48.

-HER-

“What about mates?” I croak after we are done kissing, “You have been calling me that,” I mutter as I draw small circles on the back of his hand.

“Every wolf is blessed by goddess Inanna, the pairer, to have a mate,” I remember him saying this in the temple, “Mates are very important to us. We only get one in a lifetime and we take them seriously,”

“So, I am your mate?” I ask him and instantly flush when he chuckles lightly, “Yes, we are mates, Cybele,”

“But I am a human, Jake,” I tell him, feeling very self-conscious all of a sudden. If we ever get together then could there be a problem for him? Would his kind accept me?

“So what? You compliment me in every way and that’s what matters for me,” He frowns before continuing to run the tip of his nose on my neck.

“It wouldn’t be a problem for you?” I ask him hesitantly.

“No, I love the way you are and don’t worry. Having a human mate is not uncommon. The Luna of my pack is also a human and your friend Lisa, she is a human and Sidonio’s mate,”

“She didn’t tell me anything,” It was my turn to frown as I slightly turned to him. His glowing eyes in the dark is a solid reminder for me that he is different.

“I am glad she didn’t tell you anything. It’s my duty to introduce you to my kind since you’re my mate,” He grumbles and my stomach dips.

I remember how Brooke and Lisa were both reluctant to tell me much. I now understand why they didn’t tell me anything. Right now, I am somewhat grateful to them for not telling me much.

“What is a Luna?” I continue with my questions.

“Alpha’s mate is called Luna,” He answers but I already have another question ready for him, “Alpha? He is the head of the pack, right? What’s the sequence?”

There’s a momentary pause after my question when he looks at me and smirks. He then answers, “Yes, Alpha is the head of the pack. After Alpha follows, Beta, Gamma, Delta and then the General,”

“You said you’re the Beta, right?” I ask him and he nods, “Were you chosen or is the position passed down the families?”

“The latter,” He nods, “Then what about Davis? Is he a Beta too? Can a pack have multiple Beta’s?”

“Actually, things are a bit different with my pack. The Red Moon pack has another territory in the south of the country. It’s called Walkers. The Alpha of our pack, Alpha Miles, he lives in Walkers and controls the pack from there. He is usually very busy there because we have a huge business there. So, he is looking after that and mostly the Walker’s territory. Meanwhile, at this end, I operate as the Substitute Alpha while Davis does a small portion of the Beta duties. He’s very lazy and not that serious about the position. It’s Brooke and Dad who help me stay sane even after the workload,”

My lips form an ‘o’ as I process his words. He seems very hard working.

“When did you become the Beta?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“At eighteen,”

“That’s really young. I wonder how you managed work and college. Your dad must have been the Beta before you, right?”

“No. I have an older sister, Erika. She was the Beta before me. She stepped down when I turned 18 and moved to Alaska to live with her mate, Alpha Andrew. She is now the Luna of River Red,” He tells me and I listen to him very carefully. It’s the first time he’s telling me about his family.

“If we mate then you’ll be the Beta female of my pack,” He tells me after a small pause. I internally flush at his words but continue to question him anyway.

“Beta female? What duties she has to do?” My curiosity is at its peak now.

“A beta female has to lead the pack just like her mate. She looks after the needs of the female population and leads them efficiently. A beta female basically assists the Luna in her duties. Brooke does this currently and since our Luna is not here, she has to do some extra work,”

“This seems overwhelming,” I couldn’t help but comment and he agrees, “Yes, all the work does get overwhelming sometimes,”

“And you were the President of Student Council too,” I giggle, “That must have made your life hell, right?”

“Yes, and then you vandalized my office,” I frown instantly while he laughs deeply, “I apologized for that, Jake,” I have to remind him.

“Cybele, I was never mad at you for vandalizing my office. In fact, I think it’s kind of memorable. You walked into my life quite unpredictably but at a very right time,” The butterflies in my stomach come alive again at his words.

“Er… how did you know that I am your mate?” I asked.

“My wolf knew. He could identify you and your scent anywhere,”

“My scent?” I echo him, remembering my time with Brooke at the café. She had told me how they knew Holly wasn’t the culprit because of the different scent.

“Yes, everyone has a unique scent. My wolf knows yours too well,” I ignore the butterflies and continue to ask, “Er… you can literally smell me?” I instantly want to smell myself to know what I smell like. I am starting to feel more and more self-conscious slowly.

“Ah, yes. I forgot to tell you. One of the advantages of being a werewolf is that we are physically superior to humans. We have way sharper senses than humans. We can see in the dark, just like I am doing right now. We are stronger and faster too,” He explains and I am somewhat able to understand the reason behind it.

“Wow,” I am overwhelmed now.

“Is it too much for you? We can stop if you want. I think we should go from here. It’s pretty late,” He reminds me and that’s when I check the time on my phone. It’s been more than a couple of hours since we have been sitting here.

“So, mates are permanent?” I ask as he leads me through the dark woods. He’s holding hands with me; our fingers are locked. This time, I don’t hesitate and follow him blindly.

“Yes,” He answers me, glancing at me from his shoulder.

“A wolf gets only one mate?” He squeezes my hand before he answers, “Yes,” When we finally reach the temple, he leads me to the parking lot and helps me get into the car.

“It cannot be ended?” I ask when he gets inside too and starts the engine. His head snaps to me instantly before he asks, “Why would you want to end it, Cybele?” His eyes are narrowed on me as I try to change the topic.

“Er…I was just curious,”

“Would you really want to end it?” He asks with a serious face, “Would you not give me a chance, Cybele?” It tugs at my heart. I instantly place a hand on his and give him an assuring squeeze.

“I will, Jake,”

....

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