He smiled to himself as he considered his good fortune. He was no fool. He knew he could not beat Vasile in a challenge but with this information he would not have to. Vasile's pack would rise against him with males challenging him not just daily but hourly. No wolf, no matter how powerful, could withstand such an attack. Once Vasile was worn down and nearly broken, Emilian would finish him and the pack would be his.
It was early afternoon by the time Alina and Vasile made it to her home. She knew that while she and Vasile had been sitting by the river, her father would have headed home to check on Georgeta. Like most males he did not leave his mate alone for long. She was on edge, mostly because Vasile was on edge, and it was flowing down through their bond into her. She knew she had to stay calm. If her emotions got out of control, it would only feed Vasile’s already volatile state. She took slow breaths as they walked up to the door of her home and stepped inside.
“Father,” Alina called. Petre came striding out of the only bedroom in the cottage. He smiled when he saw her, but it was wiped clean when his eyes jumped to Vasile. “Vasile would like to speak with you.”
Petre motioned to the door behind them. “Could we have a seat outside? My mate is lying down; she has been working herself ragged and needs to rest.”
Vasile nodded. “That will be remedied,” he reminded Petre.
“Of course, Alpha, and we appreciate your desire to see our pack thrive.”
Once outside they had taken up seats on some large tree stumps that her father had arranged in a circle so that they and others of the pack could come and spend time with one another. Sometimes they would have a fire if the conversation lasted into the night. Alina had so many good memories of their circle of stumps, and yet, as she sat there now, those memories were the furthest thing from her mind. She had started for her usual spot which was on the left side of her father, purely out of habit, but Vasile had caught her wrist and tugged her to a stump next to the one he chose. It was directly across from where her father now sat.
“Obviously, from the happenings at the home of Sain and Theris you know that Alina is my true mate,” Vasile began.
Her father nodded but he did not add anything. She knew his tactics well. He would let a person say their peace and then make them wait while he processed it. In the meantime, they would be squirming under his scrutinized stare. It made the one waiting for him to respond think that maybe what they had said did not make sense, or perhaps they were wrong. Slowly they began to second guess themselves, and if her father had a different point of view, by the time he spoke they had already begun to agree with him.
“Alina and I have been discussing the uniqueness of our situation since she is not of age. It is unusual, though not unheard of, for the bond to appear between true mates when one or both of them are fairly young. The difficulty of the situation obviously comes when the male is mature and ready to take his mate, but the female is not.” He glanced at her and his eyes were a tad too bright for her liking. She reached out and took his hand hoping that her touch would help calm him. When he looked back at her father, she did not take her eyes off of him as if her gaze could hold him in place and keep his wolf tame.
“Eighteen is the age that is considered adulthood for our females. There have been some claimed at seventeen, but the circumstances were different. I do not think Alina is ready to be mated to a male as dominant as myself. I do not want to hinder the woman she is to become. I do not want to stifle her spirit or keep her from discovering who she is without her mate. I think she needs to be confident in herself, rather than seeking my approval for validation. She should seek my approval because she truly wants me to be happy; likewise, I want her approval because I want her to be happy. I am willing to leave her in your care, unmarked, and unbound until the minute she turns eighteen, and then I will come for her. It is my right as her true mate, as it is hers to claim me as well.”
Alina looked over to her father and watched as his jaw tensed and his hands clenched until his knuckles were white. Then suddenly he was relaxed. “I am very happy that Alina has found her true mate so early in her life. I would never want her to have to wait years or decades or centuries for her to find him. I am just as happy to know that her mate is a dominant because she is very dominant. She would not respect a man that would let her walk on him. I do agree, however, that she is not ready to be your mate. What I do not agree on is the age in which you want to claim her.” Petre held up his hands in a peace gesture when Vasile began to growl. “Hear me out, Alpha,” he implored. “I think it would be foolish of us as a society to say that every female is ready at the age of eighteen to be mated because we have decided that is the coming of age for her. Each of us is a unique individual created by the Great Luna for unique purposes. Because of that, life changing decisions should be based on each individual, not on the group as a whole. I know my daughter, Vasile. She is very mature in many ways, and then there are many ways in which she needs to grow. If you were less dominant, if you were not Alpha, I would consider eighteen as an acceptable age, but you are the most dominant wolf I have come across in a very, very long time. You are an Alpha, and I would bargain to say you are one as which the likes of the Canis lupis has never seen before. Your life has just been uprooted. You and our pack are in need of healing. Healing takes time. I want her to be ready to be your mate, but more than that I need to know that you are ready to be hers.
“My gut tells me that eighteen is not the age for you to take her. I am asking you to consider her needs above your own―not her wants but her needs― and what is best for her. I have no doubt that if you asked her to come with you now she would go. But we both know that is not what is best for her.”
