Fighting For Survival

Chapter 8

When I felt a hand pulling me, I came crashing back to reality. I blinked, and the man was gone. I let out a breath. I hadn't realised I had been holding it, and I turned to see the handsome man had Ben pinned against the wall. Diana was concerned by the grey wolf, ready to attack. I launched to my feet and headed straight for the grey wolf. I used my full body weight and knocked into the wolf sideways, knocking it off balance. I turned and kicked out, striking the wolf in the side. The wolf growled and lunged at me, tackling me down to the ground. I suddenly felt consumed by rage and struck out and hit its snout as I felt its claws rip down my side. I hissed at the pain and pushed its snapping jaws from my neck, trying to find a way out. Just when I thought I was about to be eaten alive, the wolf disappeared, and there was a lot of growling. I blinked and groaned as I rolled to my side. Looking down, I saw four slash marks from the top of my shoulder, down my ribs and across my stomach. Diana was suddenly in front of my face, looking frantic.
"Morgan! Can you hear me? Are you alright?" I winced at her shouting. The damn woman was screaming like a banshee. I tried to sit up and groaned, falling flat on my back. My side hurt like hell. Diana's hands were hovering, and she looked like a bird flapping.
"Will you stop screaming. I'm not deaf." She stopped flapping and gave a small laugh. She was about to reach for me when there was a large growl, and Diana flinched and snatched her hands back. I looked at her, confused, and she smiled a little. My view was then suddenly blocked by golden eyes. His eyes were frantic this time, and it was his turn to flap his hands like a bird. I rolled my eyes.
"I will pick you up now, but it will hurt. Ok?" His voice sounded like heaven. I was so enthralled by the sound that I just gave a slight nod, my eyes never leaving his. He nodded, reached his arms under my legs and scooped me into his arms. I whimpered as pain tore through my side, and golden eyes was frowning again and looked as if he was about to explode. He strode to the sofa and lay me down as I grunted through the pain. I was trying not to show how much pain I was in as it made golden eyes frown. I didn't like his frown.
"Now, I am going to have a look to see how bad it is. OK?" He sounded so gentle that I felt reassured by his voice. I nodded weakly as he leaned to move what was left of my T-shirt to the side. I whimpered and heard him curse under his breath, looking away. I was starting to feel woozy and lightheaded. I looked past him to Diana and gave her a small smile.
"Isn't he just the most beautiful specimen you have ever seen?" Golden eyes chuckled, and my eyes snapped to his. It was like music to my ears.
"We will get this cleaned up and get you to a doctor." I nodded, my head feeling heavy.
"Diana?" I called out as I could no longer see her. All I saw were golden eyes. She appeared behind his shoulder.
"I'm here Morgan. We will get you fixed up, I promise." I tried to nod, but my head was heavy, and my eyes drooped.
"She needs a doctor now!" I could hear golden eyes shouting and a lot of crashing.
"You need to calm down right now so I can help her, and stop destroying my house before I throw you out" I gave a small chuckle at Diana's booming voice, full of power. I then couldn't keep my eyes open and gave into the darkness.

I was comfortable, at peace, and well-rested, and I didn't want the feeling to end. I was trying to return to dreamland when it all came flooding back: spell failing, wolf crashing through the window, pain and heat, and golden eyes. Those eyes were the most beautiful I had ever seen, and I could have sworn I was in love. Then there was the grey wolf, me fighting, the grey wolf clawing me, and then me passing out. My eyes snapped open, and I looked down at my side. I was wearing a sports bra and leggings. I touched where the marks had been and felt no pain. My skin was smooth. All that was left were four dark pink marks against my skin. Looking up, I realised I was in the room I had been staying in with Diana. She must have changed my clothes. As I swung my feet off the bed, the door opened, and chocolate-brown eyes met mine. He took up most of the space in the doorway, but it was a chance for me to get a good look at him for the first time. He was tall, must have been at least six feet tall, and had broad shoulders. He had an athletic build and looked like he spent most of his time in the gym. His arm muscles were huge. He was wearing a black T-shirt which emphasised his muscles and grey shorts. I then brought my eyes back up and found him smirking at me.
