Kelsie Tate
SLADE
I didn’t realize what time it was as I looked up from my paperwork. 5:45.
“Crap,” I muttered as I pushed out from the desk and walked upstairs.
As I entered my room, I stripped down to take a quick shower and then dress before rushing downstairs.
I thought to stop and see if Addison wanted to walk down with me before shaking the thought from my head.
I jogged down the stairs to the common area to hear the bustle of the pack members talking, laughing, and being all-around cheery. I knew it was excitement over their new luna.
As I turned the corner, I was frozen. Standing in front of me was this beautiful, lavender-scented woman. The dress was perfect on her, and I instantly regretted sending my sister out to get it for her.
She looked and smelled amazing. It didn’t help when she turned around to see me and gave a small, warm smile. My wolf was pacing.
But I wasn’t about to give up control or let this girl affect me in the ways she already had. I ran my hands through my hair before walking up and speaking with various pack members.
Even though I wasn’t big on crowds, these people were my people, my family. I felt more myself around them.
And then, of course, there was dinner.
As was the custom, the luna sat right beside the alpha. All. Evening. It took every ounce of my control to ignore my wolf and not bury my face in her hair.
I had to shake that thought away several times, and once she caught me shaking my head and gave me an odd look.
Thankfully, I got my wolf to chill just in time to look down at my watch and catch a glimpse of her legs. The dress I bought went just above the knee, but when she sat, it was midthigh.
Gulping, I decided to just look straight ahead the rest of the evening and eat my food. After a while, I felt eyes on me and looked down to find her staring at me, much to my dismay.
The blush on her cheeks showed she was embarrassed I caught her, and it sent a jolt through me.
FINALLY, dinner was coming to an end, so after giving a short speech and welcome, I quietly snuck away before I was destroyed.
I headed back up to my room to cool down. I hit the wall as I entered. “Damn it,” I half yelled before heading to the bathroom to splash water on my face.
I didn’t want a mate. I didn’t want her to have that effect on me. To make me lose control over myself. I flopped down onto the bed and shut my eyes, hoping I could just avoid her tomorrow.
But as I closed my eyes, all I saw was that brown-haired girl in a floral dress, slowly driving me crazy.
***
The morning came, and as I woke, I heard rustling. I looked over to find that I had slept in. It was now almost nine.
“Crap!” I rushed up and into the shower.
After throwing on a polo and some shorts, I ran out only to be hit with the most amazing smell.
“What is that?” I muttered to myself as I walked into the living room to find Addison, dressed in some very fine shorts and a blue T-shirt.
Her hair was up in a messy bun, and her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the kitchen. I couldn’t remember the last time the kitchen in my quarters had been used, definitely not since I had become alpha.
Usually, it just held snacks and random items for quick meals if the alpha had to be somewhere. She turned toward me again, this time holding a pan just from the oven.
In it were the most appetizing muffins I had ever smelled. No, I thought to myself and was about to walk past when she looked up and gave me that bright smile of hers.
“Good morning, Alpha,” she sang. “I didn’t know what time you are supposed to wake up, and you missed breakfast. Would you like one?”
She offered up a giant, delicious-looking lemon-blueberry muffin. I stood there in awe for a moment. She had a brush of flour on her cheek, and a wisp of hair kept falling down to her face.
And those muffins smelled so good. I closed my mouth and just shook my head.
“No thanks, I’m running late to pack business.” And I walked as fast as I could down the stairs to my office.
After a morning of random paperwork, I ventured outside to check on warrior training. I was proud of the fact that my pack had such dedicated and strong protectors.
They did drills every morning and usually some sparring. The grounds were buzzing with men and women working hard.
In order to have a steady income to the pack, we used the six hundred acres we owned and put it to use.
We had a large garden of seasonal produce to use for the pack and to sell at local farmers’ markets. We set aside some acreage and raised buffalo for butcher. We did well, and we were comfortable.
After watching a sparring match between a couple of the protectors, I decided I needed to let off some steam as well. Just as I had that thought, Beta Sam called over.
“Alpha! Want to throw in and show these guys what real fighting looks like?” Sam was laughing as he goaded his leader into a sparring match, which wasn’t hard because I was in the mood.
After beating on each other for a few good minutes, I was suddenly distracted by a laugh. I turned to see Addison walking down the hill with Hannah.
I was glad they had become friends, and something Hannah said had made them laugh.
My wolf caught on to my distraction and began yelling at me. “What are you doing, man? Quit staring at that girl. She—”
SMACK. In my distraction, Sam connected a good hit to the side of my head, and I went down.
As I got up, Sam smirking proudly that he got the best of his alpha, I heard the rush of the girls running over to see if I was okay.
“Alpha! Are you all right?” Addison questioned. I could see she was slightly worried, which just irritated me even more.
