Chapter 42 MATES OR NOT?
SIANNA'S POV
It's been a while since I saw Tara. I had to go back to the clinic because being under my mom's supervision made Vance feel better about my health and safety. Curtis was still in his coma at the Crimson Hyde Pack and I meant what I said about cutting ties with him.
Entrusting his mate to take care of him is what's in the best interest of everyone. He will miss being an elite, but I am sure that my brother-in-law will find a suitable position for him in the pack. Lately, Vance has been introducing me into his line of business and I've helped with international meetings by hosting them online.
He promised that after the baby is born and I could manage to travel, he would take me to visit some of the companies and get to know his executives. But for now, I should focus on myself and the baby.
The pack house was being operated smoothly and Keisha and I have been trying hard to help Blayne with Cleopatra. He's not the same Blayne that I was used to. He is so cute when he tries to impress her. It's astounding how the mate bond turns the most vicious men into loving teddy bears. He hunts after her once his time is free, even though she is indifferent to the connection. On the other hand, the shocker of my day was when I ran into my old friend at the café. She was always an odd one. She kept mostly to herself and when she and Curtis became close, I was happy about that until he complained that she was a bit obsessive and that his real crush was me.
He didn't play her dirty. He claimed that he had explained that he realized their dating would not work out based on their personality types. She appeared fine with moving on, or so we thought. After he and I started dating, she was cold and gave me dirty looks even though she tried to be nice. We did a lot of science projects together and she displayed signs of jealousy when she came to my house. However, it was good to have a nice talk like that with her.
All-in-all, I tried to make her feel welcome and valued. I invited her to come out with me and Hailey but she always declined. It was my fault for trying to be her friend, she seemed too introverted and alone.
Today, she looked great, prettier, and more confident. I should invite her to my baby shower that I know Hailey and the moms would be planning behind my back. Anyway, I dismissed thinking about her and brought my attention to my friend in her café.
Tara was elated to see me. "Hi, my sweet girl!" She hugged me gently.
"Don't be mad that I haven't been here to visit you." We released the hug and gave me a chair immediately, and I sat down.
She brushed me off with her hands. "Don't stress over such a simple matter. You are our Luna now." She accused playfully when she recalled the frequent drop-ins that Vance did that were out of the norm, while I worked there. "No wonder the Alpha started ordering from here so often."
"Sorry, it was a bit too much." I neglected the extra details.
"I wish you had told me, because I could have warned you that Curtis would be in trouble for being with the Alpha's mate." The entire pack knew what had happened between Curtis and Vance. She shook her head feeling pity for him.
Tara goes to her mini fridge in the office and pours a glass of orange juice. She's so classy in her white pencil skirt and formal topped royal blue blouse.
"I guess I didn't understand how the mate bond affected us. We can't really understand it until we experience it for ourselves." I took the glass of orange juice that she gave me.
"Hailey must be glad that he got the ass whooping for ditching his mate and fooling around you when you had already made your choice." Tara's soft smile paled, "Curtis was a good guy, I wished that things could have turned out differently for him."
I nodded, "Have you been talking to Hailey lately?" Seemed like those two have been having conversations based on the magnitude of what Tara had said.
"We keep in touch and she needed someone to talk to since she's in a new pack by herself." She deadpan, "Anyways, I know you are in training for your Luna role and with the baby on the way, along with the Curtis problem, I knew that it must have been overwhelming for you."
"It has been, but Vance is such a sweetheart. He does take care of me." I smiled at the many things that he had done as they quickly flashed across my mind. "And Curtis is no longer an issue since he's exiled."
Matt came around and popped his head in the doorway with the rest of his body in the other room, "I would make an awesome godfather." Showing his white teeth to give that million-dollar smile.
"I am sure you would, but we would fear for his safety every day around you." Tara smacked his forehead.
"Ouch!" He yelled, "I'd be his favorite uncle Matt, and.........." His eyes suddenly averted to the front of the café. He stood up straight and froze like he had seen a ghost.
The abnormal minutes that passed without Matt moving an inch provoked our interest. Tara and I went to look to see what had gotten ahold of his undivided attention.
Our mouths opened wide with shock as we witnessed the meeting of two mates. The guy standing at the counter was an elite from Curtis' batch. The manly figure with perfectly styled brown hair, to match his marble-grey eyes, had captured the soul of our talkative friend.
"Fuck me!" Matt exclaimed, bearing the same shocked face that we had. I thought that he was straight and into girls. Apparently, the moon goddess had other plans for him. Tara and I watched in excitement and curiosity as things unfolded.
Matt slowly walked up to the counter, unsure of what to do or say. Uncertain if the guy was just finding out that he's gay too. They don't make any indication that they recognized each other as mates. As Matt does his job, his visage is marred by a hint of disinterest. As I observed the tension between the two, I became anxious for these guys. They may be acting in that way just out of astonishment, or perhaps neither of them was interested in boys in the first place.
