As soon as she was out of earshot, all eyes turn to me.
“How did you find her?”
“What happened to her?”
“Are you really mated?”
These were the questions my brothers shot off at me. I knew I’d have to answer them but I never expected to be annoyed with it.
“Tell them son,” my father urged, possibly trying to lend a hope to the fact that we were not all doomed into the single unmated life.
“She broke into my cabin. I was going to just scare her away, and then she hurt herself. It was then when I really caught a whiff of her scent and I knew she was mine.” I played back the memory in my mind, all the emotions of confusion, love, and need wrapped around my heart. My wolf growled at me as if to say…she’s perfect.
“So she found you?” Gannon questioned.
I shrugged. “I guess you could say that. It definitely wasn’t like I was out looking for her. It was almost like fate had a hand in things.”
Everyone nodded in agreement as if they understood the complexity of it all. As wolves we waited until the day, we found our mates to have any sexual relations with a woman. Since birth, we were taught that sex is to be shared with your mate, and I’m positive my brothers were feeling the burn of no sex.
“And that’s exactly how it should be,” my father spoke his voice loud, and profound.
I looked up to him more now for raising me to care for a woman, as she should be.
“Finding your mate isn’t going to be easy boys, not as easy as it was for your brother but I know for certain that you all will find your mates.”
Many of my brothers sighed, or rolled their eyes. I’d admit I felt that way too, when he’d given this speech to us before I found Olivia, but now I got it. Your mate would literally find you.
“Well, I’m happy for you bro.” Romeo stood and slapped me on the shoulder before heading off in the direction of the kitchen.
I growled without realizing it.
He stopped dead in his tracks. “Does it really piss your wolf off that much? You know I’m not going to do anything,” Romeo assured me.
I still didn’t like it and instead pushed past him into the kitchen. One day, they would understand but until they did, I would continue to be possessive as hell over my mate.
Once inside the kitchen, I spotted Olivia and walked over to her, pulling her to my side. I nuzzled my nose against her warm neck and inhaled her sweet scent.
MINE!
My brothers didn’t understand the need that coursed through my veins for this woman. They didn’t understand the uncontrollable need. Someday, they would though.
“Are we ready to eat?” my mother asked and my brothers started hollering and grabbing their plates to head towards the food.
Olivia looked up at me, her brown eyes misting over.
I hadn’t seen many people cry in my life but seeing my mate with tears in her eyes startled me. “Are you okay Olivia?” I took her by the cheeks and forced her to stare into my eyes. I didn’t care that my family was in the room, and possibly staring. The tears started to fall from her eyes now, and slid down her smooth cheeks. I squished them with my thumbs, never wanting to see tears on my mate’s skin again. “Olivia, talk to me, tell me you’re okay.” I could sense her emotions through our connection but they were all over the place.
She hiccupped. “I’m not crying because I am hurt, or sad.” She started pulling away just enough to put room between us.
I didn’t like it one bit.
My wolf growled internally demanding for me to I make things right with her. “Then why are you crying?” I kept my voice low, and gentle, wanting to soothe my mate and not startle her.
“Because I’m happy…” Tears kept falling, slipping from her eyes with ease.
I blinked, realizing she just said she was happy instead of sad.
“I never thought I’d have a family like this…when my car got stranded out here, I knew I had nothing to lose, and I set out on foot to find something, or someone, anything really. I left my mom, and life behind. I wanted better, needed better, and then you found me.” The cracking of her voice gave way to an onslaught of deeper emotions that ripped from her. She sobbed into my chest.
I wrapped my arms around her tightly wanting to destroy her mother and family for not protecting and caring for her better. I wanted to make up for whatever bad things happened to this sweet woman before me. I would make it up. Make her feel safe loved and cared for. “I love you Olivia and not just because you’re my mate. It goes deeper than that.” I nibbled on her ear as I whispered the words into it, “Now, do you want to stay and have dinner, or do you want to go back to the cabin? I know a couple things I can do with my tongue and fingers that will bring that perfect smile back to your face.”