Recover

Chapter Nine

His eyes are still locked with hurt and I have to stop myself from showing guilt from lying, he took it personally. I didn't get my tubes tied; I was just messing with him. I had put a special cover-up perfume on given to me by grandma. She said it would keep any 'mangy mutts' off of me and they would think I was infertile. Weird, but it worked. Yeah it was mean and I kind of regret it but I wanted him hurt, not mad at me. The call was fake, but the story of the psychopath was real, I am scarred emotionally from it but not too severely, I haven't had any serious relationships since then.

     I take a sharp inhale and turn away from those accusing eyes that are now seeing who I'm sitting with. He sees me with two males; this is not going to go down well. I look around for exits just in case of a hasty run. Miles notices that I tensed up and he asks, “Hey you okay, Gen?” His eyes are searching around the room for danger and they lock with Jake's.

     Dakota stops stuffing his face with spaghetti and looks at me then to Miles and of course Jake. For about a minute the three have a stare off and when I mumble, "He's here for me," I am grabbed up from the booth and stuffed behind Miles' back. Miles doesn't know the whole story, but he's ready for whatever you throw his way. "Don’t you two dare touch her!” Jake snarls and the whole restaurant is staring at us, including Jessica.

       Miles takes my arm gently and his eyes are filled with worry, “Go over to Dakota.”

      I look at him with wide eyes and hesitantly go over to Dakota. Dakota is confused, but on edge they both know who Jake is, the only Alpha to get the title at age 17 because his father died. “I said don’t touch her!” Jake roars.

       “Why?” Miles questions while Dakota puts his arm around my shoulder protectively.

     He hesitates before responding, “That is none of your business,” Jake stiffens and looks more reserved. He has no clue who these men are or why I’m with them, he is stepping in unknown territory.

    “She is my mate,” he declares through clenched teeth, Jessica and a few other wolves gasp, the humans just sitting in aw, our relationship was not declared officially yet because I am not marked, the kids at school probably think I was just a crazy bitch.

   Dakota takes his arm off my shoulder and slips both of his around my waist. I melt a little into it and in a blur I am snatched out of his protective touch and in Jake’s. "She's mine" He says with the Alpha tone intertwined.

    "No-" Jake cuts Dakota off.

    "I forbid you from ever speaking to Gen or myself again!" He is yelling dominance, but there is something that Jake has never experienced before he met me, defiance.

    Dakota cracks his neck, "That tone won't help you wolfie," he grins and nods his head, I get the signal just in time, I dunk and Dakota sends a punch straight for Jake. I move towards the smiling Dakota and the shocked Miles, I grab their arms and drop a 20 and a 10 on the table and sprint back to the car. We rush in and see a pissed Alpha with killer eyes walk outside. We step on it, blasting music, he'll probably try and ban me listening too, when we pass him I wave and say, "Bye, bye."

Jake

I watch as their truck leaves the parking lot, why doesn't anyone listen to me!? I throw my hands up in the air in frustration and rub my forehead. Why is that girl so disobedient? Who were those men? Maybe I need to take a different approach, but the Elders keep breathing down my neck to hurry up and mark her. I start walking to my car; I'll be nice and act like a gentleman. Maybe that will work. I open the car door and get inside when suddenly I'm pulled out of my train of thought as I hear knocks on the window. I turn my head to see Jessica.

    "Why didn't you tell me?" She doesn't even sound mad, but just hurt. Her hair is pulled into a high pony tail and she's in her white and red host uniform. But the most stunning thing is her green eyes, a deep mossy color; they seem so alive; they seem electric.

    "Come here Jess," I say as I get out and hug her. I stroke her hair and she buries her head in my neck, I feel her trembling and crying and it's like a stab in to my heart. I look up and I pray/ask Ataegina, our moon goddess, Why can’t Jess be my mate? Was this really what you had in store for me?

    We grew up together since her father was my dad's Beta. We would play by the creek when we were 5 and get all muddy and Jessi wouldn't care, she would just giggle and laugh. I saw as she started to grow up and boys would always hit on her I would be yelling at them in a split second. We were best friends and it wasn't till then when it really bothered me when they did that did I realize that the feelings went deeper.

    When people started noticing me always trying to be around Jessi 24/7 and always talking about her did the Elders come into the picture. That was when we were 14. "Jake you may be young, but as the future Alpha you can't ever have a relationship with someone other than your mate." We weren't allowed to hang out, study or even talk to each other if it wasn't a simple hello or good bye. The Elders didn't want to risk me having an 'impure' and 'unfit' mate. Jessi had to put on a entire act of not liking me and pretend to like other guys. But somehow through all of that we still have feelings for each other.

    Jessi turns her head and rests it on my chest, "Why did this have to happen? I was so sure you and I were going to end up together," she manages to say. I look my angel in the eye, even though she has puffy red eyes from crying, messy hair and a stuffed up nose: she is beautiful. I lean in and kiss her gently on her cheek. Oh my poor girl.

    I try and comfort her, "Maybe, the Elders will realize that having a human Luna with bring us down and not benefit the pack's status."

    Her eyes hold a glimmer of hope, but it is quickly covered up with hatred, "I hate her. She's the mate of a perfect guy and she wants anything but you," She hesitates for a moment, "I. . . didn't get my bruise from falling down the stairs Jake." I start to get mad and fast, who would dare touch her? She notices this and starts to get panicky, "No Jake it was my fault, I sort of broke Gen's phone because I saw her with you and I got jealous of course. She punched me, but it healed about an hour after you saw it."

    Thank the goddess for our unnatural healing powers; we can heal minor injuries in minutes, mild in a few hours and severe in about half the time of humans. "Do you want to call off work and get a ride home?" She nods her head and gets in the passenger seat.  "Or how about a movie?"

    She smiles weakly, "Maybe one day we can without the Elders watching."

    I sigh and feel stupid for bringing it up, but one day these rules will be broken: Elders approval or not.