The Unwanted Mate (The Mate Series: Novel 3)

Chapter 7

(Same ages as in the last chapter)

Nikole-- 16

Tony--24

Chapter 7: Selfish

Tony

    "You're still not aging. And Nikole's aging has become less and less frequent."

    "What do you mean."

    "I think nature is... changing. It re-evaluating both of you. Making you both more compatible. Think about it. Nik, she was always so... old. Too old for her age. Mature. What if Nature was already changing her to fit you-"

    "That wasn't why she was mature. Those scientists- that situation left no room for any of them to be children." I ran my fingers through my hair as Dr. Rochelle told me what I'd already known was happening.

    My wolf was claiming Nikole. And I couldn't stop it... Her scent had already grown addicting to me. And it would only get worse. Her animal-- we still weren't sure what animal DNA they'd pumped her body full of-- was emerging more rapidly and slowing her aging--as well as mine. Soon she'd shift and as the first of her kind, we weren't sure what would happen. Her body wasn't meant to shift, wasn't built to change so rapidly. I could loose her and if that happened I'd loose myself.

    Dr. Rochelle guessed where my thoughts had traveled to. "She could die, Tony." She said quietly, voice breaking slightly-- she didn't want to face it either. No matter who Nikole came in contact with they loved her. She didn't make it hard to do so. "And I'm not saying that to force you into anything... or to scare you. I just think you should know the truth of the situation." She answered sniffling.

    "I have to go pick her up from school." I got up and grabbed my jacket from the back of the chair.

    "We'll figure this out, Tony. I know how important she is to you. It seems that everyone but her sees how much you already love her. I guess what I'm trying to say is would it really be so bad? To tell her the whole truth? To let her have a choice? This is her life too, Tony. And if she finds out from someone else... She could end up hating you. She would hate all of us for keeping something like this from her."

    "No one is going to tell her. I've already ordered it to be so. This isn't about me keeping her from knowing about my claim on her." I growled enforcing my role here as Alpha. Just because she called me Tony did not make her an acception to the order.

    "Then what is it about, Tony?"

    I turned away, "I'm not that selfish Dr. Rochelle." I turned back to look her in the eyes. "Like I said, Nikole was in a situation where she couldn't be a kid. Those scientists- they took that away from her. And I'll be damned if I take her only chance at being a teenager away from her now." I saw Dr. Rochelle's eyes light up. She hadn't seen the situation I had seen. "She's finally being a kid. She's trying out for school sports. She's taking driver's training. She has friends. She's going to dances. I can't pull those things out from under her. She needs this chance. She deserves it." I explained.

    "She does, I understand that now. but, Tony, doesn't she deserve the truth, the choice?"

    Without another word I left the hospital to go pick up Nikole. I couldn't keep Dr. Rochelle's words from hitting me. Would she hate me? Should I tell her? Could I live through her walking out again if I didn't tell and she found out? I shook the memory away. and pressed down the gas.

Nikole

    Me and my friends stood leaning against the school's brick wall. Phil was flirting with me relentlessly-- but he flirted with everyone. He'd come to pick up his sister, Bree. Bree and I were the same age. We'd become close friends and never kept anything from each other-- except my ever confusing feeling toward Tony, our Alpha. I heard the purr of the Mercedes Guardian, a gift from one of Tony's friends back home (AN: Can you guess who the Guardian was from??? lol The Irony.)