Supernaturals had certain traits that were specific to their species. For Werewolves, even the Hybrids, it was the lupine nose, and the longer and sharper than human upper and lower canines. Dragon Masters had tri-colored eyes, elongated pupils, pointy ears and sharper than normal teeth.
Vampires also had longer than human upper and lower canines, and the inner ring of their dual colored eyes was most commonly white. Witches and Warlocks were able to better blend in with humans, if you ignored the fact that their average height was six foot nine to seven foot six, much taller than your normal human.
Sarah let out a peel of shrill sounding giggles, she thought sounded cute, when Matt wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her roughly to him. He stuck his nose against her neck and pretended to bite her, prompting Sarah to release another peel of shrill sounding giggles.
Alora looked at the site and felt her stomach churn in disgust. When you compared their show of affection, to the sweetness happening between Darien and Serenity, it looked vulgar and overdone. Sarah’s posy got bored and started looking around.
Their eyes lighted upon Darien and Serenity, shock and surprised expressions took over their faces a moment. Before cruelty entered their gazes and mocking sneers came to their lips.
“Oh, what do we have here, looks like miss chunky buns has snagged herself a mate.” Beatrice said in a derisive tone.
Lauren laughed, then said jeeringly, “Since when are pigs allowed to have a mate so good looking?”
“I don’t know, but someone should tell the poor blind wolf his mate is an over ripe tomato.” Agatha said, her tone mocking.
Sarah, having heard the females, looked in the direction they were. When Sarah pulled away from Matt he leaned back against her car, and just watched without saying anything. Matt had no expression on his face and his eyes were empty. It was like he was blind and deaf to everything around him that didn’t involve Sarah.
“Don’t worry, that wolf likes to hang out with trashy things, it only makes sense his female is also trash.” Sarah said, her tone haughty.
Kain and Galen were instantly furious, they were about to speak up, but were stopped by Alora. All she did was raise one hand, her fingers curled a little. It was a seemingly delicate gesture, but it was an order, one backed with her aura. They froze in their spots, their feet rooted to the ground, their mouths shut.
Kain and Galen were only able to turn their heads, their eyes both held one question. “Why?” Alora didn’t see it, but felt it, her focus never left what was happening in front of them.
“Just watch.” Alora said in a low musical voice. “Your sister has a mate now, remember?” A note of amusement came to her tone. “Let's watch and see how he defends her.”
Darien was disturbed by the mocking and jeering comments, he saw the way they hurt his mate and it instantly made him see red. His wolf Axel was not much better. *“How dare they speak of our mate in that way!”* He snarled.
Wrapping both arms tightly around his mate, he crushed her intoxicating softness against him. His chest rumbled deeply, vibrating with the loud snarl that was ripped from it. His teeth bared, Darien's eyes turned a glowing red with a ring of orange, the eyes of his wolf.
“Oh look, the school bike and her posy. How does your boyfriend stand the stink of all those other males on you?” Darien asked Sarah, his tone cruel.
Sarah’s face reddened, and her eyes glowed with anger. “You…” Sarah couldn’t think of anything to say in return to that.
“It’s not good to throw rocks from that glass house of yours, you’ll have to deal with the clean up when they're tossed back.” Darien said, his voice deep, a faint growl in it.
Darien may be the second of two sons, but he was still a son of the Alpha of all Alpha’s and an Alpha himself. He just never flaunted it, preferring to be carefree. At this moment though, he was angry, angrier than he had been in a long time.
With his anger and his wolf came his aura, Sarah’s females had already submitted to it, but it hadn’t reached Sarah yet. Because he was planning on playing with her beforehand. To Darien’s way of thinking, she humiliated and hurt his mate, so he should pay her back for that by tenfold.
As Darien had been scolding Sarah, the winds had carried Matt’s scent to Alora. Now that she was eighteen, she could confirm who her fated mate was just by their scent. The confirmation made Alora sad, inside her Xena whimpered.
Kain looked at the devastated look on Alora’s face. One moment there had been an anticipatory smile on her face, the next, this. He saw where her gaze was directed. “It’s him isn’t it, he's your fated mate?”
Alora nodded, then the winds changed again in the opposite direction. Darien was about to start carrying out his plan to humiliate Sarah. When Matthew suddenly stood up straight, almost aggressively. Matt was sniffing the air, scenting the wind, then his gaze suddenly snapped in Alora’s direction.
“Mate.” Matt growled.
Sarah spun and looked at Matt in surprise when he said these words. Sarah knew they were not fated mates, but that didn’t matter to her Clan. It was perfectly acceptable for her to be with Matt, but she knew someday his fated mate would show up and ruin her plans.
That was why when Matt tried to break up with Sarah one day, she had given him a sachet her Aunty Rebecca had given her. Aunty Rebecca told her it would make Matt obedient to her, and her alone. Aunty Rebecca had also given her some other sachets to make sure her friends remained obedient and loyal to her.
When Matt said the word mate, Sarah looked to see who the bitch trying to steal her path to status and power was. Sarah looked in the direction he was staring and was instantly enraged. It was the mongrel her mother had birthed, Alora.
Spinning she turned back to Matt, “YOU WILL REJECT HER AND YOU WILL REJECT HER RIGHT NOW MATTHEW!” Sarah shrieked at the top of her lungs.
Matt didn’t seem to hear Sarah, he just started forward, towards Alora. Alora had stayed against Darien’s car until Sarah had shouted her orders for Matt to reject her.
Alora took in a deep breath, then released it, almost sighing. “Better to get it over with now before school starts, I guess.” Alora said in a tired tone.
She gets up from her position against the car and starts calmly walking forward, intending to meet Matt halfway.
Kain looked at Alora and wondered how she could be so calm, her mate was just ordered to reject her, but then that mate was her sister's boyfriend. That was a betrayal most couldn’t tolerate from their mate, let alone an Alpha.
“Goddess! Kain this is so fucked up.” Galen said without using their mind link, his voice strained with sympathetic pain.
“She knew Galen, she knew this would happen.” Kain responded, his heart clenching with what he was about to witness.
Galen shook his head in disbelief, ‘Matt wouldn’t be so stupid, would he?’ he wondered.
“MATTHEW FROST STONEMAKER! YOU WILL REJECT THAT WHORE RITE NOW! YOUR MINE NOT THAT WORTHLESS WHORE’S! YOU HEAR ME!” Sarah shrieked again, loud enough to make the ears of those nearby ring.
Darien was shocked by what was happening, he was frozen for a moment. ‘Why?’ he asked himself, and not for the first time. Matt and Darien used to be as close as Damien and Xander, Matt’s older brother. Then Matt suddenly changed one day.
At one point he had been nice to Alora and was even her friend. Then Sarah saw Matt and somehow got her claws into him. There had been a brief moment, when they first started going together, that Matt had told Darien he was going to break up with her.
But that never happened, in fact, the next week Matt had demanded Darien choose between his friendship with Alora, or theirs. By then, Alora had been more sister than friend for years, their bond was strong. Unfortunately, when Darien told Matt he refused to choose between his sister and his best friend, Matt had gotten angry.
Matt was so angry he started calling Alora all kinds of names and things that were not true. Infuriating Darien into throwing the first punch in the fight that had ended their friendship. Sarah had a hold on Matt that no one could break. Now Darien understood the utter sadness in Alora’s eyes whenever he had asked her about her potential future mate.
Alora’s denial that Damien wasn’t her mate hadn’t just been based on her thinking she was unworthy of him. It was because she had already known who her mate was going to be. Darien felt a tug on his sleeve, and he looked down into the face of his adorable mate.