Don't Hurt Mine!

Jerome

Five days and going

I was snapping at anything, irritated, angry, intolerable. And it was only five days since she had been gone. My beta was even trying his best to avoid me. Even everyone in the pack knew something was wrong, but could you blame me though, I had a mate who kept running from me. Vincent came running into the room.

"You need to keep yourself together Jerome, the alpha and his mate are here."

I grumbled low but stood up, "invite them in, I'll be with you in a sec."

***

The Alpha of the woodlands pack was younger than I thought, but he made up for it with the way he carried himself, and that he could trust us with his pregnant mate, which spoke volumes.

"Alpha Casper, this is my mate, my beta Luca, and two of my enforcers James and Moreen." I noticed that he didn't introduce the boy standing behind them."

"Alpha Jerome, this is my beta, Vincent, and my four enforcers, Josh, Cara, Pete and Bradley."

" And Alpha mate, Olivia."

"I already introduced you."

"Oh shush, you didn't say my name."

"But I said you were mate."

"I know I'm your mate, but you said Alpha Casper, this is my mate, you didn't say my name."

"But…"

"Okay Alpha's mate Olivia." I felt like if I didn't cut in the argument was going to go on forever. I already even liked them, from what I've seen, Casper didn't carry the title of Alpha on his head, because with the way his beta and enforcers were smiling at their argument and groaning, it told a lot.

"Your sarcasm is not lost on me." Olivia raised an eyebrow.

"Ignore her, it's the hormones." Casper mouthed.

I suddenly felt a weird pain in my chest, I had a mate also, and if we were mated, she'd also introduce herself as my mate.

"You didn't even introduce Dani." Olivia growled.

Casper sighed. "And this is Danic... Dani, she accompanied us." He turned and took the hand of the boy behind them and dragged him forward.

My heart skipped a beat when the scent of the boy assaulted my senses.

"Why's he hiding his face beneath the hood?" Vincent asked.

The boy in question jerked.

"Danica, why are you hiding."

I jerked back like Olivia hit me.

I heard a loud sigh and the boy's body tensed before he raised his hands and slid the hood off.

The kind of shock that overcame me in that one moment was unexplainable.

Cara's breath hitched, Pete almost fell down.

"Holy shit!." Vincent shouted.

"Oh my fucking lord!." Josh said.

Danica's doppelganger was staring back at me.

Danica flushed her eyes darting everywhere but at me.

"Is something wrong," Olivia asked, " Danica? Is there something you want to share with us."

Danica's muscles seemed to stiffen up further, but then they relaxed like she'd given up. " Alpha Jerome is my mate."

Oh the sudden silence that followed was very telling, I couldn't even move a muscle if I tried.

"What?!" Casper spluttered.

"No wonder you were so adamant on not going, was he the one you were hiding from? What kind of mate would he be if he can't accept you the way you are."

Olivia's words got my mouth in order as I prepared to defend myself. "I didn't know, shit! She didn't even tell me, I didn't even know when she left." I couldn't move my eyes from Danica, her hair was very short, her jaw sharper, the normal shape of her breast was gone, her waist looked slightly different, did she have a dick too? Her eyes were Grey at the moment. Danica was terrified. She was terrified of the situation, scared even, scared of not being accepted, she was probably expecting to be called a freak. I could guess that she braced herself.

I didn't know what overcame me, but I needed her to know that whatever or however she was, I didn't like the way everyone was ogling her with their mouth open. I was going to accept her...or him.

"Come here." I growled low, she didn't move, I growled again. Danica jumped and moved to stand by me.

"You will go into the house and wait for me while I talk to my guest."

Danica obeyed, which shocked the hell out of me. Since when did Danica take orders?.

Casper smiled at me. "Don't worry about us, I know you have to claim your mate, so we'll wait, I can feel the need radiating from you."

I smiled back at him. "Thank you for coming, I really appreciate the trust you have in me to protect your own."

He smiled, but this time it was feral, "and I hope you won't give me a reason to change that?"

I got the meaning behind his words.

"We don't like one of our own hurting, I can kill with just a word, I don't care who the person who hurts them is to them," Olivia said before turning to Casper. "Baby did that come out right?."

"Yes it did." Casper answered pecking her cheek. Olivia nodded and then leaned into him.

I admired the couple and I got the meaning behind her words. I'd heard stories about both of them though, and that's why I wanted the alliance.

I got the message. 'Hurt Danica, and we'll hurt you'. But she didn't need to indirectly threaten me. I'd never hurt my mate, so I took her words as an insult.

"I would never hurt my mate."

"I didn't say that, Danica might act like a chicken, but appearances might be deceiving."

She didn't need to tell me twice.

"Why don't I take you to your rooms for the night."