Chapter 2 - don't you dare

Gloria kicked the door open, an unconscious Timmy in her arms. Sarah rushed to her, tears streaming down her eyes. “I heard everything. Timmy, Timmy” she shook the boy, trying to wake him up, but some strong hands grabbed her waist from behind. “Shhhh, baby, let him sleep.” Connor, her husband and mate hugged her from behind, his lips at her ear. “Calm down. He needs us both when he is waking up. And he needs us in full strength.”

Sarah turned around and cried desperately at the chest of her mate, while Gloria took the sleeping boy in his room. The pack guard laid him gently on his bed and tucked him safely into the comforter. Her heart broke at the memories of Timmies desperate cries.

She closed the door carefully and went to the kitchen, where she could hear Sarah buzzing around, trying to distract herself with her duties. The scent of fresh brewed coffee wafted through the corridor when she heard a knocking.

Gloria went through the door, opening it. Pack members stood in front of her, the face serious. She ushered them into the kitchen and they followed obediently her advice. No word were spoken in the pack link, not even a little cough was audible. It was strange for such a big pack to have a silent pack link. There was a little chatter in almost every second of the day, a constant buzzing, comforting the pack members. But not now.

Sarah sat at the table, her head leaned at the shoulder of her husband, he had wrapped her securely in his arms. Both looked devastated. One of the pack members, Sheena, an unmated she-wolf looked worried. “Did you ever hear that a wolf rejected his mate?” she asked, still confused. “How is that even possible?” The gathered crowd looked at each other.

Gloria nodded her head and explained warily. “There are old stories of rejected mates. They are stories of tragedies and grief, and I'm sure you don't want to hear them. I really don’t know how Nathans wolf could allow this rejection.” Sheenas brother, Jonjon, looked at Gloria. “Do you think something happened to him when he was at this boarding school? Maybe his wolf went nuts because of the lack of a pack link? He must be partly insane to reject the one he was destined to be his other half.” the pack members nodded, some vigorously and some deep in thought.

The door opened again and Germaine, the Beta, entered the room, his wife, Nina, followed suit. A wave of relief rushed through the group, now for sure everything would be better, now where someone with authority is stepping in.

But Germaine knew had to crush the hopes the moment he opened his mouth. “Sorry, I can’t do anything. Alpha and Luna are enjoying that situation and they are highly amused to see “the little shit” suffering like that. They won’t appreciate if I solve the problem and make him happy. The more that their new lackey is obviously unfazed from the rejection.” The pack members looked shocked, but then sighed. What else did they expect of those two? They were Alpha and Luna because they were vicious. But the loyalty was only going so far.

A sudden noise let Sarah, who didn’t say a word until now, perk up her ears. The door opened and a sleepy looking Timmy entered the room. His eyes went wide, when he saw the gathered pack members and the Beta. Sarah rushed to her son, gathering him in her arms and he wrapped his slender arms around her waist.

“Mommy, do you think that Nathan would be nicer, if I was a clever boy and not a stupid one?” he asked, half fearing her answer. Sarah just gasped shortly and hold him tighter. “No, sweety, he won’t.” Timmy looked torn and deep in thought. “But it must have been my fault, because he is my mate and I never heard that somebody got rejected.”

Germaine decided to step in, he could feel the stress to all the pack members and he really liked Timmy a lot. Life would be a lot harder without his constant smiles and little episodes, who made the day of everybody a whole lot brighter.

He laid a hand on his shoulders. “Nathan grew up in human schools. They don’t know our pack ways, humans don’t know anything about mates, they have to look for their partners, many many times. And it seems like Nathan caught too much of this one.” Timmy looked at him, his eyes wide. “Do you think that Nathan didn’t know what a mate really is?” he asked concerned.

Germaine nodded. “Yes, I do believe it. He is far away from our ways, he never learned it.” Timmy looked at Germain with a newfound confidence. “I’ll teach him. He is my mate, and that is my responsibility then.” Sarah took Timmy's face in her hands. “Timmy, I don’t want get you hurt another time. I don’t want to lose you.” Timmy looked at her, a little worried. “Why should you lose me? Is Alpha kicking me away from Pack ground?” Germaine looked at him, finally a little amused, seeing that Timmy really didn’t get the real reason for their worries.

“Timmy, there are old stories about rejected wolves, who kill themselves, because they couldn’t bear the pain.” Timmy looked taken aback. “Why should I do something like that? When I’m dead I can’t help my mate?” he was getting upset. “Why should anybody even think about it?”

In his mind he heard Buddy, as confused as he felt. “Sometimes I don’t get the human side. Do they really think it is solving a problem when they kill themselves?” Timmy shook his head. “No Buddy, I don’t get it either. Sometimes smart people really are strange.” Buddy agreed fullheartedly and a slight laughter eased the almost palpable tension in the room after Timmy's words.

