The Unexpected Mate
She Wolf of a Different Color

“I found that I liked and enjoyed the way that this medical center was being set up and currently run. They were small staff, and I also decided that I liked Grace. It was a little awkward at first. She was quieter than me, a little heavier on the omega quiet traits if you would. She was however no less fierce in her beliefs and work. She was a strong woman. You know a lot of people seemed to really mistake quiet for weak, that just wasn’t so.

I felt that Grace and I could very well be friends. I liked her and her disposition. She had a lot of questions for me once she felt comfortable. One was if I really had been kidnapped. I was honest, I wasn’t going to lie. I told her yes; I had not planned to come with Axel. He just picked me up, threw me over his shoulder, and walked out like a caveman. Grace had rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“He’s worse than Harper. Loyal, strong, and an alpha we can count on, but his manners suck sometimes,” Grace said, and I laughed having to agree with that. I did tell her that I was not truly here against my will anymore. I was his true mate, and I did not like where I was. We spent a good amount of time talking about where I came from. Then I picked her brain a little about Axel as she seemed to know him well. Harper and Axel were close as beta and alpha it would appear. Grace also told me about how Axel took them in and the ones that had tried to force themselves on her and use her being she was an omega.

It disgusted me and I was very happy to hear that it had not happened. Plus, Axel had helped her and Harper out of that situation. It gave him brownie points and made me happy to hear this about my mate. Among all the small talk, I learned what they were looking for with this hospital. The plans and it seemed like they were considering also adding a human section too. Not just for supernatural beings. I thought that would be smart. Humans were still higher in number and it would be good income for the hospital.

I was already considering those I would ask to work here, and a few were from the North Hospital, why? Because they were good people and good at their job in a shit place. I would also recommend the patients there come here too. At this point, I didn’t think anyone should be going to North Pack’s hospital.

When we were at lunch was when I got my first taste of animosity. In all honesty, it wasn’t that bad. It was just knowing I was more than likely going to hear comments like this. Grace took me out of the hospital for lunch. We walked a short way to a little sandwich shop and Grace made it a point to let me know she would show me everything. I really liked her.

As we were ordering lunch to take back, a few other she-wolves came in. I immediately scented what they were. Only one was a lycan, the other two were just werewolves. The lycan was the one that noticed me first, and clearly not someone from the pack territory around here.

In most sections of a territory, you knew the people well. Large packs had smaller pack dynamics within them. Just how it worked, but all lower-ranking alphas would answer to Axel or Harper. They did not make the rules or anything just upheld them.

“Excuse me, sorry to be rude but I have to ask. Are you by chance Layla? Your scent has our alpha all over you. The buzz is very high right now,” the lycan female said. I swallowed to clear my throat and met her gaze.

“I am. I suppose the scent is obvious,” I said with a little nervous laugh. She smiled and held out a hand.

“Natalie, pleasure. It will be great to have a Luna. Packs always run better with a mated pair. Always better for us females to have cycles regulated too. Not all over the place,” Natalie said with a laugh. I felt a little heat in my face.

“Well, there you go Melissa, can’t throw yourself at Alpha Axel anymore, can you? He’s found his true mate.” This was from one of the other woman who elbowed Melissa and laughed. Melissa looked like she tasted something sour.

I ignored the jealous sensation of thinking about my mate and others. What was done before we met was not relevant to now, unless he carried on behind my back.

Then I would be PISSED. He would know it too. I would chop the man’s balls off if he cheated. True mates were supposed to be a very hard thing to ignore. Many times, getting aroused outside of your mate once bonded didn’t happen. Now I was starting to think about the fact I had not bitten him.

“I did not throw myself at him,” Melissa said indignantly. She looked move over and just raised an eyebrow. I just assessed her. I had a feeling this was going to be the first of many judging stares.

“I guess I would have thought our Alpha would have more than an omega as his mate. Seems a little lacking to me, how will you even keep up with an Alpha like Axel?”

“Melissa!” Natalie said. “This is our soon-to-be Luna, have some respect,” Natalie looked just aghast that she would speak like that to me. Nothing I hadn’t heard before.

