Chapter 5 ~ I will always keep you safe

I whipped my head to the left…and smelled petrichor and earth. My mate. And oh my Goddess! WOW! Color my happy ass in love! Hah! Not yet..but Hot Damn!

Alexander called my name three times.. and I stuttered “he…he’s..ahh…he’s my mate!” Alexander smiled and said “Well let me introduce you!” Jaxson grinned and sang “Someone’s gonna get laiddd” and I punched him in the eye.

We walked up to my mate, and Alexander said “Bella… this is Alpha Kendrick Stone of Harvest Moon Pack …..Alpha, this is my sister Bella Sterling.. future Queen of Wolves.” Jaxson coughed “Way to scare him off, right out the fucking gate, bro!”

Kendrick laughed “Very little scares me, Beta”. And I fell harder for his laugh. He held out his hand, and asked “Walk with me?” I nodded and took his hand. We wandered off, down the path toward the lake. When we reached the water, he stopped “I have every intention of accepting you. I have loved you for so long. I need to tell you something and I need you to listen without interruption, please? Okay?” And, again, I nodded.

“This is where I first saw you. You had just fought a rogue and your father had his arms around you. You looked so tiny. I thought you were a little girl. I could scent you were my mate.. but because I thought you needed to grow up, I walked away.”

I stood there..looking out over the water..and snorted..trying and failing to hold in a laugh. “So… because I’m short..and my daddy is Mr. Jolly Green Giant…you mistook me for a child..yet could scent I was your mate.” And he nodded “I have known that I would have recognized my mate at any age. So I wasn’t surprised. Just sad that I had to wait longer.” Again, I nod “And now?”

He smiled “Now..I. Alpha Kendrick Stone of Harvest Moon, accept you, Princess Bella Sterling of Sterling Moon” She laughed “You’re an idiot! I, Princess Bella Sterling, accept you, Alpha Kendrick Stone, as my mate!” He laughed and Lifted me into his arms and kissed me. My first kiss! And I told him it was. He looked surprised..then confused.. then happy and he leaned down…taking my face in both his hands and slowly slid his lips onto mine…rubbing his tongue across my bottom lip and my lips parted…and his tongue entered my mouth and yeah! This is the kiss every girl fantasizes as her first. Fuckkk! I am overthinking!

Back at the pack house Alexander looked at Kendrick “Bella is my sister. More than that…Bella is my twin. Because Bella and I are witches.. our connection is deeper that other twins. My heart knows if Bella is sad…or hurting… my body tells me when she is physical pain and where. I can feel when she is angry..nervous..scared.. I can even feel if she’s too cold. She feels the same with me. That’s how I knew she was in danger at university. I just wanted you to know that, in case you make her cry and I end up at your door threatening to beat the shit out of you at 3 a.m!”

Kendrick laughed and said “If I make her cry, at any time..I’ll let you!”

I said “Okay..we had the big brother talk! Now…let’s figure out what to do with Troy.” And Baron and Corey both groan “we didn’t get to do the big brother threats! That’s fucking bullshit!” And we all laughed!

Alexander responds “Granddad and Grandmom will be here tomorrow. And I know he’s going to want to speak to you Kendrick.. You’re going to have some big shoes to fill. Granddad..then Dad!”

I snap “ Stop it, Alexander! I will take you outside and stomp your ass right now! You aren’t intimidating him with your size and shit… so you try to do it with the crown! Fuck that! Do you not realize if he doesn’t want to be King.. I will abdicate!!? So, accept he is my mate.. or don’t…but stop the bullshit!”

He at least has the decency to look embarrassed! He had already given him the big brother talk..and I allowed it.. so just stop with the stupid ‘you better measure up’ shit!

Kendrick pulls on my hand, and says “Come here..” and I do so he can pull me into his lap..and he says “It is his job..as your big brother..to try and make me as uncomfortable as possible.. and I would be surprised if he doesn’t try. It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere!”

I ask what time will Granddaddy and Grandmom be here and Alex says around nine. Then he turns to Kendrick, “I had rooms set up for you and you men.” I interrupted “Kendrick will stay with me. We are still getting to know each other” And Alex rolled his eyes while Jaxson said “I’d say stop by my room to get condoms but I don’t think I have any to fit him!” And I punched him!

As they lay together, in the dark, he whispered “I am so sorry. I wasted nearly a whole year. You are just so tiny..and I’m just a complete idiot! Brutus has been a complete dick! And even that is my fault!” I giggled and told him “I got to finish my degree! I’m not sure I would have wanted to, had I met you. My sculptures have won awards. And I am proud of my work! I have learned different mediums to work with…that I wouldn’t have had an opportunity to have, otherwise. So, please don’t be sorry. Everything happens for a reason.”

He snuggles me into him, and tells me he wants to hear about the attempted abductions. I shrug “there isn’t much to tell, really. The first one happened on a night I had stayed late..at the art department. I was finishing up my submission piece for graduation. Time had gotten away from me….as it often does when I’m working. I walked out to head to my car..and immediately, Angelica felt their presence. She’s good like that. It wasn’t long before I had a pin on their location. They were rogues..and I could hear five heartbeats. I continued to my jeep across the parking lot and they were keeping pace with me along the wood line. Just before I got to the Jeep.. they charged. I took out two before they landed a punch. Two more circled me and I had to freeze the one behind me. I try not to use magic in the open.. but I had been injured and was not letting them take me. The odd thing is..the fifth rogue.. never stepped from the wood line. He just watched.

The second time was surprising..and strange.. I had just entered my dorm and I was grabbed from behind and someone else tried to inject me with something. I used my magic to slam him into the wall and flipped the other guy over my back..slammed him to the floor and ripped his throat out. Alexander sent guards after that. In both instances, the other man stayed in the shadows. He’s the one who worries me” Kendrick whispered “I will always keep you safe!” And we fell asleep in each other’s arms