by Sara Summers
“I don’t like bacon.” I know, it was a sin to lie about bacon. “Go home.”
“Well I know you like popcorn, and I have a bag of kernels here to make some fancy stovetop popcorn. Let me in and I’ll cook you as much as you want.” He tried to sweet-talk his way inside with his food, but I was determined.
“No thanks. I have microwave popcorn right here.” I assured him. “I’m good.”
Ty sighed.
“Please? I’ll be nice.” He plead.
“You’re only nice when you’re a wolf.” I called back.
“I can’t make you food in wolf form, and I’ve seen what you eat every night. You need my food.”
“I don’t need you.” I told him.
“But you need my food.” His disagreed.
Yes, we were still talking through the door.
“How about you let me in and we can keep arguing inside?” he asked.
“You’re really frustrating.” I yelled.
“Right back at you.” Ty yelled back.
I knew that he would stay outside all night if I didn’t let him in. If he stayed outside all night, the bacon would go bad… so, I let him in.
We listened to my loud piano music while he cooked for me, and I just enjoyed watching the man. As far as looks go, I was superbly lucky. Ty was strong, but not too muscled. He was tall, but not too tall. He had dark hair, almost black, and light brown eyes to go with it.
I liked to watch him move, as creepy as it sounds. Maybe that had something to do with being away from all close human contact for six months, but that’s how I felt.
He put all the bacon on his plate, then set it down on the counter across from me and turned around to keep cooking. I leaned over the counter to grab the bacon, taking all of it and putting it on my plate.
Like he said, I’d been living on popcorn. Bacon was a little better, I figured, because at least it had protein.
I’d eaten almost half the bacon before he turned around.
“What happened to not liking bacon?” he quirked an eyebrow. I shrugged.
“A girl has to say whatever is necessary to keep stalker-ish men out of her house. By the way, you’re definitely not sleeping over tonight.” I told him.
“Come on.” Ty protested, a slight smile on his face. “You can’t resist me.”
“I can and I will.” I finished off another piece of bacon. “Oh, and I’m not sharing this with you.”
“Leah.” Ty complained, and I shook my head.
“I let you in, I get your bacon.”
Ty sighed dramatically, acting upset.
“I really wanted that bacon.”
“Too bad.” I said, popping another piece into my already-full mouth. I was eating like a pig, and I didn’t care one bit. Whatever happened over the next month and a half, I was positive that I’d be moving across the country for school. It didn’t matter what Ty thought about me or my eating habits.
“So, why do the Rockies hate you so much?” I asked between bacon strips.
Ty grimaced, a bit sheepish.
“Well… When I was sixteen, the Alpha got sick and I basically took over. My pack went to school with the Rockies, and two of them found out they were mates that year.
“I saw him hit her, and I punched him in the face. He tried to punch me back, but I hit him with a wave of dominance so hard he coughed up blood.” Ty explained. “That was the current Alpha’s son. Power goes back and forth a lot in their pack, so that guy’s long gone, but the hatred remains.”
“Yikes.” I frowned. “Well thanks for standing up for a woman. There aren’t many males who do that for us.” I looked down, remembering that sucky day again.
“Why are you against packs?”
“Oh, it’s not only packs. I’m not the biggest fan of male shifters in general.” I offered. “It’s none of your business, though.”
“Come on.” Ty protested. “I just opened up to you.”
“I know nothing about you, I’m not spilling my soul for you.” I folded one of my arms, still eating bacon with the other one.
“Technically we share a soul.” Ty pointed out.
“Yeah, well this half firmly belongs to me. Get your own.” I chewed the bacon, watching Ty flip a few pancakes that looked professionally browned. “Where did you learn to cook?”
“Ah, my mom left when I was eight. My dad was a mess, so it was either learn to cook or starve to death. I learned to cook.” He shrugged, giving me a small smile.
My jaw dropped open.