“Yeah, Slade, he knocked you right on your rear!” Hannah said, laughing. “Nice hit, Sam!”
I got up with a harrumph, brushing myself off, and sulked off back to the pack house. I needed to make some calls anyway.
***
ADDISON
I don’t understand. Earlier that morning he seemed genuinely upset that I had taken a worry to him about the sparring match. As his mate, wasn’t I allowed to do that? I was getting irritated.
I had seen what my parents had. What Sam and his mate had. He’s not making any effort at all, I thought to myself as I sat by the pool in my favorite one-piece. It was a bit revealing in the best ways.
It was low cut but not so bad that you saw my belly button. The sides had straps that went all the way up, and the back was low. It was a sage-green color that made my skin glow.
The pack house had an Olympic-sized swimming pool out back, fit for all the hot summer days, and I was determined to enjoy it.
My wolf growled. “Make him see us. Make yourself a part of his every day. Maybe he just needs to get used to you.”
I guess…, I thought, pulling my large, brimmed hat down and closing my eyes for a minute.
I opened my eyes a few minutes later when a shadow covered me. “Hey, can you…oh…”
Standing above me, eyes dark, was Slade. He was upset. I could tell by the way his eyes had changed from golden to almost black. He was having a hard time keeping his wolf in.
I sat up. “Alpha! I’m sorry, I…”
“What are you playing at, Addison?” That was the third time he had ever said my name, but it was with such irritation that I didn’t enjoy it.
“What do you mean?” I questioned, no idea how I had incurred his wrath.
“Smiling and laughing and baking muffins. Acting like you were worried earlier. What are you trying to accomplish?” He growled as he loomed over me.
“I’m sorry, what? What do you mean?” I saw red, and this man had no idea what was in store. “I can’t worry for you when someone punches the crap out of you? I can’t make some muffins?
“I used to make breakfast EVERY morning back home, and I was feeling homesick and knew you hadn’t eaten. I was just trying to be nice! What is your problem?”
I got up from my chair and looked up at him defiantly. “And what the hell do you mean I can’t go around laughing and smiling?!
“I am trying to make the best of a situation that I have zero control over. I am trying to be happy. Are you saying I can’t be happy?”
Slade stepped back, a little less sure of himself. He hadn’t expected me to fire back like that.
“I…”
“And what is your deal?! You do know we are mates, right? That at some point you are going to have to speak to me or be in the same room as me or even make eye contact with me.
“You sulk off every chance you get. Hiding in your room or your office or literally anywhere else than where I am. So screw you, Slade!
“I’m not going to waste my time being sad and timid just because you’re feeling a little grumpy and uncomfortable.”
I could feel the tears stinging my eyes, trying to surface. I was not going to let him see me cry. And with that, I huffed off, leaving him stunned and even more angry.
I slammed the door to my room. “How dense is this guy?! Who does he think he is? MY bad that I was just trying to be nice, keep the peace, possibly form a friendship.
“And he just waltzes up, pissed, assuming I have some hidden agenda?!” I yelled to the room. My eyes were starting to go dark. I was losing control, and I could feel the anger my wolf had right now.
I took a breath and decided to take a long, hot shower.
After the shower, I felt better and relaxed. Just as I finished getting redressed, Hannah burst in.
“Oh my gosh, Addie! Did you seriously just have a yelling match with Slade?!” Her eyes were wild with curiosity and humor.
“Girl! You’ve got some big ones sticking it to him like that! The whole pack house heard you! And then you just left him in a stupor!” At this point, she was on the bed, laughing.
I chuckled a bit, wishing I had seen Slade standing there all shocked at his little luna.
“You made him mad, though. He’s been in a mood ever since. Granted, he deserved it. I noticed he’s been keeping you at a distance.”
It piqued my interest, knowing she had noticed him being a jerk. “Yeah, what is that even about? I thought as mates we could at least be friends. I’d even settle for civil at this point.”
“Nah, it’s because of…” Hannah’s eyes widened when she realized what she had started saying, and she immediately shut up.
“Because of what, Han?” I was curious now, knowing there might be an actual reason behind his coldness toward me.
“It’s not my business,” she replied, shaking her head. “Just know that he has had a hard time. So maybe be patient with him. Unless he totally deserves it, like today! Girl!!” Hannah laughed again.
Her laugh was contagious, and we ended up both laughing and then spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other better.
Hannah was twenty, just a year younger than me and three years younger than her brother.
Because her dad died right after she graduated from high school, she ended up not leaving for college but had taken some courses at the local community college where she found she loved architecture.
She was a smart girl, and I could see her and all of her big dreams. At around five o’clock, our stomachs started to rumble, letting us know it was almost time to eat.
I hadn’t seen Slade since our confrontation, and after my talk with Hannah, I felt a little guilty for going off on him like that. Even if he had started it.