Chapter 12

Sitting here on my own, not a soul near me, I smelt it again. The scent that I had briefly picked up in the woods, it was the same and just as fleeting.

My eyes widened in shock and my stomach plummeted. Beaux suddenly perked up, snarling because she was sensing someone close by and was threatened by the fact that she could not see them.

I sat up and looked around, unsettled and unsure of what to do. I was getting really antsy. But looking around, no-one else seemed to notice or pick-up on anything, it was just me. It felt like I was losing my mind.

I had gone from lounging back in my chair with my legs crossed in a very chilled state of mind, the top leg bouncing freely, completely forgetting of my travels in the woods earlier today, to instantly upright and leaning forward, trying to use my heightened wolf senses to see if I could detect anything. See if I could hear the slightest movement that sounded out of place, smell that very smell that had put me on edge and in a state of fear but twice today now, or even feel any slight vibrations of movements close by, although I was on my own in this little corner of peaceful Eden, or so I had thought.

Beaux was trying to help find the source of the scent, but it was gone just as quick as it had come yet again. I did not want to believe that these wolves had gotten past all the security everywhere in the pack boundaries. Dad had even reformed everything to do with the patrols this afternoon once we had left the office, just in case the hidden wolves had learnt all our patrol routines and relied on our system for success of whatever they sought.

My blood had run cold, and I had this terrible, sinking feeling in the very depths of my stomach that something akin to hell was about to happen. That this must be what the bad feeling I have had all day is about and that it was all about to come to fruition.

‘Dad...’ I mindlinked dad in my panic, interrupting the jokes and laughs that he was having with all the other Alpha’s and Luna’s that remained at their table. Apart from Alpha Corbin, he was nowhere to be seen.

Dad, sensing my fear had stood up suddenly to look at me from across the room. Visually seeing me safe after my mindlink settled him just a minor fraction. Nevertheless, he was still riddled with concern.

‘What is it, Olivia? Are you hurt? What scum do I get to kick the shit out of?’ He was on edge and in both protective dad and Alpha mode, thinking that it must have been some douchebag male wolf that had broken my heart and made me reach out to him, completely unaware that it was much more sinister.

‘Something is wrong, it’s really not right.’ I was shaking my head from side to side, my fear starting to make me tremble and nauseous. I flexed my fingers; straightening and curling them, trying to calm some of the tremble that had wracked throughout the whole my body.

‘What is not right?’ The look of confusion on his face, also seeping into his deep, husky voice.

Dad started moving his way over to me, pushing past all the wolves milling about in his way and unaware of his new-found urgency. Mum however, had noticed. She had gotten up from her seat and was standing to watch what was happening between us, curiosity written all over her face.

Dad reached me, clutching at my arms, desperation clearly on his face and shown in his body movements.

“What is it?” He begged me to answer him as my silence was increasingly unnerving him.

“They’re here.” I weakly answered him, unable to face going through that fear yet again, especially so soon after the last time and unable to look at him directly in the eyes.

Dad's wolf was forceful now. I could feel that his Alpha aura was slipping out as he lost control due to him being more focused on getting an answer from me to get to the bottom of whatever had caused me such distress.

Mum appeared next to dad, “What is going on?” I had them both worried about me now. “Let go of her arms dear, that’s not going to help.” She rested one of her delicate hands upon dad's bicep to try and soothe him. I saw him close his eyes and take a long deep breath inward, the scent of mum and the contact from her hand grounding him. Mum was using the mate bond to settle him.

“They’re here.” Unable to form anything else, all I could do was repeat myself.

“Right, well, I think that we need to end this party, get everyone out and back to their homes. I think that Olivia’s sensing whoever was in the woods, in here, now.” The Alpha in dad was present, the glitter in his eyes showing that his wolf was guiding his instinct forward.

Mum gasped, shocked at what dad had said. As dad let go of my arms, mum moved forward to rest her arm across my shoulders, wrapping me up and trying to hide me away from all the bad, trying to comfort me as dad left us to take centre on the dancefloor to make an announcement.

His voice boomed over the music, instantly stopping everyone from what they were doing and turn to look at his formidable form. Those that were close to him backed away, giving him space so that others could see him as well.

