The Unexpected Mate
Where We Are Together

I was marching down the hall with a very serious and determined air about me. Where was he? Why had he not come to the hospital like he was supposed to?

I heard what happened, not to mention felt what happened and that jerk was ignoring me. What was wrong with him? I felt like smacking some sense into him.

I entered the main building where Axel tended to do planning and meetings with those that helped run our territory and the sections in it. I figured if he didn’t come to the medical area then he was here.

Here being stupid and probably bleeding all over like an idiot. A couple of those that were there saw me pass by calling out a greeting. I just gave a little bit of a wave.

It was nice to be accepted here. To not feel like I had to defend myself anymore at every turn. This was now my home, my people, and it helped my wolf feel stronger. Right now, though she and I were angry. Very angry at our mate and his stupid ability to get into trouble.

I came up to where I knew his office was. I inhaled and got Harper and Axel’s scent only, so I just opened the door and barged in. My eyes were very bright and fierce. They met Axel’s dark ones that were not shocked at all by me marching into his office like I owned the place. Typical Harper just raised his eyebrow at me and a knowing smile.

“Axel!” I said and he just looked at me with that stupid calm exterior like nothing was wrong. Sometimes I swore if the room was on fire, he wouldn’t show concern. My mate did not panic, and he did not back down from anything.

Nerves of steel, and I did immensely enjoy that I seemed to be the only one that could make him show another side of himself. Right now, though he was staring at me as he leaned on his desk arms crossed and a bright white bandage wrapped around his bicep.

“Why are you here and not in the medical area? My god you got shot again!” I snapped and felt upset. He seriously got into a lot of dangerous situations. He was not an alpha that sat on the sidelines, and I was learning that the hard way.

“As you can see I had it taken care of. The last of those thinking to fight the takeover of North Pack is done. It wasn’t going to be easy, and you knew that,” Axel said calmly as I came over and touched his arm. I also knew he’d gotten into a serious fight with multiple wolves that argued against the ruling that Axel had legitimate claims to the North Territory. No one was willing to outright challenge him.

So, the last few pockets of resistance had tried fighting us as a group instead. Axel had healed quickly but needed at least a week before he was back to normal from Nate attacking. Even if he seemed to think otherwise and I was mad that Axel would not just relax. Workaholic. Guess it took one to know one.

“That does not make it okay for you to not have your wounds looked at,” I snapped touching his arm and then more of him. He’d been in a fight with multiple wolves. Mauled, I also glanced at Harper who had a few bandages too. He shrugged clearly thinking it was fine.

I felt Axel’s hand grip under my chin and make me turn my head to look back at him. His gaze was even more serious though and I met it unblinking.

“Were you at the medical center working Layla and helping others heal? You are not supposed to be doing that,” Axel had a very dark tone. He kept his gaze on me and pointed toward the door for a very clear sign that Harper should step out for a moment. He turned and did so speaking as he went to go.

“Red Coven will be here in ten,” he reminded Axel as he closed the door, and we were staring at each other.

“If you can go get shot and hurt, I can help a little at the hospital. I am not terminally ill Axel,” I said exasperated, his grip on my chin got tighter when I would have stepped away. I just glanced sideways at the bandage reaching up to touch his arm again and see if it needed healing.

“Don’t,” he said in warnings and my eyes jumped back up to his. “You cannot be doing that Layla. You made yourself sick and if you don’t want me locking you up in the house for the next six months then you keep your promise,”

“I wasn’t healing anything serious. Minor wounds Axel, I did keep my promise. You said you weren’t going to go get crazy and risk your life like you have been fighting all the battles,” I shot back, and he sighed. He leaned and met my mouth with a harsh demanding pressure. After a moment I caved a little and met the kiss. Axel slid his hand up into my hair.

“Sweetness, I promised to be more careful, and I was. I can’t let the rest fight the battles without me there. That is what an Alpha does,” he said his lips brushing mine. I could see this heat in his gaze for me. While I loved it and his reactions to me, I also was not going to let him distract me either.

“And a Luna nurtures and mends. I have my role too. I don’t like that you seem to not think caring for yourself and the wounds you get serious,” I said touching his face. He seemed to search my gaze and stood more rather than lean. He kissed me again fiercely his hands dropping to my sides before glancing down.

“You have more than a pack to look out for. I meant what I said Layla, you and they will come first. If you faint again from overuse of your ability, I will lock you in the house under guard twenty-four-seven until they are born. I am not willing to risk it, I don’t like the thought of you at the hospital draining yourself, good cause or not,” Axel said, and I struggled to not roll my eyes. However, the way that he was looking down at my stomach and lightly touching me as if I were made of glass was kind of endearing. I didn’t tell him that though.