"Are you done ogling me?" I raised an eyebrow and huffed. I was more annoyed that I had been caught ogling than his sarcasm. Folding my arms, I crossed my legs on the bed and looked at him, waiting for him to say something. Once he realised he wouldn't get a response, he smiled awkwardly, shuffling into the room and shutting the door. The brave bravado had disappeared, and now he just looked awkward. He cleared his throat.
"How are you feeling?" I gave a small smile and stretched out.
"Much better thank you. What happened after I passed out?" He ran his hand through his hair nervously.
"Well, there was a lot of shouting and commotion, but long story short. Diana healed you, and I stayed as you are my mate." My mouth dropped open like a goldfish. Mate? I had heard about mates from various people but was told that most find their mates within their communities. There have been stories of supernaturals and humans being mates, but I had never heard of a dhampir and a werewolf being mates. He must have been mistaken. But why else was he here? None of it made sense. My mouth must have still been open as he leaned forward and closed it for me. When he touched me, an electric current came through me and made me shiver. I knew he felt it too, as he had the same reaction as I did, except his eyes turned golden. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes, they were brown again.
"Did you say I was your mate?" He nervously ran his hand through his hair again, making it messy. It looked hot messy. I wanted to run my hands through his hair. I was thinking about his lips and how kissable they looked when I heard a growl. His eyes had turned golden, and he stepped closer to me so he was in front of me. My breathing hitched as I unfolded my legs on either side of him. He leaned down, closed his eyes and brushed his lips against my throat. I shivered, not for being cold. He took his time, inhaling my scent. I tilted my head to the side to give him better access, and he hummed in delight. I then felt gentle kisses down towards my collarbone as I arched my back closer to him. His arms wrapped around my waist, picking me up as if I weighed nothing and buried his face in my neck. I felt my legs tighten around his waist as he let out a small moan. I let out a small moan in response, and he tightened his grip on my waist. I then felt a bulge against my core, and I gasped. He sped up his assault of kisses on my neck until I felt a sharp sting. I jumped and pulled back to see his eyes glowing gold and his canines out. I put a hand to my neck and felt nothing. He was going to bite me. My sudden rush of romance evaporated, and I wriggled, trying to get down. This just made him moan more as he closed his eyes. I slapped a hand on his chest.
"Put me down. Right now!" I demanded. His eyes snapped open to meet mine. He put me down, and I moved so I was on the other side of the bed and glared at him.
"You were going to bite me!" I yelled. I could still feel the effects of the lust and was trying to shake it off and be angry. He looked shocked for a moment before settling into a smirk.
"I was only going to claim what's mine." He purred. I felt pure rage. I did not belong to anyone, let alone someone I had just met. I grabbed one of the pillows and threw it at him as hard as I could.
"What's yours? I am not something you can claim! I am not an object! You don't get any of me buddy! I don't even know your name!" I knew my face would be flushed. It always happened when I got upset or angry. He smirked.
"My name is Cole. It seemed like you were enjoying yourself." I glared at him and threw another pillow. He caught it with ease.
"Excuse me? Well. Cole. You don't get to claim me. I don't belong to anyone." His eyes narrowed, and he stepped closer to me around the bed. I grabbed another pillow and held it defensively.
"You. Are. Mine," He growled. I couldn't help but shiver at those words. I hated the effect he was having on me. I narrowed my eyes back at him.
"I don't belong to you, moron. Get that through your thick skull. There must be a mistake about being mates. You are a werewolf. I am a dhampir. There has been no such match ever." I held the pillow up, ready to strike. He closed the gap between us, snatched the pillow from my hands, and threw it to the side. He had me trapped in the corner with no way out.
"You will be mine. You are my mate. I know you feel the bond too. Stop denying it." I shook my head. I would not be bossed about by some giant who decided I was his. I shoved him as hard as I could. It wasn't enough to knock him over, but enough for him to stumble. He was strong. Seizing the chance, I dodged around him and headed for the door. My hand had reached the door handle when I felt his arms wrap around my waist and pull me back towards him. I threw an elbow back and hit him in the jaw. He cursed and loosened his grip. I turned and stamped on his foot as hard as I could before bringing a knee up to the crown jewels. He went down like a sack of potatoes, and I ran for the door. I raced downstairs to find Ben and Diana in the kitchen sipping coffee. Ben was grinning wildly at me, and Diana looked concerned.
