Chapter 12: The Alpha's Mate.

Chapter 12

~Lucas’s POV~

A huge smile broke out on his face when he saw me and he quickened his pace leaving Carson to walk sedately behind him. My breath hitched in my throat at the sight of him. It had been so long since I’d laid eyes on him. He had grown some; he wasn’t that cute boy I’d left almost a year ago, his cheeks were hollowed and he’d even started growing some stubble.

The transformation was surprising to say the least. He looked more like a man now than like the kid I’d left behind. His midnight black hair was longer and curled softly at his neck, he’d grown a few inches and he had a bit of muscle now, I assumed it had to do with his martial arts training.

The only thing that hadn’t changed was his big expressive eyes which were now wide with excitement. God I missed him.

He grabbed me up into a hug the moment he reached me, hugging me tightly against him before pulling away to look me over. He was still a few inches shorter than me but still very much as handsome as he had been back then. Maybe even more so.

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Laken said, his excitement hardly under control and he hugged me again for good measure.

I had no idea what to say. I’d imagined this moment for so long, pictured our reunion in my mind over and over again but now that the time was finally here I was speechless. The happiness at seeing him after so long had sucked my voice away and  I could only smile down at him as he grinned up at me.

“I wanted to see you yesterday but my parents wouldn’t let me out.” He said as Carson came to a stop beside him.

“That’s okay, it’s really good to see you Laken.” I finally found my voice and I wondered very briefly what the others must think of us standing there staring and not saying much at all.

“You’d think the conversation would flow pretty easily considering how often you two talk on the phone.” Carson commented in obvious amusement and Laken reached over to playfully thump his arm.

“I guess I’m still trying to process it all. I didn’t think I’d see you again for some years at least.” I said seriously, stealing a glance at Adrian who stood tensely by my side watching Laken with glinting eyes.

“I can see you’ve been working out.” I teased, trying to dispel the awkwardness and Laken grinned.

“Yeah, I’m still doing martial arts, kinda like it now.” He responded, “So aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?” he question, looked over at my shoulder at Scottie then glancing at Adrian.

“Oh right.” I said chuckling nervously. Boy this was not going as well as I’d hoped.

“This is Scottie.” I said gesturing to him and Scottie stepped forward taking Laken’s hand, shaking it enthusiastically.

“It’s great finally put a face to the name.” Scottie said with a friendly smile and Laken looked at me, clearly amused.

“Been talking about me, have you?” he teased and I rolled my eyes at him.

“Got a little cocky there did you?” I said and he laughed.

“So if you’re Scottie then this must be…Marcus? or Adrian?” Laken asked looking over at my lover and when Adrian didn’t offer comment I spoke up.

“This is Adrian, Marcus is… somewhere around here.” I finished looking around hoping to miraculously spot Adrian’s twin in the crowd.

“Yeah he’s never around is he? I have yet to meet him myself.” Rivers spoke up then, glancing around much like I had done.

“It’s nice to meet you then Adrian.” Laken said holding out a hand and we all watched as Adrian simply stared at Laken, his expression not what anyone could really call friendly and  after a tense moment, Laken retracted his hand, looking slightly embarrassed, but not as embarrassed as I felt. I bumped Adrian with my shoulder in reprimand but he ignored me.

I opened my mouth to apologize when Laken gasped, looking at me in concern. “Wow, dude, what happened to your neck?”

I reached up to touch the skin, then. I hadn’t even remembered about it, it had been almost a week since the incident and the bruise had yet to fully heal.

“Oh it’s nothing, training accident.” I said blowing it off but Laken reached up to touch it, running his hand gently over the flesh  and before I could even open my mouth to assure him it really wasn’t a big deal, his hand was ripped from my flesh.

“Keep your fucking hands off him!” Adrian  said harshly, dropping Laken’s arm and shoving him backwards where he stumbled.

That was when it all went to hell. Carson grabbed Laken steadying him before he turned on Adrian, teeth bared and his eyes flashing as a growl erupted from his throat. He was upon us in a flash, grabbing Adrian’s shirt and pulling him towards him. Adrian fought against his hold managing to pull away from Carson’s grasp and his elbow clipped Carson’s chin. The sound of bone slamming against bone was sickening.

