Simply Mates

EIGHT

I jump and turn around quickly to be met with the last person I want to see right now. "Theon." I say between gritted teeth. 

"Alpha." He greets with a smirk. "Looking sexy as always." His eyes trail up and down my body.

"Could you just go jump off a cliff? Thanks." I say, going to turn towards my room, but he grabs my wrist. 

"I distinctly remember you asking me to fuck you a moment ago." He grins as he takes a step forward. "How would you like me to do that? Slow and steady or rough and unrelenting?"

I roll my eyes. "How about never?" I say. "And how about you let go of me?"

"Always playing hard to get." He says with that hellish grin he famously wears as he releases my wrist. "Are you the same way with your mate?"

I freeze. "What?" 

"Your mate." He repeats as he takes his hand and pushes the neck of my hoodie down. 

I slap his hand away. "What the fuck are you doing?" I snap, panic filling me.

"You would think the Alpha's daughter would wear her mark with pride." He says thoughtfully as he looks me in the eye. Normally, this would be a threat that I put down instantly, but I'm a little freaked out about what he may know. 

"Unless said mate is someone Daddy Dearest wouldn't like." His grin grows impossibly bigger. "Perhaps a certain member of the Redwood Pack?"

"What do you know and what do you want, Theon?" I demand.

"Oh, maybe nothing. Maybe something." He says nonchalantly, fiddling with his finger nails. "And you know what I want, love."

Fuck. "I am not making you my Beta, Theon." I reply. "There is no way in Hell."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should take some time, think things over a bit. It would really suck if someone told the Alpha the fabulous news of his daughter being mated to the Redwood Alpha's son." He says with that shit-eating grin of his. Fuck I hate that grin.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me." He smirks. "You and I have known each other for a very long time, Andromeda. Tell me, when have I ever not delivered on a threat I've made?" 

"Goddess, Theon. I should rip your head clean off your shoulders and-"

"But we both know you wouldn't." He states. "It's not really your style. And the pack may question your sanity. Wouldn't want you to not become Alpha, would we?" 

"I fucking hate you." I mutter. 

"I fucking love me too." He replies. "One week. You have one week to figure out what you want to do. After that, I will be going to the Alpha. Choose wisely." 

Theon nods his head before turning around and heading down the hall. I watch him until he disappears around a corner before I practically run to my room in the opposite direction, slamming the door behind me. 

"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." I curse over and over again as I pace around my room. 

This is bad. Really fucking bad. Of all the people to find out, it had to be Theon. Fucking Theon. Fuck. 

I groan loudly, flopping onto the bed face first. I scream into the mattress, trying to muffle the sound but it's pointless when you have werewolf hearing.

How the fuck did he find out? Did he follow us? Did he hear our conversations? What am I going to do?

I can feel the familiar burning of tears wanting to spill, but I fight them back. No, no more tears. I never cry this much. I haven't cried this much since I was three years old and fell out of the old willow tree in the Pack's village. 

Nope, done with tears for the day. 

I push myself off of the mattress and pull my luggage out of the closet. I grab some outfits, all of which cover the mark on my neck. Once I'm done, I zip the bag shut. 

My eyes look up to the mirror over my headboard on their own accord, finding the sliver of the outline of my mark. I quickly pull my sweater over my head, giving myself a better view of it. I bring my hand up to it, running my fingers along the imprints of Callum's teeth. I can't help but close my eyes and relish in the feeling that washes over me as I do so. A low moan escapes my lips as I think about Callum. My entire body fills with need and want. 

My eyes open and look at my reflection in the mirror again. My fingers still touch my mark and my cheeks are flushed from it. My mind is consumed with my mate and I have the overwhelming desire to go to him. I can almost feel him calling me and I know that my wolf is calling out to him. 

Sighing, I shake my thoughts away and sit on the bed. 

We need mate. Pandra, my wolf, whimpers in my head. 

I know. I reply dryly. What am I supposed to do? 

I don't know. She says before closing the door on us and leaving me in silence. 

One day - twenty-four hours - is all it took for my life to be turned upside down. Everything I have ever thought I wanted, I question now. And everything I thought I ever worked for now seems pointless without Callum by my side. 

What am I going to do?