Mia's Path
Daydreaming

DRAKE

Things on the pack were getting difficult to deal with, not because it was dangerous times or anything, but because I was still cleaning up my father’s mess around. We still had some packs around us that distrusted us and most likely hated us, so trying to rebuild a good relationship with them was very exhausting at times. Some of the Alphas that I had to make deals were from my father’s time and they really disliked him, and I couldn’t even blame them. My father was not a nice person, and he did some terrible things. And there’s where it gets tricky, because I had to please some of them, but at the time I couldn’t be soft or let people step on me. So, a people pleaser but assertive, that’s a thin line to walk on.

Here I was, at my desk in the office trying to figure out how I could politely decline Alpha Philip’s offer for a strong alliance by being mated to his young daughter. Aside from the fact that she wasn’t even eighteen, yet I was pretty sure she wouldn’t be my mate. Even so, if she was my mate, we would only replace out by the time she turned twenty-one. I couldn’t trap her for that long without really knowing for sure and if she wasn’t my mate, I was not going to pry her away from her own destined mate. That would be cruel of me, and I liked to think that I wasn’t that bad of a person.

I was really trying to concentrate and replace a good solution, but my mind kept wondering off to the kiss Mia and I shared this morning. Just thinking about it made my heart race again. Her lips felt so soft against my own, her skin smooth and creamy and that round a firm ass was enough to make me lose focus one more time. I made the first move, sure, but she wasn’t shy about it and certainly responded fast and in the best way possible. I wasn’t ready to let go of her when Raina interrupted us so rudely. I have no idea how far our make out session would have gone, but I would have taken it was far as Mia would have let me. I just wanted more of her. I couldn’t stay away.

Silver was still confused about all of it. She felt like she was our mate. I could even feel a light tingle when we touched but that was about it. Silver hadn’t had the ‘click’ he should have for us to be a hundred percent sure about it. He was in a bad mood for the last couple of weeks because of it, even after Raina assured us that we weren’t broken or something. But the proximity to Mia this morning had made him very happy. So much so, that he was nagging me to let him approach her, to show off his mighty wolf form and impress her - according to him that would make her fall head over hills for us.

Sure, it will, buddy. I replied sarcastically.

He only huffed my way and ignored me after that. I must admit, I would love it if it was that easy to impress that girl. And I wasn’t the only one trying to do it, it seemed that not only Kyle, but even Sam and Mel had some feelings for her. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Sam and Mel being into Mia and all, but it did make things a little more difficult. It meant more competition. And that was the bad part of it.

Competition.

That was it. Alpha Philip was afraid we would take his pack by force and offering his daughter as my mate would secure the well-being of his pack. But what if instead of bonding with her, I could lend him some of my warriors to train his and help him have a stronger pack? That could work, but I wouldn’t be able to send anyone, I had to send my best and that meant Kyle. Oh, he would be furious with me. But I couldn’t do it myself and I know sending my brother would be a good compromise with the old Alpha. I would be sending my own blood to him; he could do whatever he wanted with Kyle. It was an olive branch, a way to say I trusted him and that he could trust me in return.

I called Alpha Philip not long after that idea and made the arrangements, Kyle and a few more warriors would go to his pack in three weeks. Even though he would be pissed off at me about Mia and everything, it would be good for us as a pack to have Philip’s support. And who knows, maybe Kyle could replace himself a different mate over there, instead of trying to still mine.

There it was again, my possessiveness over Mia. I couldn’t help to think about her as mine even though I couldn’t be sure she was and less sure if she wanted me back. She wasn’t a werewolf like me, she could reject me without going mad or even die from the pain. I would be the only one going mad with pain and suffering if it happened.

I really hope our mate doesn’t reject us. Silver whined in my head.

Me too, bud. It’s almost unheard of. But it is rare a wolf being mated to a different supernatural creature, so I don’t know what the future holds for us.

Creature, hm. Do you think she might not be human, after all? Silver questioned.

I’m not sure, there’s something different about her scent. It... I didn’t even know exactly what I had smelled differently, but there was something there.

It changes depending on her mood. Yeah, I noticed it too. After that he got pensive and stayed quiet.

I hadn’t made the connection of the changes with her humor, but I guess Silver was paying more attention that I gave him credit for. He really was invested in figuring out if Mia was really our other half and why we couldn’t be sure about it. I tried bugging Raina about it a few times and she would just ignore my questions or change de subject to a different topic. Speaking of the devil. I could smell her before she knocked on my door.

“Come in, Ray.”

“Hey, D. Too busy?” She asked sweetly. She wanted something.

“For you? Never!” I wanted something too.

Raina closed the door behind her and made herself comfortable on the couch, so I made my way over and sat in the chair in front of her. She studied my face for a few seconds and then spoke. “You know I won’t tell you if Mia is really your mate or not, right? But please, butter me up some more.” She snorted at me.

