Their Terrified Mate

Chapter Four

Noel's POV

I have been trying my best to balance my duties while avoiding meeting my mates, but the stress of doing so has been taking its toll.

I keep waking up in the middle of the night, screaming from nightmares of everything Cam has ever done to me, of the fear of what these new alphas will do to me once they find me.

Carol hasn't been understanding, but she has been kind. I learned that her mate was kind to her, took care of her, and loved her. I allowed myself for a brief moment to imagine what it would be like if my mates were like that, but the idea left me sick to my stomach.

There's no way that my mates will be kind. They're alphas. It's not in their nature.

I've spent the last couple of days waiting until the alphas leave the pack house to clean their room. It works well like this. I get nervous when alphas watch me clean, and I don't have to worry about them discovering my secrets if they're not here.

However, today, things don't go exactly as planned. Carol tells me when the alphas leave the pack house to 'search for their mate.' Because even though she doesn't entirely understand why I don't want to meet my mates, she accepts it.

However, I run into Cam when I'm on my way to their bedroom to clean. I don't expect it to take too long, I've noticed that the alphas mostly clean up after themselves.

But when Cam demands I follow him to his room, I know that I have no choice but to do as he says and put my cleaning off until later.

He's rougher than normal, angrier. Something about how I've been too busy the last few days and he misses me. I wish he wouldn't miss me. I try to pretend I'm not here as he fucks me with a hand around my throat.

I'm limping to the alphas' bedroom by the time Cam is finished with me. My ass and my throat hurts, and I'm pretty sure there are bruises around my neck. My scalp burns red from how he gripped my hair as he forced me to suck him off.

I start to clean as the tears fall. I try my best to wipe away the tears at first, but they don't stop and I give up, cleaning slowly through blurry vision.

I'm so distracted by the tears and the pain that I feel that I don't even notice the strong smell of pine until the door opens.

I look up to see Alpha James, and I stop what I'm doing, dropping a blanket onto the floor.

He moves forward, gets close enough to touch me, even though he doesn't, and growls.

"Mate," he says at the same time I hear another voice say that word. I look toward the door to see Alpha Dennis standing there, staring at me.

My wolf howls at the scent of cinnamon. Mates. Mates. Mates.

"No," I say, trying to calm my wolf. No, this can't be happening. But I can't ignore the look of pain on Alpha James' face as my vision starts to grow blurry. I feel nauseous. I try to move, to get away, but when I do, pain flares up and I stumble forward into Alpha James' strong arms.

"Mate?" he says, "what's wrong?"

I just shake my head, which is the last thing I do before I pass out in his arms.

-

When I wake up, it's in a nest of pillows and blankets, covered in the most comforting scents. I whine, my head aching, when I remember what happened.

I move to bolt upright, but I am met with the resistance of strong arms keeping me down. My first thought is Cam and I start to panic, thrashing my arms and legs, breathing heavily as all I want is to get up, to get away from here.

"Mate," someone says, cinnamon flooding my senses, "mate, what's wrong."

"Get off me," I say, "get off."

Immediately, I am no longer restricted and am able to sit up. I look around and the moment I am met with the concerned gazes of my mates, I start to cry.

No one has ever looked at me like that, and I don't know how to take it. Not even Carol has given me a look that showed such kindness and concern.

Alpha James looks at me, confused, and moves to touch me, but stops when I flinch away.

"Love," he says in the most comforting voice I've ever heard, and I start to cry harder.

What is going on? Why am I so emotional? I'm never this emotional, not even after I wake up from my nightmares. I cry sometimes, but never like this, and never in front of another wolf.

"Baby," another wolf says, and the scent of cinnamon is so comforting.

I hiccup around tears, trying to calm myself down.

"Sorry," I say, looking away from my mates. I don't want anyone to see me like this. Then, in the background, I can hear Cam's voice calling for Ben, and I remember where I am. I remember who I am.

I scramble up in a panic, intent on leaving the room and not coming back until the two alphas are gone.

"Wait," Alpha James says, and I stop.

Alpha Dennis stands up and moves close to me, so close that I can smell him so strongly, the smell of cinnamon so comforting that it scares me.

Alpha James stays sitting, but he looks like he wants to come closer to me, to hug me.

"And what's your name, little love?" Alpha James asks.

"Noel," I answer, wanting nothing more than to leave this room. I'm terrified that Cam will find out, that he'll hurt me or Henry once he does.

"Why do you look so scared?" Alpha Dennis says, reaching up to stroke my cheek.

I flinch away. "Don't touch me," I say.

Alpha Dennis' face contorts to shock, probably as shocked as I am. Mates are supposed to want to touch one another and it's been years since I've objected to an alpha doing anything to me, especially much worse things.

"I need to leave," I say, running out of the room before either of them can protest.