Markie

The Chase Begins*

Ruby calls me at Oh Crap No AM.

"The sun's not up, so why are you?" I ask, growling into the phone.

"Making sure you are ready... all the boys just left to train. I mean, they could take this as a vacation, but no, they have to be 'prepared for the future.' Whatever! Anyway, we were gonna do breakfast. Thought you might want to join... I'm making bacon!" She says.

"Fine! I'll be over soon." I tell her.

I get up, shower, and get dressed. On my way to Ruby's, I hear people fighting.

"Come on, Ryan, leave me alone!" A boy yells.

"You started it, Francis... Come on, pup, don't start that with me... I don't have time for this! GO HOME!" I felt the command.

I see the little 8 year old boy from last night run away crying, one of Ruby's cousins. When I turn the corner, I see a boy about 20 and am hit with an overpowering smell, something like fresh cut wood and autumn leaves. It is amazing. I see the guy turn towards me and duck behind the house I am standing by before he sees me. Nope! Not him! Not happening! I hear footsteps coming towards me and I run.

Into the woods, I find a pine tree. Perfect! Pine trees are great hiding places. The branches hide you visually, and the smell masks your scent. I climb up as quickly as I can and watch the guy approaching. He circles my tree, looking around, but eventually gives up and goes back towards the houses.

"Mate!" My wolf happily purrs.

"Not him!" I respond.

"Denial." She says.

"Refusal." I counter, and she growls at me.

"You will NOT reject him!" She orders.

"He is a bully!"

"He is mate!"

"He commanded that kid when he could have just talked to him! He is a bully with no patience!"

"He is an Alpha!" She purrs with pride at his rank. I don't care!

"I don't want him!"

"The one you want isn't mate. He isn't yours. He isn't interested... I want mate!"

"No."

I block her out and climb down the tree.

"Where have you been!" Ruby yells as I enter.

"Took the long way around." I tell her. No way, I am going to tell her what happened.

"Looks like you were rolling around in the woods." She says, picking a pine needle out of my hair.

"I'm here now, so can you just drop it!" I say.

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" One of the girls says. Ruby rolls her eyes but relents, and we sit down to breakfast.

"Hi, I'm Rachel, and I'm 17. My little sister is Raelynn, and she's 15. We have an older brother Ryan, but he's off with Alic and Uncle Clay training." Ryan... that's what the little boy called the guy.

"Mate!" My wolf corrects.

"I'm not calling him that."

"But he is mate... our Alpha Mate!"

"Markie... Markie!" The girl yells, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Sorry... my wolf is overly active this morning." I tell her.