Alina held her breath as she waited for Vasile to respond. She could feel his anger, but she could also feel respect. He admired her father for wanting to protect her, and he respected him for being willing to even stand up to his Alpha to do so.
“Breathe, Mina, I am not going to hurt your father,” his mind whispered in hers.
“I am not worried you will hurt him; I have more faith in you than that.”
His thumb ran across the top of her hand in slow sweeping motions, and she was not entirely sure if it was to reassure her or to sooth him.
“Both,” he answered her unspoken thought.
“Could you please focus on what you are going to say to my father and stay out of my head?”
“Quit distracting me, female. I am discussing important matters about your future.” His voice was serious, but she felt his amusement with her and that helped ease her nerves better than any words could.
“I propose a compromise, Petre,” Vasile finally said. “When Alina turns eighteen I will come to see her and to talk with you and your mate. At that point we can evaluate how she has grown and decide if she is ready to be mated. If she is not then I will agree to wait another year. Then at nineteen we will do the same, and if she is not ready then either, then I will wait until she is twenty.”
Alina’s irritation level was slowly rising as the two men sat there and discussed her life as if she had no say in the matter.
“I will admit,” her father nodded at Vasile, “that is a fair compromise. I, however, would ask you to consider the fact that your markings have not changed. I do not doubt that you are true mates, but perhaps the fact that your markings haven’t changed is a sign that taking things slow is the correct path.”
She felt Vasile tense next to her and his hand tightened around hers. He obviously did not appreciate her father pointing out that his markings were the same as they had been before she met him. Alina had not even thought about whether the markings that were supposed to appear on her body, which would match his like a puzzle piece, had shown up. And for a second she was curious, until her mate opened his mouth.
“Alina, please stand in front of me with your back to me.” His voice was gravelly with frustration and his eyes were glowing.
“Excuse me?” She spoke slowly having d
ecided with that last remark that her mate truly was a moron and needed her to treat him as such.
“I am sure you have not had time to check for any markings and typically they are on the female’s back. I will check for you.” He was so matter-of-fact, so sure she would just stand up and let him disrobe her back in front of her father and the stars and moon and the Great Luna who knew else. Had she not been so infuriated she might have laughed, but as it was she was pretty sure if she poured her blood in a bowl it would boil for sure.
She looked from her mate to her father who at least had the good sense to look embarrassed that he had even brought up the mating marks and then back to her mate who, with his dominant air, obviously did not have the good sense God gave a gnat because he was still waiting expectantly. Her mind went over the conversation they had just had in front of her, discussing her life as if she were not sitting right there. Who were they to decide for her what her maturity level was? Who was either of them to tell her when she was ready to be bonded to her true mate? And who in seven hells did Vasile think he was that he could tell her to take off her clothes.
“I simply want to see your back, Mina. I am not asking you to fully disrobe. I assure you when that day comes we will be nowhere in the vicinity of your parents.”
“Not when, Vasile, if―if that day ever comes,” she growled at him as she stood up snatching her hand back from his. She felt her blood rising, heating her face. Her wolf perked up as she felt the woman in her begin to grow more and more agitated. She was done and she would tell them where they could stick their opinions and determinations. Both men stood up as well, their eyes wide with surprise at her obvious anger.
“First and foremost, you,” she stabbed a finger in Vasile’s direction, “will be lucky if I ever let you see more than the skin on my face, let alone my mating marks. Secondly, there is obviously no need for me to be here since you two Neanderthals have my life all planned out for me. If you could please just let me know when to accept Vasile as my mate, when to show up for the blood rights, when you want me in your bed―where I will be fully clothed mind you―and while you are at it, you can just tell me when to become with a child as well. Until it is time for any of those, I am done with the both of you.” She turned one last time to her mate and met his eyes with a low growl. “I would like to say it was nice to meet you, but right now I would rather lay my hand on hot coals repeatedly than let you believe that I have enjoyed this time with you. Have a nice trip back to your castle, and since you so helpfully informed my father that I was not mature enough to be your mate and might not be until I was twenty, which was to be determined by you two, I will be just as helpful to you. The next time I see you, which if you are wise and I know that is obviously a stretch for you, will be in a long, long time. If the next time I see you, I hear the words determine, mature, grow, evaluate, or decide come out of your mouth I will tie your muzzle shut with barbed wire.” With one last furious look at both men she turned and strode across the yard.
“What was that you were saying about maturity, mate?” Vasile growled low through their bond, and she could feel his disbelief at her words. He seemed especially hung up on when she had told him to inform her when she should be in his bed―fully clothed.
“Go jump in a lake, Vasile. I am tired of your demands.”
“We only want what is best for you.”
