Mate

Fourteen

This chapter isn't nearly as long as I thought it would be! On the bright side, it's officially spring break and I'll probably be able to update a lot more! Yay! Hope you're enjoying the story! Comment if you'd like, comments make my day; no joke. ^.^

Picture at the top/side is of Ian, played by Ian Somerhalder.

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"WHAT?!" Julian roared. I flinched at Julian's loud voice. Ian pulled Makenna evidently closer to him, prepared to protect her from her own brother. Pack members had turned to stare once again.

"Julian, calm-" he cut me off.

"Don't tell me to calm down, Aspen! My sister is mated to a rival pack's beta!" I shrunk back. Usually I'd argue, but Makenna was his sister. And I didn't know why the packs were enemies, but Julian was a reasonable alpha.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Makenna red in the face, seething at what she took as an insult towards her mate. She had nothing to say. I bet that, if she spoke, she'd end up punching Julian in the face. Repeatedly. With a metal chair. Before pushing him off a cliff. Along with a truck full of bricks.

"We are here to resolve that matter, Alpha Arnou," said Ian seriously. "I suggest you keep to the terms."

"You do not tell me how to do my job!" Julian barked.

"Alpha Julian!" Dustin suddenly came running to the scene, where Julian, Makenna, and Ian were all shaking in anger. Julian's head whipped towards Dustin.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"Rouges - on the boarder!" Dustin explained urgently. Julian immediately dropped out of protective brother mode and into protective alpha mode.

"Set up half of the pack fighters around the pack village," Julian ordered. "The rest of them can be split into two groups; one to lead women, children, and elders to the safety bunkers and the other to fend off any rouges that pass the barrier. Go!"

Dustin hurried off to do as told.

Julian's eyes fogged up for a moment and Blake immediately began to help people file out of the pack house. After a moment, Julian began doing the same along with Carlos and Ian. Makenna took hold of my arm, lead me out of the pack house, called to some pack warriors who were helping, and told them to take me to one of the bunkers.

"What? No! I want to help!" I protested.

"Not gonna happen," said Makenna. "Julian is angry enough with everything that's happening. He'll kill anyone in sight if you get hurt."

"I won't," I insisted.

"I don't care. You're the future luna of this pack and you're going to need to start acting like it. That means using your head and not dying," Makenna pointed at me with a scolding finger wag before running off. I scoffed and began following the warriors to the bunkers.

"I use my head," I muttered. One of the fighters chuckled under his breath and I shot him a glare before letting out a breath.

I uttered an ancient spell under my breath lowly, taking calming breaths. I stopped when feeling the power surging through my veins and closed my eyes, my palms facing outwards as I tipped my head up towards the sky. I could faintly here the pack fighters calling out to me.

Luna... Luna... Luna?

My eyes flew open and all I could see was a white blur of light as the energy that was once inside me, exploded. I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, and squinted, watching a white streak of light fly off.

I didn't know exactly what I had done, but I did know that no other witch had ever been able to do something like that. Not on their own.

I felt arms appear on my back and under my knees, then I was separated from the earth I had been clutching for dear life between my fingers. It was as if all the energy had been drained from my body. My head lolled to the shoulder of whoever was now carrying me.

My eyelids were lead and drooped low before finally closing. No matter how much I fought to stay awake to figure out what just happened, sleep still took over my senses.