“Right, ladies and gentlemen. This has been the most pleasant of evenings for us all. There has been no fighting between packs, so I must say, it has been the most successful meeting in a long while.”

People chuckled at his attempts at humour, but I could still see the strain in his face, sense it in his voice. Those that knew him well would do too.

“But I’m afraid that I must end this get-together prematurely. But also, with the promise of arranging another as soon as possible.”

Disappointed moans had filled the air until dad followed with his promise of another swaray in the future.

Just then, muffled screams came from the kitchen along with crashes as if someone had dropped a few metal things on the hard floors. Because the Ballroom was so quiet, everyone had heard the noises and turned to look at the kitchen doors that led into the room.

Far off snarls and screams sounded way off in the distance but seemed to still be close enough to be within the pack boundaries. The scent of fear started to permeate slowly throughout the room, travelling from wolf to wolf, as murmurs of worry started to become more and more frequent and steadily increasing in volume. Heads flickered round, trying to spot any threats in the room or to gossip with the wolves that were to their sides.

“Ok, if everyone...” As dad raised his hands and tried to speak on to distract and calm all the wolves present from all the noises around, he stopped talking as something suddenly cut him off.

But it was the look on his face that scared me the most. He looked surprised, just before dropping to his knees then sprawling across the floor, completely out cold.

Something was extremely awry. There is no way that dad passes out for no reason, it just did not happen. It caused uproar amongst the wolves and quite a few to panic all around us.

Then as if a veil had dropped, wolves in their wolf form started to appear one by one at all the exits and spaced throughout the crowds. It was the one that appeared out of thin air next to dads still, lifeless form that had my attention. Beaux’s undivided attention was on him, howling one word that I really did not want to hear. ‘Mate!’

My stomach felt like a hole had opened and the whole of myself was about to disappear through it. Looking at my mate, I could see that he was indeed handsome; dark short hair, all his firm and rippling muscles were on display for all to see. He must have transformed at some point and not bothered to dress after. His facial features were rugged, like he had not shaved for a few days, but it was still tidy, possibly his everyday look. Looking at his facial features, I noticed the evil smile upon his face, excited at overpowering the Alpha of this pack.

Out of the corner of my eyes I seen Alpha Corbin strut across the dancefloor at the front of all the panic, chaos and disorder. Slowly, one wolf by one, they went quiet as they watched the despicable traitor take centre stage.

No-one seemed surprised by what was most likely his betrayal, it caused a lot of out-cries of disapproval towards him. As he reached dad's still unconscious form, he aimed a kick to his ribs; talk of kicking a person whilst they are down. But dad did not move, not even an inch. He stood smiling and looking around at all the fearful faces looking back at him.

Mum just held onto me tighter; Elijah and Elliot were slowly trying to creep towards us without being noticed. I could not look at them or anything else for long, my eyes kept unwillingly returning to my dark and mysterious mate hovering over a family member that I longed to get to.

“He’s still alive, don’t worry.” Mum could feel through the mate bond that dad was not dead, so she had whispered tome to try and settle my fears for him, sensing my urge to go over. Only she had not realised that dad was not the only reason that I wanted to get to the centre of the dancefloor.

Beaux was pushing me to go to him; Mr. tall dark, dangerous and handsome. She urged to go to his side and was whining at not being able to go to claim her mate, but she also understood the reasons why.

“Mate.” I mumbled to mum, afraid that anyone would hear me and think me a traitor. Her head whipped around, no longer looking at dad but at me, her face paling in shock at my revelation.

“I’d hold still if I were you two.” Corbin’s voice echoed throughout the still room.

All voices in the room muted instantaneously, all attention either on Elijah and Elliot or Alpha Corbin, waiting to see what would unfold. The boys froze where they were, only a couple of metres away from mum and I, only just out of reach.

“Good doggies. Now, I see a lot of surprised faces in here.”

I could not hold it in anymore, a whine slipped past my lips, making mum grip me harder and the desperate look return to the boy's faces having heard me as well.

My mates head whipped around so fast that I was surprised that it did not take flight from his shoulders. He looked directly into my eyes, but it was the concern on his face that surprised me.

“Mate.” He panted out whilst taking a few steps towards me. Fear that his newly found mate was in trouble making him move, as much as he did not want to. I could see his face twisting as he fought his wolf for control and against the mate bond.