“Your mom left? How? I thought that wasn’t a thing in our world.”
“I have no idea how she did it.” He admitted. “She just disappeared, leaving a note that said she was tired of feeling like she wasn’t good enough because she was a woman. It broke my dad’s heart.”
“Oh man. I’ve met a lot of women who would love to know how she did that.” I shook my head, thinking of one of my best friends in particular. “But I’m sorry, I bet that was hard.”
“Yeah.” He shrugged it off. “Why would women want to leave their mates? Males provide for them, give them the comfortable lives they want.” He frowned.
“Women don’t always want comfort. Especially shifter women; we can live in the forest and sleep on dirt if we have to. Women want to feel loved and respected, and most men treat us like we’re lesser than them.”
“What?” Ty wrinkled his eyebrows. “Since when?”
“Since the beginning of time.” I folded my arms. “Shifter men get respect from humans. Shifter women get to hear humans gush about how romantic it is, sitting around waiting for some guy to come sweep you off your feet.
“We’re expected to sit around waiting for our guy. Then, we’re expected to abandon our hopes and dreams to go wherever he wants. We join his pack, we leave our family and friends.
“You can do anything you want, on pack land.” Ty protested.
“On pack land.” I nodded. “What if an eagle shifter had always dreamed of being a famous singer? Say she wins The Voice and halfway through her first tour, she meets her mate. What is she required to do, according to shifter customs?”
“Leave with him immediately.” Ty grudgingly agreed.
“Or say an otter opens a bakery at twenty years old. When her mate finds her, what must she do?”
“Leave with him immediately.” Ty was reluctant to admit it.
“What if a wolf shifter had always dreamed of changing the way shifter culture works, and had to go to school half a country away? What do shifter rules say she has to do?” I asked softly.
Ty sighed.
“Let go of her dreams and leave with her mate.”
“Look at our world. It’s not the same as it was ten or twenty years ago. Humans are changing, and our way of life is changing, but our culture is still repressive. Why shouldn’t I be able to be a mother and follow my dreams? Can’t I raise my kids and be who I want to be?” I asked.
Ty nodded slowly.
“Women wouldn’t want to leave their mates if they were treated as human beings with emotions and desires. When we’re treated as animals meant to bear children and meet our mate’s every need…” I shrugged. “We feel repressed. Our animals were born to be free, to live how they want to live.
“We were born that way too.” I patted his hand. “Thanks for the bacon, but it’s getting late. You should get going.” I gave him a little smile.
“I can see why you started that YouTube channel.” Ty admitted. “You’re really passionate, and you make a good point.”
“No one understands shifters, not even shifters themselves.” I nodded.
“But I have a question. Maybe some people can’t follow their dreams from their mate’s pack, but couldn’t you still follow yours here? Can’t you live with my pack and still make videos to change the world?” he wondered.
“My camera-lady lives four hours away.” I shrugged. “It would be hard.”
“But not impossible.” Ty pointed out.
<
br /> “You’re right.” I was forced to agree, because he was right. That didn’t mean I was about to change everything I thought and believed.
“I’m just saying, if anyone expects male shifters to change the way they’ve been trained to think, females will have to learn how to compromise. We have dreams too.” He said, then planted a kiss on my forehead before I could push him away.
“Ty.” I complained, shoving him.
“I’ll be sleeping in the hall.” He grabbed a pillow.
“Go home.” I shook my head at him.
“It’s not safe for you.” He shook his head back at me.
“It’s not safe for you in the hall, Alpha.” I went back to taunting him.
“Then let me share your bed.” He smiled slyly. “You do realize that every other mated couple in the world sleeps together, right?”
“I’m not your Omega, therefore, I am not letting you into my bed. End of discussion.” I scowled at him.
“I’ll shift.” He offered.
“You get the couch.” I pointed to it, and he sighed.
“Fine.” He pulled his shirt over his head, and I lifted my eyebrows.
