My Love but Not My Mate

Chapter 17

‘...’ – speech in wolf form

“...” – speech in human form

Chapter 17

   Being human almost every night was something for my pack to start gossiping about; but as hard as they tried to annoy Blake and me, we still carried on the way that was normal to us. It went on for about two weeks before Blake stormed off through the woods (we didn’t move about as much now that dad was in charge), I chased after him hoping he would have calmed down by the time I caught up.

   Coming across his scent, I jogged on until I found him scratching the bark off a large oak tree. I watched and remained hidden until he had stopped and leant against the bare trunk.

   ‘Blake... I’m sorry.’

   He jumped at hearing my voice. ‘Layla. You aren’t to blame. It just got to me, but I guess they will get used to it. Did I scare you?’

   ‘No, not really. Was this an attempt at getting us alone again?’ I added as he brushed against me while he walked past; I looked over my shoulder and softly into his eyes.

   ‘No, but now you mention it.’ He transformed, and I followed suit. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs round his waist and my arms around his neck. “I like it when we’re close this way, and nothing they say will make me change how I am with you.” Grinning at him, I pushed my head forward and touched my lips to his at the same time as he placed me back on the ground.

   “I hope not, I like you just the way you are.” Kissing his lips again, I ran my fingers up into his hair and refused to move them once they were in place. As he tried to pull away, I kept my lips on his until the last moment without forcing his head down.

   “Lay, don’t. Let go,” he requested as he put his hands on my forearms. “As much as I want to kiss you all night, isn’t it best you have as much sleep as you can?” He raised one eyebrow and I let his hair go only for him to put my hands on his shoulders.

   “I suppose,” I said, averting my eyes from his.

   He led us back through the woods, keeping an eye on me if ever I tripped or stumbled; my head was blurred and I wasn’t focusing on where to put my feet. Keeping my hands in his, I allowed him to pull me through the bramble and thorns. Before we appeared into the crowded clearing, he leant across and kissed my cheek.

   “Before your brother growls at me again,” he hinted.

   “He’s only trying to protect me but he won’t do any harm,” I explained as we sat together in our spot from earlier.

*****

   I was lying down on my back, legs tucked into my body and my eyes closed so I wasn’t blinded by the sun. Slumbering next to me, Blake flicked his tail through the lush green grass that enveloped us in our hazy midday nap.

   ‘Layla!’ It was Jasper, and I was in too much of a comfy position to attempt any reply or movement. ‘Layla! Dad wants to talk to you and Blake about something!’

   Grumbling to myself, I rolled over and shook any loose grass off my fur before scooting over to Blake and nudging his shoulder with my head. ‘Blake, wake up. Dad wants a word.’ He shuffled but remained asleep. ‘Hmm,’ I hummed to myself, and then I thought of one way that would get him awake. Drawing in a deep breath and releasing it slowly, I howled above him; it worked and he bolted up onto all fours like a salmon leaps out of water.

   ‘What’s happening?’ he barked as he looked around frantically.

   ‘Nothing, I just needed to wake you. Dad wants a word,’ I repeated now that he was awake and alert.

   Pacing over with me to my dad, Blake yawned and stretched himself to full wakefulness.

   ‘Layla, I think I’ve come up with an idea that will allow you both to be with your families and at the same time no need to run around between us,’ my dad spoke once we had reached him.

   ‘And what is that?’ Blake asked, still yawning.

   Dad eyed him before answering. ‘We bring our two packs together and joining our territories up.’

   Half way through a full body shake, Blake stopped and looked at my father with an overwhelmed expression. ‘That won’t happen. My pack won’t give up their territory just for the sake of one member’s happiness.’

   ‘They won’t be giving it up, Blake. And I’m not suggesting that we only have one Alpha as I understand both sides will be sided to their own leader. No, I am simply saying we make a bigger pack from our two and have myself and Kai as the Alpha’s. Your father is as wise and old as me and it might take two Alphas to control a pack of over forty wolves anyway.’

   Exasperated as I was with my dad’s plan, I knew that Blake would not like it. To him, it would be like my father was trying to take away the land he called home and control it.

   ‘I don’t like it,’ he stated.

   ‘Blake, it’s the best thing that we can do. My father isn’t after controlling your pack, or your father. He wants to help us and our child, which is caught up between two packs and belongs to both. I don’t want to be bringing it up in the way we are living right now.’ I had stepped between the two males and stared longingly into Blake’s eyes hoping he will understand my plight for peace.

   ‘It’s not my say. In the end it will be my father’s choice whether to take up your offer, Jared. But it will have to wait until we next move to my pack. Layla, I’m not against this as you might think; I have some duty to my pack still, even when I am here. Your father may understand.’ He looked from me to my dad, I followed his gaze and my dad bowed his head to me in an affirmative way that told me Blake was right.

   ‘I think we can all wait that long, but Layla may not. I won’t send you on a wild goose chase so you can go back to your pack, Blake. But is there any way you could contact them without the need for running around?’

   Blake shook his head in slight desolation. ‘No, they are far west by now. So even if we got all your pack to howl out, my father won’t think it of any importance to come and investigate. No. We will have to wait ‘til the winter.’

   My father scanned the rest of the group as he nodded. ‘Very well, but in the meantime I want you to protect my daughter at all costs.’ In new found authority, my father stepped confidently forward and stared directly into Blake’s eyes warningly.

   ‘She means more to me than you may realise, Jared. I won’t let any harm come to her,’ he pined submissively.

   Caught in the middle of all this, I decided to wonder off before I saw anymore tension between them. After all that had happened lately I really could not put up with an argument between my dad and Blake; I knew that they wouldn’t hurt each other because it would hurt me more, though I knew that my dad would not put up with me being hurt by somebody else. He couldn’t fight with Tyson over all those years because of how much stronger Tyson was, but as Blake is an outsider dad would have the rest of the pack on his side to banish him.

   Also running through my mind was the reasons why both my father and Blake were being so protective of me; neither wanted to see me pained or stressed after what had happened all those many years ago.