle place
d on her large night shirt and climbed under the covers. The window to her room was open, and a cool breeze settled over her.

Chapter Seven

Brandon
stared down at his mate. When he’d returned to the party to find her missing he’d panicked. His first thought had been someone had taken her. He wasn’t well liked amongst his kind. They could easily destroy him by taking his mate. Daisy appeared by his side as if he’d thought her up.

“Elle went home. She looked tired. You’ve got a lot of work cut out with her,” Daisy said.

“Thanks.”

Daisy lingered as he watched Layla disappear into her own home. The humans were leaving the pack for the rest of the night. A couple of the women who liked to sleep
with wolves lingered whereas many had disappeared. This was where the party got a little frisky. For many months he’d taken Lori during the full moon. His beast was in full force. Sex, blood, and food were the only sustenance that could calm him.

“What else, Daisy?” he asked, wanting to be with his mate.

“You need to keep Elle protected. The pack may have bowed down to your orders today, but I doubt that will last long as they test her.”

“No one will test her.”

“It’s the pack’s way, Brandon. She’s going to have a struggle over the next few weeks. Prepare her, or face the consequences,” Daisy said, moving away.

Shaking his head in annoyance,
Brandon made his way toward Elle’s house.

He walked into the house and to the kitchen. Raymond was muttering to his wife as she cried. Tears poured out of her eyes as he quietened her down.
Brandon frowned, staring at the scene before him.

Vivian closed her eyes. Raymond picked her up.

“Will you wait for me?” Raymond asked.

Brandon
nodded. He closed his eyes and scented Elle in the house. Tonight and for the rest of their lives he’d be joining her.

Raymond came down several minutes later.

“What’s going on?” Brandon asked, wanting to get to his mate.

“When I came in Vivian was scratching her neck and staring at her reflection as if she saw something else.”

He frowned, and then Brandon remembered he needed to talk with Darcy.

“I can’t help you until I talk with Darcy,” he said.

“I think the spell the witches and warlocks put on them is wearing off.” Raymond rubbed the back of his neck.

“Don’t worry. I’ll fix everything.”

Raymond nodded. “You want to go to my daughter, don’t you?”

“She’s my mate, Raymond. You can’t keep her from me.”

The other man let out a breath. “She’s been through so much. I don’t want her hurt by anyone or anything.”

Brandon
growled. “I’d never hurt her. Elle’s happiness is the only thing I care about.”

Nodding, Raymond moved out of the way. “I love my family, Brandon. I’ll do everything to keep them safe.”

“Well, they’re my family as well.”

He made his way up the stairs to the bedroom at the back of the house. Opening the door, he saw her
curled up in a ball underneath the sheets. He closed the door then removed his shirt and jeans. He kept his boxer briefs on for her comfort rather than his own. Brandon preferred to sleep nude than with clothing on.

Before going to bed,
Brandon took the time to investigate her bedroom. The cream walls gave nothing away about his woman. The small vanity desk held a few bottles of creams and perfume but no makeup. He already knew she didn’t wear the stuff. Going to her wardrobe, he searched through her clothes. She always dressed modestly without too much skin on display.

When he was satisfied he moved to the bed. Climbing under the sheets he wrapped his arms around Elle. She muttered something in her sleep before settling down against him. Stroking her hair,
Brandon stared up at the ceiling.

Why had the fates given him a human mate? He didn’t understand why he’d been given something so fragile. Holding her close, he counted his blessings at the fact he’d finally found her.

The noises outside penetrated his mind. He heard his pack enjoying the afterglow of a good run.

In a few weeks the other species would descend sending his quiet town into disarray. His pack and the humans were always anxious during those visits. The vampires unnerved the locals while the bears scared the people with how large they were.
The witches and warlocks were always bickering over some battle they lost. Rubbing his eyes, Brandon tried to push the stress from his mind.

He listened to Raymond as he moved to Elle’s door. The scent of garlic came under the door. Her father had placed a bulb of garlic outside the door. What was going on with this family?

Brandon hated garlic. He hated the stuff in his food and the scent. Pulling away from Elle, he walked to the door, picked up the bulb and went down the stairs. He placed the garlic on the kitchen counter and covered the offending bulb with a cloth. Hunting through the cupboards he found a tin of scented spray. He sprayed the lavender scent all over the kitchen.

When he was satisfied with the lack of garlic scent,
Brandon walked into Raymond’s study. He wasn’t used to sleeping straight away after a run. The study was filled with books of old volumes on paranormal and cult creatures.

Open on the desk was a volume dedicated to vampires with regards to the last decade.
Brandon had never seen such an extensive collection of books on paranormal creatures. Everything he knew was what his father taught him. He’d met most of the species of the Otherworld. The species he hadn’t met he’d been told he never wanted to know.

