First Beginnings (6 page)

‘Oh, Callie,’ replied Sarah. ‘I'm
sorry. I'm going to kill him. Mate or not.’ She turned to Seth. ‘If you’re
really alpha and I kill your brother, will you have to sentence me to death?
I’m going to rip his fucking head off and toss it in the lake.’ Sarah's pout
made Callie chuckle a little.

‘I love you, Sarah,’ she said,
‘and you’re going to make a perfect alpha mate.’ Sarah blushed as Callie looked
over at Seth.

As it was, Sarah was still
confused about the whole mate issue, especially with him being 220 years old
and her being a mere 26 human years. Although she couldn’t feel the mating
urge, she did feel a strong pull to Seth.

‘Callie,’ said Seth, ‘can you
please tell Brandon that we are ready to leave? I’ll be coming with you instead
of Logan, okay?’ With that, Callie hugged Sarah tightly before leaving to find
Brandon.

Sarah immediately flung herself
into Seth’s arms and he felt her hot tears on his shirt. He rubbed his hand
down her back to comfort her, but couldn’t help feel proud of the way his mate
had stuck up for her friend and not been intimidated by his brother. Lifting
her face with his hand, he kissed her lips tenderly, tasting her tears on her
mouth. She kissed him back, pushing herself into him as if she couldn’t get
close enoug
h. He pulled back to look down at her.

‘Sweetness, there are many things
to tell you, but I have to go to the mainland. Will you please stay here with
my mother and father until I get back? I need you safe if I'm going to keep my
wits about me. Don't look at me like that. I will return Callie safe and sound
to you. I love how you’re so protective of her. I also promise to make this
right with Logan, okay?’ He kissed her again before walking to the door with
her towards his parents’ house.

Chapter Twelve

Sarah was sitting with Mary,
Seth’s mother, in her kitchen, watching her gracefully walk around preparing
dinner. She hated to see Callie leave without her and, even though she knew she
would come back, she felt annoyed that she couldn’t help. However, what
perplexed her the most was how much she had missed Seth in the space of only a
few hours. He had told her they had much to talk about, but did she really want
to know? Could she
really
leave everything she’d ever known behind, to
live amongst wolves on an island? Sure, she had no family except her mother,
who she saw twice a year if she was lucky, and her only friend was Callie, who
could also live here with her. She rubbed her hands down her trousers in an
effort to stop them sweating as she fretfully waited to hear from Seth or
Callie. She heard Seth’s mother chuckle.

‘More coffee, Sarah?’ she asked.
‘But then again, you’re so tightly strung that I think tea would be better.’
Mary walked to the kettle and flicked a switch. ‘I know it’s a lot to take in,’
she went on. ‘But, knowing Seth, he will be extra careful with Callie, as he
wants to make a good impression on you. I hate watching them go off into the
world, not knowing if they will come back hurt, or worse. Over the years, you
get used to it, but it’s still hard for a mother to watch.’ Mary paused and
looked at Sarah. ‘He loves you, you know. I can see it, even though it’s only
been a few days. He is normally so aggressive and abrupt, but already I see the
changes you’ve made in him. May I ask you something?’ Sarah nodded, shocked by
what his mother had just said. ‘Why are you holding back? You’re scared of
letting something go in your life. What is it?’

Sarah couldn’t help the tears
that stung her eyes. ‘I'm afraid of giving everything up in my life for a man
I’ve known for only two days,’ she replied. ‘I’m scared of how I feel about him
and what it means to be mates. He’s over two hundred years old and I'm
twenty-six. How can it work? I’ll grow old, whilst he doesn’t age. If I put all
my dreams and hopes into this, will he just leave me and get bored after thirty
years and move on to his next mate? I’m scared that I'm falling in love with
him and he’ll break my heart and I won’t recover.’

‘My goodness, child, is that
all?’ Mary chuckled. She squeezed Sarah into a hug. Sarah wound her arms around
her and hugged her back. Never before had she experienced such a motherly hug,
which made her cry all the more.

‘Mates don't have other mates
waiting in the wings for them,’ explained Mary. ‘We have one mate we are bound
to for the rest of our years. I can’t believe Seth hasn’t spoken you about
this. When – or if – you mate with my son, that will be it. No other will be
enough for you; it will be as if the sun sets and rises on your one true mate.
I’ll let my Seth explain the details to you, as it’s not for me to tell; but
once you mate, you will turn into a made wolf on the next full moon. You will
cease to age; instead, you will live a very long life together.’

Sarah blushed, as she gathered it
had something to do with sex, and she sure as hell didn’t want to talk about it
with his mother. Did she even want to turn into a wolf and live forever? To be
with one man for all eternity and never look back with regret? The more she
thought about Seth, the more she missed him; but the more she thought about her
life, the more she realised how empty it was before. Sure, she wanted a husband
and kids, but not yet.

