by Tamara White
I look up at the sincerity in his voice, seeing the same compassion in his eyes. Wow, he really means it. He would stand down if his age got in the way of being my mate.
“It’s not your age, but, I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed you’re a teacher so young. I guess your position is just intimidating. I’m not sure what the school here is like, but the other schools I’ve been to have frowned on student-teacher relationships. How will I get to know you, if I can’t spend time with you without fear of backlash from the school?” I ask him sadly.
He seems like a nice guy, and I feel horrible for considering cutting him out of the running before anything happens, but I would hate for him to lose his job over something silly, like striving to be my mate. Especially when I have five others already vying for my attention. Plus, who knows how many more will show up?
“You see, that right there makes me want to know you even more. Not many women in our pack would think about that kind of consequence for me, but you honestly care about the effect it will have on me and my job. However, you don’t have to worry about that because the Alpha is also the principal of our school. So, even if someone suspected something, he could shut it down before it got out,” he says, stepping closer. I force myself not to move.
Being so close, I smell his unique scent and swoon. He smells like freshly churned dirt in the forest. He catches me as my legs turn to jelly and leans me against the wall, pressing up against me. I can’t help but stare into his eyes. They were a dark blue like the deep sea, but right now, they’re the amber of his wolf breaking free.
“What’s your name? It can’t just be Mr. Parks?” I ask breathlessly.
He smirks, making me light headed. The stubble on his face, bringing out his eyes. It makes him so handsome that all I wat to do is reach up and press my lips against his.
His wolf is humming, making mine hum in response. I’ve never felt like this. So alive, that I feel as if I’m burning up inside.
“My name’s Jason,” he says before pressing his lips against mine, making me sigh and sink into his body.
It’s a light touching of lips until his wolf growls, causing a gasp to slip free. He uses the break in my lips to dive his tongue in to tangle with my own. Wow! Being kissed like this is amazing!
It feels like it lasts forever, until the sound of a slamming door forces us apart.
“I know she’s your mate, but damn! Can’t believe you got a kiss first. Thought for sure it would be me,” Pete says, sauntering out of the library, watching us, an amused smirk on his face
I don’t know why he’s not acting jealous, but I’m relieved. I already feel horrible for kissing one of them, when I shouldn’t be crossing those lines. It will make things much harder if I develop feelings for one who won’t make it through the trials.
***
“So, anything you want to tell us?” Nate asks, sliding into the seat behind me.
Damn it! I should have known Pete wouldn’t keep his mouth shut.
After being caught making out with Mr. Parks, I hid in the corner of the library while Pete pestered me. The others were absent from the library so it was just me, trying to catch up on school work, while Pete annoyed the hell out of me.
“Come on, Dani, if you’re handing out kisses why can’t I get one?” he pouts, while I try my best to tune him out. I guess he thought he might get a chance if he told the others.
“Look I’m sorry I kissed one of you. It was a spur of the moment thing. I won’t be kissing anyone else,” I inform Pete just as the others join us.
Cam stops frozen staring at Pete before turning to me, “You kissed him?!”
I sigh when Pete starts cracking up laughing. He thinks this situation is hilarious. I’ll show him.
“Oh no, I didn’t kiss Pete. I kissed Jason. I was explaining it was a spur of the moment thing, but now that I’m thinking about it, I might make an exception for you, maybe Nate, definitely Jonnie, possibly even Mitchell,” I say, with a grin.
Pete straightens, falling out of his chair. We all burst out into laugher as he gets back up flushing slightly. “You wouldn’t,” he says narrowing his eyes.
“No, I wouldn’t because, like I said, it just happened. One moment we were talking, the next kissing. I didn’t plan it to happen and it’s not fair on the rest of you. So, no, I won’t be kissing any one anymore. I’m sorry I kissed Jason,” I tell them all sincerely.
Pete cocks his head to the side, confused. “You’re really bothered by this, aren’t you?”
