The Alpha and his Mate
Chapter 12

Jax’s POV

I wasn’t going to lie, I was nervous... probably for the first time in my life.

I was carrying my mate upstairs and into my room before gently placing her on my bed. How was she going to react to sleeping in the same room as me? I could tell she had trust issues with people and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by forcing her into a situation she wasn’t ready for. Doctor Tessler’s words about forcing her into uncomfortable situations rang through my head but I also didn’t think I could sleep in a different room as her, my wolf just wouldn’t allow it.

I stared at her, trying to gauge her reaction, but when I didn’t really get anything back from her I sighed in frustration and turned to get some clean clothes from my wardrobe. I’d have to take her shopping tomorrow for some proper clothes that actually fitted, seeing as I’d forgotten to ask someone to pick something up for me. I’m not going to lie through, I rather enjoyed seeing her in my clothes.

I cleared my throat and ran my hand along the back of my neck, not sure how to approach the subject of sleeping arrangements.

“You’re going to sleep in here tonight with me... if that’s okay with you?” I tried to say it as if it were a demand, but it came out more like a question. What was wrong with me, I was the Alpha of a strong pack, but right now I was acting more like a love sick pup.

Looking into Annabelle’s eyes I could see the uncertainty in them and my heart sank a little at the thought of her not trusting me. “I’ll sleep on the couch over there so that you’re a little more comfortable, but I am not sleeping in a different room to you. My wolf won’t take it Annabelle” I stated, hoping I sounded firmer this time.

She just nodded her head in understanding before looking down at the clothes that I had just placed in her hands. She then looked back up at me, and I could tell that she was silently asking me to leave with her eyes.

“Alright, alright I’ll leave you to get changed whilst I go and take a shower. I’ll be in the bathroom if you need anything” I said before turning around and headed into the ensuite. It took all my self-control not to turn around as I heard the rustle of fabric behind me as she started to change into the fresh set of clothes I had given her. I managed to get to the bathroom without looking back though and quickly shut the door behind me before my wolf won out on what he wanted and I turned around.

I sighed and leant my forehead against the closed door, she was driving me crazy and she wasn’t even doing anything. I shuddered to think about what she would be capable of doing to me once she gains some confidence and has contact with her wolf. She’d have me wrapped around her little finger, or whipped as Xavier would say.

I quietly growled as I suddenly remembered that someone has forcibly shut her away from her wolf and therefore away from me as I went to turn the water on. Whoever did that to her should be immediately executed in front of everyone, no one hurts my mate.

“Alpha are you available for a meeting?” Xavier asked me through our mink link, stopping my vengeful thoughts from getting to far.

“Give me ten minutes and then yes I will be, I just want to make sure Annabelle is asleep before you come around.” The last thing I need is for her to see him and get scared. After all, he is the one that was forcefully demanding her to shift back when she didn’t even know what was going on.

“Yes Alpha” was his only response before we cut the conversation.

I sighed and quickly finished my shower before dressing into some clean clothes and heading back out into my bedroom.

What I saw when I came out though made me angry and my heart break all at the same time. There, curled up on the sofa, was Annabelle. She was in her new clothes and cuddled up in the corner of the sofa without even a pillow or a blanket over her to make it more comfortable. What did she think she was playing at, there was no question that she was getting the bed tonight so why did she go and sleep on the sofa?

I sighed before walking over to her and taking her petite frame in my arms and brought her over to the bed. She snuggled in as I brought the duvet up to her chin and I couldn’t help but brush her hair back and kiss her on her forehead as I stared down at her. She was so beautiful.

I must’ve been staring at her for longer than I thought because before long Xavier had mind linked me telling me that he was outside.

I sighed at the thought of leaving her as I kissed her on her forehead again before forcing myself to leave my room and head downstairs, quickly making my way over to the front door to let my Beta in.

“Sup man, haven’t heard from you all day” Xavier said, slapping me on the back as he walked through the threshold.

“Yeah well I’ve been a little busy” I replied, a little on the defensive side.

“Hey I get it, if she was my mate and I found her in the same condition your mate was in I’d be acting the same way. How is she by the way?” He asked as he took a seat on the sofa in the living room.

My eyes were instantly drawn down to the half-finished and now probably cold cups of hot chocolate that were still sitting on the coffee table, my mind wandering back to the conversation we’d had earlier. “She’s not good man, but she’s getting there” I nodded.

I ran my hand through my hair at how useless I felt and rested my head on the back of the sofa. “She doesn’t know anything about wolves Xavier, her so called Alpha ordered her never to shift when she was a child so she has no idea about anything. She can’t even feel the full effects of our mate bond”.

“I’m sorry Jax, if there’s anything you need me to do just let me know alright?” Xavier said as I looked at him and nodded my head in thanks.

“So what is it you wanted to talk about then?” I asked, if I was being honest I just wanted to get this meeting over with so that I could get back to my sleeping mate. This was the second time I had left her asleep in just one night and I was anxious to get back to her.

“It’s actually about Annabelle” Xavier said as he ran a hand through his hair. He immediately had my attention and I looked at him expectantly.

