The Alpha's Mate

The Alpha's Mate - Chapter 14

Word count - 1244

"I'm going to stay with Noah for two weeks."

I stared at Xavier and Kohl's expressions. It was a comedic sight. Kohl ran his hand through his hair, sighing as he did so.

"Is this what you really want?" Kohl's hand collided with Xavier's arm so quickly that I didn't have time to react.

"Xavier, are you crazy? There's no fucking way that she is going with him. Mum and dad would kill us if they were here and they knew you were even contemplating the idea." Kohl was in hysterics, running his hands down his face as he panted, staring back and forth between my brother and I.

"Mum and dad aren't here anymore, so we need to make the rational decisions. We knew this was going to happen when he first showed up at our house. Don't act so surprised." Xavier was always the more mature brother when it came to decision making, The response I received from both brothers was expected.

Kohl stared a little longer at Xavier, but eventually stormed off as the realisation set in that me going with Noah was happening.

"Thank you Xavier, I feel kind of bad though, I know Kohl means well."

"I know he does, but he also has double standards, if his mate were to walk in this room right now, he would get down on his knees and go with her anywhere. It's just because you're our baby sister, you know, you remind us so much of mum and with you gone..."

"You act like I'm leaving you forever." I tried to ease the tension with a soft smile and a laugh, but he gave me a knowing look.

"If what Noah is saying is true, then it will be." Xavier gave me a sad smile before walking off.

My heart dropped a little. I didn't want to leave them forever. We had gotten so close since our parents died and my transition, I didn't want that to waste away because of some mate.

--

I had ended up walking home by myself, it was comforting, knowing I wouldn't be here for the next two weeks. I needed to clear my head of what Xavier said. Leaving forever. It was an unsettling thought, but not as unsettling as leaving home with some stranger that I don't know if I liked or disliked, and not even in a more than friendship way, we didn't even have a friendship. I knew that it was literally crazy for me to be leaving with him, but If my brother trusted him then so can I.

I started to pack a bag, making sure that I took at least one photo of my brothers. I didn't know exactly where Noah lived, but I assumed that it was far as he said 'neighbouring pack'. The weight of what I was doing was slowly suffocating me with each item of clothing I placed in my bag. A new shirt, a new idea of how badly this whole thing could go wrong. Noah could be lying and I could be thrown on my ass back to Kansas, or Noah is right and we have the best time together and I end up staying with him. I had the hope that maybe we could keep in contact while I come home, but I knew it was stupid, it wasn't going to happen. I hadn't noticed the tears crawling down my face until one landed on my lap. It was surprising, something that was meant to make me happy was evoking such a sadness in me.

"Are you ready to.."

I recognised to voice, but I didn't want to look up, didn't want to move. I just wanted to silently reminisce in my melancholy.

"Katherine?" My stomach dropped as the moment set in.

I couldn't stop the tears after that point, they just kept coming, even after Noah sat down next to me and put me on his lap, lightly cooing and rubbing my back, trying to stop the sobs and the hiccups and the onset of what was becoming a really bad runny nose. I'm not sure why I couldn't stop crying though, they soon became pointless sobs, but I guess I knew the real reason, it wasn't about going with Noah, or leaving the pack for now, it was about my parent's, with this house being my only tie with them since what happened.

"Katherine?" I had grown tired, and the sobs had eased. I'm not sure what time it was, but I knew from the darkness outside it had gotten late.

"Yes?" My response was raspy, my throat too dry after all of the crying I had done.

"We need to head off, but if you don't want to go, you're more than welcome to stay home." Noah was trying to be nice about the situation, I had just cried in to his shirt for what could have been hours, and he thought it was because of him. I could hear the hurt in his words though, as strange as it was, but I knew what I had to do.

"I'm sorry about that, it was very uncalled for, it is only two weeks." He rubbed my back a little more before stopping and grabbing my waist, shifting me off of him. I hadn't realised how cold the room had gotten.

He stood up, dusted off his sweat pants and held a hand out to me. I wiped my eyes, and wiped what minimal waste I had on my nose before accepting his help and slowly getting off of the ground. My legs had grown weak, suffering from pins and needles, but I needed to pretend like I was okay, at least after that embarrassing episode. He reached down slowly grabbed my bag that had been sitting next to us, maybe in hopes it wouldn't trigger another episode of sobbing and walked towards the door.

"Come downstairs when you're ready okay?" I looked at him briefly, my glassy eyes betraying me and gave him a curt nod before he walked out, leaving the door slightly jarred. I changed in to some warmer clothes, specifically my sweat pants and an oversized jumper, and made my way out of the room, quickly inspecting it to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

Making my way downstairs, I could feel my dread piling up, I'm sure Noah could too with the way that his face was distorted, one of slight anguish, or maybe it was that there was only one of my brothers standing in the foyer and not two.

"Xavier, where's Kohl?" I had stopped at least two metres from where Noah and Xavier where standing.

"He said.. He said that he didn't want to see you."

It was like a blow to the head. I tried to block it out, I knew he didn't want me to leave, but this wasn't okay. I could feel the tears starting again. Pursing my lips, I gave Xavier a hug, pulling back after a second or so to give him a small smile and wiping away a stray tear with my sleeve.

"I'll keep in touch okay? I'll be back before you know it." I was already half way past Noah before I had finished my sentence, the words had become a yell and my sadness had turned to anger. I left the door open behind as Noah slowly followed.