Chapter Two

I hold my breath as my mate reaches me; I have to crane my neck to look up into his face. He is breathing hard, and I am having trouble breathing. I don’t understand why I didn’t want to meet my mate before now. He is perfect, in every single sense of the world. If my other mates are like him, I will not be able to pick.

“Mate” I whisper, the word suddenly sounding foreign to me. I knew what one was, and I had said the word thousands of times. Yet it had never held as much meaning as it did then. I suddenly understood what the big deal was about.

“Mi amore” he says – his voice husky and laced with lust. I swoon – he is Italian. Could he be any more perfect? “Il mio compagno è finalmente qui, è stato così a lungo” he adds.

“I have no idea what you just said, but it was sexy as hell” I inform him. I am not lying, the way the alien words roll over his tongue is like music to my ear. I didn’t know a voice could have so much effect on me.

“My beautiful, beautiful mate” he mutters, reaching up and cupping my cheek. I gasp as his skin touches mine; the way the electricity passes through my body is both blissful and heavenly. His azure eyes gaze into mine and my throat dries.

“What’s your name?” I question.

“Arturo” he tells me – his name as dreamy as him. “What is your name, mi amore?”

“Athena”.

He smiles flirtatiously at me, his lips a sexy half smile. “Athena. Per sempre la mia, Athena” he mumbles; he is speaking more to himself than me. I can’t help but wonder what his voice would sound like if he spoke to me like that in bed…

Arturo growls at me, and it takes me a few seconds to realise he is growling because he can smell my desire. I blush slightly – I have never been with a guy before, nor have I even ever kissed a guy before. Yet, looking up at Arturo I want to do all those things. Right here, right now.

“Mi stai prendendo in giro, amico” he grumbles out. I cock an eyebrow at him; willing him to complain. “You are teasing me, mate” he translates. I blush deeper, I don’t mean to have so many hormones rushing through my body. But hey, I’m a teenage girl. Sue me.

“Arturo?” a familiar voice calls out. Both my mate, and I, turn to the edge of the forest and see my Alpha walking over. He raises an eyebrow as he sees us; noticing who it is, I cast my eyes to the floor.

“Alpha Jackson” my mate nods, his head bowing slightly in submission. “I apologise for wondering off, but I sensed my mate nearby” he explains, gesturing to me. I smile slightly, glancing up while still having my head lowered.

The Alpha looks between us, before sighing heavily. “Arturo, I have to inform you that Athena is a she-wolf in my pack”. He looks sympathetically towards my mate. My heart picks up speed nervously, worrying for my mate’s reaction.

“So?” Arturo questions, then his beautiful eyes widen in shock as he realises what Alpha Jackson means. “No” he growls out, “she is my mate. Mine. Nessun altro può toccarla . Lei è mia” he rants angrily.

I feel tears filling my eyes, I don’t want Arturo to leave me. I can’t help that I have this curse, it is not my fault. But I don’t want another mate, I only want Arturo. I don’t care if I never meet the others. I have Arturo, why would I want anyone else?

“Don’t cry, mate” Arturo fusses softly, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me closer to his side. “I just get jealous easy. I don’t want you to be with anyone else”.

“We’ll just leave. Me and you, we’ll hide away until I’m not eighteen anymore. Then I won’t find any of my other mates. I’ll just have you, and you’ll just have me and--”

“No Athena” Alpha Jackson cuts me off. I lower my head in submission, not wanting to offend my Alpha by being rude. “Arturo has been sent by his Alpha in Italy, but that does not mean you can leave. I will put Arturo in an apartment and then he will be put into your schedule for you mating month” he instructs me.

“Of course Alpha” I nod, I will not question my Alpha.

“But--” Arturo starts off, but my Alpha speaks over him.

“That is what will happen Arturo. We have rules here when our she-wolves are going through their mating month. I will not take no as an answer, if you won’t obey then I will have to talk to your Alpha”. Alpha Jackson’s voice is strong and powerful. Arturo lowers his head also.

“I will not question you, Alpha Jackson” my mate tells him.

“Good” he nods to himself, “now Athena I suggest you go back home. It is late and I suspect that your parents are wondering where you are. I will arrange that you and Arturo can spend some time together tomorrow; after I set him up in a male apartment”.

I nod, although I want to spend longer with my mate. “Thank you Alpha” I say. Then I turn back to Arturo. “I’ll see you tomorrow” I whisper to him. He nods and gives me a soft smile. I blush when he bends down and pecks my cheek; his lips are soft and gentle against my skin. I am in heaven with him.

“Fino a quando ci incontreremo di nuovo il mio amore” Arturo tells me. I don’t understand his words, but there is a sad tone to his voice. I’ll miss him while he is gone, but I can’t disobey my Alpha.

I step away from him, already missing his touch. I bow my head when I walk past Alpha Jackson, but I carry on walking. When I reach the edge of the forest, I glance back and look at my Italian Adonis once more. He is perfect and I never want to let him go.