“I got Henry to follow her scent as far as he could, all the way to the edge of another packs territory. I don’t know whether that’s where she came from or whether she was just passing through but I thought I’d let you know and keep you in the loop. I want to replace out who hurt our Luna as much as you do”.

My fists clenched at the recent information, hoping that it was something I could use as a just reason to storm their pack and take my revenge for what they did to my Annabelle. “Which pack was it?”

“That’s the thing, it’s a pack that doesn’t really have the best reputation in the world. Just... just don’t lose it when you replace out okay?” He asked, obviously a little nervous.

I rolled my eyes and clenched my jaw “just spit it out Xavier”.

“Her scent lead from the... Rising Dawn pack” he muttered and I instantly felt my blood run cold.

The Rising Dawn pack were known throughout the area as the lowest of the lows. Their Alpha loved to play dirty and would do anything to get his way. He rules his pack with an iron fist, but no one has managed to get enough proof to get the Elders to investigate. The weird thing was, this pack used to be an ally of ours, we helped each other out like for like, but out of nowhere the Alpha and Luna resigned their title and gave it to their current Alpha. My dad, the Alpha at the time, had always found it suspicious that his friends would just up and leave their pack, but he could never get close enough to the new Alpha to replace out what had happened without starting a pack war.

Suddenly the idea of Annabelle being in the same presence of anyone from that pack made my blood boil and I quickly stood up and started pacing, I was too jittery to be sitting still. “Are you sure that’s where her scent came from” I asked. I needed to make sure before I went any further with my plans.

I looked into Xavier’s eyes as he nodded his head in a confirming yes.

I growled and punched a hole through the wall closest to me, the idea of my sweet little Annabelle in that pack made my blood boil, goddess knows what she has been through if she came from there.

“There was something else I thought you should know about her too Jax” Xavier said, unfazed by my sudden outburst of anger, being so used to it by now.

“And what is that” I almost growled. I could tell my eyes were swirling gold as my wolf tried to make an appearance, but I pushed him back and focused on what Xavier was trying to tell me.

“When I found Annabelle, when she was in her wolf form, there was something about her that was different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at the time, but it suddenly dawned on me as I was looking through some of my mum’s old history books. No matter what status you have in the pack or your eye colour as a human, your wolf always has golden eyes right?” He didn’t wait for me to respond though and just carried on talking “well Annabelle’s eyes were different; they were sort of gold but also kind of transparent as well. It’s really hard to describe, but I’m sure they were the exact colour of moonstone”.

I frowned at him, “Are you sure?” I’ve never known of a wolf that didn’t have golden eyes.

Xavier nodded “positive”.

My frown deepened “I wonder what it could mean” I muttered allowed, but before Xavier could respond with anything, we were both interrupted by a scream from upstairs and my stomach dropped as I recognised it as my mate’s voice.

I bolted upstairs with Xavier hot on my heels and burst into my room to replace my mate thrashing in bed and tangling herself up in the duvet as she was in the middle of a nightmare.

I quickly ran over to her and wiped the tears and sweat from her face as I gently tried to wake her up, hating seeing her in pain.

“Annabelle...Annabelle wake up little mate...I’ve got you... it’s just a dream, it’s just a dream” I kept repeating as I carried on stroking her face, hoping to bring her back to me.

Suddenly she bolted upright, screaming.

“Annabelle it’s me, calm down...calm down before you hurt yourself”. I was doing everything I could think of to get her to calm down, but her mind wasn’t registering where she was as she just kept screaming and fighting me, thrashing in my arms.

“No Damon no... get off of me... no please... nooooooo” she screamed and lashed out at me.

It took me a second to realise that her fingernails had turned into claws, but it was a second to late as I felt them dig into my chest, causing four deep claw marks to appear on my chest. I grimaced at the pain but otherwise ignored it as I focused on my mate. It would heal quickly as I’m an Alpha but if she got herself with them she could do some serious damage to herself.

Just then the lights came on and I turned around to replace Xavier had flicked them on and was waiting at the door, making sure I was alright and didn’t need assistance.

“Annabelle... Annabelle... come back to me. You’re here and you’re safe, I’ve got you. I won’t let anyone hurt you I promise” I whispered in her ear over and over again as I held her in a tight hug, ignoring the sting on my chest as the weight of her body pressed into my wounds.

“J-Jax?” She finally stuttered and I sighed in relief.

“Yeah it’s me, I’ve got you” I repeated and help onto her tighter, if that was even possible.

She had stopped struggling as she lay in my arms, and after a few minutes she had calmed down enough for her breathing to somewhat go back to normal.

“Xavier could you get her some water and the medical kit from the kitchen please?”

“Sure, need me to get the doctor or have you got it from here?”

I shook my head knowing he could still see me from the doorway, ”I got it thanks”.

“Annabelle are you okay?” I whispered, afraid that my voice might trigger her panic again.

She stiffened for a second before relaxing and nodding her head slowly but otherwise remained silent.

“Want to talk about it?” I asked as I brushed her sweat soaked hair from off her face.

She just shook her head and buried herself deeper into my neck.

“Everything you need is outside your room Alpha, I didn’t want to come in just in case she got scared again”.

“Thanks Xavier, you are dismissed”.

“Alpha” he replied as I heard him walk down the stairs and close the front door.