The awakening

Luke

There was a glowing brightness inside me that represented my life and just a few minutes ago, it was dimming. I was drifting in a dark, peaceful haze somewhere between life and death. Thoughts about my childhood with Lia, how we both anticipated shifting into our wolf forms while taking the routine walk with Sir Chadwick. Along the rose road – all the tiny things that had made my life so special, made me human. There was no anger, no bitterness, just a quiet acceptance that my life had come.

I felt surprisingly calm and peaceful. All the little worries I had in my life vanished. My life had been too short, but my only regret was never getting the chance to meet the woman who was born for me. All my hopes and dreams for the future had been obliterated and all that lay before me was eternal silence.

I had begun to let go of my physical life, letting my spirit drift away from the physical world. It was an odd sensation that felt like slipping into a cool calm ocean. The sensation was almost like floating. I felt light and free.

Suspended in the stillness that existed outside of physical reality, I suddenly felt an awful sense of unease creeping up on me.

I felt the darkness around me, felt it swallowing me whole, but someone kept calling me, someone that didn't want me to go yet. First, it was the face of a beautiful young woman that I didn't remember ever meeting in my whole life continuously appearing before me, Then it was that voice, calling and calling my name.

And what was even more intriguing? I wanted to go to her, wanted to comfort her, wanted to make her feel better.

I wasn't in pain like I should be, given the circumstances of where I was, but I thought this was all nearly over.

Slowly, my senses came back, and I could feel the presence of somebody nearing me as I lay still on soft material. Then I heard that voice that rang through my head.

"Are you okay?"

I'd never heard a voice like that before. An enticing voice that called me, a voice that woke up nerves in me, a voice that left sparks shattering inside my head and telling me to wake up.

The voice was the right push I needed to regain my consciousness, and my eyes flew open, more like my wolf pushed them open. It was eager to see her, and so was I. When I laid eyes on her, I felt it. I felt the sizzling pull and heard my heart racing and thumping inside my chest. My eyes sparked and my teeth twitched to grow out because she woke up those senses inside me.

Because. . .

She was my mate.

The smell of pure ice mixed with strawberries stung my nostrils and it felt like I hadn't smelled anything so spectacular before. And all I wanted to do that instant was to get off this bed, grab her, and kiss the life out of her lips that kept staring at me, but I remained still because I knew I didn't deserve that much.

All I was worthy of was watching how beautiful she was from where I lay. Her black eyes watched me in surprise like I'd grown two horns on my head, and her heart-shaped lips paused in surprise like she had something important to say. Her elfin-shaped face was hidden under her long black hair, and all I could hear was the sound of her heart, beating from surprise and. . .

Fear?

"I'm not gonna hurt you." My voice came out hoarse and too bold, but that was the first thing I could think of telling her. I didn't need her running away from me, if anything that was the last thing I wanted.

She didn't reply and just nodded instead.

The only question that rushed into my head was, why? Why now? Why did I find my mate now? When I've always wanted her, I have yearned for her. I lost count of year's and here she was now, standing before me like the day couldn't get better. Here she was, now when my world had just been emptied when I'd lost everything.

Flashes of the past event started rushing. I could recall everything like it was happening on repeat. Jamie's men slaughtering my guards, his assassins seizing Perdio, slaughtering my men like they meant nothing and . . . I couldn't do anything. I let them down. I fell.

It was painful remembering how I watched my men die, but it was torture remembering how Liana fought my side and had to die saving me.

The thought caused me to grimace bitterly. That was when I heard the clattering noise from afar. I looked forward and found her rummaging through the table opposite the bed I lay on.

I watched her, bewitched by her eminent beauty even though she currently has her back turned to me.

She turned back around, clenching a bottle in her hand.

" I. . .You need to take these pills for the pain, " she muttered, shivering a bit as she clasped the bottle in her hand.

She was scared of me.

The realization alone made my heart burn. It hurts to know that she was terrified of me. She was my mate. She was supposed to be happy to see me.

Then another realization hit me. She's human. How hadn't I realized that until now?

I should've known but my senses are all foggy at the moment and I wasn't thinking straight.

The instant she walked closer to me, I reached for her hand and yanked her down, the hairs on my body rose instantly at the startling contact. I could feel my wolf rejoicing inside. After the long wait, she was finally here. Our mate.