“We are fine, and I didn’t know then,” I said. “I am very good at monitoring myself now that I know,” I reminded him. As a healer, I used my body’s energy to heal others. Well, when you were pregnant your body was also using its energy to grow a life. In my case, two lives and I didn’t realize I was overdoing it with such simple things. Contrary to mythical beliefs we did have thresholds you know.

Axel though, oh my god. You would have thought that I had my throat ripped out. When I came too everyone was scared shitless apparently. Harper was even quiet and really tense. After that little incident of me passing out, if I sighed wrong for the next week there was a rush of people toward me asking a thousand questions on if I was okay. If I needed anything or wanted to go home. Jesus, I just sighed or sneezed. Axel had been a psycho while I was passed out apparently.

Yeah, he also took me home and refused to let me out of the house. It took a lot to keep my cool and get him down to a reasonable level. I had to remind myself of his insecurities and fears. He never showed them, so it was easy to just look at him as being an overbearing and controlling asshole.

I made him talk to me and say it out loud so that he could hear how it sounded with the way he was acting. I was not on death's door. It did calm him down, but the compromise was that I had someone with me at all times for the next week.

Me and Grace were getting very friendly that was for sure. I could see her being the sister that Ashley never was. Ashley had chosen to move to a different territory when the ruling came that Axel was now in control of North. Good, I didn’t want anything to do with her.

“You Layla are the one thing I struggle to control myself with. I will be better about letting you know how I am after these fights how about that? If you promise to let me know you were at the hospital all day and talk to me about it. I can’t change who I am, there are very few I care about. My heart is not like yours,” he said leaning forward and kissing me softly. I pretty much melted.

Whenever he touched me softly and with care it just made me putty in his hands. I did notice the way that he wrapped an arm around my lower back and pulled me closer. I loved that kissing him and coming against him always felt like the first time. I didn’t care if that sounded stupid.

“How I wish you came just a little sooner so I could enjoy you,” Axel said, and I gave him a little smile.

“I didn’t come here to elope with you, Axel. I came to make sure you were taking care of yourself,” I said, and he raised an eyebrow at me. There was a knock at the door and we both looked over seeing Harper glance into the room.

“Coven leader for Red is out front coming in,” Axel gave a nod and Harper shut the door again. Axel let out a sigh and slowly let go of me. He just watched me check his wound again and maybe I healed it a little bit. Just a little, nothing major. It was healing well on its own. A clean pass-through in the arm.

“Layla,” he said with a bigger sigh feeling what I did. I just gave him a half smile. I turned to go knowing he had this meeting, and that the coven leader of Red was kind of a dick to females. Best not to stay. I paused feeling his hand circle my wrist. I looked down and then up at Axel as I had taken a step and my arm was extended.

“You know what you mean to me right?” Axel asked and in that moment, I saw a vulnerable look in his eyes. A moment that he let his guard drop just for me to see and it made my heart sore. I turned took a step and kissed him very soundly.

“Of course, I do, you can tell me how much you love me later when we are truly alone. Promise it will be worth your time,” I said just needing my mate. A slow smile spread across his face and his eyes heated again.

I moved quickly before he could grab a hold of me again. The entire way to the door I could feel his gaze on me, and I knew he’d come replace me once he was able. The thought just excited me a lot. I hoped he sat through that meeting thinking about me.

As I came out into the hall, I left the door slightly open and found Harper and Grace there talking softly. I heard Grace ask him something quietly and she looked a little concerned.

“Did you talk to her?” Grace asked but Harper looked over at me and ignored Grace’s question. Grace pursed her lips.

“Just in time, your chaperone is here too. Didn’t realize you left her in the dust,” Harper said, and I raised my eyebrow at him this time shaking my head. Down the hall, I saw a couple of vampires moving toward us. My hair rose up a little not liking the sense I got from them. Me and Grace knew this was our cue to leave as Harper stepped to greet them and take them into Axel’s study.

“Better babysitter than you,” I quipped to Harper who just gave a flash of a smile. Grace and I went down the hall to leave.

“What were you talking to Harper about?” I asked and Grace just rolled her eyes.

“Just hoping my brother can get his shit together and replace a decent woman to mate with is all. I never thought Axel would be the one over Harper to get mated first,” Grace said, and she laughed.

“To be fair we are true mates, so the choice was a little different,” I told her, and we shared a smile. A real one, and as we left talking and chatting. I just had that sense hit me again of how right everything was in my world.

How much it meant to have a male that loved me, wanted me for me. Wanted the family we were going to have. The sense of having friends and a place that let me feel like I was doing something with my life.

It wasn’t every day that you felt like this, where all the pieces of the puzzle just kind of clicked together. I was feeling that right now, and it was worth everything I had been through to get here. There really wasn’t anything more I could ask for and the best place for my happy ending to be.