Simply Mates

FIVE

My jaw drops to the floor and I feel like I am going to faint. My wolf, on the other hand, is itching to take control and kill my Father. 

"What?!" I almost roar, able to dial her in at the last second. 

Father's pursed lips begin to curl up and he throws his head back in laughter. "Oh, Andy. You should have seen your face!" He says between laughter. 

I force myself to laugh as I place a hand over my heart. "That was hilarious, Dad." I say.

"I would never do that to you, Andy." He smiles. "But, you should probably join one of those mating balls the King throws. It would do you some good to find your mate."

"Yeah, maybe." I say quickly. "Is that the only reason you called me in here?"

His laughter dies down and his face turns serious once again. "Actually, no." He says as he begins tapping the arm of the chair with his fingers - a habit that he only does when he is annoyed. "As you know, the Alpha King's Council meeting is in two days. This year, I want you to go with me. It's about time you saw that side of things and learned how to portray yourself in a room full of Alphas."

"I know how to handle some Alphas, Dad." I say, narrowing my eyes. 

"This is more than some Alphas, Andromeda." He scolds. "Every Alpha in North America will be there. And with you being only one of two Alpha Females in the entirety of North America, you will have to put in more than any of those other fools to get the respect that you deserve.

"And it won't be easy. Many of the Alpha's in there look down on females and think of them as no more than bed warmers or pup makers. You will need to prove to them that you are the Alpha Female and you won't be intimidated. Make Moon Fire proud, Andromeda. Make me  proud." He says with a large smile on his face. His eyes show how much love and respect he has for me and it fills me with so much pride that I feel like I could explode right now. 

"I will, Dad." I say, returning his smile. 

"I know you will, Andy." He says before his smile slowly disappears. "There is just one thing you should be aware of. 

"The Redwood Alpha and his son will be there." He spits in disgust. My ears perk up at the mention of Callum and I pray Father doesn't hear my heart beat faster. "While in the King's presence, we must treat them with respect." He rolls his eyes.

"I understand, Dad." 

"However, as soon as the King is gone..." He trails off, a smirk forming on his face.

"Father! You are sixty-two years old! I will not let you get in a fight with the Redwood Alpha or his son." I state firmly. "Let alone in the King's palace!" 

"Ugh." He groans. "You are just like your mother - no fun."

"Well, I'm glad I'm like mom then." I say, narrowing my eyes at him. "I won't let you disgrace yourself or this pack. Dad, I know you hate the man, but you can't just go and attack him every chance you get."

He smiles again. "Andy, you will make a fine Alpha." He says. "Now go on and pack. We leave tomorrow night." 

I step towards him and lean down to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Dad." I say before turning on my heel and exiting the office. 

"Goodnight, Andromeda." Father calls out to me before I close the door behind me.

"Oh my Goddess, you have to fucking help me now." I order as I burst into my brother's room, ignoring the naked girl beneath him.

"Christ, Ands. Can't you knock?" He growls as he pulls away from the girl. "I'm sorry Brittney. Another time?"

The girl pushes him off and wraps the sheet around herself. "It's Beverly, asshole." She spits before getting up from the bed and pushing past me through the door. I growl at her, making her scurry away faster.

"What the hell, Ands? I thought we had an unspoken rule of never interrupting each other's 'private time'." He says, using finger quotations. 

"I do not care that you didn't get your dick milked. I have bigger problems and I need your help!" I demand, stomping my foot like a petulant child. 

"Jesus, relax there." He says as he walks over to the closet to grab a pair of shorts. I turn my head so I don't have to see his...nakedness. Gross.

"Don't tell me to relax, Derek. I have a serious fucking problem and I don't know what to do."

"Let's go for a run, you can tell me at the waterfall." He says, offering me a small smile. He knows just what I need to calm down. 

"Thank you." I mutter, turning around and stomping through the halls to the door. Pack members give me curious looks, but don't dare question me as I pass them - probably fearful of how I would react if they did.

I exit the house and begin pulling my clothes off as I walk towards the forest. 

"Goddess Ands. Couldn't you wait until you reach the trees before you started stripping?" Derek whines as he picks up the clothes behind me. 

I turn quickly and snarl, my wolf already pushing the shift. Derek raises his hands in surrender and follows behind me as I shift into my wolf. 

I don't bother waiting for Derek to shift. He knows the way and he also knows that I need some alone time right now. So, I burst into the forest, running as fast as my four legs allow me. I push my paws into the soft ground, zipping between trees and jumping over fallen branches. I allow the feeling of the wind running through my fur engulf me, bringing a sense of peace into my body and soul. A howl rips through me, echoing around the trees that surround us and into the night sky above. 

I finally hear the soft thuds of Derek's paws as I cross over our border into the unclaimed territory. Instantly, I'm on high alert - my ears listening for any threats and my nose sniffing for any danger as my eyes dart around the forest. 

It doesn't take long for us to read the waterfall. I shift back and dive into the cool water below the falls. I can faintly hear the splash of Derek jumping in behind me from beneath the water's surface. 

I allow myself a moment to just sink to the bottom of the small pond, ignoring my lungs crying for oxygen as I push my body to it's limits. I enjoy the soothing sounds of the water in my ears and just sit there. I open my eyes, looking around the murky water at the weeds floating around and particles of dirt float past me. The fuzzy outline of a fish is in the distance and Derek is kicking around above me. 

Eventually, I feel myself begin to fade and I know that it is time to go back to the real world above. I push myself off from the muddy ground, kicking up dirt around me as soon as my feet touch it. I use my hands to propel myself towards the surface, gasping for breath as soon as I break through. 

"I was wondering when you were going to come up." Derek states as he swims around me. "Must be some kind of new record or something."

"I just needed a minute." I reply as I tread the water. I don't look at him as I talk. "Dad is bringing me to the Alpha King's Council meeting. We leave tomorrow." 

"That's fantastic! I know you have always wanted to go-" 

I interrupt him by shaking my head. "I can't." I croak. "I can't go."

"Why not?" He asks. He stops swimming around me and narrows his eyes at me in confusion.

"He will be there, Derek." I say. "How am I supposed to ignore this-" Pausing to gesture to my neck, "With him right there?"

"You don't." The familiar deep voice of my mate states firmly and my green eyes meet his icy blues.