Then a thought struck her. They
hadn’t used protection! Shit, could she already be pregnant? How could she be
so stupid! However, instead of panicking, she felt strangely composed. She
couldn’t feel upset or angry; instead, all she could think about was Seth
taking her against the wall for the best sex ever.

‘With that smile and blush on
your face, I gather that you two haven’t had much time to talk!’ Mary winked
and got up to finish making Sarah's tea. ‘It’ll work itself out, honey, don't
you worry. Seth is a strong alpha and has a loving family around him. You and
Callie are welcome to stay here, no matter what your decision.’ With that, she
went back to making dinner.

Chapter Thirteen

Marcus sat and watched from the
house across the street. The stupid old woman had let him in, believing him
when he’d said he was checking out for insect infiltration in the area. Her
neck snapped easily under his palm as he watched her slump to the floor. He
left her in the hallway as he made his way to sit by the window and wait. He
knew they had to come back sometime. Whores rarely left their place of work.
And that’s all they were – whores. He would show them just how much he hated
being left disappointed.

When he saw the fucker Logan
coming over from Penn Island, he knew immediately where the girls had gone and
he almost gave up waiting for them to come home. That afternoon was his lucky
day, however; not only did he know where the girls were, but he watched from
the window of the dead woman’s house as a black car pulled up outside and the
fat bitch got out with the other brothers, Seth and the weak-looking Brandon.

Well, well
, Marcus
thought.
Killing two – no, three – birds with one stone
. He had
recognised the she-wolf’s scent as soon as he’d spotted her the night before
last. He knew exactly who she was, and it would be all the sweeter when she was
finally his, hanging from the chains in his dungeon.

He watched them go inside their
small house and disappear through the door. He pulled out his mobile and rang
his son.

‘Get here to the females’ house.
Now!’ he ordered. ‘The fat one is here with two of the Penn brothers. I want
her in my hand and those two dead by the end of the day.’

Then he hung up, not waiting for
Colt to reply. He sat back in his chair, just watching.

Chapter Fourteen

Callie instantly recognised the
scent of the wolf.

‘Yep, it's the same wolf. I don't
understand why, if it was some random attack, he wants to harm us still. If he
is another alpha of a pack and wants revenge for me besting him, then he should
have made a challenge by now.’

Brandon growled at her, his eyes
glowing bright amber. ‘Don't even say that. You are not going against another
alpha in a challenge. I won’t allow it. Seth won’t allow it, and Mom and Dad
would kick Logan’s ass if he let you do it!’

‘I'm pretty sure Logan couldn’t
care less if I didn’t come back after this morning’s conversation,’ Callie
replied. Seth had filled Brandon in on what he had heard, but still winced as
Callie truly believed his brother and pack beta would allow her to get hurt.

‘Callie, can you see anything out
of the ordinary here? Anything moved or taken?’ Seth quickly turned the
conversation around, wanting to get out as soon as possible and back to his
mate.

‘Nope, not a thing. Although it
makes my skin crawl to know he got to our house and could still be watching.’
She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering at the thought.

‘Come on, let’s get out of here,’
said Seth. ‘Pack anything else you need. I want to be back on the island before
it gets dark.’ He watched Callie go from room to room, picking up bits and
pieces from around his mate’s house. One thing he was sure of – she was never
coming back here, even if it took him years to convince her.

‘Ok, ready,’ said Callie
eventually. ‘This bag’s for Sarah. I know she is fighting you, but I also know
what it means to find a mate. It makes me sad to think she will never be here
with me again.’ Callie felt the sadness creep inside her. She was resigned to
the fact she would be forever on her own, never knowing what it meant to have a
true mate.

Just as she was about to admonish
herself for thinking such dark thoughts, the front door burst open and in
marched two huge men. She instantly recognised the man from the other night and
felt her wolf close to the surface.

‘Well, what have we here? My
little chubby pet and her Penn princes.’ Marcus smiled an evil smile, looking
straight at Callie. ‘I can’t wait to get you home so my guards can have some
fun. You’re a little too large for my tastes, but that’s not to say I won’t
take you before I kill you.’ Colt couldn’t help the shiver as he listened to
his father speak to the female wolf. He scented the air and could smell
something familiar about her, but he wasn’t sure what it was.

Seth and Brandon immediately
stood defensively between her and the two men who he recognised were from
Marcus pack. 

“Callie, go!’ commanded Brandon.
‘Leave us to have a chat with this sick motherfucker. Get out the back, anyway
you can, and call for help.’ Without looking back, he handed her his mobile
phone and hoped she would follow his instructions. ‘Now!’ he shouted. Callie
made to move, but was stopped as soon as she heard the next words from the evil
wolf’s lips.

