The Alpha's Missing Mate

Chapter 9

9.

Angel had less than fifteen minutes to persuade Tabitha that she'd answer all of her questions, take a quick shower, and get redressed before a knock on the door alerted her that Jared had arrived. She crossed the living room barefooted to answer the door. Her wet hair falling down her back, she opened the door, her heart skipping a beat when she met the powerful Alpha's eyes across the thresh hold.

"Angel," he breathed when he saw her, barely restraining himself from grabbing her and wrapping her in his arms.

"Come in," she said, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks from the hunger she saw in his eyes.

"Just couldn't wait until tomorrow to see us again, huh, Angel?" Tommy said as he followed his brother into the small room, Rachel by his side. Angel shook her head in amusement as she shut the door.

She invited them to make themselves at home and offered them something to drink, trying to stall Tabitha's obvious impatience to find out what they were keeping from her. She saw her friends control seconds away from snapping and quickly asked Tommy if they'd brought any liquor. She wasn't so sure Tabitha was the only one needing a drink now.

"Dammit!" Tabitha shouted as Angel sat a rum and coke in front of her. "What's going on? I know you know what I'm talking about, Angel. What does he," she jerked her head towards the boy sitting and holding her hand next to her, "have to tell me? And what did you mean, "claim me"?"

Jared jerked his eyes away from following Angel move around her crowded living room and focused on his pack member.

"Alex?" he asked.

Alex just nodded his head in answer to the rest of the unspoken question. His light blue eyes settled on girl seated next to his pack member. He finally recognized her from the groups' lunch he'd interrupted earlier that afternoon. 'Gods, had it only been earlier today?' he thought, before turning his attention back to the girl. She was human, and she was staying with his mate. He could tell that she had been hurt sometime in the past, but right now, she projected a sense of strength, although it was also tinged with apprehension. So, she was now a member of his pack, it seemed. He looked back at Alex, and gave the boy a slight nod. Whatever happened now, it was up to Alex to handle.

He snuck a look at Angel where she sat, legs crossed, on the floor by what he assumed was her bedroom door as he sank back into the chair he'd brought over to the sitting area from the small dinette table she had in the corner. He caught her staring at him, before she quickly lowered her head, breaking eye contact. She raised her head as she heard Alex clear his throat.

Taking a deep breath, she quietly spoke. "Alex, I'll start. You have to tell her your part, but she at least deserves to hear the majority of this from me." Alex looked at her and gave Angel a small smile before nodding. "Tabby, I.. We... There's some thing you need to know... About us," she said, indicating everyone sitting around the small space. She took a deep breath, gathered her thoughts and tried again. "Okay, you know how last year I came back from my camping trip and I was all quiet and scared?" She asked her best friend, taking another breath before continuing when the girl nodded. "Well, I found out then that I was a..." She trailed off as she tried to gather her courage. God, how was she supposed to tell Tabitha that monsters really did exist and that she was one of them. "I'm a werewolf, Tab. I was born a werewolf. And so are Jared, Tommy, Rachel, and Alex. The rest of the gang. too."

Tabitha looked at everyone in the room, shock evident on her face. Then she glanced at Alex. "You're a werewolf?"

"Yes," he nodded. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her reaction. Would she scream? Yell? Reject them all? Reject him? He didn't know. He could only hope and pray that she would accept him.