Chapter 5 Mate

LUKE

I watch from the silence of the barn as the new family pulls into the front of the farmhouse. I expected a whole family to pour out of the overpriced SUV, but only two people got out. Presumably, a father and a daughter. Not wanting to suffer through awkward introductions, I disappear into the bar and rake hay from one trough to another. Just to look busy.

But my curiosity keeps getting the better of me, and I keep taking breaks to smoke so I can watch the daughter move boxes in and out of the house.

From the moment I see her red curls bouncing across the field to introduce herself to me, I know that she won't be like the other humans I have come to despise. But it isn't until she is standing right in front of me that her scent hits me. The smell of rain on a spring morning envelopes my senses, and my mouth waters. I have to suppress the growl that threatens to escape from my chest. She is my fucking mate. What a fucking cruel turn of events.

I have been banished temporarily from my pack for my "mistreatment" of the humans. Being the son of the Alpha comes with responsibilities and expectations, and according to my father, I won't be ready to take over the position until I learn to treat every species with respect.

So here I am, working as a farm hand, like a low-level Omega, until my father decides that I am back in his good graces. Now that I know my mate is a human, I cannot get out of here fast enough. Surely, my father will understand the predicament. He has to want to keep the bloodlines pure, especially the Alpha bloodline.

My mate is rocking back and forth on her feet. She is stumbling over her words like an idiot. Nope. Absolutely not. I will not take this human as my mate. She is not worthy to be a Luna

My wolf is protesting in my head as I speak rudely to her, trying to get her to go away, but she doesn't seem to take the hint. I take a moment to let my eyes rake over her body as she waits for me to respond to her question, and I have to admit that she is nice to look at. She is lean with long legs. My eyes linger on her chest longer than I should have allowed them, but her cleavage peeking out from the top of her v-neck shirt is spotted with tiny freckles, and I find myself thinking about what her skin would feel like under my hands. Bright green eyes stare out from her freckled, heart-shaped face while wild red curls try to escape from her messy bun.

I didn't realize that my feet had taken me closer to her, wanting to catch more of her scent. She turns back around from pointing towards the house and seems uncomfortable at my close proximity. "Uh… I'll order pizza," she stutters as she puts a little more space between us.

Shit, what did she just ask me. Since she was pointing to the house, I can only assume that she wants help with something inside. There is no way in hell I am stepping foot in that house.

"I was hired for farm work. Not housework," I say a little more rudely than I should have. My wolf howls loudly in my head when he sees just how sad she looks at my rejection.

"Right," she says, and I swear she is about to cry. Humans are so weak. "Well… the offer for pizza still stands." Turning on her heel I watch her stomp off across the field back to her house, her red curls bouncing like tiny little flames on top of her head.

Lighting another cigarette, I lean back against the barn and watch her pull open the doors to the back of the moving van. Shit, she was asking me to help move furniture into the house. Taking another drag of my cigarette, I watch as she tries to pull something out of the van.

She has one foot braced on the side of the van, trying to gain leverage. I chuckle as I watch her strain to pull it out, and then her hands slip, and she falls to the ground. Faster than I knew I could run, I am at her side. Her arms and legs flop to her sides, and her breasts rise and fall quickly as she tries to catch her breath. Stepping to her side I shield her eyes from the sun.

"They are easier to move if you take out the drawers first," I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Katherine squints up at me with only one eye open and lets out an exasperated huff. "Don't you have barn work to do? Or what it is called," she scolds me as she wipes her hands off on her tight bottom.

Pulling herself back into the van, she takes out the dresser drawers and sets them beside the van. I don't miss how she refuses to look my way as she moves back and forth between the house and the van. Grabbing two of the drawers, I cannot help but be amused as she tries to balance one on top of the other to open the door. The drawer tips off the top and crushes her toe. Dropping the other drawer at her side, she pulls her foot into her hand and hops up and down, hissing in pain. I expected her to cry because she is nothing more than a human, but she doesn't.