“It is a valid question. Our Luna must be able to stand by her mate and stand up for us. I have every right to question if she, especially as an omega is capable,” Melissa said holding her ground but a little red in the face. I stepped forward and held out my hand to her, she looked at it. She looked confused.

“Take my hand, I’ll show you, my capabilities. It is a valid question and I understand wanting a strong capable Luna. Take my hand and I will show you,” I said. She raised an eyebrow and then reached to take my hand.

She must have thought I was going to try and beat her physically or show physical strength. Melissa used a lot of force to squeeze my hand, but she only got to squeeze for a second before she hit the floor on her knees. My grip was now the stronger one and I held her hand tight but not painfully.

Melissa put her free hand to her chest and had elevated breathing. She was shaking and gasped for a breath. After a moment I let go of her hand and tipped my head looking down at her.

“Being an omega does not make one weak. I am a healer, and as such I know how to unheal, how the body works. I am willing to fight, and I also know when to hold back and when to push. That is the real need of a Luna, I will bow to no one. If you wish to speak down to me or others know there is always a price to pay. I will make sure that everyone knows it too. Protecting what is yours is not always about physical violence. Now if that is good enough for you, I would like to finish my lunch.” With that, I grabbed my order as Grace stood there looking a bit shocked, the same with the other two.

Melissa was half sitting on the floor still holding her chest. She was visibly shaken. Good, let her tell the others so I didn’t have to deal with this shit. I had not done that before to anyone, I didn’t have a reason to. Not when you thought things were going alright, and I did not want to be a bully and threaten. However, knowing Axel, I was going to have to show I could push as hard as he could. Not that I wanted to.

“What did you do to her?” Grace asked me as we left and walked back to the hospital. I glanced at her.

“Made her feel what it’s like to have a heart attack. Don’t worry she will be fine. I just elevated her heart rate and blood pressure for a moment. No damage, I am tired of being treated like omegas are weak, when it is just our disposition that makes us appear that way,” I said.

“To be fair, physically we aren’t exactly the strongest,” Grace said with a laugh, and I shrugged.

“Physical isn’t always the best. They have to touch me and touching me is going to show them they are not the strongest,” I told her.

“I like you, Layla. Axel needs a mate like you,” Grace said with a smile. Once we were back and finished our lunches, I only stayed another hour. I was feeling really on edge, and like my skin was too sensitive. Grace commented that my scent was changing, and I asked her to take me home. She did and walked me up to the door staying to talk just a little longer before I was alone.

I entered the house and walked around it. Axel’s house was kind of cluttered, not dirty just cluttered. It appeared that he really liked tossing things on the one armchair because there was a pile of random items there. I lifted a jacket and inhaled his masculine scent.

Immediately there was a rush through my body. I moaned and set it back down, it was just that sudden and it felt like my skin was super sensitive to the slide of my clothes. I felt hot, I felt turned on and there was a pooling sensation between my legs. I took a few breaths but that did not work. My cycle had started, that was what this was.

I suddenly wanted to go out the door and run. Run and not stop, to roll around as my wolf and rub on things. I didn’t even realize that I was pacing the living room until I nearly knocked a few things off the coffee table there in my intense pacing. My eyes were dilated and sensitive, and so were all my other senses.

Where was he? Why was he not home yet? God my body was aching and needful. I went upstairs to try a cool shower. I knew that he would be home this evening and the sun was already setting.

The cool shower did not work, and touching myself barely scratched the surface. That was it, I could not stay in this house feeling like this. My wolf needed out, and I went downstairs grabbed a piece of paper, wrote ‘went for a run’ on it, and then was out the back door.

I had already asked Grace where good running areas were. Where we were allowed to hunt and so I went that direction. I was my wolf, I shifted into her the moment I was out the door. I was a white streak entering the woods.

I told myself to just run for an hour. Maybe hunt then turn around and come back. No doubt if he arrived while I was gone he would have words to say. Axel was clearly used to being obeyed, but I was not going to stay cooped up if I didn’t want to. He was just going to have to understand.