The Unwanted Mate (The Mate Series: Novel 3)

Chapter 13 (pt 2)

Chapter 13 (pt 2)

Nikole- 

  I swallowed thickly, it was the eighth time I'd read it since I came back to my room from the bathroom.

    "Nikki," I heard Ty's voice outside my door, I froze and then looked down at my mother's advice to me. All she had to give me was what she'd learned. I had to take the advice. 'Moving on  is a process and you have to promise yourself that you're really ready to let go.'

    "Nikki, I, uhm, I brought you up some dinner." I folded the letter up gently and put it into the pre-opened envelope. Being extremely careful not to tear the paper. As I got up to go to the door I wiped my face, being sure to wipe all the tears from my face, and set the envelope on my dresser.

    Then I took a deep breath and opened the door. Ty looked shocked that I'd actually opened the door. I saw that he had two plates in his hands. One for him and one for me.

    "Hi," He said. He looked as if I was aiming a loaded gun at his heart.

    "Did you want to come in and eat with me?" I asked. I was always so unsure of myself when I was around him.

    "Uh, well, I was... Yeah, I'd like to eat with you. Unless you'd rather-"

    "I'm alone a lot, Ty." I interrupted.

    "I've asked you to come out with us-"

    "Because my dad asked you too." I said, "But that doesn't matter. Just come on in. Please."

    He stepped inside and handed me my plate while he stood awkwardly against my wall. I went and sat on my bed with my plate in my lap. "I promise I don't have cooties, Ty." I tried to joke, but he only looked at me questioningly. That's when I felt stupid all over again. "My father told you to come up here-"

    "No, I wanted to."

    "I have homework to do. And you probably still have friends downstairs." I opened a book that was lying on my bed.

    "Does that mean you want me to leave?" He asked. Again he was looking for an escape.

    "You have guests to take care of downstairs."

    "That isn't what I asked, Nikki. I asked if you wanted me to leave." He said, I could hear a growl in his voice it was low as if he were trying to hold it back. "Nikole, Answer me." He didn't hold back the growl this time. Since Ty was my Hunter's Second-in-command which made him an Alpha like figure. I had to answer him.

    "No, I don't want you to leave, but I don't wish to force you to do something that you don't want to do either."

    He sighed, "I didn't mean to... order that... I mean that it wasn't supposed to..." He sighed again.  "Jeez!"  Ty sat down beside me. I felt the bed sink under his weight, which caused me to slide toward him, close enough to allow our bodies to touch. "You're a good cook." He offered, quietly.

    "Thank you." I answered, but it must not have been the response he wanted cause he sighed again, but this sigh sounded... desperate and hurt. I suddenly felt the need to make him happy, "I'm glad you think so. I used to cook for - at my old home a lot." I smiled, 'You have to remember to love what you have and remember what you had'. I was going to use my mother's advise, but perhaps I shouldn't push myself to hard.

    "That's cool, usually we just eat out, or make hot dogs or, um, you know stuff like that."

    "Yeah, At my old place we never ate out. All the fast food I've ever had was McDonald's and that was once a year on my Birthday."

    "You've never had Taco Bell, or Burger King, or Wendy's or-"

    I laughed, "No never."

    "Well, we'll have to change that. Crazy!"

    "I'd like that." I smiled up at him.

    "We can do it this weekend. A whole weekend of fast food."

    "Isn't that unhealthy?"

    "If you were a human maybe, but our bodies burn off all the fat so quickly that it isn't for us." I took a bite and I noticed him sniffing the air.  "You smell different. You have wolf in you. How? Why?"

    "Oh, um, well..." As soon as I told him about Tony giving me his blood he'll know Tony was my mate. "I almost died. There was no blood my type, except the wolf blood so the Dr. had to use it. It ended up saving my life."

    "I'm glad. I mean it makes you smell funny, but look on the bright side, I'll always be able to find you." He smirked.

    He was thinking about finding me. "Do you think I can shift?" I asked, loosing focus on my food.

    "Yes, I know you can shift. It just takes some courage. You have to actually feel inside yourself. Have you ever seen someone shift?" I shook my head."I'll show you one day."

    "Soon. I want to learn soon."

    "It will take a while, your body has to be strong enough, especially since you're a hybrid. Your shift will be harder."

    "How do you know that? Are there lots of Hybrids?"

    "Naw, we're special."

    "We're?" I asked catching the plural.

    "Yeah, I'm part wolf too. But my mother was a wolf. My father ran off after he got her knocked up... My mom died when I was 10. I was homeless for a long time... until your father saved me. He gave me a new life. Took me off the street and... well, he gave me a second chance."

    "That's amazing." I whispered.

    "I guess... I used to wonder who my father really was, but not anymore. None of that's important now. I want to prove to the father I know that I was worth it. Why should it matter to the father I don't know." 'There will be a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did and who always will, and who won't as time goes on.'

    "That's smart. Mature. That's my problem." I said, setting my uneaten food on the hardwood floor. and lying back on my bed. Ty followed my lead after finishing his plate.

    "What is your problem?" He was taller then me so his head actually touched the pillows. I looked up into his eyes and decided to answer truthfully.

    "Letting go. Deciding who matters and who doesn't anymore. I think I love to much. Trust too easily."

    "No, I don't think so. I don't think there is such a thing. Think of it this way, you fall off a bike and skin up your knee. You don't sit inside and never touch the bike again. Sometimes you have to take a break and bandage it up, but once everything is disinfected and cleaned and wrapped up safe you get on the bike and try again... and then you feel like an Olympic champion when you finally ride it down the street. You know right then that the skinned up knee and humiliation of falling a few times... well, you know it was worth it." 'I will not tell you life will ever be easy, or perfect, but I can promise you it will be worth it'.

    "Yeah, you're right." We stayed like that talking the rest of the night. It was one of the most... beautiful moments of my life because we were growing up. in that moment we were analyzing everything we'd ever really thought about. And we were doing it together. There was no interruptions, and no need to ever be embarrassed. There was only us. I realized that, I may have found my best friend in a boy who- only hours ago- I'd thought had hated me. That just goes to show you what happens when you assume.