"Most people wear actual shoes when moving furniture," I yell out to her.

She spins in my direction, and her eyes are blazing with anger. It would have been a turn-on if she wasn't a human. "Thanks. If I ever figure out which box they are in, I will put them on." Turning the doorknob, she kicks the door open with some force and stomps into the house with a drawer under each arm.

My wolf is roughly clawing at the inside of my mind. Begging me to let him out so he can be with his mate. I swear he is nothing more than an overgrown lap dog. He whimpers so loudly it makes me wince painfully.

"Ah fuck," I groan to myself, knowing that my wolf will not settle down in my head now that she has hurt herself twice. Grabbing the dresser I easily move it out of the van and shove the drawers back in. With one hand on each side, I easily pick up the solid wood dresser and carry it up the stairs. I follow the sounds of her cursing to the end of the hall, and a smile crosses my lips after I hear her call me "boorish." Who does she think she is? No one talks like that in real life.

After watching her embarrass herself and arguing with her for more than an hour she finally gives in and lets me help her move the larger pieces of furniture in the house. The girl can hold a grudge. Every time I turned around, she was glaring in my direction. I was always told that even a human would be able to feel the mate bond, but Katherine hates me. I doubt she feels the bond at all.

'Good,' I think to myself. 'It will make it easier for me to reject her.'

As I am putting her bed together she disappears down the stairs and doesn't return. When I am finished, I go looking for her. The front door is wide open, and she is sitting on the front steps staring up at the sunset. "The sky is so big here," she mumbles, barely loud enough for me to hear as I sit down beside her.

I cannot help but laugh. "Isn't the sky the same size everywhere?"

Katherine shakes her head as her greens meet my own, and I swear she takes my breath away with a single look. "There are no mountains or buildings to block the view here," her voice is quiet and sweet when she isn't insulting me. "Nothing but sky."

Our fingers brush against one another, and the sparks from the mate bond ignite something within me. Looking over at this weak human, I realize that there is nothing that I would not do to make her happy. I try to shake the thought from my mind. I would never take a human mate, but my wolf is panting stupidly in my head at the close proximity to her.

Katherine hasn't taken her eyes off the sky, and I take this moment to study her face. The light of the sunset is reflecting off of her wild curls, and it glitters slightly in the setting sun. Tiny freckles are across her nose and cheeks, and her lips are plump and full. If I don't get away from her, I know I will try to kiss her.

"Uh, I got to go," I say, getting to my feet.

"Oh…" her voice drops a little. "Did you want pizza? Dad sent a text, and he won't be back tonight. He's staying in the city."

"It's your first night in a new house, and he's leaving you alone?" I can't help but feel irritated at her father's lack of care.

Leaning back, she looks back at the sky. "It won't be the first time he has left me alone, and it certainly won't be the last," she shrugs her shoulders, and I can feel the sadness in her words.

My wolf is growling in my head at the thought of leaving our mate alone. "What about your mom? When will she be back?"

Katherine lets out a sarcastic laugh. "She's at the Cancer Center."

"Is she a doctor or nurse or something?" I ask stupidly.

"Or something," Katherine chokes on her words.

The tears threatening to spill from her eyes let me know my error. Her mother is a patient. Before I can open my mouth to speak, Katherine shoves her hands in her pockets and pulls out a wad of cash. She shoves her hand in my direction, "This was for the pizza." Her voice is strained like she is trying to hold back tears. "Since you helped me with 'housework,' it's only fair that you take it."

She grabs my hand and shoves the money into it before turning back into her house. I try to chase her up the stairs to the door, but it slams in my face. Awkwardly, I stand outside of the door, unsure what to do. I hear her silently sobbing on the other side of the door. My wolf is begging me to go to her, but that's not what she needs right now. Her mother is dying, and I was an asshole to her all day. For the first time in my life, I feel pity for a human.