“What are you doing?” I protested. “No stripping in my house.” I scolded him.
“I’m not sleeping on the couch with my clothes on.” He lifted an eyebrow at me. “That would be incredibly uncomfortable.” He pulled his belt off, then undid the button on his pants.
“Fine. Sleep on my couch naked. But if I come out here and get an eyeful, I’m giving you over to the Rockies.” I folded my arms.
“Deal.” He grinned. “Better get out if you don’t want that eyeful. Of course, I wouldn’t mind if you stayed…”
“Stupid Alpha.” I muttered, hurrying into my room. I grabbed a pillow and threw it out the door at him. “You’re so stubborn!” I yelled.
“Right back at you, sexy.” Ty called back.
I locked my door just to be safe.
Chapter 7
“You’re still here?” I muttered, stumbling out of my room. I wiped at my eyes and stared into the mostly-empty fridge.
“Why would I leave?” Ty walked over to me, luckily (or unluckily) wearing the basketball shorts he’d come over in. He tried to put his arms around me and I pushed him away.
“We’ve been over this.” I complained.
“Yeah, yeah.” He wrapped his arms around me again, and I sighed.
“Really, Ty. This isn’t going anywhere. I’m not being your Omega, and you’re not stepping down from Alpha. Our relationship can’t move forward.”
“Hey, I still have a month and a half to convince you out of going to college.” Ty murmured, pressing his face against the side of my head.
“Get out.” I pushed him toward the door.
“See you tonight.” He promised, kissing my forehead.
“I won’t let you in.” I called out as he walked out the door, carrying his shirt and shoes.
We both knew it was a lie, but I had to hold on to my dreams somehow.
I opened the fridge to grab the milk, and my eye caught on a package in the corner that hadn’t been there yesterday afternoon. My eyes widened when I realized what it was:
Bacon.
I pulled the heavy package of bacon out, and I think my eyes got a little teary. Apparently, despite all my efforts to push Ty away, he cared about me.
And as much as I tried not to, I cared about him.
No one followed me to the diner that day, but Kyle and Dean came in bright and early for lunch, staying until just before closing.
Ty was waiting in front of my apartment when I got home, and he had bags of food once again.
“I can afford to buy my own groceries, you know.” I remarked as I stuck the key in the door.
“Just showing you the perks of having a mate to take care of you.” Ty said, nonchalantly, brushing past me to reach the stove.
“A few weeks of charm can’t make up for a life of doing whatever you say.” I folded my arms at sat on the countertop. Ty stepped between my legs, placing his hands on either side of me.
“Why would I spend my life bossing you around? Do you think I’d enjoy that?” he lifted an eyebrow, waiting for my answer.
“I don’t know.” I leaned back and folded my arms. “Every other male in the world seems to.”
“What kind of pack were you raised in?” Ty frowned. “Whatever you’re refusing to tell me, I promise my pack is different. Men are taught that their female is the greatest gift the Creator will ever give them, and if a male mistreats his lady, we punish him. I’d know, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Alpha.” I mocked him.
“Would you quit it with the Alpha thing?” Ty stepped away, going to the bags he brought and pulling out ingredients. “I’ve had to deal with that my whole life.”
“What, is it hard having to boss around all the puny shifters?” I folded my arms.
“Is that what you think I do all day?” Ty spun around, taking one big step to reach me. “Being the Alpha is about making sure everyone is safe. It means punishing people who don’t follow the rules, even if they’re your friends. It means being responsible for the lives of hundreds of people, in my case.
“You think I just hit people with dominance and everything’s okay? There’s a woman with a dying baby, sitting in her house a few miles from where I live. I spent two hours with her and a bunch of doctors today, trying to come up with anything that could save the child.
“There’s a man on the edge of pack lands, whose wife passed away a few days ago. I spent three hours with him.
