Mated

Two

"I heard about your cat fight with Kendra last night," Ray said the next morning. We had just finished our workout and were in the university's locker room getting our things.

"I'm sure the whole pack heard." I mumbled. Because of our super hearing, the pack could hear things louder than the humans could. Fortunately, if we concentrate hard enough, we eventually learn to block out some of the noise.

"Well, yeah. We heard the howls while we were eating dinner." We could only talk to each other telepathically when we Changed. Only Alphas were able to use the telepathic link while still in their human form. However, that link only bound up to a certain radius.

I tightened my grip on my bag. We both attended college at the local university not far from the compound. Although Ray took classes because she was settling into adulthood in Vienna and planned on having a career among the humans after graduation, I was taking classes to pass time until I mated.

I knew my mate wasn't a member of our pack because if he were, I would've met him by now. Which, in that case, I would have been building my future for life in Vienna as well.

But it was different for me because of the family I was born into. And I knew that when the time came, I would meet my mate's family of wolves, take on leadership for those supernaturals, and no degree could ever prepare me for that.

"Well, of course it was about Connor." We made our way toward the west wing and looked for an empty table in the food court. Humans milled around the refrigerators and food stands, taking their time in making their lunch selection. There were hardly any of our wolves on campus at this hour. Most of them took classes at night when it was less populated by mortals. I didn't blame them, humans gave off a sickly odor, making their mortality even more obvious as if the slow pounding of their hearts wasn't enough.

"When isn't it about Connor?" I shook my head at her, tired of the conversation. "I'm so sick of her..." I trailed off as we settled at a table and she took her seat next to me.

"What about Connor?" He asked, sliding in next to us, ever so smoothly. And always on que.

"Speak of the devil. We were just talking about your new haircut," Ray lied. I was grateful she didn't mention the Kendra encounter, although I knew he heard.

"Ah, so you like?" He ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stick straight up.

"Yeah, we love it when you grow a fin on your head." He chuckled and smoothed it down flat.

"So, I think today is your day, Malia," he whispered to me a few minutes later. I admired him for trying to get my hopes up about meeting my mate but it was just a constant reminder that time was running out.

'A female can only mate while she is a teenager up until her twentieth birthday. If she becomes a woman before mating, she can only find a hint of love in a human', I remembered my Grandmother saying. Ulta Warrior Wolves like Kendra and Connor were half bloods whose fate was in protecting the pack. They were always the first to fight in battles, frontliners. They were "doomed" Grandmother used to say. Ultas and werewolves who became Changed by a bite, were not destined to mate because they weren't supposed to be one of us.

It was unfair, but it was our Law.

With my being full-bred, mating was extremely crucial for my family. With my father the Alpha of our pack, our Alpha bloodline finalized my predetermined fate. Every Alpha needs a partner, and Alphas often mate with Alpha descendants—the offspring of one. If I didn't mate in time, although it had never happened before where a full bred werewolf didn't, my descendancy wouldn't mean anything anymore. I would have no choice but to be an Ulta too.

I only had three days left before my twentieth birthday.

"Earth to Malia..."

"Sorry," I smiled at Connor. "What were we talking about—" Ugh. I whipped my head around and carefully sniffed the air, forgetting that I was in a food court full of humans. An awful smell had drifted into the room through the open door leading to the rear hallways. Suddenly, my wolf purred within me.

"Malia?" Ray breathed a worried whisper, darting her eyes at the tables around us and I realized I was grasping the edge of the table, the strength in my fingertips leaving tiny dents on its surface. I hoped no one in the room noticed, but that was the least of my concerns.

Is this what I think it is?

"I'll be right back." I think I said before I walked out of the room and into the next wing without even turning to help the person I knocked over in my hasty retreat. I followed the scent, letting my nose lead me.

According to every mating story I heard, the unpleasant smell only lasts until you and your mate see each other for the first time. It was a mechanism to lead us to each other.

It grew stronger as I drew closer. Yes! Yes, this is it. It—

I came to an abrupt stop and the huge smile on my face fell. Two of the school's janitors dressed in khakis and polos rolled crates of potted plants and small trees down the hallway.

"How ya' doing?" One of them nodded at me.

"What—what is this?" I stared at the plants in utter disbelief. I noticed a pot of crown imperials poking out of one of the crates. That must have been where the strong scent had been coming from.

"These are for Dr. Fretter's bio class."

"Oh." The janitor nodded and they resumed their trek, rolling the crates down the long hallway. I slumped a little, disappointed and turned to head back.

I neared the hallway connecting to the food court when I smelled it again. Thinking it was just the plants, I ignored it. Someone down the next hallway was whistling a tune and coming closer to me. As I rounded the corner I crashed right into a hard body.

"Argh," I groaned and looked up at the werewolf I'd run into. "I'm so sorry..." My voice drifted off when my nose twitched at the scent radiating off of him. He looked down at me as if he was just now noticing I blocked his path and hadn't even felt the impact.

At the same time, as if some invisible force made us do it, we reached out to each other and intertwined our fingers, folding them over. A warm jolt shot down the fingers of my hand to the crook in my arm. I heard another quiet purr from my wolf and I stared up at him.

He looked older, mature. His dark green eyes began to glow a brilliant, almost ocean green color. The eyes of his wolf. His face was clean shaven and lazy waves framed his strong face. It was long enough to brush his shoulders and one thick strand, awkward in its short length, hung just above his right brow. The same brow that sported a barely visible crystal stud. Markings peeked out from beneath his sleeve and more at the collar of his shirt.

The awful smell was gone. It was replaced with the smell of him. A spicy blend of amber and leaves. I heard another purr but this time it could've been me, not my wolf.

I could tell my eyes burned like his because I felt my wolf now more than I ever did in my human phase. As if our skin touching was pulling her forward.

I smiled up at him. This is my mate. Finally.

Something flashed in his eyes. Without a word he yanked his hand away then turned back around the corner, leaving me alone in the hallway.