“I do not care what you want because you obviously do not care about what I want. I am done. I do not want you in my mind. You are not welcome here any longer.” She had not meant to create a binding command between them, but in her hurt and anger the words were just suddenly there. There was a formality in them that let her know that Vasile would not be able to deny her decree. Pack magic was at work and she figured being the mate to an Alpha had something to do with that. She felt the walls go up between them and was slamming the door to her parents’ bedroom when she heard Vasile’s roar. It was the first time she had ever heard him lose control. It was the first time she had ever truly been afraid of him.
Vasile could not hold back the sound that ripped from his chest when he felt their bond be severed. She had severed their bond, literally shoved him out of her mind. He started to go after her but several arms were suddenly holding him in place. They were fools to attempt such a thing, but he caught Nicu and Ion’s scent and knew they were not the enemy.
“Let her be, son,” Petre was telling him calmly. “Let her cool down.”
“She used a binding command,” Vasile told him as he looked at his mate’s father. “She has forbid me to be in her mind to share the bond with her.”
Petre nodded and the look in his eyes said that he had been there before. “It will not be the last time she does it either. Welcome to the world of having a true mate.”
“She is my mate,” he barked. “What right does she have to keep me from her?”
“I guess the same right that we have at trying to plan her life for her instead of discussing it with her.” Petre’s voice was thick with shame. Vasile knew he should feel shame as well, but he was too angry in that moment to feel anything else.
“I need to speak with her.” He started towards the cottage again only to be brought up short by Georgeta.
“Let it lie tonight, Alpha,” the woman told him gently. “She needs space and you need time to cool off.”
He stared past her to the place where Alina had retreated. Already, only minutes apart from her, the pain was beginning. His wolf was so close to the surface that he worried he would do something that would put Alina out of his reach for good.
“We will sleep out here,” he relented. “But I will speak with her tomorrow.”
Alina’s mom smiled sweetly. “Whatever you say, Alpha.”
Vasile had the distinct impression that what she was really saying was believe what you want, silly wolf. As afternoon turned into evening, he and his two warriors sat around the fire pit eating the meal Georgeta had made. Vasile had told her it was not necessary but she had insisted and he was not prepared to anger another female that day.
Vasile tried to focus on the needs of his pack, instead of letting his mind dwell on a certain she-wolf. He thought about the lies that he had had to construct in order to protect his father and mother’s legacy and the betrayal the pack would feel if they ever found out. He thought about the young male he had sent back to the castle to inform Alin, his second, of his commands. He thought about all the pack members who had been suffering needlessly for so long because of his father’s neglect. All of that time and he never noticed it because he was so focused on his father’s failing mind. Even with all of these worries he could not stop her face from popping up in his mind or the memory of her scent from filling his lungs. He could not even fight the want―no, the need―to know if she bore his markings. With every breath in and every breath out she held him captive. He could not reach her through their bond and feel her light and goodness, and yet she was just as present in his mind as before.
As the group bed down for the night, Vasile decided to stay in his human form in hopes that he might be able to catch her when she awoke the next morning and started about her day. He could not leave with their bond disconnected. Being away from her was going to be a form of torture in and of itself, he could not handle the separation of their minds as well.
Alina lie on her bed staring up at the ceiling of the cottage she had always called home. She found a certain comfort in the familiar scents and sounds, comfort that she truly needed. Her life had been turned upside down in a single day. She had found her true mate, or rather, he had found her. And what should have been a joyful, exciting time had turned into a frustrating, disappointing mess. She had stayed in her parents’ room all afternoon and evening until they had finally kicked her out but not before her mother checked her back―no markings…yet. She had cried, then gotten angry all over again, and then cried some more, but now she just felt drained. Their bond had only been open for a matter of hours, and yet now that she had clos
ed it off it felt as though she had removed her own heart. How could something that had only just begun already have such a hold on her?
Once again the intensity of the mate bond proved itself to be completely unexplainable. It was something that only those who experienced it could understand, which meant there was no way to prepare yourself for it. Her mother had told her to just take it one day at a time. But looking out over the expanse of four years separated from Vasile, one day at a time was not doing anything to ease her pain. Instead she focused on making it from one breath to the next. As she finally began to fall asleep, she had almost managed to convince herself that the day had just been a dream. She would wake up in the morning to find that Vasile and his men had not even shown up yet. She would not feel the gaping Vasile shaped hole, and there would be no wondering of how she would make it through the next few years. It would just be another regular day. And if she happened to be wrong, well, she would just stay in her parents’ home forever, or until they finally forced her out.
“Are you sure you are doing the right thing?” Gerogeta asked him for what must have been the tenth time.
Petre wrapped an arm around his mate as they lie in their bed and pulled her tightly against him. They had been sleeping this way since the first night they had bonded, and no matter how upset she ever got with him, he still would not allow there to be any space between them.