‘Such a shame I won’t be able to
gut you like I did your mother and father,’ he sneered. ‘But I will catch you,
Callie. After I’ve killed these fuckers, I will find you and fuck you, then
kill you.’ He smiled the whole time he was talking, enjoying the look of pain
on Callie’s face.

‘What? I...? You killed my
parents? Why?’ Callie could barely breathe, let alone speak.

‘Callie, I'm warning you, run
now!’ shouted Brandon. ‘He’s just using delaying tactics. Don't listen. If it’s
true, we will find out, but for fuck’s sake get your arse out of here.’ Callie
didn’t hang about this time. She ran, dialling the first number she could find,
which just happened to be Logan’s. She could hear the snarling and snapping of
teeth as she made her way to safety.

Chapter Fifteen

‘What do you want, Marcus?’ Seth
stepped forward towards the two wolves. ‘You are not welcome here.’

‘Well, alpha wolf, I'm sorry. We
will be going then!’ Marcus chuckled to himself. ‘But first, I want you to give
me back the females. I found them first as potential mates for Colt.’

Seth snarled at Marcus for even
thinking he would just hand his mate over. ‘Never in this lifetime would I ever
hand over any female to your sadistic wolf pack. And that goes for my mate as
well. The female is mine. Colt can’t mate her now as she is mated to me.’

‘Funny thing is,’ replied Marcus,
‘I don't smell the girl on you. If you were mated, her scent would be all over
you. Colt wants her for a mate. The other fat bitch will come to me, after I
tell her how I ripped her parents apart with my claws.’ A deep, menacing growl
escaped him. ‘Hand them over! You know the laws and I say we laid claim to them
first.’

‘I will kill you if you so much
as look at my mate, and Callie.’ Seth could feel his wolf at the surface, ready
to rip through, ready for battle. He could also feel the waves of anger coming
from Brandon and knew he would rip Marcus and his son, Colt, apart. ‘I say she
is already mated. She is not yours to claim.’

Colt snarled at the two brothers.
‘Then I will rip you apart and get them myself!’

As he leapt in the air, his wolf
burst through, aiming straight for Seth. Just as he pounced, Seth called his
wolf forward and the two met, mid-air. Colt managed to get his teeth around
Seth’s neck and he threw him against the wall.

Seth stood up, shaking his head
to clear his vision; he could see that Brandon had also changed into his wolf
and was challenging Marcus. Seth charged Colt again and grabbed his leg,
hearing a satisfying snap as he broke it in his jaws. However, before Colt
could turn, Seth swiped his claws across his muzzle and pulled on his leg,
sinking his teeth further into the broken bone. Colt let out a howl of pain and
moved out of Seth’s grip as he dodged another swipe to his face. Marcus had
Brandon pinned to the floor, ready to rip his throat out. Seth jumped over the
coffee table and knocked Marcus off his brother.

‘Shit, we need to get out of
here, Seth. The fucker is strong.’
Seth nodded his head in agreement as he
heard his brother speak to his wolf.

Seth circled Marcus, who was now
standing over Brandon, snapping his teeth; he seemed more feral than alpha of a
pack. Seth growled back and made to move forward. Just as he was about to jump
into the air, he heard a car pull up at the front of the house. He
instinctively knew it was his bother and knew that he and Brandon would get out
ok. Marcus’s head snapped up as he heard the car and he changed back into his
human form.

‘Get the fuck up,’ he snarled at
Colt. ‘You will pay for the damage you have caused my son,’ he added, looking
at Seth. ‘I will find your mates and slit their throats whilst you watch!’

As Colt changed back into his
human form, Seth could see the damage he had inflicted. His right leg was
broken and he had three large gashes across his face, just missing his left
eye. Seth knew that, for an old wolf, his wounds would not heal and he may be
left with a permanent scar.
Good,
he thought,
I wish I could have
done more
.

Marcus and Colt ran from the room
and made their escape through the back door of the house, seconds before Logan
walked into the room. Seth and Brandon changed back into their human forms and
inspected their bodies for any damage. They each had a few scratch and teeth
marks, but they would be gone by tomorrow. Seth knew they had been lucky.

‘Leave them, Logan,’ said Seth,
as Logan was about to go after the two men. ‘We will get them next time. We
need to form a better plan and find out what they are up to before we go after
them. I will not put my mate, or yours, at risk. Ever!’ Seth pushed Logan back,
watching his eyes simmer back to their natural pale blue.

‘Callie’s in the car,’ said Logan coldly. ‘Let’s go.’ He
then walked out of the room, leaving Seth and Brandon wondering what was wrong
with him.

Once they were safely on the
ferry heading towards Penn Lake Island, Logan got out of the car and walked
away from them toward the front of the ferry. Callie sat looking sadly out the
window. Seth wondered what had got into his brother; here was his mate, sitting
on her own, and he had his head up his arse. Well, once he had claimed his own
mate he was going to kick his brother into submission.

