Softness In Love

Numbers and Pride

Amari's POV

      I spend the rest of the day teaching Charlie all I can about the school and me, taking him to the rest of his classes and talking to his teachers for him.

    When I first saw Charlie this morning, I hated how tall he was, just a little, seeing it as an indication of dominance.

   But he's anything but.

   For the last couple years of my life I've been fearing meeting my Mate and they made me give up all the control and peace I had found. And now that I don't have to worry about that, I find myself.... very unprepared.

   Most people my age know where they want to take their Soulmates for their first date. They know what to say, how to act, and I know nothing because like a dumbass, I avoided the subject all together.

   'I told you to trust that the Goddess knows what she's doing. Should have listened.' Atlas tells me mockingly, but I ignore him.

    I'm too busy freaking out about how I didn't listen.

    Right now, Charlie is in body management, probably wishing a hole would swallow him up as he learns about hygiene, all the Mating processes, and reproduction. I chuckle to myself and then groan before banging my head on the desk.

   'Ouch.' Atlas grumbles but I ignore him.

   I feel someone poke my shoulder, but I don't move, waiting for my own hole to swallow me so I don't have a chance to screw this up. Another poke attacks my shoulder, this time accompanied with a pinch, and I raise my head to glare at Tonya who shared the look in return.

   "Oh don't look at me like that. I'm not going to sit here and watch you be a dumb ass again." She tells me and I frown at her.

    "What are you talking about, YaYa?" I ask, her anger confusing me.

     "I'm talking about how instead of asking questions on what the fuck to do now, you're sitting here mopping around instead of helping yourself out. This is why I hate men." She tells me with a playful sneer, and I growl at her in return making her smile.

     Instead of putting my head back down I sit up, going to continue the half finish assignment on my desk. I look at the next question and answer it before I ask Tonya a question.

     "What do you do once you get past meeting each other?" The unknown possible answers stressed me out more than anything. I hate the unknown. Uncertainty. It'll only get you killed, especially if you're an Omega like me. I feel a hand on my shoulder again, this time to rest there, and I turn my head to meet Tonya's half smiling face.

     "You get to know each other. You slowly get to learn why you love them." She tells me softly and I frown shaking my head.

     "Shouldn't it be the other way around. You get to know them so you can fall in love?" I question her, but she only laughs and shakes her head before explaining it to me.

    "Amari, our Mates and us, we share half of each other souls. We were made to fit together perfectly. From the moment we meet our Mates, we fall. That's what that feeling is. That rush of freedom and serenity and bliss when you smell their scent and hold them for the first time, thats you falling so hard you might not be able to get back up. And then your body gets used to it after a couple hours, and then it's your job to overcome nurture and remove whatever bias covers your eyes. And that's when it will happen." She tells me before stopping to answer a few more questions.

   I do the same before giving up, needing to know more. "And then what will happen?" I ask, the question finally free.

    At first she doesn't answer, but after she write another answer, she does. "And then, you will start to find them. Little by little and then everywhere all at once." Her voice has a tone of praise, her eyes far away, lips curved, her mind a couple hallways away.

    "Find what?" I question, irritated at the lack of clear answers.

     "The reasons why you love them. The reasons why you would sacrifice everyone in your path to save them. The reasons why they are your Mate. It's always hard in the beginning. Sometimes in the middle too, but once you start finding those reasons, even when you aren't looking, you'll know it's worth it. And you'll see why people write books about a Wolf's love." She tells me, her words captivating.

   She turns away to scribble down a few more answers, and in a frustrated hurry, I do the same. But by the time I manage to finish and turn to ask another question, the bell rings.

    I sigh as we get up, knowing she's itching to get to Amy, and excitement to see my own Mate making me let go of the conversation, forgetting about it entirely. When we leave the room, we head of in opposite directions and I rehearse what I plan on saying to Charlie, only to laugh when I see his adorable face stained red from class.

   I try to school my features before he seems me, but all I can manage is a wobbly smile that's barely keeping it together.

   "How was class?" I ask slyly, and I watch in mild amusement as his face gets more red than before.

    "Sex Ed is a lot different here than in human schools." He tells me shyly, and this time I can't hold back my laugh. He tries to glare at me, but he only ends up pouting slightly and turning away, and I finally manage to stifle my laugh.

    "I'm sorry. We joke about the general education difference but that's the one we find most amusing." I tell him before taking his book bag to hold in my right hand, and his hand in my left, leading him down the hall and towards the front of the school. "Are you walking home alone?"

    I want to feed myself chocolate for blurting that out, hoping being sick can get me out of being an idiot.

   "Uh, my dad is coming to pick me up." He tells me shyly and I grumble, selfishly wishing his dad wasn't going to pick him up from his first day at a new school. What kind of Mate am I?

    'I don't think you want my answer.' Atlas says cheekily and I groan quietly. 'Just let me handle it.' He tells me, but I don't let him, not wanting to overwhelm Charlie too soon.

    "Hey, Charlie?" I pull him to a stop on his hand once we pass through the front doors, his brown eyes finding mine shyly, his cheeks still a sweet rosy pink. "Can I have your number?" I ask him, my cheeks burning, and I look away, feeling open for a punch that I can't block.

   I brace myself, but like he has all day, Charlie surprises me. "I wasn't sure I had the courage to give it to you." He says bash fully and it makes me want to coddle him to death.

   I watch as he pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me before reaching for his book again which I give him after securing the note in my pocket. Once his book bag is hanging off of his shoulder, he glances at the line of cars on the curb before looking back at me with sad eyes.

    Holding my breath, more scared than the time I entered a match with a cold, I step forward and pull Charlie towards me, my height making my nose level with the sweet spot along his neck.

    I wrap my arms around him for a second before stepping back and clearing my throat. "Text me." I tell him, glancing away, and I look back in time to see him blush and smile before waving and walking away.

     I turn around towards the pack with a smile on my face, excited to get home and talk to Charlie.

     My Mate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was going to do three chapters for this book but both chapters I've done so far are waaayyyy longer than I wanted and I have other books to write. I hope you guys enjoy the double update though!

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