"Hi, I'm Wade." He said in a silky manly tone, making an effort to dissolve the awkward silence.
"Hey," The nervousness in his voice could not be masked. "I'm Matthew, but Matt for short." He opens and shuts the cash register, looking blindly at the notes and coins inside the drawer.
Wade looked around to notice that we were still watching the two of them in awe. He turned his head to Matthew, observing his mannerism.
Matthew deemed himself a ladies' man. That, together with his previous lifestyle, and his flirtations with the customers made it clear. Despite being a rogue on the run for so long, he retained his singleness while engaging in numerous one-night stands. He didn't mind being mated, although I believe a female would have been preferable.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was calming himself down. I could hear the rapid drums of his heartbeat. Nothing beats that first-time meeting with your mate.
To end the awkwardness, I walked up to stand beside Matt and intruded to end the pitiful silence. "Hi Wade, Matt gets off at five every day. Maybe you could swing by later so that you can meet and talk things out." I hoped that it gave them both a clue about how to handle this situation.
Wade nodded. "Thanks, Luna." He gave a wry smile and dug in his pocket and took out his phone. "Do you mind if I have your number? I'd give you a call before I come by."
Matt's hands trembled as he took the phone and entered his digits into it. Wade licked his lips as his eyes flickered between black and his original marble-grey eyes. That implied that his wolf was ascending to meet Matt. After winking at Matt, Wade exited without ordering anything.
As soon as Wade disappeared out of view, Matt collapsed.
We managed to revive him and as he slowly came to consciousness he kept repeating, "I'm not gay....not gay.......not gay." The poor guy just got the shock of his life. True mates are fated and could be any gender or supernatural being. For instance, a vampire could be a fated mate to a werewolf, a witch to a vampire, and any other mixture of beings.
Tara and I helped him to sit on the couch in the office, and as a customer came in, I quickly served him and then went around the back to check on the situation. Matt bent over with his head being held up by both hands. His eyes were on the ground, not paying any mind to the two females with him in the room.
I went over and sat beside him and rubbed his arm gently to console him. "Hey, it's not bad and you will get through it." He seemed so frustrated and confused, sulking as though the world had ended.
Then his head flashed in my direction, looking into my eyes for reassurance. "The universe is fucking with me. This must be some kind of sick joke. I have never felt any attraction towards a man in my whole life."
I hugged him, rubbing his back up and down. Tara sat behind her desk observing the moment. "Maybe he won't be so bad. Just meet with him and be honest and open about how you feel about the bond. I am sure that the both of you can work it out."
"Yeah, maybe he didn't know he was gay either," I added, hoping to perk his spirit.
"What if I can't even look at him?" His face twisted with emotions of uncertainty. "What if I can't let him touch me?"
"Don't do the what ifs. Just wait until you have your first meeting and then you can call me or Tara to talk about it."
He began to laugh hysterically. "This is a prank, right? Who put you guys up to this?" His laughter continued and then turned into a soft sob.
"We are here for you buddy." Tara encouraged as she shook her head to let him know this was his reality.
"I have no issues with the LGBT community, and I respect their lifestyle," he fumbled over his words, throwing his hands in the air. "I-I just never thought of a c-cock fucking me. I don't know how to deal with this?"
He came out of my embrace and leaned back on the couch with his head upwards to stare at the ceiling. He sighed, his face saddened.
"Why don't you go for some fresh air? It's not so busy today and maybe our Luna could spend the rest of the day with me to help with a few customers, huh?" Tara suggested, putting me in a tight spot. "Go take the rest of the day off but be here on time tomorrow."
"OK boss lady." He got up and straightened his pants. His eyes were lifeless and dull. "Thanks, Luna.....Tara, I'll go now."
We nodded and he walked out with Tara and me behind him. He went through the café door and hopped on his motorcycle. " Poor guy," Tara commented. "But they would be so cute together."
"My intuitions tell me that he will be fine." I promulgated. "Wade is a great guy too."
"Don't forget that he's got a thing for you, Sianna." Tara gave me a tray of the croissant to replenish the counter amount. It smelled so yummy that I took one and bit into it and she laughed at my inability to contain my appetite.
"I know, I know." I took out my phone and read the incoming message. "My baby is hungry."
Hailey: We still need our date night. Don't let Vance work too hard over there.
Me: We should have one soon, but let me check his schedule. Say hi to Raj for me.
Hailey: He says hi back to you. I want to see you soon.
Me: Are the females there not as fun as you are?
Hailey: I'm slowly adjusting. Raj's mother doesn't like me. She wanted him to be with an Indian she-wolf named Adhira. She
points out my faults too much. I cannot please that damn woman.
Me: Honey, I am so sorry about that. We need to catch up but does she live at the pack house?
Hailey: See, that's exactly my point to Raj. She doesn't but she comes around almost every freaking day just to bug me about something (angry face emoji). I am about to explode (fire emoji).
