Alphas Broken Mate
Chapter 5

Andrew's POV

I wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, breathing hard. This is the second night in a row, and I know it's Catalina. I can feel her fear from the other room. I get up and go to check on her. I replace her asleep in the bath tub again. I want to pick her up and put her back into bed, but decide against it. I wonder why she sleeps in the tub? Probably the only safe space she knew. I feel so helpless. My mind flashes back to when I kissed her and she went blank. Her eyes turned purple and her body went stiff. This is not what I thought having a mate would be like. She doesn't even feel the mate bond. Knowing she was back to sleep, I go back to my room to lay down. I toss and turn for a few hours and then decide to get up. I get dressed and head to the gym. I get on the treadmill and try to block everything out.

45 minutes later my Gamma Lucas mind links me, "Alpha the room remodel you requested has been completed." There's a pause. "Alpha, I was wondering if I could come see her soon?" He asks over mind link.

"Thank you Lucas. Give it a few more days for her to get settled." I reply.

"Yes Alpha."

Another 30 mins and I finish at the gym. I wonder if she is awake yet? I want to show her the new room before going to the office. When I get back, the apartment is quiet and dark. I decide to take a shower and see if she's awake after. When I'm done with the shower, I get dressed and replace her in the kitchen making coffee. She stops when she sees me.

"Would you like some Alpha?" She asks.

"Please call me Andrew or Drew, anything but Alpha." I say. She smiles

"Would you like some coffee Andrew?" Mark purrs in the back of my mind hearing her say my name.

"No thank you. Catalina I have another surprise for you." I say as her eyes flick up to mine in excitement. "Follow me?" I point to the front door. She looks a little concerned but comes with me. We walk down the hall two doors over. "Do you know what is behind this door?" I ask with a cheeky smile. She shakes her head. "Well let's replace out."

Catalina's POV

As he opens the door we walk into the most beautiful studio I have ever seen. The far wall is floor to ceiling windows. There are canvases and new paints, there is a drawing desk and a few sofas that look so comfortable I could fall back asleep. I'm like a kid in a candy store going from one side of the room to the other. Everything is perfect. I hear a chuckle drawing my attention back to him. He's leaning against the wall just watching me. Then I hear it, a voice I haven't heard from in a long time. "Mate!" She growls in the back of my mind. Andrew's POV

"Her wolf! I feel her wolf! She has claimed us!" Mark is barking in the back of my mind. I am watching her as she looks at all the things in the room. "Rachel told me you like painting so I had them make this room for you. You can come here whenever you want and paint whatever you like. If there is anything else you need you can go out and get it or ask Dan he can get anything. Oh and here, I meant to give you this yesterday." I hand her a credit card. She comes over and takes it. "Feel free to use it for anything you need." I tell her.

"Thank you Andrew." She says as she looks into my eyes and grazes her hand over mine. Tingles ripple through my hand. I think I see her flinch like she could feel it too. But it's gone as quickly as it came, and she backs away. Catalina's POV

What was that? Was it static electricity? Maybe it was the mate bond Rachel told me about.

"Well I hope you enjoy the room. I have to head into the office now. Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" He asks looking hopeful. "Yes. I'd like that." I say with a smile.

"I'll see you tonight Catalina around 7." And with that he leaves. I go back and grab my coffee and sit in my studio.. MY studio. All my ideas and projects I've wanted to do start filling my mind. Rachel mind links me to tell me she will be by later to help me get ready for my date and see any art I've made. I start working and don't stop all day.

Then a knock sounds at the door. It's Rachel. "Hey hun! Oh it's beautiful in here!" She says as she looks around. "Have you been in here all day? It's like 5 o'clock!" She says looking at all my work. Then she stops in front on one painting. "Hun this is beautiful what's this one from?" She asks.

"Oh that's Kayla my wolf." I explain. It's a picture of an all white wolf with purple eyes.

"This is your wolf? Hun, she's beautiful." Rachel says. I then tell her about hearing her today and claiming Andrew. She seems very happy about that. "Well we should get you ready for your date tonight dear." "But we have 2 hours." I say.

"I know, but we'll just have to work fast. Normally I need a full 3 hours." She says giggling at my expression as she drags me out of my studio.

She shoves me into the bathroom to shower as she picks out my outfit. I shower and get most of the paint off of me. Then she sits me down and starts working on my hair, blow drying and tugging it in different directions. Once she is done with my hair, she moves to make up. Goddess help me I don't know a thing about this. After that, I put the dress on. She picked a dark green mini shirt wrap dress with long tight sleeves. It matches Andrew's eyes and looks great with my red hair. She hands me a small black clutch and small black heels. Then we hear Andrew call from the living room.

Andrew's POV

I walk in the apartment around 7pm and I hear Rachel and Catalina talking in her room. I walk over to the living room "So ladies, we have an ETA on when we'll be ready?" I yell towards her room. I hear Rachel giggle and the door opens. Rachel rushes out, "I present to you, your dear Lina Black." Catalina steps out in a short tight dark green dress. Her auburn hair flows half way down her back. She looks beautiful and I don't want to take her anywhere but my bedroom. I want to feel her soft skin under my hands, I want to bury my face in her neck, I want to taste her..

"Drew!" Rachel yells taking me out of my daydream. "Doesn't she look nice?" She says eyeballing me.

"Yes of course. You look beautiful Catalina." I say stepping forward. "Are you ready to go?" I ask offering her my arm. She nods and takes it. We walk out, down the elevator and into the lobby.

