Mates

 “They don't exist, Bree! Get over it! You were just hallucinating again!” Jace, my best friend, yells at me.

I shake my head. “No, you're wrong, Jace! I saw werewolves! They're real!”

“No, you're delusional.” Jace runs a hand through short multicolored dyed hair and sighs. “I can't do this anymore, Bree. I just can't. I want to party and have fun. Get drunk and high. All you want to do is watch TV shows and do nothing. You are getting fatter and I just can't do this.” Jace turns his back to me. “We can't be friends anymore. You've changed to much.”

I gape at him. “Changed? Changed?! The only person that has changed is you! I've always believed in the paranormal! You just want to be someone different and I don't fit into your mold anymore!” I scream at him. “I hate you!” I run from him and into the forest.

The trees scratch at me as I run through them. I run and run never looking back as I try to escape the spiteful words of my former best friend. I trip over an exposed root of a tree and just lie there on the ground. I curl up into a ball as I sob.

No one cares. No one loves you. They all think you are weird. They all hate you. No one is left to care about you...

The voice is right. Nothing is left. I have nothing left to give. I feel the snow as it falls down to chill me. I don't move; I don't care; I don't feel; I don't want to live. The darkness like a shameful pleasure, consumes me as I go numb. It takes me under its wing and whispers, 'Be clam, my child. Everything is fine.' I let the numbness take over as I turn my face to the sky. The dark sky off set by the glistening particles that sets the night ablaze with bright white. My vision starts to darken as I feel my heart slowly coming to a stop.

I open my eyes to only be surrounded by darkness, but I can see through it. I can see a light, so I stiffly push myself up. I see the ghostly figures of the dead and tortured everywhere. One young lady has a beautiful ball gown that fades into the darkness. Blood red is all the color I can see, but when she turns to me I see the ghastly transparent color white. She must have been a bride, because the delight still frozen in her eyes while her face stricken with terror. I snap my eyes away from her and another ghostly being catches my eye. A teenage boy. His hair long, but styled well with blonde tips that contrast with his raven black hair. His vivid green eyes hold no luster in them. He seems normal until I see the cuts on his wrist. Scars old and new adorn his ashy white skin. I take a step closer and see something around his neck. I take another step and the object becomes clearer. It's a rope with a noose knot. I gasp in horror and run to the light I saw before. The light blinds me and I fall back from the force of it.

I feel a surge of energy that jolts me awake. I gasp for air as I sit up right. I pant as I try to inhale as much air as possible into my lungs.

“She's awake!” I hear someone yell. I blink my eyes, but I can't see anything other than blurry images without my glasses.

“Are you alright, my dear?” An older male voice asks my worriedly.

My throat is so dry I can barely speak.“My g-glasses.” I croak out.

“Here drink this first.” The older male voice says. I greedily drink the liquid and sigh as the liquid soothes my throat. “Better?” He questions as he takes the cup away.

I nod my head. “Yes, thank you.” I answer quietly, as I close my eyes. “My glasses?”

“Oh, yes! My grandson has them.” The man says. “And my name is Aidan.”

I stick out my hand in front of me, not knowing where he exactly where he is. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Aidan. I'm called Bree.” I hear a gruff laugh comes from the right of me. “Oh! You are to the right of me. Sorry, I can't see anything but blurry images without my glasses.”

“Grandfather, here are the girl's glasses.” I hear a husky voice say.

“Thank you.” Mr. Aidan says then I feel something press into my hand.

I touch them and I feel the familiar plastic and metal of my glasses. I smile. “Oh! My glasses!” I quickly place them on my face. I blink a few times, then I see the white walls of an infirmary with all the medical equipment. “Do you have a increased number of sick people or something?” I arch my eyebrow at Mr. Aidan.

“What do you mean?” His face contorts into confusion. I gesture to everything around me. “Oh, well, sweetheart, actually we are werwolves, so we have to have our own infirmary.”

I gasp at him. “This is some kind of sick joke isn't it?”

“Child, what are you-” Mr. Aidan starts.

“No! Don't lie to me. Jace put you up to it, didn't he?! That-that-Ugh!” I scream.

“Hey, clam down!” The grandson hells at me. “Don't yell at my grandfather. And who the hell is Jace?!”

I stare at him. “You don't know who Jace is?” They shake there heads. “Then you were telling the truth...” They nod. “So, you're werewolves...”

“Yes, child, we are. “ Mr. Aidan grabs my hand. “We won't hurt you, child.”

“Are-are you the same wolves I saw the other day?” I inquire.

“You saw wolves?” The grandson shouts at me.

I flinch. “Yes...I don't know your name.”

“It's Greyson. His name is Greyson.” Mr. Aidan responses for his grandson.

