The Alpha Female's Mate (Girl x Girl)

Chapter 5- Georgia

I flinched when Ashlyn let out a murderous growl, my heart jumping into my throat. Fear came off of me in waves while I tried not to panic. "I-I am sorry," I stuttered, taking a step back. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my beating heart. However, it didn't work, and I started to panic harder than I had before. "I-I didn't mean to make you mad."

Ashlyn took a deep breath and tried to calm her anger. She had caught my panicked look, and I think that it surprised her. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth together, letting out a powerful growl.

I took another step back, my heart in my throat. I hated that I was shaking, but I didn't know how to stop myself. I had been broken by the one person that I thought would always be in my corner, so I didn't trust anyone not to hurt me. "Please," I whispered. I submitted to her, my heart pounding faster in my chest. My breathing came out in gasps as I tried to stop myself from panicking. I hated feeling so weak, but that was how I felt. "Don't hurt me."

Ashlyn stopped growling and took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. "I am not going to hurt you," she said, opening her eyes. She took a step back, her eyes holding this pain and guilt in them. She studied me with her soft eyes, and she cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. "Just... don't think of yourself as a burden, Georgie, because you aren't. You aren't a burden to anyone, including me.

I bit my lip and looked down doubtfully. It was hard not to think of myself as a burden because that was what my father had made me out to be.

He had made it out that it was my fault for whatever I did wrong and didn't do it the way he wanted it done. He was the one that taught me how to submit to anyone or anything because I was worthless and didn't deserve to be cared for.

"Georgie?" Ashlyn asked softly. Her presence was warm in front of me, a sign that there could be warmth in my future. However, she had a long way to climb if she wanted me to be her mate. "Do you think of yourself as a burden?"

Hesitantly, I nodded my head but stayed silent. I didn't look at her, feeling guilty that I thought of myself as a burden. I had no idea why I felt guilty, but I did, and I had no idea how I could stop myself from feeling guilty.

"Hey," Ash said. She touched my chin, her touch warm and inviting, while she lifted my chin to make me look at her. She studied me, her dark brown eyes filled with pain that mirrored mine. "Why do you think that you are a burden?" Her voice was soft and comforting, and I liked it.

I didn't answer her question and stayed silent. I looked at her wrist because I couldn't look at the ground. I was in awe of the infinity tattoo on her wrist and studied the black ink. I noticed a date peeking out from beneath her jacket sleeve, but I couldn't make it out.

"It's for my grandmother," Ash said, and I looked at her silently. A wave of emotion appeared on the stone-cold female's face, making her look slightly more beautiful. She stared at the tattoo on her wrist, still clutching my chin.

I stayed silent and flicked my eyes as if to nod. I stood still, not knowing if she would be pissed if I moved or not. My whole body was tense because I didn't know if she would hit me or not, and to be honest; I hated that I was afraid of my mate.

Mate... that word sounded so foreign to me, even though I heard that word all the time. It felt... weird that I had one, that I had been gifted with one after all that I had been through.

Ash cleared her throat and let go of my chin. She stared into my gray eyes, her stare intense, but it didn't intimidate me like I thought it would. "I... would like it if you moved into the packhouse..." she said, rubbing the back of her neck. She shifted on her feet, and she licked her lips. "Please, Georgie," she said softly. "So that I know where you are."

My mouth went dry, and my heart rate picked up. Fear filled my body as I thought of what would happen to my siblings, so I shook my head, no. I couldn't say a word. I had no idea if she knew about my siblings, and I wasn't going to tell her because the fear of losing them was strong.

"Why not?" Ash asked, her voice cold. She scowled and pressed her lips into a firm line. She took a step forward, and I backed up a step, making sure I kept the same amount of distance between us. She paused and studied me, a look of hurt flashing through her eyes. "Why not?" she asked again.

Panic had set in my brain, and I couldn't think, couldn't function. I had a hold of the jeans that Ash had given me, and that was the only thing that helped my hands from shaking so hard.

Again, I shook my head, my tongue too dry to form any words, much less a coherent sentence.

"Georgie?" Ash asked, trying to curb her annoyance. "Why not?"

Again, I shook my head. "I-I have to go." I took a step back and watched as Ash's face fell. "I-I'm s-sorry." And with that, I turned tail and ran in the direction of the elementary school.

I needed to make sure that they were safe. I needed to make sure that they were still alive, and my dad hadn't gotten them out of school like he had tried once before.