The Alpha's Mate

The Alpha's Mate - Chapter 21

Word count - 1323

It had been a couple of weeks since I had been forced home by Noah. I still wasn't aware as to why he had forced me away, but the words he had spoken on the way out of the hospital had stuck with me.

"Why would he say that Logan?" I was sitting in the back of the car as Logan drove out of Noah's pack lands.

I tried not to be too teary as I packed up what I had taken to Noah's. It had only been roughly a week since I had first arrived at Noah's house, but I had quickly gotten attached to him and his pack.

"Honestly Katherine, I don't know. He's never really snapped like that after a fight. What makes it weirder is that you're his mate and he radiated so much anger."

I slouched back in to my seat, Logan's words not making me feel any better about the situation. I took a breath in and out trying to calm my racing heartbeat as we reached my house slowly, the feeling of home making me feel slightly better about everything.

"Here we are Katherine. Be safe."

I couldn't tell if Logan's words had been threatening or sincere, but I didn't care either way, I was glad to see my brothers again, even though when I left there had been some problems, I knew that my brothers would be over it.

"Hello?" My voice echoed throughout the house eerily.

A menacing growl came from the kitchen, and against my best wishes, I approached the source of the noise carefully. I dropped my bags on one of the couches slowly, acting as though any slight noise might trigger whatever was in my kitchen to come and barrel me down. I inhaled slowly as I stood just before the threshold of the kitchen. It was jump in head first or back out totally. So I jumped in. Exhaling loudly I ran in to the kitchen, my eyes wide and searching quickly, only to be greeted by my two brothers on the kitchen bench, eyes focused on the papers in front of them, and no beast.

Xavier looked up first, confusion crossing his features before he began to smile, dropping what was in his hands and moving around the bench to come and embrace me.

"Katherine! I didn't even hear you come in! What are you doing here?" Xavier looked like he had physically grown as well as the apparent deeper voice that now accompanied him, I swear I had only been gone for like a week, how did this happen?

I accepted his embrace quickly and thoroughly, digging my face in to his shoulder, also taking a note of his height increase. I opened my eyes slightly to find Kohl still sitting at the bench, his shoulders and back tense and his hair falling over his forehead. I slowly let go of Xavier and gave him a small smile as I moved around him, slowly stepping towards Kohl. I could feel Xavier's eyes boring in to the back of my head, obviously slightly cautious as to how Kohl was going to react.

"Kohl?" I was a foot away from him before he slowly decided to turn around and acknowledge me.

His eyes were hard, angry, I wasn't surprised in the slightest. I knew he had been hurt by my leaving, which was understandable, but he would have to grow up some time.

"Katherine." His voice had become deeper, smoother, he spoke with what seemed like new found authority. I took notice of his stature. His face looked sharper, his arms bulged out and in the tight shirt he was wearing, you could see that he had become more toned. Why couldn't I tone up like this in a week?

He stared at me some more, and I, him. We were studying each other, although I hadn't changed much, besides my eyes were probably redder, puffier, from my crying in the car. I took note of how Kohl's vibe had changed, the childish attitude he had had somewhat disappeared and now... now I could just feel his defensiveness.

I shoved all of the thoughts in to the back of my mind and took one more step towards Kohl before bringing my arms up around his shoulders and hugging him. Although I wasn't sure it was possible, he tensed up further as I snuggled my face in to the area between his shoulder and neck. It took a minute or so before I felt his arms wrap around me, as he exhaled loudly.

I sat on my bed as the smell of chocolate wafted in to my room, awakening my senses instantly. I followed the smell down in to the kitchen and as greeted with Xavier making 3 cups of hot chocolate.

"Ha. I knew chocolate would bring you out of hibernation. How are you feeling?" He looked me up and down as I approached the kitchen bench and sat on one of our barstools.

"I'm okay, I guess, that aching has stopped in my chest, except for sometimes at night, it throbs a little bit, long, agonising pulses, but they're manageable." My eyes moved from my twiddling hands to Xavier's angry eyes.

He slammed down the mug of hot chocolate in front of me and a few droplets cascaded down the sides of the cup. I looked up to see Xavier shake of his anger and give me a soft smile.

"Sorry, I'm glad you're feeling better." Continuing to smile softly towards me, he sat down on the bar stool next to me.

As he sat down I scooted a little closer to him, resting my head on the side of his bicep and lifted the hot chocolate to my lips. Kohl came in to the kitchen not long after. He was panting loudly, sweat dripping from his forehead and only in a pair of shorts, he had obviously just gone for a run.

"Hey Katherine, how are you feeling? Xavier talked to you about the screaming yet?" I looked at Kohl quizzically, silently urging him to proceed.

"You know, how you scream in your sleep sometimes? Like, some damsel in distress sort of thing." I turned to Xavier who was glaring at Kohl, as he obviously hadn't told me about the screaming.

"She feels better Kohl, that's all that matters."

"Well not when I can't get any slee- "

"Enough Kohl." Xavier's gaze was hard on Kohl as he proceeded to shrug his shoulders and down his hot chocolate, making a small delighted noise once he was done.

"Do I really do that? Scream in my sleep?" I looked between my two brothers quickly.

"Sometimes. Look, it's nothing to be worried about, Kohl can usually calm you down, he just sits with you and talks a little bit, but when I try, god, it's like you're trying to drag yourself to hell." I thought about it for a moment, pondering what information I had just been given.

"Maybe, because you're an Alpha, and... and he was an alpha, so my unconscious body gets the same vibe, doesn't like it too much?" I looked at Xavier quickly before looking back down at my hands, as he was concentrated on Kohl.

"Maybe, I guess that could explain it. Well, Kohl, looks like you're on baby duty from now on." Xavier smiled slyly before getting up and moving around him to place his cup in the sink, chuckling as Kohl grumbled.

"Are you guys going to the pack house later? I think I need to get out of the house. It might be good for me."

"Yeah, it's one of the pack members birthday's, they're have a small thing, but you're more than welcome to come along, obviously." Kohl squeezed my shoulder lightly as he walked out.

With that, I walked towards my bedroom with a slight determination.