I Found My Mate!But She's in an Arranged Marriage with the Rival Pack's Alpha!?

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Danny's Pov: 

I stood helplessly watching as Hudson tore out of the parking lot, the tires of his red Kia Soul screeching like banshees across the pavement. I sighed as I swung open the front door to the school and noticed the halls were void of students. Oh yeah, its third period. Oh well, I skipped second period I can skip third too. I absentmindedly strolled the halls. Hudson had always been this way. When life gets a little tough or things aren't exactly how he likes it, he runs; I don't know to where exactly, but I expect somewhere in the forest on our land to forget the world in his wolf form. Don't get me wrong, Hudson is not a wimp. He'll be the first to defend you in a physical fight, but when life gets tough emotionally, like they just did about Katie, he all but shuts down. I suspect it has something to do with his mom's death. Alpha female's demise had affected all of us in separate ways. Alpha had, for obvious reasons, taken it the hardest. To cope with his mate's death, he had transformed from a happy-go-lucky leader to a cold, strict dictator. On numerous occasions Hudson ranted on about how he is "never allowed to have fun" and how his father needs to "lighten up and get over it." I know he doesn't mean it; that's just his way of grieving. Hudson had always been afraid to show emotion for the past 10 years that I have been his best friend, but even more so after his mom died last April. To other people, Hudson may seem like a selfish jerk, but to people who have known him for a long period of time like I have, his unapproachable aura is just a pretense.  

Due to my hyper-sensitive werewolf senses, which come in quiet handy when defending your land from the Pete's and when playing in a football game, I heard maniacal laughter coming from the science hallway across the huge school. Uh oh, this can't be good. 

I flew through the halls in a blur in the direction of the subsiding chuckles. I rounded the corner to the science corridor to find my one of my greatest enemies pressed up against my best friend's mate with a nasty sneer on his face. As soon as I saw the frightened look on Katie's face, I knew what was going on and what I had to do. 

"Girlie, you don't know who you're dealing with. Now, you're going to be good while we-" I cut Mackey, the ultimate traitor, off. 

"Finish that sentence and your DEAD!" I screamed, getting all of their attention on me. I saw startled expressions on Mackey and the others which soon turned to irritation. Katie's brow crinkled showing extreme confusion. She obviously recognized me from math class but didn't realize why I interrupted Mackey.  

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Daniel Murphy? How've ya been? Still hanging around with that prick, Hudson?" Mackey sneered, taunting me by using my hated full name. I could feel my eyes burn red for a split second, my inner wolf angry that he had called the future Alpha of my pack a prick, but soon they returned to their normal cool blue color. 

"What's it to you, Mackey?" I growled, my irritation showing. 

"Whoa, I was just making conversation, Danny-boy! Now if you'll excuse us, we have some unfinished business to attend to" Mackey rudely replied, turning back with an evil smirk to Katie. 

"Over my dead body, scum!" I said and launched my already poised body at Mackey, jabbing my fist into his gut. He staggered back from the force, and his cronies took that as their cue to exit the scene, yelling profanities and insults aimed at Katie. Now for our escape. I gripped her upper arm and ushered her away from a groaning Mackey. I had no doubt that any minute now he would snap out of it and come find us. I knew exactly where to take her; he would never look there. She was silent, except for her erratic breathing. 

"You can talk, you know" I said, stopping in front of the intended door labeled simply "Media Arts." 

"Well I don't really know you, and I don't think it's customary for two strangers to converse in chit-chat" she replied. I chuckled under my breath. Wow, look at all the big words she used. Hudson's got himself a smart one. If only he would accept her. I opened the door for her to go in. She nodded and tentatively walked in. By her expression I could tell she was both shocked and excited. Who knew a girl could get so excited over an old auditorium? Well, I guess, people with any talent having to do with a stage are excited about that kind of stuff. I guess you could say our auditorium was nice. It had large, ornate curtains hanging from each side of the stage, swept away by thick, gold ropes with silvery tassels on the ends. There were 20 rows of ten old-fashioned movie theater-like chairs. And to top it all of there was a HUGE chandelier made of gold with crystals strung from every angle and hanging from every lit electric candle. We can't have actual candles, for obvious reasons. Yeah, our auditorium is fancy. 

"Wow exactly how much money does your school have?" Katie asked astonished. Well since your mate's billionaire dad owns the school..., I thought. 

"A lot" I said simply with a shrug. I sat in a random seat to my left. Katie followed suit, sitting next to me awkwardly. The seconds ticked by. I could tell Katie was nervous because she kept picking at her nails, which you could tell she had done numerous times before by the state of them. 

"Why did you interfere with what Mackey was doing?" she suddenly asked me. Finally, I thought she'd never ask. But I still didn't know how to answer. 

"I was being a good friend" and I was. Hudson may not appreciate it now, but by saving his mate from the clutches of Mackey, I was doing him a favor. Not that it was a burden, I mean, saving an innocent girl from a hormonal teenage boy is the right thing to do. 

"What does that mean? I'm not your friend. I don't even know you" she grumbled. 

"I am your friend" I replied shocked at her broken tone of voice. She stayed silent staring down at her un-kept nails. I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. At my touch, she cringed away. I sighed and backed away. This girl is seriously afraid to trust people. I wonder what happened to make her that way. 

"What was up with your friend, Hudson, this morning?" she suddenly asked when the lights went out and a high pitch alarm went off. 

Hudson's Pov: 

I ran and ran and ran. My onyx fur covered paws delved me deeper into the St. Marcus forest than they ever had before. The wind ripped through me like a chain saw, blowing both my ears back. Running this fast has always been exhilarating to me. I think when I run. I run when I think. I has been this way ever since...my mom. But I had a lot more to think about this time. Dear God, why does Trent have to marry her!? Why does she have to be the daughter of one of the most powerful werewolves that had ever lived? Why is it so hard to resist her? Why me?  

'Son, come home!' My dad's booming, deep voice rang in my ears. He must be in wolf form. That's the only way we can talk to each other telepathically. 

'No can do Dad,' I replied 

'And why not!?' 

'I just...can't' My voice faltered on the end. 

'What the devil is wrong, boy?' 

'Nothing, Father.' 

'I beg to differ!' 

'Its okay, Dad' 

'Did you find her?' He asked suddenly. I was stunned. How in the world could he have known. I act moody all the time. What makes this time any different? Dad must have taken my silence as a positive response, because he sighed in my head. 

'Son, you have to accept her!' 

'But Dad you don't get it!' 

'What don't I get, boy!? She's your mate! Accept her!' 

'It's not that simple.' 

'Oh its not? And why would that be!?' 

'Because Dad! She is the daughter of Elder McAllister and engaged to Trent Peterson! This is not a simple matter, Dad!' 

He was silent the rest of my run.