“I figured that out, after all you were blowing me off all the times I tried to ask about it. That’s not what I want to know, though.” I loved my friend, but sometimes to get something out of her, one needed to use some tricks. Like making her curious about something. She couldn’t resist it. “I’m not sure you can help me with it, actually. And, you know what, maybe it’s just in my head. It’s silly anyway. Let’s just leave it be.” I said dismissively, took a deep breath and smiled at her. “Did you need something from me? It’s not common for you to ask me if I have time for you. You usually make the time either way.” I chuckled.

“I-I... I wanted to know if you... What’s silly? I mean, if something it’s bothering you, I can always try to help, you know that.” She started saying something but changed it in the middle, already biting my bait.

“Nah, it’s nothing really. Just some strange things I’ve noticed, but it could be only my paranoia. You know how I can be.” I said nonchalantly and shrugged my shoulders. That should do it.

“Yeah, I know you and if something is bothering you it usually means you caught something. So, spill it, Alpha.” Raina said crossing her arms over her chest in an annoyed manner.

“Okay, okay. Don’t need to get annoyed at me.” I said and raised my hands in mock surrender. Gotcha!

“So, you know how everyone has a different scent to them, right? And we can mix the scent with products we use, like shampoo and all that, but the main aroma doesn’t change.”

“Yup. Although wolves do have a different perspective of scents sometimes, when mates are involved. Like Layla, you said she smelled like lavender, but for Kyle she smelled like peaches and roses.” She rambled on while trying to understand my point.

“Yes! That’s it. It can ‘change’ according to your mate’s preferences. But it will always be the same. Always peaches and roses.” I argued.

“In Kyle and Layla’s case, sure. But I don’t see your point about it, I mean, you already know everything about scents and mates.” Raina looked a bit disappointed, like what I had in mind was not worth her time anymore.

“I do, I do. And that’s something that got me confused about Mia, because to me she smells like wildflowers, like the ones my mom used to cultivate in secret.” By now Raina’s expression morphed to annoyance again. I’m sure she thought I was going to ask her about Mia being my mate again. “But a weird thing happened. Mia’s scent changed.”

“Changed?” That made Raina pause, and blink confused a few times. It shouldn’t be possible. “Changed how?”

“Well, for once, when she got pissed her scent got spicier. I don’t know, like wildflowers and cinnamon.”

“What? That doesn’t make sense, Drake.”

“I know it doesn’t, but Silver noticed it too. Her scent changes according to her mood.” I stated and gave Raina a few minutes to process all the information before I continued. “So, what I want to know is: is Mia really human or is she something else? Can you tell?”

Raina’s face went pale. She swallowed hard and stood up from the couch. She knew something about it. Or at least had some information. She paced the room and glanced at me a few times. I gave her time to think about it and hopefully she would decide to share the information she had with me.

“I don’t know.” She finally broke the silence.

“Don’t know what?”

“I don’t know what she is, Drake. But you are not wrong there, she isn’t human.” She said defeated and dropped herself on the couch again.

“I thought you could sense what people are all the time.” I said more to myself than to her.

“I do. I DO! But with her, I can’t. I sense... something. It’s like she has a very good cloaking spell on her. We’ve being trying to replace some ways to counter it, but nothing so far.” Raina breathed, frustrated.

“So, she knows she’s not human.” It wasn’t really a question at this point.

“She still doubts me, and I can’t even blame her. I can’t get past that damn cloaking spell. But I know in my gut she isn’t human.” She huffed and threw her arms in the air. That was something that was really pissing her off.

“Okay.” I paused. If they didn’t know, what Mia was it meant that I wouldn’t have an answer right away. I could live with that, at least there was a chance that Mia could feel the bond between us if she was my mate. If she were human, then there was zero percent chance of her feeling the bond. So, I guess it could still work. “You needed something, right?” I suddenly asked.

“Oh, yeah, the girls and I are going to have a girl’s night out, so I need your credit card.” Gone was the frustration and disappoint in Raina’s expression. It was replaced with excitement and a little mischief. I sighed and took my wallet, there was no denying her anyways, so it wouldn’t help to try and argue.

“Just don’t forget to give it back to me this time.” I said and narrowed my eyes at her.

I was already in bed sleeping peacefully when my guards alerted me that there was a struggle near our border. They had heard a car crash and smelled some vampires around. I hated vampires. They did things like that all the time, forcing accidents so the humans would get hurt and they could get blood in an ‘easy’ way. Lazy assholes. I got out of bed with a groan, I didn’t really want to deal with it at this time in the morning, but that was my duty.

Alpha, I can smell your sister’s blood and the other girls too. Ben, one of the guards on duty, said.

My sense of urgency change in a blink of an eye and I just opened my patio doors, jumping over the railings, shifting midair and landing on all fours. What were the chances that it was really an accident? I had to just hope it was. Silver was just as anxious as me and he ran as fast as he could go. By the time I got there the vampires were all dead, there were 11 of them, shredded to pieces on the ground. All but one, Sam was holding him tight.

Looking at the scene I felt the blood rush out of my face and my whole body froze. There was something very wrong.

“They took her, Drake. They took Mia.” Mel came sobbing and embraced Silver, burring her face in his fur.