Sitting down in Raymond’s chair,
Brandon pulled the book into his lap. There were several pictures of vampires with sharp fangs. Blood-suckers. Holy water. Garlic. Mind control. So many words connected with vampires.

He really needed to find out
everything Raymond knew about the vampires. All the sectors of the paranormal community kept information about their kind hidden from each other in order to protect themselves. Vampires were far older than many sectors and could manipulate everyone. Brandon wondered if Raymond knew more than the books told. Placing the book back on the desk he saw the book on the wolves underneath it. Curiosity got the better of him. Pulling the book out of the pile, he opened to the first page.

A loud scream rent the air. A chill settled over him.

****

Her mother had been acting strangely for the past couple of days. Elle watched as her mother looked out of window touching her neck. She’d never noticed the marks on her neck before. Two dark points were
highlighted against her neck.

“Mom, are you okay?” Elle asked.

“I’m fine, dear. What’s it like being sixteen?”

“Fine. Mom, what’s going on?” She watched as her mom moved toward the back door.

“Nothing. I’ve got a little gift for you.”

Her hand went to the door knob. Elle watched the door open slowly. She knew if her mother opened that door something bad was going to happen.

“Mom, what’s going on? Please, shut the door.”

It was night
, and her father had told them both to stay in at night. The city wasn’t safe no matter the time of day.

“Nothing is going to hurt us. You’ll see.”

“Mom, no,” Elle said.

The door opened
, and she screamed.

The dream broke apart.

“Wake up, Elle.” Brandon stood over her.

Pulling away from him, Elle scrambled to her feet. Her parents were stood looking at her.

“What’s going on?” Elle asked.

“You screamed. You must have had a nightmare,”
Brandon said.

“I’ve never had a nightmare.” She frowned as the dream seemed to vanish from her mind as if it wasn’t there. “I can’t remember,” she said.

His arms surrounded her. “Don’t worry about it.”

After her parents checked to make sure
she was fine, Elle moved out of Brandon’s arms. “I’m just going to the bathroom,” she said. She moved to the door then turned back to him. “How come you’re here?”

“You’re here, Elle. I’m not leaving you.”

“I’ve never had a man in my bed before.”

“I know.”

“How do you know?” she asked.

“It’s too late tonight. Go to the bathroom. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Nodding, she moved to the bathroom. Splashing water onto her face she stared at her reflection. What the hell was her dream about?

Staring at her reflection she checked her neck. Two droplets of blood appeared in the mirror. Rubbing her neck, Elle looked at her fingers
, but there was nothing there. Staring in the mirror she saw her neck was bare of any blood.

“I’m losing my mind.”

She wiped her face on the towel then made her way down to her bedroom. Brandon lay on the bed with his hands underneath his head.

“You shouldn’t be here,” she said, throwing the covers over and climbing inside.

“If I wasn’t here I wouldn’t be able to chase the dreams away.”

Elle tucked the blanket under her chin.

“I’m not going to attack you and have my wicked way with you,” Brandon said.

“Very funny. I’ve heard about your appetites.”

He tugged the blanket from her strong grip.

“My appetites or that of the wolves?” he asked.

“Does it matter which one? You’d deny either one.”

“I like to fuck, Elle. I’m not a young man. I’ve had my fair share of pussy.”

“You’re a disgusting pig,” she said, turning away from him.

Brandon
chuckled. “This is who I am, baby.”

“Then I don’t want to get to know you.”

He stroked her arm. She tensed, but he did it again and then again. She couldn’t give in to his touch when it ignited a fire within her. No man affected her in the way Brandon did. Closing her eyes she took several deep breaths. His hand moved around her waist. She turned on him.

“Don’t touch me,” she said.

“I’m not touching your tits or cunt, Elle. I’m holding you in my arms. Don’t you feel different with me close?” he asked.

Thinking about his words
, she did feel calmer. The fear brought on by her dream was no longer at the centre of her mind.

“Admit it
. You feel different.”

“Yes, what is that?”

“We’re mated, Elle. You’ll feel protected by me and safe. No matter how much you hate me or want to push me away, you won’t be able to.”

Licking her lips she took the chance to glance in his eyes. “Does this work both ways?” she asked, dropping her gaze after several seconds.

What was it about his eyes that stopped her from looking at them?

“Yes, it works both ways.”

She stroked the arm that rested against her stomach. Curiosity getting the better of her, she started to ask him questions.

“When you change
, what is it like?” she asked. She’d never seen a wolf transition.

“The first change is painful. We’re born wolves
, and the change is in our blood, but we’re not used to changing. Bones need to be broken and fixed back together. Our skin splits and turns to fine hairs.”

She winced at the brutal picture he displayed. “How do you survive it? Is there blood everywhere?”

He chuckled. “We survive it because it’s in our nature to be wolves. We’re supposed to turn. No blood is spilt, and after the first couple of changes we get used to it. My wolf is part of me. The more we accept the beast inside us, the easier the change will be.”