She fell into me, my other arm reaching out to catch her by the chest, my heart racing rapidly as I felt her body against mine.

I felt how tense her body got before I realized what this gesture meant to her. She leaped off my body immediately, clutching the bottle harder in her tiny hands.

"I'm sorry. . ." She apologized, ". . . I'm not really good at this whole doctor thing. I think I'll call Shelby. Excuse me." She said everything at once before running off.

Would I sound too weird if I said I found her clumsiness sexy? I found myself smiling the next second. I couldn't stop picturing her face, how her lips moved fast as she stammered her words out.

Just then, someone walked in. It wasn't my mate. It was some guy, his chest bare and a red shirt hung over his shoulder.

I felt my blood boil at the sight of him, thoughts of different forms burned into my head, and imaginations of what might have transpired between him and my mate surfaced in my mind.

Who was he? Does he live with her? Is he her boyfriend? Did he touch her?!

I felt the anger coursing through my body, and I didn't remember the last time I'd been so jealous about a woman.

I felt the urge to fly off the bed and put a punch to his face, but I was aware that was utterly wrong of me. I didn't know him or if he had anything to do with my mate, this was probably still his house too, and I was not entitled to punch him in his house. Well, scratch that. Maybe I would if he turned out to be touching my mate!

He stopped at the door, his eyes watching me as he folded his arms.

"Blake, listen. . . . " My mate said as she walked from behind him and stepped into the room.

"I see he woke up already," he spat out, the venom obvious in his eyes.

"Yes, he just did. He's been out since last night."

"Valerie, you brought some stranger to your house last night?!"

Valerie. . .

"He was hurt, Blake. I couldn't just leave him there to die."

Blake watched her for a moment before turning his face back to me and saying. "The hell are you?"

"Blake! He's not in the position to answer any questions, he's wounded and needs to rest. I'm calling Shelby to come to see him now."

"So Shelby knows about him too? How come you didn't think to tell me too?"

Because you're an ass. . .

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't even know where my phone was. Last night was pretty- rough for me and I didn't really return any calls and I'm sorry about that but can we please talk about this outside?"

Blake wouldn't move and just kept staring at me.

My eyes twitched when I saw my Valerie place her hand over his arm to get his attention. My anger once again returned, and I wanted to run in between them to separate them and maybe tear him apart.

Just then, he looked back at Valerie and walked out.

"I'm sorry I acted that way back there, Val, but I'm just worried about your safety," I heard him say, their voices now indistinct and quiet.

"I know. . ." Her voice got quiet and somehow it managed to calm me down " . . . . I was at the construction site last night. I was gonna leave but saw him lying unconscious. I couldn't leave him, Blake."

Construction site?

I looked around the room, trying to recognize where I was but nothing here looked familiar. I stretched to look out the window but was only met with tall trees and some buildings I didn't quite recognize.

Where was I?

How did I get here?

I remember the night getting foggy, and somebody pulling me out of my room where Jamie attacked me. I'd been too weak to even see the face of the person who helped me out. The next thing was the sound of water hitting shore, then I was being laid on a boat and setting into water.

I remember feeling my weight get so light, and channeled out a couple of times before finally. . .

Where was this place?

The smell of pure ice mixed with strawberries invaded my nostrils again, reminding me of the fact that I just found my long awaited mate.

Nothing seemed to make sense at the moment. Not Jamie taking over my pack, my sister getting killed by him, or any of it. But being right here made so much sense, being with my mate.

I lost everything and found her. I didn't have anything to offer her, and I didn't even know where I was to start from, but I hoped she'd accept me for who I am now.

She was human, not a werewolf like me, but I would have to tell her everything sooner than later.

I knew her friend didn't like me that much, and I didn't blame him. They seemed pretty close. But I hope she knew I'd never hurt her.

I saw the fear in her eyes the instant I saw her eyes for the first time.

But they were beautiful, so I got caught up in them. Those were the most beautiful set of dark sloe eyes I'd ever seen in my entire life and I wanted to see more of her, wanted to know more.

She was exquisite.

I might've just found her, and gotten closer to her than I'd ever in my entire life, but my lust and yearning for her has suddenly magnified a hundred times, and I suddenly wanted her.

I wanted to make her mine.