The Mate

Chapter Five

Melody sank into the tub, letting the hot water surround her for the first time in a long time. She felt as though the hot water was burning off three layers of skin. Letting her body get used to the water, she began to sink her head under the water. Her hair floating everywhere; feeling free while under the water. She felt alive again. She felt herself become whole.

She wanted nothing more than for the next two days to pass as she thought about her birthday coming. Turning twenty-one was something many people enjoyed. Being of legal age to drink and make their twenty-first birthday a night to remember. Or is it to forget? She sat back up loving every second she was in her tub.

She grabbed some exfoliator she found in the cabinet and rubbed every section of her body she could reach. Feeling like a new person she grabbed her razor and began shaving. Looking in the water she realized just how dirty she really was. She hadn't seen the water become full of dead skin and hair.

Now she felt dirty all over again and dumped the water out of her tub. Standing up she stepped out and went to the shower. Turning the water on she stepped under the spray of the shower head. She smiled and saw four different types of shampoo and conditioners. She opened them all and smelled them.

Picking the red bottle to use she squeezed it in her hand and rubbed together before placing it in her hair. She loved the smell of the shampoo as the steam made the smell stronger. Making sure she was clean before she cut the water off and stepped out of the shower. She wrapped the towel around her waist and began to dress.

While she was getting dressed Alex was working out with his beta.

"So, you're really going to go on this date then?" Andrew asked.

Alex nodded as he managed to roundhouse kick him to his back. "Yeah."

Andrew got up and began again. "Where are you going?"

"Hiking." he grunted when he got hit in the chest.

"Don't let your guard down." Andrew teased when he managed to hit him again in the chest.

"You're going to pay for that." Alex managed to block the next two hits that were thrown, leaning down he grabbed Andrew by his waist and turned him around and slammed him into the floor. With a giant huff coming from Alex. "My guard wasn't down then, was it?" he laughed.

They laughed as Alex laid down beside Andrew. They looked up at the ceiling of the gym, both lost in thought about different things. Andrew's mind was consumed with the upcoming birth of his child and preparing everything for the nursery.

Alex's mind was consumed with how he was going to handle this date of his. All he wanted was to tell her she was his mate. He wanted her. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted to keep her to himself. He didn't want anyone else to have her now that he has spoken to her.

His father was right. She was beautiful inside and out. He was getting excited about being able to see her again. He sat up quickly as he realized something.

"You good?" Andrew sat up on his elbows.

"She has to reject Ethan. She can't have us both."

"Mmmm."

"I've got to get her to trust me and love me first." Alex stood up and began to grab his items and get ready for his date with Melody.

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The doorbell rang and Melody's heart began to race. She didn't expect to get this kind of reaction from just a date. Well, it was her first date ever. She had never stayed anywhere long enough to actually date someone before. She opened the door to find Alex standing against the door frame with jeans, a black shirt, and boots on.

Her heart jumped at the sight of him. "Hi." she smiled.

"Hi," he handed her the flowers. "For you."

"Thank you." she sniffed the flowers. "They smell lovely. Come in, I'm going to put them in the water before we go."

He walked in and shut the door behind him; following her to the kitchen. "Have you eaten today?" he asked her. He noticed that her hand stilled as she was putting the flowers in a cup. "Is that a no?"

"Yes," she shook her head. "I mean no. I mean-"

"So you haven't eaten?"

"Correct." she looked at him. "I have not eaten today."

"Why not?" he asked her.

"I-" she looked into his eyes; she felt that pull again. "Don't know." she whispered.

"You need to eat. Let's go eat instead of what I had planned."

"Oh, no, we will do what you wanted."

"No, you need to eat." reached for her hand, feeling the same tingling as he did earlier. "What do you like?"

"Food," she laughed. "I enjoy all foods. I'm not picky at all."

He loved seeing her smile. She was pure light. "I've got a really good place in mind. Wanna go with me?"

"Sure." She followed him to the front door and locked her house up. She took a step back. "I can't believe this is mine." she said under her breath. "Okay, I'm ready." she turned around and bumped into him. "Oh," she looked up at him.

God, he's hot. She thought. When he smiled at her she felt it down, way down to her core. A shiver ran over her entire body, feeling the goosebumps go across her arms.

"It's okay," he chuckled. He reached up to touch her face again. "Pure." he told her. "Pure beauty."

"Well, I wouldn't say that." she blushed and looked down.

"I will and I did." he let his hand drop from her face. He turned around and began walking to his truck. He walked to her side of the truck and opened the door for her, she was shocked that people even did that anymore. She climbed in and buckled up; watching him walk around to his side of the truck.

"So, where are we going?"

"To a little hole in the wall that I have recently found." He began his short drive to the small diner in town. She didn't ever really drive around town, she would drive to work and back to the rest area off the interstate. It was nice to see things that she had never seen before.

"Oh," she pointed. "Is that a bowling alley?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes." she turned her body to look at it again. "Have you ever bowled?"

"No," she shook her head. "Never, I don't even know if I'm any good."

"Ever seen a movie in a theater?" he asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She shook her head.

"Circus?"

Her head shook.

"State Fair?"

Another head shake.

"So what did you do when you grew up?"

"Ran away from the foster homes. Worked." she shrugged her shoulders.

He didn't say anything else until they reached the diner. She looked out the window at the little place.

Cute. She thought. He opened her door for her and she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

"I hope you like pizza."

"Love it." He opened the front door to the diner letting her step in front of him. He had to hold his breath as she smelled like a meal herself.

"Alex!"