Being the Alpha's Mate

Chapter One

Stepping into my room I tighten the towel around my chest. Drops of water slide my my hair down my back and I shiver. From my dresser I grab a bra and a pair of panties, courtesy of Derek, and slip them on.  Derek is my soon-to-be-mate. We've been friends all of our lives. When Derek turned thirteen he discovered that I was his mate. Because he's an Alpha, he wanted to claim me then and their. Not good for an eleven year old girl. Our parents separated us after that.

From my closet I pull out a pair of jean shorts, a tank top, and a pair of sneakers. Not the best, but hey, it's the last day of school. I don't care. Combing my hair I pull it up into a pony tail, applying light eye shadow, mascara, and lip gloss. Surveying my appearance in the mirror, I decided I looked good. I grab my backpack on the way out of my room, surprised at it's lightness from lack of Math, Reading, History, and Science books.

Walking into the kitchen what hits me first is the smell of blueberry pancakes. My favorite. Inhaling deeply I moan slightly.

“Morning, Honey.” Mom greets me without turning around. She has her flowered apron tied around her waist and a spatula in one hand. I watch as she expertly flips one pancake and places another on a plate.

“Where’s Tommy?” Tommy is my ten year old brother.

“Probably still in bed. I’ve told him to get up twice already.” Annoyance is evident in her voice.

“Want me to try getting him up?” I offer only because she made me my favorite breakfast.

“No, I sent your Dad in.” I grinned at that. Dad is the best person to make you wake up. He turns on the lights, yanks off your covers and will throw ice water on you if you don’t get up. Thankfully he’s never had to douse me with ice water, only Tommy.

As if on cue a sputtering Tommy walks into the kitchen. From his head down to his stomach is in varying stages of wet. His blue eyes are nearly yellow in anger, a bad thing considering all of us are werewolves. Mom and I burst out laughing when Tommy spits some water out of his mouth.

“You should’ve gotten up, Tommy.” I smirk when he glares at me.

Waving the spatula at him Mom orders him to go dry off and get dressed. Groveling, he trudges upstairs.

With that, Mom makes two plates of pancakes, setting the second one on the counter with a towel over it. I grab my plate, douse it in butter and syrup and dig in.

Mom and I look a lot alike. We both have curly brown hair and green eyes. She keeps her hair short and flat ironed while I keep mine long and loose. We share the same fair skin and short structure. She's taller than me by two inches. Even at 5'4" she's still a foot shorter than Dad. Dad is the Beta of our pack. He's tall and buff. He and Tommy look alike. They have the same scowl.

“Thanks Mom.” I say as I scrap the last bit off the plate.

I sling my backpack over my shoulder and grab my keys out of the bowl by the door. Just as I’m ready to yell “Bye Mom!” she stops me.

“You need to be home right after school today.”

I stop walking and turn to face her.

“Why?”

“Derek is coming.”

Derek. My mate. The one that sends me lingerie for every holiday and birthday, mine or his. The one that had to be sent away for wanting to claim me when I was eleven.

My mate, the most dominate Alpha ever known is coming.

Shit.

----

-------

----------

I got through the day pretty easily. The teachers didn’t care what we did as long as we moved our crap out and were gone by the end of the day. I didn't want to clean my locker but the promise of College in the Fall and a Summer spent at the beach was enough temptation. I spent the first two periods collecting my stuff and helping my best friends with their stuff. Justin’s locker wasn't too bad. The typical old food wrappers, broken pencils, and wadded paper laid at the bottom of his locker. Eric’s locker was the worst. He didn’t just have old food wrappers, he had old food in his locker. How he used it every day was beyond me.

It took almost an hour to clean his locker, not to mention remove the smell of old socks. I emptied the last of my body mist in his locker. The next resident will open it and smell lemons. Not a bad scent if you ask me.

Over lunch every passed around year books and Sharpies. Justin wrote “Happy summer; Good luck at College! Justin West” In my book. Eric on the other hand wrote “May your summer be passed with a beer bottle in your hand. Eric Link”

“Nice, Eric, very classy.” I say when he finishes writing.

He grins. “I thought so.”

I roll my eyes at that. Both Justin and Eric are werewolves, friends and gay. Every friend I have must be processed through Derek first to make sure they’re a “good influence” for me. Aka, to make sure they don’t find me remotely attractive so I don’t feel the urge to leave my mate. At first I was annoyed that Justin and Eric were assigned to be my friends, but they turned out to be pretty cool. Eric is taller out of the two and muscular. Justin is also fit, but in the slim, runner type of way. Both of them are incredibly hot. So in a way, I win.

By the end of the day I my hand aches from signing books. I’m not the most popular girl in school, but random people asked me to sign their books. One girl had a different section for all of her different classes. I politely signed under “History” and went on my way.

I stuff my yearbook into my backpack, which is now full with junk from my locker. “Junk” being three lip glosses, two packs of gum, ten pens, four pencils, two pink erasers, two note pads and one pencil sharpener. Yup, all the stuff I needed for school.

I toss my backpack into the passenger seat of my SUV as I climb in. Justin and Eric left for Justin’s house to get ready for a party. A party I would be attending if it weren’t for Derek.

Sighing, I plug my iPod in and turn Motley Crue “Same Old Situation” on, turning the volume up loud. I calm down a little on the drive back home.

I don’t want to mate with Derek. I don’t want to be Luna. I don’t want a mate that I know will be possessive and keep me from doing things and going places. I don’t want Derek. I’ll just tell him I can’t mate with him, I decide as Motley Crue’s song ends and another comes on. He won’t take it lightly, but he’ll have to understand. Mom and Dad won’t let him force me into the mating. I’ll be fine.

I sing along to the song, losing myself in the beat and heart of it. The guitar solo comes to an end as I pull up in front of the house. An unfamiliar car sits in the parking lot. I frown. No one we know drive a 2012 Charger. I gulp. Derek.

I can’t floor it away from there, so I pull into the driveway and park next to the Charger. Better to get this over with now than later.

Before I can even pull out my key the door is flung open. I’m greeted by a wide-eyed version of my Mother. Her hair is flat ironed and her makeup perfect, but I can tell she’s frazzled. I let her lead me inside, bracing myself for what’s to happen.

Stepping into the living room I notice two things. One, the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. Two, boxes stacked next to him with my name on them.

Locking eyes with him I watch as his eyes turn yellow. I freeze as he stands up, a mass of rippling muscles. Oh God. He lunges towards me a growl ripping through the air.

He growls out “Mate” as his lips touch my neck.