When they were back on the
island, he walked Callie to Hope’s house. He checked she was ok before Hope
pulled her into a hug and walked her back inside, shutting the two brothers
out. Logan had gone to the marina bar again, so all Seth could do was say
goodnight to Brandon and go find his mate. He smiled to himself, wondering if
Sarah had actually missed him or whether it was going to be a long battle to
convince her how much she meant to him.

As he crossed the road and headed
for his parents’ house, he couldn’t help but feel the excitement bubble up inside
him at the thought of seeing Sarah again, knowing soon they would be mated and
he could then spend the rest of his life mated to the most beautiful woman he
had ever met. He walked up to the front door and opened it, as he had done many
times before, and sniffed the air to catch a scent of his mate. Home. That what
she smelt like.

He walked through to the kitchen
to see his mother sitting at the breakfast island reading a magazine. His dad
was on the computer doing what looked like accounts, but he couldn’t see Sarah.

‘If you’re looking for your
mate,’ said Mary, ‘she was tired, so I made up the bed in your old room for
her. Tread carefully with her, Seth, she’s a very special girl.’ His mum smiled
at him, as if she had all the answers he needed. He was about to ask what she
meant, but she smiled and winked at him. ‘Why are you still here? If someone
had told your father I was laid out on a bed, he would have torn through the
walls to get up the stairs quicker!’ He heard his father snicker like a naughty
schoolboy in the corner.

‘Way too much information, Mum,’
Seth winced.

‘Oh, I don't know, boy!’ replied
his father. ‘Five hundred mated years later and I would still rip through the
walls to see your mother spread out on our bed!’ He smiled and walked over to
place a kiss on his wife’s cheek.

‘I feel sick,’ Seth said as he
rubbed his stomach. ‘I'm going to get Sarah and go home. Far too much
information…’ He turned to leave, but not before he saw the love flare through
his father’s eyes as he looked at his mother, but he picked up his pace when he
heard his mother squeal.

When he reached the door to his
old bedroom, he opened it quietly and looked in. When he saw Sarah spread out
on his bed, he knew exactly what his father had meant. He couldn’t help but
catch his breath at the beautiful sight; she was like every dream come true and
more. He walked slowly to the side of the bed and sat down next to her to sweep
the hair off of her face. She was all his and he would never, ever, let her go
to Colt. She was
his
mate and he would protect her with everything he
had.

Stirring from her sleep, Sarah
moved her head closer to his hand as he held her cheek in his palm. Her hand
came up to hold his as she opened her eyes.

‘Hey, sorry,’ she said, ‘I didn’t
mean to actually fall asleep. I just meant to rest for a while. Everything ok?
Why are you covered in blood?’ She sat up so quickly that she felt dizzy for a
moment. ‘Oh my god! Callie! Is she ok?’

‘Everything is fine, sweetness,’
he replied soothingly. ‘When we got to your old home we were paid a visit by
two wolves. One of them Callie confirmed was the man who tried to take you. His
name is Marcus – we’ve dealt with him before. The other was his son, Colt. We
were attacked, but they ran when Logan arrived.’ He pulled her against him, and
she rested her head on his shoulder. Seth took in a deep breath of her sweet,
tropical scent. ‘It’s nothing a shower wouldn’t fix once we get back home.’

‘You could shower here,’ Sarah
replied. ‘I would wait for you?’ she added shyly, not feeling as confident as
she should in his bed. ‘I don't mind.’

‘As much as I would love for you
to stay here in my bed,’ said Seth, smiling, ‘I think it would be wise to
return home.’ She felt the shudder go through him. ‘I think my parents are about
to strengthen their mating bond and, as much as I want you, and as hard as you
make me, there is no passion-killer quite like hearing your parents going at
it.’ Sarah giggled at him as she saw how serious he was. ‘You should do that
more often,’ he said, looking straight into her eyes.

‘What?’ Even to her own ears she
sounded breathless.

‘Laugh. It lightens up your whole
face. I love seeing your eyes sparkle, like you are free of this entire burden.
I love you, Sarah. I know you think it’s too soon and I know all of this scares
you, but I would do anything for you. I would keep you safe and give you the
life you need to be happy here. I would do anything to make you laugh every
day, my sweetness.’ He placed a soft kiss against her lips as he felt the wetness
of her tears. ‘Don’t cry, sweetness.’

‘No one has ever said anything so
perfect to me in all my life,’ replied Sarah. ‘Everything about this scares me.
I know it’s not fair on you and it’s causing you pain, but I really do need
time. If I asked you to give this island up and move with me to live in my
house, would you?’

‘In a heartbeat, my sweetness. I
would follow you anywhere. But at the moment, this is the safest place to be.
Come, let me take you home.’

‘Ok, and stop calling me
sweetness!’ she giggled.