The Half Kind

Chapter Six

Damen and I passed the hours by in conversation. I told him of foster families with twisted teenage brothers and foster fathers and my many maneuvers against them, like the time I jabbed my fingers into one of their eyes and then kicked for the nuts. Damen told me about his mother and father, how his mother had died ten years ago, and how he was heir to his father's position as master.

"So what's the difference between a master and an alpha?" I asked. Damen smiled.

"Alphas fight for dominance. It is a position gained through killing the current alpha. Masters are more civil; it is gained by either being the firstborn son or daughter. If the master has no kids, he chooses a successor."

"Are there packs still with alphas?" I asked, full of curiosity.

"Yep. One's who want to stick to the old ways. They are precious few. They keep women as property and such. They argue that even though the world around us is changing, we should stick to our roots," Damen explained. I shook my head.

"They can't be that savage and escape the police."

"They do it every day right under the police's nose. Some are police. For example, we don't usually kidnapp but you're a special case. We got you, didn't we?"

"Sure did."

I wriggled closer to Damen as we sat leaning against the inner wall. He wrapped an arm around me and held me closer to his side.

"The alpha packs' theory for mating is the male finding the female who belongs to him, like his blood rite. Like something that belongs solely to him. For example," Damen said in a low voice, "I would take you kicking and screaming to my chamber and lock you away forever. Some never see daylight again."

"Kinda like how you guys got me?"

"Give or take. Only problem is, master wants you as his mate."

"Yikes."

"You've got that right. We've got a few more days after this to mull it over though," Damen muttered. Suddenly, the truck stopped.

"Play victim!" Damen harshly whispered. I turned over on my side away from Damen and he sat a cold distance to the side, looking almost authentically bored. The door opened.

"Damen? We need some cash," I heard Paul whisper.

"What for?"

"Gas."

"How much?"

"Twenty."

I heard movement and stayed deathly still, not moving a single muscle.

"She still alive?" Paul asked.

"Duh," Damen snapped. The other five went loping into the store and Damen got out of the truck and shut the doors lightly. I sat up and pulled my knees to my chest. How confusing. Werewolves, mates, and now a master who wants to marry me. Not to mention he's my real mate's father. I didn't doubt Damen was my made, absurd as it sounded, because I felt it and almost as importantly, smelled it.

My life went from crappy to party to odd and scary to romantic and then romantic and confusing all in one and a half days.

Oh boy.

***

Damen

I held the gas pump firmly and squeezed gas into the tank of the large truck. When I squinted my eyes, I saw those five trainees inside the store fooling around with a try-me stereo.

Master (Dad) seemed to have an odd plan going on. For this assignment, he wanted me to learn to teach and the younger ones to learn how to do assignments. Only Paul was sixteen and owned a license.

When I was finished, I marched angrily into the store and glared at the fabulous five. Tom nudged the others and they all filed out. I fished out my wallet and checked how we were doing financially. We still had over five grand. Being one of the oldest and most well established packs around, not to mention civil, we kept a good bit in our treasury. I decided to scan around at the knick knacks and then head out. My hands grazed over statuettes of birds perched on limbs, corny plaques with cheesy sayings, and T shirts with things written on the back that all stayed on the theme of country girls. Of all things, I grabbed a small pack of ponytail holders and a hair brush. I remembered Jasmine saying something about irritation at her knotted hair.

"Yo, Damen, you primping?" Gary joked when he saw my items. I slitted my eyes.

"Just trying to keep our cargo intact, you know, like master ordered."

"Oh... right," Gary blushed and hopped in the cab. I discreetly climbed in the back and shut the doors. After a moment, the truck started moving. Jasmime remained in a fetal position. I poked her with the hair brush.

"I risked my masculinity to get these," I joked. Jasmine smiled gratefully and began to brush her beautiful, albeit tangled, hair. I watched her and thought.

Jasmine was definitely strong; not some Bella Swan waiting on Superman. She seemed to be as tough as nails for sure. Despite this, I felt an undeniable need to keep her safe and make her happy and the need to make her mine. Her scent wafted as she brushed and I inhaled deeply; it was spicy sweet and absolutely delicious. The more she brushed, the easier the cheap hair brush glided through her hair, and when she was done, she tied it up in the back in a tight pony tail.

"Damen, I'm sorta worried," Jasmine mumbled while looking down. I scooted closer to her and took her into my arms.

"About?"

"It just seems that... well, if I'm a Half Kind and rare and stuff, won't your Master do anything to, ya know. Have me?" Jasmine's face turned red and she kept her gaze down. I could tell she hated vulnerability.

"Hadn't thought of it that way. But you're right. Maybe since I am his son he'll let up and be okay with it. These are extenuating circumstances," I said, going for a comforting tone. Jasmine shifted.

"Maybe. Or if he's cold enough to take me by force, he won't care."

I couldn't argue her point. Ever since my mom died, Master hadn't been the same. He had grown colder, more stoic, even to me.

"I'll think of something," I whispered. We could give these amateurs the slip and leave without notice to some place where we can live happily ever after. Maybe even start a pack. However, it'd be hard to leave.

Maybe if I showed Master that we were mated with a strong bond, he'd back off. Or, as Jasmine said, not care and have her anyway.

We ate later and instead of getting a hotel room, we slept in the truck. I pulled Jasmine close to me and wrapped my arms around her. She cuddled right into me and soon fell asleep.

Whatever we do, we need to decide quickly.