Then I sigh, and immerse myself into the shrubbery of the forest. I walk home at a brisk pace, excited to tell someone about Arturo. About how I had found my beautiful Italian mate and how amazingly sexy he was when he spoke Italian to me.

When I get home, I find my parent cuddled together on the couch. “Athena” my mother looks up at me.

“I found my mate” I gush out; I just need someone to know. Someone to chat with him. My mother was standing up almost instantly, grabbing my wrists in excitement.

“What’s he like?” she smiles. It had been a long time since my mother had smiled at me; I usually only got a scowl or a glare. It feels good to know that she still cares.

“He’s Italian, his name is Arturo and his beautiful. He was sent over by his Alpha to work with Alpha Jackson” I rush out. I see the happiness in my mother eyes – I see another emotions too. Pride. Never – and I mean never – have I seen my mother proud of me. Of Wyatt and Bethel sure, she is always proud of them. But me? Never.

“But he is still only your first mate” my father’s serious voice crushes my happy mood. I turn to see him; his face is still blank and emotionless. “You may not end up with him Athena, I suggest you don’t get too attached to him. You don’t know what your other mates are like” he reminds me. Right now I want to punch me.

I was so happy before he came in and had to but a dark cloud on my sunshine. Can’t he just be happy for me for once? Is it too much to ask, that I get a ‘congratulations’ or a simple ‘I’m happy for you’. But no, I am not Wyatt or Bethel so I don’t deserve him to make me feel good.

“I know that” I snap at my father.

“Do not speak to me in that tone, Athena” he growls at me; his eyes narrowing at me in annoyance.

“You know what?” I say, getting angry. “I’m going to bed, at least there no one will crush my happiness”. I can’t help but hold a growl in my words. I don’t understand how he can always be so negative. I could tell him I won the Noble Peace Prize and he would find fault with it.

“Athena, don’t speak to your father like that” my mother warns me; her eyes hard and harsh again. I roll my eyes, before turning around and storming out the room. I get to my bedroom and slam the door behind me.

Sitting on my bed, I frown. I am tired and I want to sleep, but my mind is alit with thoughts. I think of Arturo, of course. I think of his body, I think of his eyes, I think of his voice, I think of his accent. I think of him. He is so perfect I don’t know how I could be paired with him.

I don’t know how it would be possible that I could get other mates better than him – at the moment I can’t see me choosing anyone else over him. I wish he was here with me, lying beside me.

I wonder if he thinking of me now, I hope he is. I wonder if he is happy I am his mate, I hope he is. Arturo is nothing like how I imagined my mate to be, but I wouldn’t change him for the world now that I had met him.

When I get up the next day, I don’t bother with school – I have an awful attendance anyway. Instead I go straight over to Alpha Jackson’s house. I knock lightly on the door; my eyes cast to the floor before he even answers the door.

“Athena” he greets me when he finally answers. “I assume this is about Arturo, yes?” he has a small smirk on his face, I blush like some petulant school child but nod yes. “He is over in the male apartments. Go over there – I will ring ahead and tell them that even though your schedule has not been set up, I allow you to spend the morning with him”.

“Thank you Alpha” I say truthfully.

“It is no problem, Athena. I will do anything to help make your mating month easier, I myself know the hardship of having a mate with multiple mates; so I can’t imagine how much of a struggle for the she-wolves it is” he smiles kindly.

“Thank you Alpha” I repeat. I then turn and walk away, before breaking into a run. I am so excited to see Arturo again; it has been too long since I last saw him. Although it was only last night I saw him.

When I reach the apartment building for the male mates of the pack, I instantly enter and walk up to reception. The woman sat behind the desk, looks up and smiles. “Athena?” she questions, I nod yes. “The Alpha rung ahead, your mate is in room fifty-seven”.

I rush up the stairs, until I reach the fifth floor. When I find room fifty-seven, I knock on the door. When it opens I smile brightly. My mate is perfection, there is no other way to say it. He is the ultimate body of perfection.

“Mi amore” Arturo smiles brightly before he grabs me. I throw my arms around his neck – I have to be close to him. He growls lowly, happily, as his arms slip around my slim waist. Hugging him, being with him, just seems so right. It feels like it is supposed to be like this. We are meant for each other.

“Arturo, I missed you” I whisper into his ear.

“Oh mi amore, you have no idea how much I wanted you here last night”. His voice is husky and low, his mouth near my ear. I shiver as his hot breath blows over my neck. I pull back and look into his eyes.

We stand there, looking at each other for a few minutes. Then he grabs a piece of my hair and twirls it around his finger. “Why purple?” he asks, admiring the light pastel colour I have made my hair.

“I wanted something different” I shrug.

“You don’t need to be different, mi amore. You are already perfect”. And just like that I melt in his arms.