"Why Miss Black you look positively radiant this evening." Dan says and winks as he opens the door for us.

"I couldn't agree more Dan. No flirting with my mate." I chuckle and we make our way to the black SUV waiting for us.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Dan says as he closes the door. I can't take my eyes off her. She was beautiful before, but sitting next to me now, in this dress that's holding her so beautifully.. I wish she could feel the mate bond too. "She will feel it. I can feel her wolf getting stronger." Mark tells me. "I wonder why her wolf was weak. They probably weren't feeding her enough."

We arrive at the restaurant a few moments later and enter to an empty restaurant.

"Oh there's no one else here. Are they open?" She asks glancing up at me with those big blue eyes.

"They are open for us." I chuckle. The hostess greets us and shows us to the table in the middle of the room. The waiter comes and pours us some wine.

"I haven't quite gotten into wine yet. Rachel says I will learn to love it." She says shyly. I laugh.

"No one loves wine as much as Rachel." I reply. She giggles. She's adorable. "If you don't like wine we can get you something else. Anything." I tell her.

"Oh no I don't want to be a bother." She insists.

"Catalina, you aren't a bother, please."

"You can call me Lina." She smiles as she looks up at me. She tries the wine and gives a little face. "Maybe something sweeter." She asks. I nod at the waiter and he brings out a moscato and pours her a new glass.

"This is probably the sweetest you can get." I explain. She tries it and smiles with appreciation.

"Now this I like."

I chuckle. Adorable. We chat a bit about her paintings she did today and her day. She asks me what I do all day while I'm away. I explain my role and some of the things I have to handle on a day to day basis. She is definitely more talkative than the first day and even more so after some wine. Our meals come, it's steak. "Rachel told me you like steak." I explain. She smiles and nods.

"I'm beginning to think she is your spy." Shock crossed her face as she finishes her sentence. "Oh Alpha I am so sorry, I didn't mean for that to come out disrespectful or ungrateful." She places her hands in her lap and looks down at them. Catalina's POV

Then I hear him full on laugh.

"First, please call me Andrew. Second you are correct. Since I have been so busy I haven't had the time to know you like I want to. She keeps passing me information about you, some I have asked for some I haven't. She knows I care about you but she also knows I'm a knucklehead and I have a bit of a temper. You don't have to be afraid to say what's on your mind with me." He explains as he reaches for my hand and squeezes.

Dinner is amazing, and Drew is adorable. He looks like a model in his navy blue suit and black skinny tie. His black hair looks messy but in like the 'this was planned' kinda way. I can't believe how nice everyone has been to me over the last 3 days. I'm starting to feel stronger everyday and I can feel my wolf again. I can't talk to her but I know she's there now.

We chat for a bit longer and then dessert comes out. We share. When we're done we make our way out. "Would you like to walk back? It's really not that far." He asks looking down at me, my arm is in his elbow.

"Sure if it's not too far, I'm still getting used to heels." I explain.

He smiles, "Well if they start to hurt I will carry you." I nod and we start walking down the street. It's night and the city is dying down a bit, but there are still people out. It feels like everyone knows who he is as we walk. He tells me about the city and his pack and how they ended up being one of the largest in North America. I nod along riding the buzz of the wine. It feels like I'm floating. Before I know it we were in the elevator heading up. We get into the apartment and he loosens his tie and walks me to my room door. "Thank you for having dinner with me." He says.

"Thank you for taking me on my first date." I say back. A look of shock crosses his face but then it softens.

"How would you like this to be a daily thing? We don't have to go out every night but I would like to take you on a date every night." He says as he takes my hands. There is that static feeling again when our hands touch.

"I know you are very busy with work. I don't want to take you away from that." I say looking at our hands. One of his hands goes to my chin and lifts my head gently.

"I'm not too busy for you Lina." He almost whispers my name. Damn he's beautiful. Like he is just a masterpiece. Looking into his green eyes a girl could get used to this. "Lina, may I kiss you goodnight?" He asks. Holy goddess he's asking my permission. I nod. His hand slides behind my neck and he pulls me gently in to meet his mouth. It is warm and sweet and tender. I have never kissed anyone like this and when our lips touch it's like electricity. And just as quickly as it started, it's over. "Goodnight sweet Lina." He whispers in my ear and starts to head to his room. I grab his arm stopping him from leaving. He looks back.

"Thank you again for the date and for the studio, I really love it." I say trying not to get emotional.

He smiles wide, "Anything for you my Lina." He says and we both make our way into our separate rooms. I decide to shower before bed. I put on a pair of pajamas and crawl into bed. I didn't realize how tired I was until I payed down. "My my, a little white mouse has come for a visit." He says from across the room. "Come over here." He says. I take a few steps towards him. I see the bottle of liquor sitting next to him and an empty glass. I stop a few feet away from him. "Closer." He says. I take a few more steps closer. "Closer." He says again. I take a few more, I am right next to his chair by now. He grabs my arms and sits me in his lap. He buries his face in my neck and sniffs. "Mmmhmm you smell like fear and it's intoxicating." He whispers in my ear. "I wonder what I could do to you to get more fear out of you?" He says as he licks my neck. He grabs a fist full of hair and yanks my head back exposing my throat. He then pulls a knife off of the table next to him. A tear rolls down my cheek. "That's a good start, but we can do more." I feel the burn of the knife on my cheek.