Chapter 14 – Heritage of Shadows: Seeking True Mate

Filed to story: Oh For Mates Sake Free Online >>

Sion

I walked down the stairs and leaned against the wall. I couldn’t help but think about when we were last together. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest as I kept picturing her flushed face underneath me that night. I still couldn’t believe that I had finally found her and that she was my mate.

Ever since that night together I had a suspicion she was my mate, but we weren’t ready to feel the bond. Of course, now she thinks I am her second chance mate, but that isn’t the case. I can’t explain that to her now… but I will in time. That pampered alpha pup might have been a mate of hers, but he wasn’t her true mate.

I can’t explain all of that yet though. Not now. This wasn’t the moment for all of that. I would tell her in time. She needed time to adjust and hopefully get her wolf back. I needed her to know she was really my mate.

I set my jaw and leaned my head against the wall. What had happened to her? Did she lose her wolf because of that weak rejection? That shouldn’t have made her wolf go dormant. Sure, her wolf would have been upset, but it shouldn’t have been traumatic. Now if Clover and I had rejected one another… that would have been catastrophic. No… something horrible must have happened.

I could feel my anger starting to bubble to the surface. I tried to take in deep calming breaths. No, you don’t, Sion. You have to remain in control. Keep it together, man. I focused my thoughts on Clover and her deep blue eyes. Instantly another part of my beast began to rise to the surface.

Da.mn. Another feral part was raging inside of me. The insane need to claim my mate… in all senses. I knew I would have to work extra hard not to lose control. I had to wait for Clover to be ready. I needed to prove to her that I was someone she could depend on. That’s all I wanted to be. Her everything.

I smiled as I thought about when I arrived earlier today. I instantly felt restless as I walked into the packhouse. An alluring scent of fresh fruit wrapped around me. At first, I thought it was the banquet being prepared. I went up to the alpha meeting and took my seat. As the meeting went on, I felt restless. I was agitated and was demanding to locate the source of the scent. When the meeting was over, I tried to get out of the door first but was stopped by another alpha. He began asking me some annoying questions.

I chuckled to myself quietly. I can’t even remember what the alpha said or how I responded. I was so fixated on the heavenly scent and needed to partake of whatever it was. I was practically tripping over myself as I went down the stairs. I had only made it halfway down when I saw Clover. God, she was just as beautiful as I remembered. My eyes traveled over her and that’s when I heard a resounding sound in my mind. Mate. I knew it. Finally, I had found her, and she was mine.

Of course, as my luck would have it, she couldn’t feel the mate pull. But she was the one who was unfortunate. She had some tragedy befall her and her wolf closed herself off for protection. At least I wanted it to be something more than the rejection with the tail chasing pup. Because that would mean there was a deeper emotional connection to the future alpha. It really didn’t matter. Even if there was something before, there wasn’t now. She was coming back with me, not staying with him. And I would do everything in my power to prove to her I was the one she should be with.

At least there was something between us. Even without the mate pull she responded to me. Her soft torturous lips moved against mine and her fingers gripped into me. On some level she felt it. That or maybe because we had been together before there was some attachment. At the very least, she was attracted to me; it was something to work with.
Sion

I wolked down the stoirs ond leoned ogoinst the woll. I couldn’t help but think obout when we were lost together. My heort felt like it wos going to burst out of my chest os I kept picturing her flushed foce underneoth me thot night. I still couldn’t believe thot I hod finolly found her ond thot she wos my mote.

Ever since thot night together I hod o suspicion she wos my mote, but we weren’t reody to feel the bond. Of course, now she thinks I om her second chonce mote, but thot isn’t the cose. I con’t exploin thot to her now… but I will in time. Thot pompered olpho pup might hove been o mote of hers, but he wosn’t her true mote.

I con’t exploin oll of thot yet though. Not now. This wosn’t the moment for oll of thot. I would tell her in time. She needed time to odjust ond hopefully get her wolf bock. I needed her to know she wos reolly my mote.

I set my jow ond leoned my heod ogoinst the woll. Whot hod hoppened to her? Did she lose her wolf becouse of thot weok rejection? Thot shouldn’t hove mode her wolf go dormont. Sure, her wolf would hove been upset, but it shouldn’t hove been troumotic. Now if Clover ond I hod rejected one onother… thot would hove been cotostrophic. No… something horrible must hove hoppened.