I felt something hit into me from behind and I stumbled forward trying to regain my balance only to trip over something and fall to the ground. That’s when the growling began and as I looked up from the dusty courtyard floor I watched in shock as the wolves descended.  Laken shouted something I didn’t have a chance of hearing over the noise of the wolves and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves surrounded.

Wolves upon wolves snarling as they inched closer, tense from watching their Alpha fighting with Adrian, they stepped over me and past me, inching closer even, growling at Adrian who fell to the ground when Carson landed a punch square in his mouth. He spat and blood and saliva sprinkled the ground.

I managed to push up from the dirt running toward the two men but something gripped my arm, pulling me to a stop.

“You’ll get hurt, don’t go over there.” Rivers shouted trying to be heard over the noise and I shrugged off his arm, pushing through the bodies to get to my lover. When I broke into the centre of the crowd I dove in front of Adrian just as Carson raised his fist again, shielding his body with my own.

“Stop!” Laken screamed, grabbing Carson around his torso and holding him tight. “Carson stop!” he shouted again when Carson made to shove him off and I could only assume it was his mate’s terror filled voice that stopped him. He straightened up, panting as he stood glaring down at Adrian who half sat half lay behind me, blood dripping from his nose and his busted lip.

“Get the fuck out of my camp.” Carson said, his voice cold and breathless.

“Gladly.” Adrian returned, his voice scornful and this time when he spat, it was all blood.

“No! you can’t do that, Lucas just got here!” Laken argued, his arms straining as he held onto Carson.

The growling around us hadn’t stopped but no one attacked us. They were waiting for their Alpha’s orders.

“I want you out.” Carson said again but Laken pulled him until he was stumbling back from us, his gaze still deadly and his teeth still bared.

“Don’t go anywhere; he’s just angry, go back to the lodge!” Laken shouted over the noise again and this time when he pulled his mate they were both swallowed up by the crowd.

“Adrian! Are you all right?” I heard Scottie shouting from somewhere not far away and not much longer he appeared at Adrian’s side, helping me to pull him to a stand. Adrian tried to brush us off, claiming he didn’t need our help, but when we let him go his knees buckled and we held him fast.

Our path was still blocked by the growling wolves who refused to back down and no matter where we turned it was the same. When we tried forcefully pushing through, the snap of teeth not far from my face deterred any movement and I looked around desperately for a way out.

“Adrian! Scottie!” I could hear Marcus’s voice from somewhere in the crowd but I couldn’t see him.

It was chaos and the longer we stood there the closer the wolves came.

“Adrian! Scottie!” Marcus’s voice again and I spun around trying to catch sight of him while holding Adrian against me.

“Marcus!” Scottie shouted back into the crowd but there was no answer.

My heart slammed into my chest over and over again, and the blood roared in my ears. There were too many of them, what should do?

Goose bumps rose up on my arms and a shiver ran down my spine when a loud solitary howl ripped through the air. The wolves around me whimpered while others lowered their heads as if in submission. I glanced around me in shock, trying to understand what was happening when another equally loud howl went up again and almost every single wolf in the area melted down to the ground, heads bowed. It was then that I saw it.

The lone wolf standing on the platform at the front of the courtyard, his throat angled toward the sky. Adrian stumbled again and I pulled him tighter against me.

The place had gone completely silent now and when I looked back toward the platform it was to see the wolf shifting right before my eyes. Its body bent and twisted out of shape, the paws vibrating on the ground before they too twisted and became deformed. An instant later I was looking up at Thomas, standing tall and proud, arms behind his back, feet apart as he surveyed the wolves below.

“Shift.” Was all he said and not a heartbeat later the once fierce wolves around us shifted back into their original forms, men and women, looking obediently up at their Beta.

“You are to stand down. No harm must come to our guests.” He spoke, not shouting but calmly, like he knew the power the sound of his voice held for these beasts and I shuddered.

