Gage

"Sam." Gage said gently as he shook Sam's shoulder, rousing her from her sleep. She blinked at him sleepily and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"We're home." He told her, watching her stretch in the seat next to him. He held back a growl as her shirt rode up over her torso, exposing her toned stomach.

"Goddess, she's gorgeous." He mused. Kane grunted in agreement as he too watched her. She looked up and he quickly averted his gaze and cleared his throat. Getting out of the car, he walked around to the passenger side to open the door for her. She got out and made to reach for the duffel bag in the backseat, only to have her hand pushed away as Gage picked it up, throwing it over his shoulder. He lead her to the front door and she looked around, confused.

"Where are we?" She asked, knotting her fingers together nervously.

"My house." He said. Her eyes widened and she backed away a few steps.

"No, no, no." She said, waving her hands in front of her. He tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"What's wrong?" He asked with a frown.

"You barely know me," she said, "I can't ask you to let me stay in your house. I'll just stay in the... wherever I was. I don't want to give you any trouble..." She turned towards the large main pack house in the distance and he dropped the duffel bag beside him. He reached her in a few long strides and grabbed her wrist gently, turning her back to him.

"Sam, I want you to stay here." He said.

"Why?" She asked. He chuckled softly.

"You're my mate. I don't want you out of my sight ever again." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cherished how she leaned into his touch, almost subconsciously.

"Mates. You all keep saying that but I'm still not sure what it means. Is this like an arranged marriage? Do I not get a choice in the matter? What if I don't want to be mates?" He felt panic cross his face as she said it.

"It is my life's purpose to make sure you don't ever want anyone else. Of course, you have a choice in the matter but it would be extremely painful for both of us if you were to reject me." He scratched at the back of his head nervously as he said it.

"How so?" She asked. He searched her eyes, trying to tell if she was contemplating it. Kane whimpered.

"Stop acting so jumpy." She said, crossing her arms. "I'm not going to reject you -or whatever it is- unless you give me a reason." He relaxed, but she continued.

"I just know nothing about anything that is going on here!" Her voice grew an octave higher. "I wake up here, surrounded by other werewolves when, up until two weeks ago, I didn't even know others existed! I was kidnapped and tortured for days." Gage grimaced, but she continued. "Suddenly, I have a mate! I've barely been able to carry on a stable relationship in my whole life and out of nowhere 'here's your soulmate, Sam.'" She threw her hands into the air and motioned at him. "I look at you and I can barely control Nat." She ran her hands into her hair as the words came tumbling out of her mouth.

"Oh! And I also find out I'm going to live to be eight hundred!? And what the fuck is a Luna?! The doctor asks me what pack I have alliance to. I didn't even know packs existed! Ian tells me Mike and Lori aren't my family! You're all hiding something from me! I just need someone to explain to me what's going on!" She cried, finally letting her hands fall down to her sides, her chest heaving as she began to calm back down.

"Nat?" He asked.

"My wolf, Natalie, she prefers Nat." She said, putting her hands on her hips. "Is that all you heard? Out of all of that? That my wolf goes crazy when she looks at you?" She rolled her eyes. "Men." He shook his head.

"My wolfs name is Kane." He said. She paused, turning her head to the side. "And no, this is not some kind of arranged marriage. Kane and I have waited a very long time for you. Not just anyone, only you. You were made for us and we will lay down our lives to ensure your happiness and safety. You and Nat are our number one priority, as it is with any wolf. Your mate comes first." He sighed, "I'm sorry that it took me so long to find you. If I had known you were right there, right within our reach, I would have brought you here a long time ago. I'm sorry." He ran his hand down his face, "You shouldn't have had to live alone, you should have been here, with us. I failed you and I'm so sorry." His eyes dropped to the ground and his shoulders sagged as the guilt weighed down on him. It was his fault she had ever been put through any of this. He felt her warm hand on his arm and looked up into her green eyes, filled with concern. He placed his hand over hers and continued with a sigh as he felt the exhilarating sparks he felt whenever he touched her.

"A luna is the female leader of a pack. The alpha's mate..." her mouth fell open as her eyes widened. "Packs are run by an alpha with his luna at his side. She is his equal, as powerful and in control of the pack as he. I understand that it's all overwhelming and I wish I could make it easier. There is a lot you need to know but I think it would be best if Ian were here for us to tell you."

She stood quietly, listening to him speak. He stepped towards her and framed her face with his hands.

"Please don't leave." He murmured, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "I don't think I could survive it if you did, I've waited for you for so long." He admitted.

