Mated

Tessa

Chapter Thirty "Tessa"

Kieran groaned loudly when his alarm went off on the nightstand, reaching blindly for it, and only managed to knock it to the floor. With another groan, he leaned over the side of the bed and fished it from the floor so he could shut it off. Lyric rolled over with a soft noise and asked what time it was.

"Little after eight," he said, sitting up and shutting the blaring alarm off. "Jett wanted us to get an early start to the day."

"What time does the mall even open?"

"Nine. Hey, have you ever been to a mall?"

"A few times as a teen but I was always so overwhelmed that I was petrified I'd shift so I never stayed long. Bryan loved the mall." He clenched his jaw a little at the thought of Bryan, Lyric's best friend, taking her on mall dates. He had to let it go. Their bond was growing stronger every single day.

"I just thought with living as far out as you did, you wouldn't have gone."

"Bryan had friends in public school who could drive. We would meet them at the edge of our territory and they would give us a ride in. I never liked his human friends," she said with a shrug.

They hurried to get ready, eating a quick breakfast and saying hi and bye to Gram and Mom and Dad before going out to get his car. Max had pulled it up from the garage and Lyric froze on the front steps when she saw it. Kieran grinned. They were going in style. In his baby. A 69 Chevy camaro with its top down stood in the driveway. He had bought the car when he was sixteen, much to his parents chagrin. It was jet black with white racing stripes down the hood and was his pride and joy in the way of owning cars.

"Is that yours?" Lyric asked.

"Yup. All mine," he beamed, grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's get a move on! We are already late." He jumped the door and landed in the driver seat while his mate went around and used her door properly. She fastened her seat belt and looked him over. He put on his seat belt and threw the car into gear, screaming out of the driveway. Lyric shouted at him to slow down and he just threw his head back and laughed. This car and him were like one being. He knew every inch of it.

"Kieran!" she yelled. "Please slow the hell down!"

"Don't you trust me?" he shouted over the roar of the engine as they flew down the side roads towards town.

"Yes, but please, I'm scared!"

He obliged her request once he got a whiff of her utter terror and slowed down to sixty. She thanked him and collapsed backwards into her seat. It took them a whole forty minutes to get to the mall and when he came roaring up beside Jett, the Beta laughed.

"Black Betty!" he shouted, running over. "I was wondering when she'd come out again."

"So, who's this mystery guest?" Kieran asked. "Are they here yet?"

"Yeah, they actually rode with me," he said, giving him a cautious smile. "Tessa, why don't you come on out here and meet Lyric and Kieran?"

Kieran's jaw fell as a young woman climbed from the passenger seat of the sedan. She was stunning, but more than that, she was human.

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Lyric stared in disbelief as a young human woman climbed from Jett's sedan. She was short with black hair cut into a pixie style and was dressed in all black; a silver hoop hung from her lip and her nose. She put a hand up and waved shyly at Lyric. She raised her own hand in return and got out of the muscle car.

"Kieran, Lyric," Jett was saying, pulling the young woman to his side, "I'd like you to meet Tessa, my girlfriend."

"Your what?!" Lyric demanded. Surely he couldn't be serious. A human?!

"My girlfriend," he said again, giving her a sharp look.

"Pleasure to meet you, Tessa," Kieran said, extending his hand. She gave a quick look to Jett, who nodded, before taking it and giving it a shake. "Lyric, isn't it nice to meet Tessa?"

"Uh, yes," she said, reaching her hand out. The young woman gave it a firm shake. "I'm Lyric."

"Are you two, you know, like Jett?" she whispered.

"We are," Kieran answered, ignoring the sharp look and elbow from Lyric. "And you're not. Jett, can we talk to you for a moment? Alone?"

"Sure," the Beta said, giving his girlfriend a wide grin. Kieran led them around the camaro. "What's up?"

"You tell us!" Lyric hissed.

"What? Look, I can come out now as having a partner now that you've been mated and you know you've consummated the mating," Jett said with a shrug.

"With a human?" Kieran asked. "I mean, really?"

"Yes," he said firmly. "It's allowed in our Pack, remember?"

"Yeah, but I also remember that it hasn't been done in over a hundred years. Not after that mishap."

"What mishap?" Lyric asked, looking between the two men.

"The female woman didn't survive the bite from her partners Chosen," Kieran answered.

"What the hell does that mean?" she demanded.

"It means that the woman got a fever from the bite and died," Jett sighed. "And our Pack has been too afraid to try it again until now."

"Well it would be traumatizing to see your partner pass away," Lyric said. "Jett, I don't think this is a good idea. Humans aren't supposed to know about us."

"I can hear you," Tessa remarked, coming over to them. "This is just as much my choice as it is Jett's. Once I put the pieces together on why we could never be together a certain day of the month, he confessed everything. And it wasn't easy on him to come forward but he has been open and honest with me since day one. Including telling me that your Alpha, Maddox, may never allow this to be a thing. Which I will just have to accept and move on. Have a life without Jett. Which will be torture, but I will respect whatever your Alpha says, just as the rest of your Pack. And I won't say a word about what I know."

Lyric suddenly wanted to panic. The idea of Tessa opening her mouth about werewolves never crossed her mind, but now that it was out there it was all she could focus on. So much of her life had been spent being drilled on how to avoid detection from humans and now she was standing before a young woman who knew all about werewolves. It all felt very dangerous.

"Lyric, you don't approve do you?" Tessa asked.

"I--," she started, looking at the petite woman. "I don't not approve, I just worry. You have to understand, Tessa, I've been taught my whole life that your kind knowing about my kind is the highest danger. But Kieran's explained to me that some Packs allow for humans to be turned and join them. Are you sure it's something you're ready for?"

"She has time to decide," Jett said. "Kieran, I ask you, as your best friend and your Beta, will you introduce us to your father as a pair?" he asked, looking to the Alpha-son.

Kieran looked flabbergasted before he spoke, "It would be my honor and I say there's no time like the present."