In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 11

*A.N. An update to let you know I'm not dead... yet. Moving house sucks!

"Jena! Jena, wait up silly goose!"

"What, Hannah?"

"Don't what me, or I'll start giving you the almighty honorable Alpha Jena, wonder that walks the grounds and blesses us with her illustrious presence treatment!"

"Really? The fake grand words treatment?"

"Oh, they're not fake honey, you just hate them anyway and that why it's such an efficient threat."

"Yeah. So?"

"What do you mean 'so'? So spill the beans! Your mate? Since when? Did you just meet? I mean again? Is he the guy from the 'other' place? And..."

"Fine! I'll talk. Just slow down. One question at a time, please."

"OK. So your mate? Really?"

"Yes."

"Like really, really?"

"Yes, really."

"Since when? But didn't you say you already met your soul mate in the 'other' place?"

"Yup."

"So you have two mates?"

"No."

"Could you not force me to ask every little thing?"

"I could."

"But you won't. Fine. Is he the same one..."

"Yes. The same but different."

"Different good or different bad?"

"Good. Very good. I mean he looks so big, so fit and muscly and so strong, I mean it's like he is another man, just with the same scent, I mean almost the same scent, and the same beautiful face and those dark brown eye and..."

"OK, I get it, you've been stalking him a lot."

"Have not!"

"Jena?" Hanna asks rising an eyebrow.

"Maybe a little? OK, a lot! What do you want me to tell you? That I sneaked into his tent last night just so I could watch him sleep? I did, OK? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Girl? Take a breath and calm down. It's OK, nobody is accusing you of anything. So, what did you think?"

"About?"

"Your mate sleeping?"

"Oh, I just know I could watch him do that for ever."

"Yup. Definitely a mate bond, a bit creepy, but I've watched Joel sleep on more than one occasion myself. But wait a second!"

"Hmm?"

"What do you mean he is different? How can one be different that when you first met him?"

"Well, honestly, when I was following my father's killer and met Al'Aeen for the first time – of course I didn't know his name back then – he looked different."

"You said that already. Now explain."

"Like if a guy would decide to skip warrior training altogether because he had a physical condition preventing him to train. He still looked good back then, but almost delicate, fragile even."

"Really? Seeing him now... I mean he is bigger than Sima for fcuk's sake! I just can't imagine him like a scrawny youngster."

"I know, right? It's almost too hard to imagine me and him... I mean he and I..."

"Doing the nasty? It's called making love, honey. And once you start doing that with your mate, trust me, there is nothing like it! I mean Joel and I, we..."

"That's enough, thank you! Please shut up now!" Jena exclaims alarmed, with two hands covering her ears.

"...ke your hands off of your ears? Thank you! Finally. OK, changing the subject: so what about the scent? How can someone's scent be different?"

"Well, it's still his scent which for me is a pine forest in the rain and roasted chestnuts, but also, I mean back here, on Calla, it's like his scent is wild and unsettled, like a storm raging against the elements."

"That's what storms usually do, honey."

"No, you don't get it. It used to be roasted nuts and pine forest after or during rain. That rain feels like a storm now, like the scent is fighting itself, never quite settling."

"Strange. Too bad nobody can confirm that since he only has one mate. Wait, didn't you say he already was with someone back on – I think Earth you called it?"

"Still is with that pseudo mate. I mean was. Is? I... don't really know how to describe this situation. But he hasn't rejected my mark so..."

"WHAT THE HELL, GIRL? YOU MARKED HIM ALREADY? You realize that should have been the first thing that came out of your mouth, right? So when, how? What did you do? How did he react? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Slow down. I'm telling you now, aren't I?"