"You don't even know me." She whispered. "You would get over me." He shook his head and ran his fingers over her cheekbone, admiring the freckles that painted her skin.

"No, I don't think I would." He said quietly. She observed him silently, her green eyes traveling all over his face before stopping at his eyes.

"Ok." She whispered. He felt a smile spread across his face. "But, we're doing this slow." She said. "And you need to tell me everything." He nodded his head hastily as he felt glee spreading through his whole body. He leaned down to kiss her and she met him halfway. Kane howled in joy. Her full pink lips moved against his so sweetly, he wrapped his arm around her back and pulled her flush against him, earning a small moan from her that made him growl. He reached down and grabbed her thighs, pulling her up his body until her legs were wrapped around his waist. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, giving his him access. Their tongues danced across each other and he moaned, savoring the taste of her. He brought his hand to the nape of her neck and tangling his fingers through her soft dark hair. 

She pulled back suddenly and he groaned, taking in the sight of her. Breathless, cheeks flushed and lips swollen. He bit his lip and begrudgingly set her back down on the ground.

"I said slow." She muttered breathlessly. He chuckled and picked her bag back up before he could start another assault on those perfect lips.

"C'mon, it's late. We'll get some sleep and sit down with Ian tomorrow." He opened the door and led her inside.

"Woah." She breathed as he flipped on the light.

"Yea, it's a little much." He said sheepishly, watching her face as she observed the house with wide eyes. "It's the alpha house. It's passed down from alpha to alpha over the years." He set the bag down on the marble counter top in the kitchen, deciding that now probably wasn't the time to tell her that she had once lived here with her parents and brother.

"This makes my apartment look like shit." She muttered to herself.

"I liked your apartment." He said, earning a scoff from her as she wandered around the first floor, her eyes wide. He was glad it was an open concept, he was able to watch her awe as he leaned against the kitchen island.

"Why would you like that place?" She asked, peering into the electric fireplace.

"Well for one it was saturated in your scent. I thought I was gonna go crazy just standing there." He saw her cheeks flush a light shade of pink as she kept her eyes away from him. "And it felt... homey. Like it was a comfortable place to just relax at the end of the day. This place, it can feel pretty empty sometimes." He looked around the large space.

"My scent..." she said thoughtfully. "What do I smell like to you? Is that normal? The first time I met you I just..." she trailed off, looking up at him.

"Yes, it's very normal." He smiled, "only mates can smell that. To me, you smell like the most potent mix of roses and chocolate. It's mouthwatering to be honest." The pink in her cheeks turned deeper and he smiled.

"What do I smell like to you?" He asked curiously.

"You smell like freshly ground coffee and pine." She said quietly, walking back into the kitchen. He watched her inhale as if to confirm that's that what it was. She closed her eyes as she did and he smiled again.

"Are you hungry?" He asked after an easy silent moment. She nodded and he turned to the fridge, taking out the ingredients to make a grilled cheese. He could feel her eyes on him from where she sat at the island as he turned on the stove and started making two sandwiches.

"I love grilled cheese." She hummed when he put the plate down in front of her, taking a seat across from her with his own.

"I know." He said, pausing as she bit into hers. She must have been too tired to realize what he meant. He remembered she loved them from when they were younger. They sat in a pleasant silence as they ate, Sam still looking around the vast room, and Gage looking at Sam. She finished eating and yawned.

He swallowed his last bite and picked up their plates, putting them in the dishwasher.

"C'mon, I'll show you where you're sleeping." She slid off the stool and followed him as he picked up her bag and walked up the oak staircase.

He pushed open the door to his room and placed her bag at the end of the bed.

"Is this your room?" She asked from the doorway. He nodded and she crossed her arms. "And where are you sleeping?" Her eyes flitted to the bed and back to him.

"I have some paperwork to catch up on, but I'll be sleeping on the couch." He motioned to the worn leather couch in the corner of the large bedroom. She seemed to relax and walked into the room. He noticed a picture of himself, her and Ian as children on his dresser and quickly walked over to it, deftly sliding it into one of the drawers before she saw it. Things were going well at the moment. He didn't want to ruin it by confusing her more.

"I'll uh.. leave you to it then." He said as she began unzipping the duffel bag. He walked to the door and paused, his hand on the door knob.

"Good night Sam." He said quietly. She looked at him with a small smile as she took some clothes out of the bag and stood up.

"Good night Gage." She said. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it, closing his eyes as he smiled. He shook his head and walked down the stairs, heading to his office.

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Three chapters in three days, not to brag but I'm on a roll here. I hope you're enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Please remember to vote and comment!

Xx mandabrandie