Me: Maybe you could come up this weekend and let me take care of you. We could work on some solutions to deal with mommy
dearest.
Hailey: I'll definitely be there. Clear your schedule for us, alright?
Me: Anything for my bestie.
Hailey: TTYL (talk to you later)
Me: Hang in there (thumbs up emoji).
Tara and I talked and enjoyed each other's company. This afternoon reminded me of Blayne's precarious situation with his mate. I was befriending the rogue so that I could try to sway her to go on dates with my Gamma. This mate bond thing could be
a challenge for some people.
Werewolves too, encountered the same relationship issues as any human would. Vance was a blessing to me. I wanted others to feel that happiness in their relationships too, but I never thought that I would be playing counselor.
Tara and Brody have been having conception issues and undergoing diagnosis to see what might work for them. He was worried that she might leave him for another due to his infertility. He had started taking treatment to boost his sperm count. Mom told them that after the treatments, they would have to mate in wolf form when Tara was ovulating to increase the chances of conception, since the reproductive system of animals was more successful than humans.
"I'm praying so hard for this to work." She said with praying hands.
"I will pray for you too. I can't wait for all of our children to be running around with each other." I gave her a loving smile. "Let
me know if I can help in any way." My mind went back to my healing powers to wonder if there was a way that I could heal Brody's issues down there.
Vance would go mad at the thought of me touching a man's testicles, even if it was just to heal him. That's a touchy topic to have with an Alpha mate. His wolf would go ballistic. I could imagine him freaking out and smashing things. Consequently, Tara and Brody might have to relocate afterward. But I should talk to mom about it before trying anything.
"Hello, Luna,"
My mind swung back to reality to see a 5 feet 3 inches woman looking at me, with her short blonde bob hair caught up in a messy bun on top of her head. "Hey, what brings you by?"
Tara's brows furrowed together and I knew that she wanted introductions. "I wanted to see the town." She looked at Tara
quizzically.
"Blayne could have shown you around." She rolled her eyes. I probably shouldn't have mentioned him.
Tara nudged me so I hurriedly introduced them. "This is Tara, the owner of the café." I used my hands and gestured to refer to each person. "Tara, this is Cleopatra, our Gamma's mate."
Cleo looked daggers at how I associated her with Blayne. "I haven't accepted him. Besides, the High Alpha has not met with me to let me know where my future stands."
"He has a lot on his plate, but he's a good leader, so bear with him while he works things out. But in the meantime, what might I get you?" I offered and waited for the order.
"Let me see..." She looked up at the menu board of the pictorial display of food items over our heads. "I'll have a slice of cheesecake and a mango passion fruit soda."
Tara went for the cake while Cleopatra dug into her purse to take out her money. I declined to take her money with a wave of my
hand. "It's on the house."
"Thanks, but you don't have to." She humbly opposed. I insisted and she accepted eventually. "So how come you work here?"
"We are friends and this is what her visit here is like." Tara interposed with the explanation. "But new friends are welcomed
here too." She wrapped the cheesecake and gave her the soda.
"I'll have it here." She went to sit at the table nearest us so that we could talk. "This place is exquisite and sweet."
"My mate did the renovations and I organized the décor. I'm glad that I could make you feel comfortable. Feel free to come by anytime." Tara was always the best hostess.
"Are you always this friendly or just because I'm supposed to be mated to the gamma?" Leave it to Cleopatra for real candidness.
"We are nice to everyone," Tara defended passively.
"But we also appreciate that you and I will be really close soon." I flashed my sweet smile at her.
"Luna, why are you so positive that I'll be with that jerk?" She bit into her cheesecake with a fork. "Do you know how many she- wolves prance themselves around him daily? I've seen about five of them that he's fucked so far. He's a hound dog." She chewed and swallowed, "Who wants a hound dog?"
I went around her table and took a seat. "You have been driving that hound dog crazy since he met you. I bet that he hasn't felt the urge for any of those whores since."
She laughed. "That is his problem. I am more concerned about my people. Being in the mountains doesn't provide us with homes and medicals. We all became hunters to eat. My people get sick and die because we are limited in medicines. I urged them
to support me on this conquest with hopes that the system will work for us."
"I admire your passion." I honestly meant that. "We are rogues but we consider ourselves a pack because we came together through unique circumstances. Some of them were
outcasts or omegas who were rejected from their packs. Too many omegas are being treated like trash and have no rights." She sighed, "It's sad that we have grown too large and need more resources for survival. That is why I am here, Luna."
I nodded. "We have to monitor and mitigate any risks involved with adding 127 people to our territory. It will take time to settle
the lot of you. Please give my Alpha some time."
"I am giving him time, but if only he would see me instead of sending his damn hound dog to communicate with me." She
uttered furiously.
The café door opened and in walked the very last person that Cleopatra wanted to see, and gripped over his shoulder was a fighting little dark-skinned girl with mud smeared on her clothes and feet.