Mated & Blooded

Chapter 11

(Kalli POV)

I was kind of melancholy as we got back into Lucas's mustang to head back to the pack. I couldn't help but feel like bad things were coming our way. Over the past few days Lucas shared with me all the things that I already knew but was afraid to say out loud. Turns out his head wasn't in the clouds. He knew just how bad mating with me could be. He knew that his father would demand he reject me. He knew he might have to challenge for Alpha. He knew his friends might denounce him. He knew the pack might not accept him as Alpha even if he won the challenge.

Worse, he convinced me that no matter what the pack decided, no matter what obstacles were put in our way Lucas was not willing give me up. He would fight his father to be Alpha. He would fight the pack if they dared to exile him. He would leave them all behind to suffer without a true Alpha, and move with me to BlueRidge if necessary. Lucas was never going to give me up. I believed him now.

Our time over the past week had convinced me. Lucas believed I was his other half, and that his destiny in life was to protect and please me. I also knew that the pack would never accept me. That the worst case scenario was the most likely. I just prayed to god that I was wrong. Lucas was an alpha meant to rule, not a loner meant to live in the shadows.

Every single mile we moved closer to pack territory was like a knife in my side. It was getting hard to breathe. The fear was palatable and clung heavily around me. I felt like my soul was getting sucked out of my body. More than once I moaned in actual physical pain. Each mile away from BlueRidge left me feeling dull and desperate to go back. Lucas asked me several times if I was fine I kept saying I was hunky-dory but he wasn't buying it. Finally just to calm him down, I told him that I was a little hungry. He pulled over at the next rest stop with the intention of buying us some food.

"What do you want babe?" He asked.

That's when it hit me. I really was hungry. Not for food for blood. My cheeks turned bright red. I hadn't had any fresh blood since the day we left school together. That was well over a week ago. No wonder why I was in physical pain. I opened my mouth to tell him when an intense pain shot through my body. I screamed out in agony and doubled over in the car seat. Lucas darted around the car and pulled open my door.

"Oh god babe, what's wrong. Please tell me what's wrong so I can help!"

My vision was blurring, my breathing had gotten very shallow, and I felt like I was on the verge of passing out. I used the last ounce of strength to murmur

"blood"

Lucas must have heard me because within seconds I felt his arm pushing into my mouth. I know he was speaking to me, but I just couldn't make out the words. My head was spinning and I kept having this strange feeling like I shouldn't be drinking Lucas's blood I should be drinking someone other than his. It made me think about the dream I'd had the first night we stayed in BlueRidge.

It had been such a strange dream, and for some reason I seemed to keep day dreaming about the dream. I kept trying to remember why the dream was so important. It was like my soul was trying to tell me something but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Then, as I felt the first drop of blood pumped through my heart it was suddenly very clear.

In the dream, I had met my soul mate, but in the dream it wasn't Lucas. In my dream my soul mate was almost the mirror opposite of Lucas. He was tall, lithe and light haired. But it wasn't just physical appearance that was different. In an instant I knew everything there was to know about my mate. It's as if our souls were bared to each other and every intimate detail about ourselves had been shared.

This mate was in many ways the opposite of Lucas. I knew he would be hard where Lucas was soft. He would be cold where Lucas was warm. He would be reasonable where Lucas was demanding. He would be rough where Lucas was gentle. He would be carefree where Lucas was duty bound. He would be funny where Lucas was serious. He would be a mate that forced me to be all I could be and take all that I could give, while Lucas was a mate that would give all he could give, and take only what he needed.

I knew he would love me heart body and soul for being exactly who I am. That I would be his beginning and his end and that he would be mine as well. He would love only me. No other in his lifetime. He needed no pack or justification from anyone else.

Lucas's blood started making its way through my system and I could feel myself getting stronger. The stronger I got the less the dream made sense. It started to get fuzzy around the edges. I started to come around and could hear Lucas apologizing and calling himself stupid over and over again for not providing for me. He promised to make sure I never went hungry again. He felt that it was his responsibility to make sure that I was taken care of.

Mother told me it's very traditional for the male wolf to provide and coddle the female wolves. They like to make sure their mates never want for anything. Often the shewolves are kept like china dolls on a shelf. I had never thought that I would enjoy being treated like I was so breakable. But the way Lucas hung on my every word and need was kind of a major turn on.

Who would have thought that such a powerful wolf would bend over backwards to try and make me happy. He would put the average gentleman to shame. Lucas went above and beyond in everything he did for me. I'd finished feeding and thanked Lucas who still looked upset with himself. I kissed him several times, and promised he could make it up to me once we could officially bond. That seemed to perk him up.

He ran in and grabbed some burgers and we got back on the road. We arrived back in pack territory by mid day. Lucas said he was going to take me to mothers while he went to the main pack house to speak with his father. He promised not to be gone longer than a few hours and told me not to leave the house until he returned for me.

I was so scared worrying about what was going to happen. Would he have to issue a challenge to his father? What if he didn't win? What if he was seriously injured? What if he did win and the pack still rejected him? I couldn't stop my heart sinking. By the time I got through my front door I was a nervous wreck. I felt like I was falling apart from the inside out.

I started crying the moment I saw my mom. The next several hours were very strained while mom and I sat on pins and needles waiting to hear what was going on. Mom kept telling me not to worry that Lucas had thought of everything.

Turns out that Lucas had given my mom specific instructions on what to do with and for me in his absence. Worse, he had given her orders in the event of several outcomes on where and how she was to take me to safety. She wasn't able to tell me much of anything since the alpha ordered her. Apparently he also forced several weaker wolves to also do his bidding. There were currently four wolves standing guard in the front and back of the house.

I was a little upset that Lucas hadn't told me about it, and that he used his alpha on my mom, but mom kept saying that I should be happy that he cares enough about me to protect me anyway he can. I guess I could sort of agree with her, but it still bothered me a little. Finally Lucas called,

"Hey baby, I don't have much time to talk but I needed to hear your voice and know that you are fine."

I told him that I was fine but wanted to know what was going on. He used a lot of words but really didn't tell me anything concrete. I pushed a bit harder for some solid answers when he finally said

"Well, babe honestly it could have gone a lot worse. Dad isn't accepting this graciously but he has accepted my official alpha challenge. We agreed to fight tomorrow at sundown. I am going to spend a little time here with my mom then go over and talk to a few of my closer friends. I need to find out how many of the pack will support me as alpha. I'm not sure how much longer I am going to be, but I promise I will come to you as soon as I can."

Hearing his words sent me back into a panic. I was crying and begging him not to fight his dad for me. I wasn't worth it.

"Please Lucas, don't do this. You need your pack. Let me go Lucas so that you can have a good life" Lucas growled into the phone at me.

"Kalli, don't say that. You are my life. Without you I can never be happy. I should have told you before we came back here but I was afraid, I love you Kalli! You are the only thing that makes me happy. I am never giving you up. My father and this pack mean nothing without you in my life."

I wanted so badly to tell him I loved him back, but something wouldn't let me, instead I cried harder and he just assumed that's what I meant. We spoke a little more, and then he asked to speak to my mother. I'm not sure what he told her, but she ended the call with saying

"Yes alpha. I would always protect my daughter with my life if necessary. We will be waiting for you. Be safe"