11
Rose x
It was the pain that made me open my eyes.
The fierce, indescribable pain which jolted me up from the darkness. For a moment nothing else mattered apart from the hot blinding pain radiating from the left side of my neck.
I jumped up from the bed, taking a moment to recognise that I was in the pack medical room before rushing over to the mirror by the sink. The whole time I moved I clutched my neck tightly trying to ignore the persistent throbbing.
Making it over to the sink I stared at my reflection, at first having to double take since I thought I was looking at someone else.
It was definitely me, I mean my hair, my face, my eyes, everything looked the same but at the exact same time, the person who stared back was not me.
My brown eyes looked darker and bigger and I instantly recognised my eyesight had tremendously improved. I was able to hone in on the falling dust particles and see them so clearly as if I was looking through a microscope.
My hearing was extraordinary, I could hear the blood rushing through my body and the sound of someone's feet squelching in wet mud outside.
My eyes roamed my face, noticing how my skin was clear and flawless, my hair thick, long and shiny.
I looked... incredible. I looked... inhuman.
My eyes drifted down to my neck and I gasped. On the left side of my neck where the pain was there was a mark. It was so faint you could hardly see it, but with my newly advanced eyesight it was as clear as daylight. There was a tiny white crescent moon engraved into my neck. I had seen this before, the exact same engraving. My parents had it, Gemma's parents had it — in fact, any mated werewolf couple had it, so it begged the question.
Why the heck do I have it?
Perhaps it was my newly developed senses or the fact my reflection no longer resembled myself or that nothing made any sense, but everything became incredibly overwhelming and as fear crept into my mind the only anchoring thought was —
Alpha Stone.
And like magic he appeared beside me in a flash. I don't know how or from where he came but the relief that flooded me at the sight of him made my legs weak.
Effortlessly he lifted me into his arms and walked back to the bed and for the first time since I had woken up everything went silent. I could finally hear myself think.
What the actual fuck is going on?
Alpha Stone placed me down on the bed and as he knelt down on the floor in front of me we locked eyes and he could see the confusion and fear in my eyes.
"I'll explain everything," he said finally.
I sat quietly, ignoring the sudden innate urge to cling to Alpha Stone, to feel his body heat, to smell him and to hear his heartbeat. What on earth is happening to me?
He watched me carefully and silently before subtly nodding his head.
"I marked you," he stated.
I didn't say anything, even though all I wanted to do was scream.
"Why?" I whispered when I finally found my voice again.
"Because you were going to die." His answer gave me nothing except more questions. What did it matter to him that I was going to die? Why would he risk the chance to find his one and only soulmate to keep me alive?
I was suddenly angry.
Back home, Gemma used to tell me tales about wolves who had found their mates and what a joyful experience it would be. This idea that one person is made specifically for you and you alone. That this person would love you unconditionally no matter what. I think the one thing I had always envied the most was not the strength or the heightened senses or the extremely devastating good looks that came with being a werewolf but the fact that somewhere out there was an individual who was bound to you, to love and cherish you till death. Gemma also told me about the wolves who never found their mate or whose mates were killed or died and how it's like the light in their eyes is gone and suddenly they were just shells with no emotion or desire and eventually they become mad — often end up killed or dead.
There is only one mate per wolf, meaning only one chance for this unrestricted, unconditional happiness and the man in front of me had just given that up for me.
"You've made a mistake," I say. "You've just lost everything and gained nothing." My voice is harsh and cold.
By marking me it meant Alpha Stone would never get the chance to be with his real mate.
Alpha Stone was quiet before he shook his head. He raised his hand and gently moved some strands of hair away from my face. The action makes me freeze.
"You're wrong Eve, I've lost nothing and just gained everything."
"Your mate—" I start but he stops me.
"Eve, you are my mate." I want to laugh at his words but his eyes are so sincere that I'm speechless.
"The first second I met you, when you trespassed, I knew instantly that you were mine. And then I realised you were human and therefore could not feel the connection like I could."
What? "But humans and wolves can't be mates," I say.
"That's what I thought too, but I checked and there are some wolves in Europe who have human mates."
"If you knew I was your mate then why did you keep me as a prisoner?"
Alpha Stone smirks, an action that makes my heart flip.
"Believe me Eve, you were never a prisoner. My wolf would never let you go back to your home so I had to find a way to keep you here and I needed time to figure out how to tell you about us being mates so the whole prisoner situation was a fa?ade."
My eyes widen in shock. This whole situation was way too confusing for my little mind to comprehend.
"My parents, do they know?"
Alpha Stone nods. "I told them the second you were taken away. They know it's impossible to keep mates apart so they didn't make a fuss."
"Were you ever going to tell me about us being mates?" I ask.
"I was going to, I just didn't know how or when. It's very rare for a wolf, especially an Alpha like myself to have a human mate."
We stayed in silence for a moment, I knew Alpha Stone was letting me have some time to process everything.
"You said you marked me to keep me alive." I finally said.
"When you first came to the pack you were ill and Taliya knew you were my mate. In order to help you she transfused you with some of my blood and since we are mates it helped you. You felt better didn't you?"
Oh shit, I guess the blood transfusion really did fix me.
I nodded my head in reply.
"But the thing is human blood and wolf blood don't mix and in your case I guess you could say you had an allergic reaction. In order to save you the only option I had was to mark you."
It was starting to piece together now, little by little.
"So what happens now?" I ask. Does this mean I'm like a werewolf now, or like half werewolf?
Alpha Stone blows out a deep breath. "Honestly Eve, I have no idea. I don't think anyone does. This situation," he gestures between us, "it's rare and unusual."
"I feel different Alpha Stone," I whisper, "I-I can see better and hear better." I explain.
Alpha Stone already knew this from his smile.
"Benefits of the mark," he smiles. Bloody hell, there goes my heart again.
"Does anyone else know, that we are mates?" I question, trying to keep my mind distracted.
"Only Kate and Jayden."
I nod my head. Of course they knew, now their sly looks and smiles make sense.
Looking anywhere apart from Alpha Stone I tried to think clearly. Everything I had known or thought I had known was now flipped upside down.
"Alpha Stone," I start "please can I see my parents or at least talk to them?" Now that I had confirmed I was no longer a prisoner I was desperate to speak to them.
I can see he is reluctant and that his wolf was trying to get in control.
"You can call them," he says, "but later, you need to rest first."
I knew there was no point arguing, I was just grateful he was letting me.
Alpha Stone stood up, his eyes always on me.
"The marking is a big process, you need to get some rest."
I nodded, watching as he stepped away from me and towards the door. The further he got the more I craved to be by his side.
"By the way Eve," we locked eyes, "It's Zac from now on."
Oh be still my heart.
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