"Getting acquainted, are we?" I glared at Ben and ran to Diana.
"He is insane! You have to help me. He says that I belong to him, and he was going to bite me!" Diana looked furious and stood up as Cole entered the kitchen, holding his jaw. His eyes narrowed on me, and he took one step before falling to his, clutching his head. I gasped and then felt pain in my head. I winced as it felt like a nasty headache. Diana's hand was glowing, and it was aimed at Cole.
"I let you stay alpha under the impression that you would treat Morgan with the respect that she serves. You may be used to getting your way back home, but we are on even ground here. Do I make myself clear, alpha?" Cole groaned but nodded. Diana's hand stopped glowing as Cole moaned and leaned forward, panting. My head also stopped hurting. Strange. Cole got to his feet and eyed Diana warily.
"You know who I am, don't you?" He almost sounded offended. Diana laughed.
"I know exactly who you are, Alpha Cole, but don't you forget who you are talking to." Cole looked as if he had just sucked a lemon.

"So, let me get this straight. There has never been a mate bond between a werewolf and a dhampir?" I sat on the sofa next to Diana and opposite Cole and Ben. Cole had sulked for the last hour when I informed him I would not sit next to him as he wanted. I reminded him I wasn't an object and chose to sit where I wanted to. Ben had thought the whole thing was hilarious. "No. Never. It's unheard of." I sighed. Of course, I would be the first to participate in something different and unusual. I had also learned that Cole wasn't just any alpha. He was The Alpha. He was next in line for the throne to rule over werewolves, and I was expected to pick up and leave with him to rule next to him. Absolutely not. Diana was still unsure why Cole could get through the perimeter she had around the house as it was still intact. Her only thought was that I was his mate; mates have a stronger bond than most magic. The wolf bursting through the window was his second-in-command, who thought I was being held captive. Cole had pulled him off me and told him to return home and stay away as he had injured the future Luna. I had snorted at the term, which earned a glare from Cole. I then informed him I would have no such title as I was not ruling over anyone. That set Cole off again, and he became arrogant and bossy, so I flipped the bird and told him to stick it. He shook so violently that Ben had to shove Cole out the back door as he was about to shift into his wolf. Cole had returned sometime later and kept glaring at me. "So what happens now?" I asked. Diana shrugged. "That's up to you. You now have a mate next in line for the werewolf throne. That isn't something that you can ignore." I huffed and glared at Cole, who looked pleased with himself. "But we still need to find Freya and get some answers," Diana continued, and I nodded. I was set to meet my mother when Cole had to ruin everything. Diana told Cole about my true identity and what we had learned over the past few days. He wasn't thrilled about my true identity but had told Diana he knew that I was different. Cole had informed us that I smelt different from anyone he had ever smelt. I found the conversation weird, but Diana seemed to understand what he was saying. "I need to find her. I need answers," I whispered. My heart ached for the mother I thought I had lost. I felt a warm hand on my knee and suddenly felt warm and mushy on the inside. I looked up into Cole's eyes. They had softened, and I saw the kindness I had first seen. Maybe there was hope for him after all. "We will find her together. I promise." My heart warmed, and I believed his words. He looked at Diana. "I suggest you all come to the pack for safety. Diana, we have ancient texts that may be able to help you with the locator spell." Diana snorted. "I don't think you will have anything I have't seen." Cole grinned. "You'll be surprised, we like to keep some things to ourselves." Diana's eyes narrowed at him but I could tell he had peaked her interest. "Your only saying that so you can keep Morgan close to you. Afraid she will run away from you?" Ben smirked and Cole growled. I slapped his chest in response. Cole looked at me, stunned. "Stop growling. You sound like an idiot." Ben was doubled over laughing while Cole muttered under his breath. I ignored him and stood up. "Looks like we are going to wolf land." I declared and Cole rolled his eyes.