Chapter 10- Meet Mary

Right in that moment my stomach growled at me. Clay laughed, “I guess we need to feed you.” I blushed as I looked at him.

We both found our gaze on the sandwich that was thrown apart on the floor. We looked back at one another and both started to laugh.

“Well, I think I ruined your lunch.” Clay said with a laugh in his tone. My stomach groaned even louder as if in agreement. “C’mon. Lets get dressed and go get some food in the kitchen.”

We put our shirts back on and he grabbed my hand. He led me through the house. As I looked around me I saw giant glass chandeliers down the hallway. Each room seemed to be the same size as my entire apartment. The place was massive. Then we walked through double doors. The kitchen was huge. It looked like a culinary workshop. I was beside myself. I was happy when my one burner on my kitchen stove worked properly. This was everything you could ever want from a kitchen.

“This place is amazing.” I finally said after admiring and hearing a bit more rumbles from my stomach.

“It has everything our cooks want to make the food they love the most.” Clay said. He reached into the pantry and pulled out a pot. He then filled it with water and turned on the burner.

“You cook?” I ask him. Again he laughed. I love how he laughed freely.

“Cook? No. I make pasta.” Now I laughed as well.

“Do I smell food?” The doors opened and Rose stepped into the kitchen. She sniffed the air and looked at me with a smirk. “You making pasta?”

“Yes. Did you want some?” Clay asked Rose.

“It's food isn’t it?” Rose answered. Clay went to get the noodles from the pantry. Rose instantly turned to me. “What is it like to be with your mate? I have always dreamed about it but haven’t found mine yet. I smell my brother all over you. Did you… ya know? Actually don’t answer I do not want to know.”

I laugh at my best friend. “No, we didn’t Rose. And since I never knew about mates it is quite overwhelming to need someone I just met so desperately. However, at the same time it feels so amazing and I feel whole.” Rose gave me a far away look like she was dreaming of the day it would happen to her. Clay walked back in the kitchen from the pantry at that moment.

He walked over to me and kissed me on the top of my head and then went back to cooking his pasta.

“See?” Rose sighed. “That is so adorable! Also, a bit nauseating.” We all laughed at that.

Clay finished making the pasta putting the sauce in and topping it with a fair amount of parmesan cheese. It was absolutely delicious.

Rose looked at me while we were eating with her mouth full and said, “I’m surprised that you are hungry. That sandwich was huge!” Both Clay and I went pink and looked at one another and smiled.

“I guess I wasn’t really feeling the sandwich.” I said. Rose shrugged.

“So are you going to get mated tonight so that you can meet your wolf?” Rose said so bluntly. I normally loved this about my best friend but at the moment I wanted to strangle her. She laughed at me as I felt my cheeks get red. I looked over at Clay who was giving his sister a death stare.

“Rose, don’t you think that is a little much?” Clay said through clenched teeth.

“Um.. well.. no.. Don’t you want to meet your wolf?” Rose looked at me her eyebrows raised in question.

“Rose.” Clay growled at his sister. She backed off with her hands in the air.

“Okay okay. Not my business.” Rose said as she shoved another mouthful of pasta into her mouth.

“Where is she?” I heard a voice yelling in the hallway. A voice that I had missed so much the past two years. I held a breath until she burst through the door. “There you are!” Mary ran to me wrapping her arms around me in a motherly hug. “Oh dear they told me you were finally here and I just couldn’t stay away! I am so glad to see you right back where you are supposed to be!” I giggled.

“Oh Mary! I have missed you so much!” I squeeze her in the hug and feel myself relax into it. Mary had been there after my parents died and held me so many times as I cried from their loss.
Mary let me go and Clay put an arm on the small of my back. Instantly I felt the energy of his touch. I looked up at him and smiled and he smiled back at me.

“Oh dear oh dear” Mary said as she looked back and forth between us, “You and Clay! That is so exciting!” She hit my arm as she said, “The Alphas son!” And then Mary turned to Clay, “You better take care of this one. She is awfully special to me.”

Clay looked at Mary and nodded, “I certainly will Mary. She is pretty special to me too.”

“Well if that’s the case why in the world do I not see any marks!” Mary exclaimed passionately. What was with everyone and getting marked around here? What about getting to know someone a bit. Then I felt ashamed at my thought since I had just been topless rolling around in bed with the same man.

“Um…” Clay stammered. I felt that Mary may just have a way of making people feel a bit like they were getting disciplined. She had the biggest heart though.

“It is me Mary.” I spoke up letting the words sink in. “Today has been a lot of information to process. I just am finding out so many different things. How did you keep it a secret all those years?”

“Well to be honest with you dear, I did not really agree with the whole thing. I kept waiting for your wolf to show up but it never did. I expected once it did I could explain some things to you without breaking orders. But nope, that never happened. I am just so glad you are here now. So did your wolf show up?” Mary spoke quickly and I struggled to get everything she was saying in her excitement. Then it registered with me that Mary had no idea why I was there.

“No, turns out the lab I was working for was working with Dark Magic and I discovered it.” I said to her. She tilted her head a bit.

“I always knew that Ashley girl was bad news. Remember in high school when she stole all your clothes from the gym locker and you had to call me to bring you new ones? Or that times she poured a whole milkshake into your locker?” I nodded. I did not love how Mary spoke so casually about the events that made my high school years hell. How I had ever ended up working for that bitch is beyond me. She really was always a cruel person but I was desperate to work in a lab.

“Yes I do.” I said quietly. Clay feeling my embarrassment, hugged me. I instantly felt so much better, it was amazing how good he made me feel. This whole conversation also had me wondering if I should talk to Mary about everything she knows.

“Mary,” I started out trying to think of how to bring it up, ”do you know anything about the golden wolf?” Mary looked at me a distant look clouding her vision. I already knew that Mary probably knew more than she was going to tell me.

“It is a legend dear one. An old legend. The golden wolf is a gift from the Moon Goddess to be able to end dark magic. Many have claimed to be this golden goddess but none bear the mark. Except you dear. You bear the mark of the golden wolf. You will be going on quite a journey, if the legends are correct. You and your mate.” She takes a moment and looks over to Clay who is holding me firmly. “It is said that the golden wolf must reach the Master Dragon and obtain a scale from the King of the Dragons. It is not an easy feat and one I fear you are ill prepared for.” She takes a deep breath and looks at Rose and Clay. “I am happy to see you have friends in this journey though. You will need them.”

I gulp with the news. Today I found out I am a wolf and now I must go find some King Dragon? How am I supposed to do this? Sure, my parents made sure I was prepared in martial arts. I could handle myself pretty well in a fight. I even took fencing as a child, a hobby I had kept up with through the years. Now it seemed there was a reason for why they always pushed me.

“We will need to find the maps Dad keeps in the library of the supernatural world. I am sure he knows where the dragon kingdom is.” Rose said now given something tangible she could do to help out.

“We will find them. But first,” Clay answered turning to Mary. “Mary do you have any other information? What are we suppose to do with the dragon scale?”

Mary shrugged, “its just a legend my boy, I am not sure what to do with it. I just know the golden wolf is suppose to have it. It is all written in the first Alphas book.”