Sarah couldn’t help but smile. She kissed Timmy's forehead. “Do you want something to eat, honey?” She chuckled when she heard the playful pouting of her husband behind her. “Yeah that’s right. I can starve all the while.” Germaine looked at the pack members, at ease for once, since the open rebellion he feared, seemed to be banned for now. He patted Timmy at his shoulders. “You are a fine young man, Timmy. And you didn’t do anything wrong. It is just Nathan who has issues.” Timmy nodded eagerly. “I’ll help him.” Connor looked at his son. “Timmy, but be careful and be slow. Nathan doesn’t know about our ways and he might doesn’t listen to you. Don’t get hurt, Sonny.” Timmy smiled his happy smile at him. His world was back in it’s angles again. It wasn’t his problem and Nathan just have to realize what a mate really is, then everything will work out just fine.

***

Nathan opened the door and closed his eyes. He smelled the scents of the home of his early childhood before Alpha decided to sent him to that blasted boarding schools. A happy smile grazed his face, happy memories of better days, before he was shipped off to that blasted school.

He opened his eyes just to meet the disbelieving faces of his family. Nathan was confused. What was wrong? “Mom? Dad? I’m home, finally.” Nathan beamed at them. Still no reaction and Nathan felt his irritation growing. “Mom?” he turned to his sister, waving a hand before her motionless figure. “Gina?”

His sister snapped out of her daze and looked at him in anger. “You bloody moron. You insensitive prick. You...you...human.” she emphasized, stomped her feet on the floor and turned on her heels. Nathan was completely taken aback. What the heck was wrong with her?

“Nate?” he asked his wolf, but was met with silence. Okay, he was obviously pouting, too. He saw how the lips of his mother moved, like she tried to say something, but then just huffed and turned around. Before she left, she looked at his father, saying: “This is YOUR job, I never wanted to ship him off to boarding school” before finally leaving. His father pinched the bridge of his nose. “Great. Now I have to deal with a prick of a son and an angry mate.”

Nathan was lost. He didn’t get what happened. Wasn’t his family happy to see him again? His father sighed, getting his unspoken thoughts via mind link. “Sit down in the living room. I’m explaining everything, but first of all I need a strong coffee.” He turned to the kitchen, hesitated for a second and then murmured to himself: “Scratch the coffee. Where is the Bourbon?”

Both men went to the living room and Nathans father sat down in the love seat, holding on the bottle with the sharp liquor like a lifeline. Nathans memories became strong. Everytime he did something wrong his father sat exactly at this place, scolding him for being a bad boy. But what exactly did he wrong? He was barely home, there wasn’t anything he could have done wrong? “Nate?” he asked his wolf warily.

“What?” the rude answer came. Finally he decided to speak with him. “What did I do wrong? Why is everyone behaving like that?” he felt a rush of disbelief coming from Nate. “You’ve got to be kidding?” he asked incredulously. “You dared to reject our mate and now you are asking yourself why everybody is pissed? Oh of all….” Nate snorted a last time and then there was silence, but he could feel him seething.

Nate snapped. “Oh Lord have mercy. Seriously Dad? You are all behaving like that because I rejected that little shit?” he asked, getting upset. His Dad looked at him and grabbed the bottle with Bourbon. Not bothering with a glass he took a huge sip directly out of the bottle.

“Listen son. NO. LISTEN. And listen well. We are werewolves. We are blessed with mates. A mate is a gift of the spirits to you, your other half, part of your soul. If you find your mate you are finally complete. You don’t reject your mate. Nobody is stooping that low, to reject his other half. You basically just reject yourself.”

Nathan snorted. “Yeah, like I believe that bullcrap.” His father pointed at him. “Don’t tell me that Nate is agreeing to your behaviour.” Nathan tried to answer but found out that he wasn’t able to speak. “Don’t you dare lie to them.” Nate growled at him. “Timmy is our mate. And I want him. He is my other half, as well as Buddy. And you will accept him.” Nate was fierce. But Nathan was stubborn and he still feared for his reputation.

“He is a lowlife. My mate is not an imbecile like that. My mate is a beautiful woman, waiting for me. You just got it wrong.” he almost desperately tried to reason with Nate. But his wolf just snorted and said: “Keep yourself telling that. And, Nathan?” he could feel his wolf grinning smugly at him without any joy. “I’m your inner wolf. I have full control over your body if I want to. You can have it the easy way and cave in immediately. Or you can suffer a lot and cave in finally after a lot of embarrassing situations.”

Nathan let out a shocked gasped. “You wouldn’t dare…”

“Try me.” Nate replied.