“Another man’s wife left him last night, and though we haven’t been able to figure out how she did it, I spent three more hours at his house calming his wolf and trying to talk him off a ledge. If you think being an Alpha is all about crushing the Rockies’ heads and throwing dominance around, you’re completely wrong.” He clenched his fists, then turned back to his ingredients.
I didn’t say anything for a few minutes, studying Ty. I hadn’t expected much from my mate, but whatever I had expected, it wasn’t him.
He was strong, and kind, and caring. Yeah, he was bossy, but he was more than just a typical Alpha.
“I’m sorry that I judged you.” I said quietly. “You’re right that I don’t know anything about your pack or how you run it.”
“Will you let me show you? It’s probably a lot different than the pack you grew up in.” Ty didn’t turn around to ask the question, focused on cutting whatever veggies were on a tray in front of him.
“No.” I shook my head. “I think you’re a great guy, but I’m not meant to play Omega the rest of my life.” This time, I tried to be gentler. “I told you, I’m going to college. I’m going to make a difference.”
“Don’t you think you could make a difference as the Omega of our pack?” Ty asked.
“It’s your pack.” I corrected him a bit kinder than usual. “I think that what you’re doing is noble. It’s right for you, but not for me. I don’t have dominance, remember? I can’t calm a man who’s raging because his wife left him, and I can’t help another man deal with losing his wife. I’m a girl, and unfortunately in our world, that means there are a lot of things I can’t do.
“I’m going to spend my life doing whatever I can, and controlling your pack isn’t one of those things.”
“You could learn.” Ty disagreed, still facing the other direction.
“Even if I could, Omega means last.” I reminded him. “I wouldn’t lead the pack, I would trail behind it.” I slid off the counter. “I’m gonna turn on my show. You don’t have to stay.”
I flipped the TV on and found my TV show, resuming whichever episode I’d been watching the day before.
Thirty minutes later, Ty came to sit down next to me. He handed me a bowl of fettucine alfredo with bits of broccoli and chicken.
“Sorry I keep trying to force you into my life.” Ty said quietly, after we’d both taken a few bites.
&nb
sp; “That’s alright.” I gave him a small smile. “I’m sorry I’m not who you hoped I’d be.”
“You are who I hoped you’d be.” Ty frowned at me. “You know who you are and what you want. I just hoped I’d be what you knew you wanted.” He admitted.
“Well, sorry.” I shrugged.
“Don’t be. This isn’t the situation I imagined myself in, but that’s not your fault.” He said before focusing on his food again.
We fell asleep on the couch together that night, both of us in human form.
The next morning, Ty was gone when I woke up. There was another pack of bacon in the fridge, though.
I went for a run in wolf form before getting ready for work, and didn’t see Kyle or Dean watching me. I did, however, see a few Rockies trying to hide in their car.
They couldn’t catch me in wolf form, and I knew they wouldn’t invade my apartment. That was one of our ethics that even the Rockies hadn’t broken yet; invading someone’s territory.
I showered and got dressed, throwing my hair up into a quick bun before going to work. Since it was still wet, my reddish-brown hair looked almost black.
It was snowing a little when I went to leave for work, but I didn’t mind the snow. I’d driven in it plenty before, and it wasn’t an issue.
I was five or six miles away from my apartment, just a little way from the diner, when a car sped up in the lane to my right. Ice, snow, and watery slush sprayed up and covered my windshield, momentarily blinding me. I thought it was an accident, until I looked out my left window.
A car sped toward me, coming from behind. The road only had two lanes on my side of traffic, but he was taking full advantage of the turning lane beside me.
Everything happened in an instant, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
My windshield cleared, showing me a massive truck that was slamming on its brakes in front of me. There was a car next to him, doing the same thing, and the guy from the turning lane was coming right at me.
I screamed and yanked the wheel to the right, sending my car barreling toward the railing.
In a perfect world, the railing would’ve stopped my car and I would’ve gotten out without a scratch. In reality, though, I broke through the railing and went flying over the edge.