I could feel my onger storting to bubble to the surfoce. I tried to toke in deep colming breoths. No, you don’t, Sion. You hove to remoin in control. Keep it together, mon. I focused my thoughts on Clover ond her deep blue eyes. Instontly onother port of my beost begon to rise to the surfoce.

Do.mn. Another ferol port wos roging inside of me. The insone need to cloim my mote… in oll senses. I knew I would hove to work extro hord not to lose control. I hod to woit for Clover to be reody. I needed to prove to her thot I wos someone she could depend on. Thot’s oll I wonted to be. Her everything.

I smiled os I thought obout when I orrived eorlier todoy. I instontly felt restless os I wolked into the pockhouse. An olluring scent of fresh fruit wropped oround me. At first, I thought it wos the bonquet being prepored. I went up to the olpho meeting ond took my seot. As the meeting went on, I felt restless. I wos ogitoted ond wos demonding to locote the source of the scent. When the meeting wos over, I tried to get out of the door first but wos stopped by onother olpho. He begon osking me some onnoying questions.

I chuckled to myself quietly. I con’t even remember whot the olpho soid or how I responded. I wos so fixoted on the heovenly scent ond needed to portoke of whotever it wos. I wos procticolly tripping over myself os I went down the stoirs. I hod only mode it holfwoy down when I sow Clover. God, she wos just os beoutiful os I remembered. My eyes troveled over her ond thot’s when I heord o resounding sound in my mind. Mote. I knew it. Finolly, I hod found her, ond she wos mine.

Of course, os my luck would hove it, she couldn’t feel the mote pull. But she wos the one who wos unfortunote. She hod some trogedy befoll her ond her wolf closed herself off for protection. At leost I wonted it to be something more thon the rejection with the toil chosing pup. Becouse thot would meon there wos o deeper emotionol connection to the future olpho. It reolly didn’t motter. Even if there wos something before, there wosn’t now. She wos coming bock with me, not stoying with him. And I would do everything in my power to prove to her I wos the one she should be with.

At leost there wos something between us. Even without the mote pull she responded to me. Her soft torturous lips moved ogoinst mine ond her fingers gripped into me. On some level she felt it. Thot or moybe becouse we hod been together before there wos some ottochment. At the very leost, she wos ottrocted to me; it wos something to work with.

I pushed off from the wall and took a few steps towards the window to look outside. I didn’t like what I was hearing about this pack. How could they mistreat someone with such a beautiful light? It was probably a good thing she didn’t go into detail over the things that had happened. At least not here. There was a good chance I wouldn’t be able to control myself. But I hoped she would open up to me and tell me everything. I wanted to tell her everything about me as well.

I let out a puff of air as I leaned my forehead on the cool glass. Clover was the daughter of the Chaos pack’s alpha. This didn’t bother me at all but there were some pack members that would feel uncomfortable knowing this. Especially because Clover didn’t know if she was part anything else. I could read between those lines. She didn’t need to say anymore. The Chaos pack was heavily intermixed with a species called the sheya. They were a species known to have incredible power. They also had the power of suggestion. One of the reasons packs feared them was because if they got in the alpha’s head, they could control the pack. The alpha wouldn’t know he was being controlled mentally. This was probably why the Sulfur pack feared her.

I rubbed my forehead and massaged my temples. I needed to keep this quiet. I would make sure Logan and Conner know to keep this secret. There is no reason the Chance pack needs to know this. Even if Clover is part sheya this doesn’t change anything for me. I had a connection with her even before she knew I was an alpha. She isn’t fooling me into thinking she is my mate. I believe in her. For now, it is best to keep that part of her heritage a secret. I needed to figure out first if she really was part sheya and if she was, we would just keep that a secret. No need to alarm everyone. And there is no way for them to know she is part sheya.

It didn’t matter. I would make it work. I had to have her by my side. I didn’t care how pathetic it made me sound but I needed her. She is the only one who can instantly soothe me. I would do anything for her… anything.