I don’t know why it’s so hard for him to believe that it bothers me but it really does. Then again, if a man had multiple female mates, he would be over the moon.
“Yes, it bothers me.”
I don’t bother explaining why, hoping maybe after Dad talks to them, they will understand why this is so hard for me. I couldn’t imagine this scenario happening the opposite way. If I had friends who were mates to one wolf along with me, then I would back down and let my friends have him. I wouldn’t be able to share. If I loved him enough, maybe it would be worth it, but I would always wonder if he loved one of them more than me.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Any other girl in the pack would jump at the chance to have all of us as mates but you, you’re different. Have to admit, it’s refreshing,” he says, slinging an arm around my shoulders.
I sigh, trying not to sink into his body. The smell of mint is so strong when I’m close. I love that they each have such a unique smell.
“Why do you guys smell so good?” I ask breathing deep, memorizing their scents.
I don’t even care if I sound like a love-struck fool, the smell is amazing. Mint, pine, citrus, and both brothers smell like sandalwood and cinnamon. Jonnie is more cinnamon with a light sandalwood scent, whereas Mitchell’s is mainly sandalwood and a touch of cinnamon.
“What do you mean?” Mitchell asks, pushing his tray towards me. He still has some chips left over, so I gratefully much on them.
“Well, Pete smells like mint, Nate smells like orange or some other kind of citrus. Jonnie smells strongly of cinnamon with a slight whiff of sandalwood. You’re predominantly sandalwood and a soft cinnamon undertone. Jason smells like fresh forest, and Cam smells like pine,” I explain reaching for an apple from Cam’s plate.
I take a bite and look up for an answer to see the guys all frozen in shock, jaws hanging open. I frown uncertain why they’re looking at me like that. Surely, they know what they smell like?
“What?!” I question, after a moment of silence becomes too much.
“Sorry, I just didn’t’ think that was possible. Dani, those scents are our Alpha bloodline. No one is supposed to be able to smell that until we’ve mated. Yes, you’re technically our mate, however, until you’ve actually mated with one of us, you shouldn’t be able to scent us like that. That’s really strange…,” Cam trails off, exchanging glances with the others.
“Huh, that is weird,” I say finishing off my apple.
I don’t know why I can smell each of them, but I guess it’s just another thing to add to the long list of questions I have for my father.
***
Once lunch was over I went to the last class of the day, which flew by. It was uneventful with no interruptions from my mates, thank God. If they were in every class, I’d start to get sick of them.
Walking home gives me time to think about everything that has happened in the past six hours.
I’ve met five more of my mates, I’ve given them a beat down, well, all except Jason and to be fair, I’m not sure I want to. Then there’s the smell. I can scent each of their individual Alpha bloodline scents without being mated to them. I’ve earned enemies with the female wolves at school already. It doesn’t help that my wolf and I are dominant so I’m sure that will come back to bite me in the ass.
Then there’s tonight. Each of my mates will be meeting by father. I should probably do something for dinner, but I suck at cooking. Maybe I’ll just order in?
>
“Hey, good looking, need a ride?” Jonnie asks, pulling up beside me in a green Charger. He scared the crap out of me, making me jump. Bastard.
Mitchell is in the passenger seat laughing. Wonder where the others are?
“No, it’s okay. I only live ten minutes away. Thank you, though,” I tell them sincerely.
“Dani, get in. As your mates, it’s our job to make sure you get home. If I left you to walk and something happened to you, the others would never let me live it down.”
I sigh debating over my options before I get in the back seat, knowing if I refuse he’ll probably drive beside me until I get home. Each of my mates seem to have a stubborn streak, and, while Jonnie seems to be the easy going one, I think he would be just as stubborn if I pushed him.
“Thanks,” I say, clipping on my seat belt.
We arrive at my house quickly, without so much as another word. Then again, the car ride was too quick for talking anyway.
