2 - Partner

~Dakota’s Point of View~

*Well I expected all these boys to be blithering idiots in front of us, but I didn’t expect this crap. The Goddess is NOT funny,* Laney says, sighing at the scene before us. 

Our mate. And he’s just as stupid and dumb a male as the rest of them! Thanks a lot Goddess!!

I’d prayed for a simple, loving male. One that wouldn’t be intimidated by a female Alpha. But that’s like asking for the moon and stars. No male wants to be second fiddle to me. And this one? Ugh! I don’t know who he is, but he’s just like the rest. Big head and big… Hmm. Well, size isn’t everything.

Like my virgin body would know. But still, if you’ve seen one naked male you’ve seen them all!

Right? 

DON’T STARE!

*There’s always rejection and while I don’t want a weak and pathetic mate…* Laney says, eyeing the male who’s stammering like he’s been caught tugging one out. I have enough brothers to know, sadly.

But he’s kind of cute. Certainly smells good. And because he was showing off we got a nice snack with no effort. Though my pounding head doesn’t seem to care.

Ignoring the catcalls and whistles, I brush the dirt from my skin and hold my head high. I’m already at an insane disadvantage here, but I’ll be damned if I show it. If I let them think I have any weaknesses just because I have a vagina.

They expect me to freak out over getting a little dirt or blood on myself. They expect me to cower and cry, be weak like a good little female. They’d just fall all over themselves if I asked for help.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you little boy. You’ll fuck this all up on your own, of that I have no doubt. I’m not sure where you’ve been all my life, but you can go right back there,” I say, holding my head high. I turn on my heel and walk away from the male I now know for certain is my fated mate. 

But if he thinks I’m going to fall to my knees and bare my neck to him, he’s got another thing coming. For all I care, he can just stew about it. 

I have a brief mental freak out that he’ll out our secret, but I tell myself he has just as much to lose as me. 

A series of “ooohs” and laughs break out, but I don’t stop to watch their theatrics.

I walk with no real plan, no sense of direction. My wolf paces in my throbbing head, half wanting me to go back.

Thankfully no one is following me, so far so good.

I’m supposed to find Dex. Probably short for Poindexter. He probably wears suspenders and has glasses. What a dork name!! 

But it doesn’t matter if my partner is a wuss. If I need to take him out and win on my own, so be it. My pack expects nothing else less anyhow.

*Why do I suddenly feel like the human in this relationship,* Laney whines. 

She’s feeling exposed and bashful. She also has suddenly let my sixteen years of training fly out the window. All because a hot boy that smells good and actually has dimples and beautiful eyes and--

I stop for a brief second to look down at my body. I’ve never cared much before about nudity, but I’ve also never been on a mountain with thirty naked males with hard bodies that won’t get to see let alone touch a female while they’re here. And some that are desperate enough to know they aren’t making it out of here … which makes them even more dangerous. Males boxed in with no options are the worst kind of threat.

My parents, well really my entire pack, have constantly warned me of the dangers I’d face here. Not from the woods … no. That I can handle, But a desperate male is a very stupid male. While it would take a lot for me to be overpowered, it could happen and that isn’t lost on me. So really… Are clothes going to make any kind of difference? Doubtful. Either way I’m dangling a prime cut piece of meat in front of a starving animal.

I sigh and keep walking. A stream would be nice. I could get some mud and try to mask my scent a bit. Though I’m certain that damn mate of mine could now find me down a well filled with concrete.

After a couple minutes, the snap of a twig close by puts me on high alert. Laney forces me to take a deep breath and I can only cringe at the all too familiar waft of smoke like someone’s got a fire going. 

What’s it mean if you literally reek of a campfire? It’s like a giant smoke signal that says, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

*I can certainly think of worse smells,* Laney says, as we wiggle our nose.

Yeah you’ve only been around about five months wolfie! I’ve had to deal with his pack my whole life!

“You okay,” I hear, just over the breeze. I push my lips into a hard line but keep walking. 

*We knew he’d be here,* Laney sighs.

“I made it clear to you months ago that I wouldn’t need any help here. I’m no different than any other would-be Alpha,” I mumble, changing direction. 

But I stop instantly as my foot immediately mushes into a giant mound of poop. The scent hits my nose and I instantly sneeze.

“Damn it,” I shout, shifting my weight to one leg and trying to kick off the yuck.

“Ohh wow, looks like a bear and pretty fresh,” the male says, excited. 

I roll my eyes. I turn slightly to spin just as another something gooey gushes between my once otherwise clean toes. Before I can even protest, I lose my balance since both feet are now tainted.

But strong hands grab my shoulders, and hold me up. I blink fast and look right into the eyes of the male who has spent years convinced that he’ll get me. By any means necessary.