He nodded to us when he spotted us in the crowd and I watched as he jumped down from the platform, all eyes on him and made his way over to the three of us.

“Get him to the lodge, I’ll send over the doctor.” Thomas said authoritatively.

“I don’t need a fucking doctor, let me go.” Adrian gasped out, his breath still came in pants and the slight wheezing I could detect made me think that maybe he’d broken a few ribs in the tousle.

We ignored him and I nodded to Thomas.

“Jesus, how badly is he hurt?” Marcus appeared out of nowhere, placing himself directly in front of Adrian.

He placed his hand under his brother’s chin, tilting his head so he could see his face. Adrian jerked his head away and let it fall once more.

“Come on, Adrian, let’s get you to the lodge.” Scottie whispered and with both of us on either side of him we supported his weight, dragging him over to the guest house as quickly as we could.

....................................

Long after the doctor had left, assuring us that Adrian’s only ailments were a few bruised ribs, a black eye and a busted lip, I sat in the kitchen sipping a beer and trying to wrap my mind around everything that had happened. Marcus and Scottie had long since gone out, making preparations for our departure from the camp.

I had sat up there with him for awhile, when he’d been too drugged on pain pills to even notice I was there, only coming down to nurse a beer when Rivers had shown up with a pot of soup and a concerned expression.

“How is he?” he’d asked and I assured him Adrian was fine.

He’d gone up the visit with him about half an hour ago and had yet to come back down.

……………………………………..

~Adrian’s POV~

“Listen sweetie, I don’t care how big and bad you think you are, you can’t come into a wolf camp and assault the Alpha’s mate. As it is, you’re lucky you only got away with a few scrapes.” Rivers was saying as he cleaned my face with the damp washcloth.

I refused to make conversation with him but that didn’t deter him in the least. He’d been talking nonstop from the moment I’d opened my eyes forty-five minutes ago.

“And honey, Laken is so not a threat. He’s one hundred percent in love with Carson he’d never try to steal your man, so all of what you pulled was absolutely unnecessary.” He said in that polished ‘accent’ I’d come to associate him with.

“Lucas loves him.” I gritted out despite my earlier resolve to keep my mouth shut and Rivers  shook his head.

“Of course he loves him dear” he began and the pain in the region of my heart escalated. The hurt probably showed in my expression because he took my hand and patted it, then offered a sweet smile.

“Everyone loves Laken darling, he can’t help it, he’s a sweetheart. But trust me, the way  Lucas jumped in to protect you from Carson today, tells a story all on its own.” He said and when I opened my mouth to add my two cents he raised a hand, shutting me up.

“I’ve known Lucas for a long time Adrian. I knew him back when he would have done anything for Laken, but I’m telling you the way he used to look at Laken doesn’t come close to the way he looks at you. That man is in love with you. Any fool can see it. So don’t worry your pretty little head oaky?” he asked and I tried to hold back a smile.

The hope flared up in me at his words and I prayed they were true.

“Now, you need to make this right. Laken didn’t deserve to be treated that way, Lucas almost got hurt because of what you did and fighting the Alpha in his own territory will certainly kill any relationship you hoped to have with him. The sooner you make it right then the sooner you can enjoy your happily ever after okay?” he asked gently and I sighed.

He was right of course. I’d crossed the line today. I’d allowed my anger to consume me, something I should have had completely under control.

“Thank you. I really appreciate this.” I told him honestly and I never thought I’d see the day when I actually became friends with a werewolf.

Rivers pushed up from his seat and stretched. “Well I’m bushed. I’ll let you rest now.” He said “And make sure you drink the soup. I’ll have Lucas heat it up for you later.” He said as he walked to the door.

“Rivers.” I called before he could turn the knob and he paused, looked over at me patiently.

“What about you, where’s your mate?” I asked him and he smiled at me, a smile that was both sad and hopeful.

“When I find him you’ll be the first to know.” He said and a second later he was gone.

I dropped my head back onto the bed and my last thought before my eyes drifted close was, ‘I hope Lucas isn’t too pissed at me.’

AUTHOR'S NOTES

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-DoUbLe.A

-unedited.