Harlow and Her Mate

Chapter 2

It was the dreadful day.

Harlow worked until the afternoon, before she went home. The air was thick and heavy with sorrow.

"Mama, this dress is beautiful," she whispered, holding it to her body. Her mom worked part time as a seamstress. She had serious talent.

"It was just one of my old one's that I fixed for you. I know how much you hate dresses, so I actually gave it wide legs. Nobody will have to know," she winked, and Harlow smiled sadly.

"You're the best, you know that?"

It was hard to tell what tonight held. Maybe she would be one of the ones who didn't have a mate and she would be back home in time for bed.

Or maybe she did have a mate and she'd never see her loving parents again. Wolves were possessive and territorial, and she would never want to put her parents in harms way

She tried not to think about the latter, but it was a constant heavy cloud. At least Mama and Papa would have each other.

When Harlow walked downstairs, she did a little twirl, "Didn't Mama do a good job, Papa?"

"Wow," he smiled, not really fazed as he barely looked up from his book.

Mom hit him on the shoulder.

"You look great, pumpkin."

Harlow giggled. I will miss them. She pushed the thought away.

They both stood up, and a wave of sadness settled over the room.

"You should go before you're late," Mama croaked, taking Papa's arm. "It's going to be okay. We love you."

"Don't cry," Harlow whispered. "I'm going to be home tonight. You'll see."

Papa held out his arms and she walked forward, surrounded in their warm embrace.

Mama gave a sob that broke her heart into a million pieces. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to have her life already planned out for her.

Harlow worried about her parents. Eventually, they would be okay if she did end up being mates to a wolf, but what about money? Who would take care of them?

"I love you guys." Harlow did her best to memorize Papa's hand on her back, and the softness that was her mom. "No tears."

"No tears," Papa mumbled, nuzzling her head. "You're a strong girl, Harlow. Don't take shit from a stupid wolf."

Walking out of the front door of her home was the hardest moment of her life. It was like her entire life had been building to this moment, and now everything felt uncertain, not to mention having to do it all alone.

The mating ceremony was held in a huge conference center converted into a ball room. It was packed and suffocating.

The check-in process was thorough - address, income etc. Harlow already felt lowly for being a human, but this made it worse.

Once inside, she was unsure of where to go or what to do. She stuck to the outskirts of the room, close to the exits.

Finally, the room quieted when an old man stepped on stage. The lack of noise was relieving.

"Good evening. This is the official start of the ceremony. Have a good time, but remember you are not allowed to leave before the end unless you have a mate by your side. Any other issues will be dealt with accordingly."

It wasn't as barbaric as Harlow imagined it would be. Honestly if you didn't know you were with wolves, there was no way to tell. People were definitely not being raped or dragged out as stories told.

It didn't make her feel any less out of place, but no one had approached her so maybe it was a good thing.

The noise was overwhelming, and a pounding headache threatened to bruise her temple. She reached up to massage it with her fingers, but it did nothing to dull the thumping.

The room was hot, packed with so many people.

Her thoughts couldn't help but be filled with her parents. She was in a room full of celebratory people with an abundant amount of food that will probably go to waste, and they were home alone in a rundown apartment without hardly any food. Her stomach twisted with the thought.

Making up her mind to leave the room, she was unprepared for the tight grasp on her shoulder as soon as she stepped into the foyer.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, human?" the towering beast of a man asked. He was terrifying to look at, and he was clearly disgusted by her.

Harlow's head snapped to the side painfully as a fire spread across her cheek. The slap was so hard, a copper taste filled her mouth as she bit on her tongue.

"Do you know how to speak or are you as stupid as the rest of them?"

Tears fogged her vision as she reached up to gently brush over the raised flesh of her cheek. It stung in a way she had never known before.

He swung his hand back again, and Harlow braced herself, but his hand was bent back with a sickening snap. The beast of a man fell to his knees with a cry.

Harlow was certain she was going to throw up at the moment. She shuddered, the image of the oddly angled bone still engraved in her mind.

"Why the fuck is my mate bleeding?" the new man said, his voice eerily even.

Forget throwing up, she was going to pass out. Did he just say mate?

She wanted to look at him, but couldn't. She didn't want to see the mangled hand again.

Her stomach turned as she caught the slightest glimpse, plus the blood in her mouth gave a sickening mixture.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Aspen. She was trying to escape."

Harlow heard it faintly as she rushed through the open door and into the cool night air, finally able to heave and spit onto the grass. Her face ached with the motion as her body gave way and dropped harshly onto the ground.

Alpha Aspen was her supposed mate. She honestly didn't know much about him, but it meant she wouldn't see her parents again.

A tear fell on the tender flesh of her cheek and she brushed it away. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction.

"Are you alright?" Aspen asked, squatting next to her. She took in his sharp features. "Here," he said, offering her a bottle of water.

Harlow used it gratefully to rinse the rest of the blood out of her mouth. It was disgusting, but Aspen seemed unfazed.

"I was only stepping out for some air," she said after a moment, her voice getting lost in the cool breeze.

"These things are awfully stuffy, aren't they?" He gave the slightest face of amusement before it was masked. "He was out of line. He should have never touched you."

Harlow didn't know what to say. She struggled to deal with the turn of events. Forget being struck in the face, she had convinced herself that she would be going home tonight. Now, she was left being a breeding machine for a wolf.

Aspen was undeniably handsome though. Even in the dim light she could see his dark, wavy hair that was a bit long. He also had a beard and mustache that covered a very sharp jaw line.

"Let me see your cheek," he said, reaching for her, but stopping before he touched her.

She hesitantly turned her face, and he gently brushed it with his fingertips. His touch was feather-like and a new feeling fluttered in her stomach.

"It didn't break the skin. Where did the blood come from?"

"I bit my tongue," Harlow whispered.

"Damn. It's going to take a few days for that to heal," he sighed, looking back towards the party. "I'm Alpha Aspen and you are my mate."

"I'm Harlow Jordan and I think I am going to pass out," she whispered, bending forward with a painful headache. Her ears began to ring, and the panic that had been stirring all night took over.