“See you later, Dani,” Mitchell and Jonnie call before revving away.
Watching them drive away has me thinking again. Why did my mates have to be so attractive?
Chapter 6
“Honey, I’m home,” Dad calls from down the hallway.
“Hey, I’m just finishing up my homework,” I call back while writing my notes out. I have an assignment already. I’m supposed to read a classic book then give a detailed report on it explaining the plot complexities, or some crap like that. How the hell would I know? And what’s a classic? Is it my favourite of all time or the book that has made the most sales?
“How was school today?” Dad asks, appearing in my doorway.
“Well, it was great until I met my mate’s friends and went from having one mate to having six. Oh, and they’re all alphas, or going to be alphas, according to my teacher, who is also one of my mates.” I pant heavily, getting my words out in a rush.
I don’t know what to do, when my father pulls me to my feet, wrapping me in a hug so fierce, I instantly relax.
“Sorry, I just don’t know what to do. You told me I have to pick between them, and from what I can tell, they’re all pretty close. How do I pick just one? If I pick one, won’t the others get jealous? What if I pick one but have feelings for another too? Wouldn’t that make it harder? I mean, regardless I’d be spending time with all of them as alphas, I don’t want to be part of the Alpha Pair if I have to be around people I might care about, it would be too hard.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you sooner. I didn’t mean to make it harder on you, but you will have to choose. My advice would be to spend time with each of them and make an informed decision. Don’t forget, there may still be more contenders coming forward. You also won’t have to make a choice until the trials are over. The odds of more than two people making it through the trials, though, are astronomical,” he says, rubbing my back soothingly.
I realize he’s right and let myself calm down. Besides, it’s not like I have any control over who is or who isn’t my mate.
“Dad, um, there’s something else. I may have kissed Jason today. He’s my teacher,” I tell him, waiting for the explosion.
“And will this Jason be here tonight?” he calmly asks me.
I step away from him to gauge his reaction before answering. If he looked pissed off or his wolf was showing, I wouldn’t say anything. Thankfully, he’s all human at the moment.
“I’m pretty sure the guys said they’ll tell him to come, so maybe. Please don’t make a big deal out of it. I’ve apologized and told the others I won’t be kissing any of them until after they know what they’re in for. Besides, it feels unfair to be kissing any of them unless I know that we’ll be together at the end.”
“I wish your mother was here right now. She’d probably say, ‘Follow your heart,’ or ‘Love chooses you,’ but me, all I want to say is ‘No boys until you’re forty.’” He says laughing at his own joke.
“Saying that, I’ve raised you as best as I could and showed you how to protect yourself. I just never thought I would need to protect your heart. I guess part of me was hoping only one mate would come forward and that would be it. No choosing, no trials, just ascension to the throne.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like that’s going to happen, so I’ve got nothing.”
I laugh abruptly, shocked at how that went. I thought for sure he would have some life altering advice that would help me make a choice in the future, but all he’s got is ‘nothing.’ Great, I’m on my own.
“Fine, I’ll choose by myself. Now let’s order dinner. I’m starving. I was going to cook, I just figured you would prefer not to get sick again,” I grin remembering the first time I cooked dinner.
I thought I would make a roast chicken for dad, trying to be nice, but did you know pink chicken isn’t cooked? Well I didn’t. I’d heard of pink steak, so I assumed it was the same for chicken. Totally not true. That was the night I found out wolves can get food poisoning.
Dad shudders, gulping loudly. “Um, yeah. How about I order a pizza?”
He doesn’t give me a chance to respond, before he’s up and dialling the pizza restaurant. Guess we’re having pizza for dinner.
***
A knock at the door, makes me jump. I never thought my mates meeting my father could cause so much internal panic, then again, I never thought I’d have multiple mates to introduce.
My thoughts immediately start racing. Will the Alpha accept us? Will he turn us in? How will dad react seeing the boys? Will dad try to kill Jason?