“I don’t need any--”

“Help, yeah sure Dakota,” he says, flashing a perfect white smile.

I attempt to straighten, but once again lose my balance. And of course, he’s right there to catch me. This time when I look at him, he’s absolutely gawking at my jiggling tits. 

“I don’t have the energy to pretend to like you today Harley,” I spit, and pull my arm free of his grasp. It’s risky to have any male’s smell on me, and I know he touched me on purpose.

Moving quickly to a grassy area, I try to clean my feet.

“If that means you’ll like me on other days I can handle losing just today,” he says, in his usual arrogant way.

I ignore him, but anytime he’s close I have to keep my wits about me. He absolutely can’t be trusted. Though I know without a shadow of a doubt that if some male did try to attack me, Harley would take their head off before my back even hit the ground. I don’t want to get too comfortable with that thought though.

*We need to find that stream,* Laney whines, making our nose wiggle again. 

“Ah-choo,” I sneeze.

“I’d offer you a hanky but… no pockets,” Harley jests. 

I look up to see him tapping his belly. And of course, there’s absolutely no movement. No pudgy spots on his body whatsoever. It just isn’t fair. No matter how many crunches I do, any kind of repetitive exercise, I still have a little jiggle in my belly. My boobs are still too big and hang lower than I’d like.

It’s all I can do to keep my eyes above his waist, though I’ve hunted with him before and am fully aware of his endowments. While impressive, it in no way makes up for the rest of him.

And the ego that walks two feet in front of him. All the males of his family are the same.

“How are you always so annoying,” I groan, struggling to get clean.

“I mean, I sleep too. So, it’s not like I don’t get a break,” he replies, without a second thought. 

This is literally how it always is with him. Battle of the moronic wits. I’m not in the mood today!

I turn away from him and begin walking again, but Laney knows that Harley is behind us. Staring at our butt I’m certain.

*Ohh! Ohh! I hear the stream, that way,* Laney says, almost surprising herself. I abruptly turn and keep moving until I finally find it.

“Had you not been so stubborn I could have shown you the way,” Harley says, as I walk right in. 

The water is a bit cold, probably too much for a normal human. But for an angry she-wolf, it’s bliss.

“Yeah, you’re gonna go really far in life. Let’s just hope you stay there,” I say, but I don’t look back. I hear him clicking his tongue.

“Always so damn feisty. I guess you haven’t realized this by now Dakota, but it’s hot as fuck. Everything about you turns me on so say whatever you want,” Harley says, as I hear him splashing around.

I roll my eyes and quickly move to find a deeper spot. I squat down and clean my toes until I’m satisfied. With my head just above the water line, I take a brief second to admire how pretty it is here.

“Blood creek, gonna be a bit more muddy today,” Harley says.

I make a face at that. How could I forget the name? The beauty here is nothing but a facade.

“Don’t you need to go find someone,” I say, still not looking at him as I begin to rub water over my shoulders and arms.

“I’m right where I want to be Dakota. A month stuck on a remote mountain with you? Yes please,” I hear, just over my ear. Even though he’s probably a foot away it’s like I feel his warmth. 

Laney stirs in my mind, unsure what to think. But we know without a shadow of a doubt we don’t trust this male. 

I turn and narrow my eyes at him, but he only looks down at me with a serious expression. The same one he had when he proposed we mate so I wouldn’t be subjected to camp. Because he was supposedly “in love” with me and only concerned for my safety and well being.

What a load of shit. 

With that fresh in my mind, I push my feet onto a flat rock and rise to my full height. I expect him to gaze over my body as I know he wants to. But he doesn’t, for once he keeps eye contact.

“Get the fuck away from my--”

The sudden boom of the unfamiliar voice makes us both turn our heads. The male who knocked me over stands on the side of the creek, his hands on his hips. He looks like he’s a second from being murderous.

“My partner! Get away from my partner and go find yours,” he barks, his voice loud and commanding. Instantly my eyebrow raises, and Laney stands on her hind legs like she’s trying to peek over something.

“Partner? Seriously, you’re Dexter,” I groan, deciding to ignore them both.

I squat back down and resume my bath as I hear Harley move.

While later on in the month Dex and I may be forced to be enemies, right now we’ll have to rely on each other. If one of us dies because the other failed to act, we’ll be an easy target. Likely pulled to pieces.

*Ohh shit! This is gonna be good, ohh yeeeah,* Laney cheers.

She’s not wrong, but I can’t let on that watching them fight would be the highlight of my week. 

My year.

Stuck on Blood Creek Mountain with my fated mate and the male who nearly abducted me so his pack could overthrow mine and take Misty Glen as their own.

How on earth did I get so lucky?