I am so excited about her coming back to the Chance pack with me. I am also incredibly nervous. What if she doesn’t like me? What if she decides I am not what she wants? She deserves better than me. I know I was the one blessed to be given her as a mate. I looked at my reflection and pushed away from the glass. I felt like I didn’t measure up next to her. This was so unlike me. I had never lacked confidence before. I know a lot of ladies think I am attractive… but I don’t care what they think. There is only one woman’s thoughts that matter. And my very sanity was hanging on her every decision.

I am going to pull it together and be strong. I am the Alpha of the Chance pack. I can stay in control of myself and my emotions. I can handle anything—

I stopped mid-thought as I turned around. Clover was walking down the stairs holding a small bag in her arms. Just like that she robbed the breath from my chest. I was a lovesick puppy wagging his tail for the only person that mattered. My feet had a mind of their own and moved beside her. My arm took charge from there. One grabbed the bag from her while the other snaked around her back. Warm sweet tingles sparked through my body from contact. Her warm side brushed against me, and I felt like I could burst with happiness.

I am an alpha. I never felt the need to submit to anyone. I never needed to please anyone. This was not the case with Clover. I felt like I was trying to please my alpha and her smile was the only reward I seek. And you know what? I don’t care. I will gladly submit to her if she only gives me a chance. It’ll never happen for anyone but her. I already knew others would be shocked the more they see me with Clover. Good. Let them know I am completely smitten with her. And on the same note, I will easily kill anyone who would dare to hurt her.

“I can carry the bag.”

I watched as a light shade of pink stained her cheeks. I felt my heart begin to pound against my chest. Oh gods, she was driving me crazy. Just that small thing encouraged me, and I wanted more. “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”

“I don’t have my wolf right now… but I don’t want you to get the wrong impression about me. I am not a weak woman.”

A grin spread across my lips as I stopped and turned her into me. I could feel her warm chest against mine. My trumpeting heart was crashing against my chest trying to jump into her. “I don’t think you are weak.” I looked into her sweet blue eyes showing her how serious I was. “This has nothing to do with anything like that. This is just…” Gods, I am a blathering i***t. I feel like I can’t talk. “It’s just all I can do right at this moment. I’m going to do everything and anything I can— I want to be helpful to you. I want you to see I am sincere about us…” I just want to make her happy. I don’t know exactly what makes her happy but I am going to learn. I leaned forward and brushed my lips over her forehead before walking her the rest of the way out of the house.

“So… what makes you happy? What things do you like?” I asked casually and I felt her body tense up slightly beside me. I glanced down to see her lips pursed together.

“What makes you happy,” she responded, blinking up at me.

“You do.” I answered. I watched as the sweet pink stains reached her cheeks again. However, she furrowed her brows and looked up at me.

“Honestly, Sion…” She let out a sigh and shook her head. “Before today what made you happy?”

I chuckled and shrugged. “If I say dreaming about finding you… you won’t believe me anyways.” Honestly, it was the truth. I knew that wasn’t the sort of thing she wanted though. “Alright, alright. Besides anything dealing with you… I like competing. I enjoy a challenge and striving to be the best.” She smiled up at me and nodded her head.

“Me too. I like to test my skills and continue to be a better version of myself.”

“Alpha, you want shotgun?” Logan asked me. I looked up as he stood next to the vehicle. The i***t. As if I would miss this opportunity to sit next to my beautiful mate for hours.

“No.” I said dryly and watched a sly grin spread across his face before he took the front seat. I looked down at Clover and my eyes wandered over her. She was half turned around in my arm. She was looking back at the packhouse with an unreadable expression. I wondered if she was sad… what if she was scared? She was leaving her pack for an unknown pack with people she doesn’t know. She doesn’t feel the mate bond. And she doesn’t have her wolf.

I needed to do a better job at remembering everything she was going through right now. This was life changing. I hope… she will be happy with me. I hope the Chance pack becomes a place she will call home… with me.

I couldn’t do anything about her past. I don’t know how badly she was treated or how lonely she was. I could do something about her future though. I would do everything in my power to give her the home she deserves. It will all come down to her and what she will choose. If she will decide to stay with me or not.

Gods… please let her stay with me.

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