There are endless questions about how tonight will go. I just have to face the unknown with my big girl panties on.
Dad answers the door and a man, looking like an older version of Nate, stands there.
His mouth falls open in shock, “Greg?!”
“Hey, Tim, how’ve you been?” Dad says, while the other man seems to shake himself out of his shock, pulling my dad in for a bone crushing hug. I hear the murmur of voices behind them and know my mates are waiting patiently in the hall outside.
Our apartment is in a complex of a dozen others so we’re all pretty much squished together. It’s small but my father can’t afford much more than this. Sure, it would be nice to have a bit of space, but he has spent all the money he has on providing for me.
I cough, trying to get my dad’s attention. He pulls back realizing he and his new friend are crowding the entryway.
“Sorry, honey. This is Tim,” he says, introducing me to the older man beside him.
“Blair? Is that you?” he asks, paling considerably.
He stares at me, his blue eyes full of shock and confusion. He’s got dark hair, peppered with the beginnings of gray hair. Strong chiselled jaw, muscled body makes me wonder how much their pack works out if even their alpha looks like this.
“Shit sorry, Tim, I forget how much she looks like Blair. This is my daughter, Dani.”
I smile softly, a little embarrassed he thinks I look like my mom. I’ve never been able to see it, but I guess the hair colour and skin tone would make anyone think they were seeing my mom.
“Where is she?” he asks looking around the room hopefully, making my chest tighten. He doesn’t know my mom died.
“It’s a long story and I’ll explain once I’ve met my daughter’s mates,” he says, as Jason walks in followed by the others.
I rush forward, to be close in case my dad does something, but stop when I notice Jason is wearing a gray button up suit, rather than the casual jeans and t-shirt he had on earlier. Seeing him like this, is breathtaking.
Jason must have heard the tail end of my father’s words because he steps forward offering his hand and neck in a show of submission.
“I’m Jason Parks of the Parks pack. I’m sorry I took liberties with your daughter before submitting to you first, sir,” he says, contritely.
I’m watching with my jaw hanging open, wondering what the hell? Taking liberties?! What is this the 1800’s?
My father, however,
is nodding, and I can tell he’s holding back a smirk. I let this play out wondering what the hell I’ve missed.
After Jason is dismissed by my father, he joins me as Nate steps forward to greet my father.
“Dude, what was that? And taking liberties? What are you like 90?” I whisper to Jason harshly, all the while watching Nate introduce himself the same way.
“No, it’s tradition when you meet your mate’s father. You state your name and pack, so the father knows you’re being mated to a respectable wolf. It’s also usually frowned upon to kiss your mate unless you have submitted to her father,” he whispers back.
“Nathaniel Wyld of the Wyld pack,” Nate says, greeting my father.
My father nods, giving him the okay while Pete moves forward, “Peter Tiern of the Tiern pack.”
Jonnie and Mitchell are next, which is fun to watch as they both greet him at the same time, “Mitchell and Jonathon Slade of the Slade pack.”
My father hesitates a moment before nodding yet again. I look over at Tim to see him smiling towards my father until Cam steps forward. I don’t know why, but Tim’s smile fades when he sees Cam.
“Cameron Bairn of the Bairn pack,” he introduces himself, but instead of showing his neck for submission, he stands taller, letting his eyes change to the amber of his wolf.
I go to intervene but Tim grabs my arm, shaking his head and gesturing over at them. I look back shocked to see my dad submitting to Cam.
What the hell?!
Cam eases up on his wolf and my dad straightens again, “It’s nice to meet you Cameron, especially considering you’re one of my daughter’s mates, but if you treat her the same way your father treated my mate, I’ll kill you.
You may think this is an idle threat, but I won’t fucking hesitate. Dani doesn’t have a mother because of your father. I won’t lose my daughter to your family.”
I watch and get a sinking feeling in my stomach. It doesn’t take much for me to realize who Cam’s father is. It makes me sick to my stomach.