I give Mr. Aidan a small smile. “Yes, Greyson, I did see wolves the other day. That's why I was in the forest. I had a fight with Jace my-I had a fight with him and I ran into the forest because I didn't know where else to go.” I explain. I look up at Greyson to see he has jet black hair and gray stormy eyes, coupled with a fit toned body. His eyes darken as I look at him.

“So, you had a fight with your little boyfriend and decided to go out into a dangerous forest.” Greyson says angrily at me.

I glare at him. “One: He's not my boyfriend. Two: We had a fight because of you, wolves. Three: I was out there because I have no where else to go.” I clarify.

“What do you mean, you had no where else to go?” Mr. Aidan's eyes gloss over with unshed tears at his unspoken thoughts of my statements

“My stupid sob story,” I shake my head. “Mr. Aidan, I lost my family in a car accident, then I found out that I wasn't actually their child. Next, I was sent to a group home. Once you're in a group home, you never get adopted, but I didn't care. I didn't want to get adopted, I was 15 almost 16. I would stay over at Jace's house cause it was better than the group home. After our fight, I knew there was no going back to his house...not after what he said.” I sniffle. “There's my sob story.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Mr. Aidan grabs my hand. “You are welcome to stay here though.”

“Grandpa, I really don't think-”

“Mr. Aidan, I can't impose-”

“No.” Mr. Aidan cut off Greyson and me. “Bree stays. That's final.”

I nod my head. “Okay. I can see I can't win this argument.” Smiling and standing, Mr. Aidan turns to leave. “Wait. Mr. Aidan, can't you tell me more about your people?”

He claps Greyson on the back and propels him into the chair next to my bed. “Greyson, would be very happy to tell you everything you want to know.” With that Mr. Aidan shuts the door and I hear a click.

“Did he just-” I point to the door.

“Yes, he did just lock the door.” Greyson answers my unfinished question.

“Why?” I ask.

“Because he think mates should become more acquainted.” Greyson shrugs with indifference.

I stare at him. “Mates? Greyson he really doesn't think...that we...Greyson?” My voice squeaks.

“Please call me, Grey.” His eyes soften as he stares at me. “Yes, we are mates.”

I nod like a bobble head. This can not be happening. I mean-ME mates with HIM?...I wonder how I can kill them? Oh, that's bad to say. I mean how to kill rogues.

“Bree.” Greyson waves his hand in my face. I shake my head and look at him. “Where did you go?”

I blush. “Sorry, I was thinking. How do I defend myself against attack from one of you guys?”

Grey stands up so fast his chair is knocked to the other side of the room and a vicious growl erupts from Grey. I look at Grey wide eyed as I see his eyes have become a dark gray, almost black color and his face contorted in fury.

“No one will ever hurt you.” He growls out while moving closer to me.

I put my hand on his arm remembering, from one of my many readings about werewolves, that mates can clam each other down with just a touch. Grey's head jerk to the side to look at me and I give him a small smile. His face softens and his eyes return to his beautiful gray swirling storms.

“I know no one will hurt me. Not with you around.” I giggle as Grey's chest puffs out at the compliment. “But if I did every come face to face with one of the rogues, how would I defend myself? Like what would hurt you.” Grey arches a brow at me. “I mean what would hurt a rogue werewolf?”

Grey sits on the bed and crosses his legs in front of him, then places his elbow on his legs with his chin resting in his hand. A serious thinking face arranged itself on Grey's handsome one.

“Well...large doses of sliver will kill us, but in small doses it just strings really bad.” He shivers. “Shooting with injure or even kill. We are still human, just a little added oomph. We are stronger, faster, and we age differently. After we hit age 20, we only age 1 year per every 10 years for humans.” He strokes his chin while thinking. “Oh! Hitting us in the head with a large object with disorient us, and give you enough time to get away. That's the main thing you have to remember: Get Away. We are very dangerous.” He explains with a serious face.

“But you wouldn't hurt me. You aren't dangerous.” I state.

“I could. I am dangerous.” He looks down at his feet.

I can see the sorrow on his face. I reach my hand out and touch his face. Electricity I hadn't felt before surges through me. My heart swells as I look into his eyes. I feel loved, wanted, desired, but most importantly I feel at home.

I lean in closer to him as he does the same and when our lips touch...Unexplainable. It feels like everything doesn't matter anymore, just him. A simple touch of our lips and I know we are mates, I can feel it. Grey pulls back and buries his face in my neck. I giggle at the touch of his nose on my neck and I wrap my arms around his neck while he wraps his around my waist. I sigh, but its a happy sigh.

For the first time since my family's death I feel loved and at home. I couldn't ask for anything more in life. I have finally found my place.