Chapter 10-- Layla POV

We stared at each other. Mate? Dean crawled off me and stared at his feet, waiting for me to speak.
I burst into laughter.
“Oh, you think this is funny. You know what? I thought this was a joke.” He marched toward the door.
“Wait!”
He gripped the doorknob but didn’t turn it.
“What’s a mate?” I asked.
“You’re shitting me, right?”
I kept my comment to myself.
“A mate bond.” He stalked toward me. “A relationship so strong it’s predestined by the moon goddess. I knew you were mine the second I saw you.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. The way he spoke as if he owned me.
“So what are you going to do with me?”
He was The Alpha King and I didn’t have a wolf or my memories. Why would he want me? Though, with the way he stared at me and touched me it seemed like he did.
“We’re going to go to bed and talk about this in the morning.”
Dean picked up the blanket on the ground and climbed on the bed. Would Gabe allow this? He didn’t look amused when he marched in here minutes ago.
I couldn’t find sleep that night with Dean inches from me. I couldn’t stop thinking about his body heat when he pinned me on the bed or the pleasure I felt when he touched my sensitive bud. I wondered if anyone in my past made me feel that good.
Early the next morning I wasn’t sure what to do. Dean had gone out leaving me trapped in this room without clothes to change into. When he returned he appeared clothes in black clothes with short sleeves revealing tattoos on his arms.
He looked at me like he owned me again. He stopped at the foot of the bed.
“Aren’t you coming out?”
“In a bedsheet?”
He growled. “No.”
“Well, I don’t have any clothes not here.”
“Where did you sleep before last night.”
I lifted a shoulder. “In the shack outside.”
His jaw clenched. He moved to sit beside me. He captured my chin between his fingers.
“The shack?”
“That’s where the slaves sleep when they’re here.”
“You’re not a slave.” His voice carried authority. “You’re my mate.”
I shivered. I wasn’t used to this and I wasn’t sure how long it would take for me to get used to this situation but honestly, I felt safe with Dean. Like I belonged with him.
“Your brother told you he thinks I’m a spy right?”
He brushed hair out of my face and cradled my cheek.
“Who knows what they’ll do with me now that I didn’t shift.”
“Hey, no one’s going to touch you—”
“You don’t even know what you’re going to do with me!”
He pulled my body to his chest and growled. “I want to do so many things to your body. If anyone touches you they die, Little Wolf, that’s a promise.”
“I’m not a wolf, Dean.”
“You can’t shift, no one said you’re not a wolf. I’ve got things to do I’ll arrange for someone to bring your things up. Come here.”
He pressed his soft lips against mine. I was stunned for a second then he kissed me again. He was passionate. He claimed my mouth and dominated me like the Alpha male he was. My body lit up with a flame that only he could extinguish.
Dean pulled back and stood quickly. He told me he’d see me later. I buried my head in the sheets.
“Oh my gosh. That was amazing.”
***
A knock at the door made me sit up.
“Layla? Please tell me you’re decent.”
“Sam? As decent as can be.”
Sam popped his head in and held out my garbage bag with my clothes from the shelter.
“The Alpha King sent me. He asked Ginger but she wouldn’t do it and she doesn’t want Ash near you,” he chuckled.
“Thank you,” I said. He even brought books from school.
I quickly got changed into jeans and a black long-sleeve shirt. I returned and found Sam on the bed.
“You didn’t have to,” I said.
He shrugged. “I wanted to. I feel bad about what we did.”
“It was Ginger’s idea,” I said.
“Ginger… is overambitious. She wants to be in the Alpha’s court like her sister. Finding a spy is pretty good if you want to be noticed.”
“She saw me and saw an opportunity?”
“Don’t take it personally. Besides, it backfired.”
“No, Sam it didn’t. It’s always going to be in the back of someone’s mind.”
“You don’t choose who you love right?” He grinned sheepishly
“You’re in love with her?” I gawked.
“Technically we’re mates, but Ginger thought I was too weak for her so we don’t really do the mate thing.”
My heart shattered into a million pieces. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and squeeze.
“She rejected you?”
“Well, rejection among our clan has a deadly toll on wolves, so we decided not to be intimate. We are friends though.”
“You mean she decided,” I said.
He smiled, trying to make light of the situation. “Yeah, but I agreed.”
“That sucks Sam.”
“It’s alright. She’s happy with Ash and that’s what matters.”
“She’s dating Ash?!”
Sam nodded casually.
“Ash is great, but he doesn’t know the truth. You’re actually the only person who does.”
He trusted me enough to tell me. It felt good in a way.
“So, how can Ash be her mate if she’s your true mate?”
“Chosen mates. Like dating without the intensity though.”
I had a lot to learn about the mate bond other than it made me hot when Dean was around. I picked up the history textbook Sam brought. I flipped it open and a folded letter fell out.
“Secret admirer?” Sam grinned.
I doubted it. I unfolded the letter.
“Layla, meet me when you get this at the Greenery Social Worker’s office. It’s an emergency. Jordan.”
“It’s from my social worker. Do you know where this place is?”
Sam frowned. “It’s not far from me. Why do you have to meet her? Things aren’t stable right now.”
“She’s done a lot for me, Sam, what if something’s wrong with her?”
Sam pushed his glasses up his nose. “I’m coming with you.”
“I can manage just tell me where it is.”
Sam gave me directions. Everyone was too busy to notice me. Dean was hunched over a table in the kitchen talking to his brother and other betas. I slipped out of the house and through the gate with ease.
What could the emergency be? I haven’t been to the shelter or school she could be worried. Or I was in trouble for squandering the resources she provided for me. The huge office sign told me I was in the right place but the tumbleweed rolling by said no one was home.
I marched into the quiet parking lot. The front door to the one-story building was locked with a chain.
“Jordan?” I moved to the windows.
They must have gone home early but it was before lunch.
“Useless,” I muttered.
I turned around to leave when three brown wolves with spikey fur appeared in front of me bearing fangs and foaming mouths. I screamed my lungs out.
“No one will hear you here,” the brown wolf spoke.
“What have you done to Jordan?” I demanded with shaky confidence.
“She’s taken care of. Make this easy for us will you?”
The building was bolted. The wolves blocked my path and I doubted I could outrun three wolves. I was out of plans when Dean appeared and grabbed a wolf by his hind legs and hurled him across the parking lot.
“Don’t touch my mate,” he growled his eyes burning the colours of hell.
“Well, well your Highness, glad you could join us?” The leader wolf laughed.