I could hear Alpha Corbin’s voice but was unable to focus on a word that he was saying. As much as I understood the situation, such as him attacking my pack, home and loved ones, I still had the undeniable urge to get to him just like all mates do when they first find each other.

“It seems that this Mating Ball isn’t quite over.” I turned to Alpha Corbin. What he had said caught my attention and made me feel like I was thrown in the deep end of an ice-cold swimming pool. “Olivia my sexy darling, come here.”

My mate growled continuously at Alpha Corbin's comment with no sign of him stopping and slowly turning into snarl.

“Now Olivia!” Corbin’s voice was louder and more aggressive than before, warning ringing through it.

Corbin’s warning had my feet moving involuntarily from fear, straight into the bear's mouth. My anxiety went off the scale, increasing more and more with every step that I took closer to the pair of men that were more horrifying and intimidating than anyone else that I have met before.

The closer that I went, the more that my wolf instincts took over. At first, I could barely detect a scent, I just knew that it led to my mate. Now though, I could smell him much more clearly and he was fucking divine. He smelt of freshly baked waffles, syrup and ice-cream. I’m sure that there was a hint of cinnamon as well.

As the distance between my mate and I reduced, the stronger the sweet smell increased and so did Beaux’s urgency to claim her mate. She was scratching, pushing and whining in desperation, but I did not feel the same way. I wanted to run from the room and my mate as far as my legs would carry me. My nausea had increased ten-fold, and I wanted to puke on the very spot that I walked upon, knowing that my destination was not that of sunshine and rainbows.

I could feel every set of eyes in the room on me as I moved as slow as possible towards my dreaded future.

I hope that he rejects me.

I could deal with the embarrassment of a very public rejection. Looking at him hovering over my dad after having attacked him, and standing along-side Alpha Dickwad, I really doubted that I could ever be happy with him.

My feet kept moving even though I willed them to stop will all my heart.

The look upon my mate's face had Beaux’s paws falter in their steps to get me to him. He wore a sadistic smile, like he was the hunter, and I was his prey; an easy prey at that because I was going to him.

It seemed to take forever to reach the pair of assholes, like time had stood still and ceased to ever move forward ever again.

My heart plummeted, palpitations becoming so frequent that I did not know what a normal heartbeat was anymore. I was so close to passing out, my breathing was completely erratic, and it constantly felt like I was not breathing deep enough. The minor tremors in my hands from before still had not calmed but had increased substantially. I was shaking worse than Poppy’s vibrator when the batteries were dying. My mouth had gone dry to the point that I was nearly retching.

My mate took a couple of steps towards me, gratefully making the distance shorter for me. I could hear him panting in his own desperation for control over his wolf and see the gold swirling brightly in his eyes as his wolf forced him ahead through his human's apprehension.

“Ahhh here we are, what a superb specimen of the female body.” Alpha Corbin’s creepy remarks and desperate glares continued, even though he knew that it was my mate that stood next to him. He had no fear of repercussions.

Corbin stood with his arms outstretched, signaling what would normally be interpreted as a welcome display as I finalized my unwilling walk.

Male wolves are extremely territorial, above all else over their mates, especially when they have only just found them.

Even though my mate was a subordinate to Corbin, he still growled in anger as a warning to the comments and closeness of the wolf that was imposing on his mate. And as Corbin was an Alpha, he could potentially see my mate's behaviour as a threat or a challenge.

“Now, now Reid, calm down. I’m just showing appreciation for the female form. I have no intentions of stealing your mate. I’m sure that this prissy little virgin would not be able to handle my desires and demands.”

Corbin really is a vile creature. This really must be the only reason that I am glad to be Reid’s mate; Corbin cannot put any sort of sexual claim over me or demand me to do any sexual favours, thank fuck. But at least I now know my mate's name. Although, cuntface would probably suit him well, judging by the situation that we are all in right now.

I could feel a strong aura coming off Reid as well as his anger. I do not think that he is just another warrior, but something more. Something that Corbin soon confirmed for me, as if he had just read my mind.

“A bit unpretentious, but I think you’ll do fine for my son here.”

Audible gasps emulated everywhere at Alpha Corbin’s revelation; that the wolf that had knocked out my Alpha, who is also my mate, is Corbin’s son.