Chapter Three- Understanding the Bond

Jane Jenkins (POV)

I am aware of Lucas watching me and at this point, I don’t care. I am so mad at him I could scream. I am glad I had a talk with Lari, she was helpful. I wanted to reject Lucas as I have seen a few others do in the past. Only Lari suggested I shouldn’t do it when I feel as I am feeling, and she is right. She also suggested I wait until my emotions calm down. So, for now, I plan to just ignore Lucas. So far it is helping. I am focused on my friends and my party. I can’t wait for my good friend Brian to get here. He promised that he would come by after his patrol shift. Brian is training to become a warrior; he sure has the build for it. I have seen him train shirtless before. We tried dating once, but I remembered my promise to not get serious and wait for my mate. So, Brian and I became friends only and nothing more.

As I was eating, I saw him and his friends, other warriors in training, show up. I jumped up and ran and hugged Brian, kissing his cheek and hugged him again as I heard a low growl and saw Lucas glaring at Brian, so I glared back. Then an idea came to me.

“Come, dance with me,” I said to Brian as he smiled and nodded at me.

Once on the dance floor, I whispered to him about finding my mate, that it was the Gamma, and how I found him in bed with another woman. We chatted a bit as we slowly danced, and I told him of my idea and asked him to play along. He agreed and told me to laugh as if he was saying something funny and he laughed with me.

“I can see him looking jealous this way. Place your head on my shoulder and close your eyes like you enjoy being in my arms,” Brian said, and I did what he suggested when I heard a louder growl and knew who it came from. I sneaked a peek and saw Drake talking to him even though Lucas had his eyes on Brian and me. He suddenly stood up and left to go inside. Probably to find a woman to relieve his frustration with.

After Lucas was gone, I looked up at Brian, “Can I ask you a question?” I asked him.

“Yeah, of course,” he answered.

“If a wolf finds his mate yet continues sleeping around, how does that affect his mate?” I feel I need to know.

“The mate will feel immense pain. Some call it a betrayal pain, others call it cheating pain.” He said, “Why did you feel it when you caught him?”

“Only after we had eye contact. That was when I felt pain.” I frowned, “I didn’t know I would feel it. After all, I am human.”

“It seems it doesn’t matter if you are human or not, you will feel it if you are mated to a wolf. It comes through the mate bond.”

I nodded, “I guess that makes sense. So, if I feel immense pain again, would that mean he is betraying our bond?”

“Yes. That is what it would mean. You might also feel him getting hurt from fights too, if the bond is strong enough.”

I frowned, “Then how would I tell the difference between the pains?”

He sighed as he thought, “The cheating pains would begin from your chest where your heart is. The other pain will be the location where he is hurt.”

“Oh, ok. Thank you for explaining it. So, my dancing with you doesn’t hurt him like a betrayal pain, right?”

“Yeah, because it is not really sexual. Only a sexual act will cause it. Like kissing and groping and, of course, intercourse.” He explained.

“OK. If he doesn’t behave himself and I start feeling that pain, I will let you know.” I smiled at him.

“You are up to something, Jane. What is it?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Just in case he hurts me in that way, I figure two can play that game. I will have you kiss me.” I said with a smirk.

Brian laughed and nodded, “I would be happy to oblige with that request.”

I smiled at him, “Good. Of course, that is only if he doesn’t behave. I am sure he knows what it would do if he didn’t. After all, he is a wolf and grew up in the pack.”

“I agree. He would know the consequences of his actions.” Brian said as the song finished, and we went back to the table with my other friends.

It seemed that Lucas must have been behaving because I felt no pain whatsoever. At least he is being considerate of me as a mate.

It has been a week since my eighteenth birthday party and, so far, I have felt no pain from Lucas’s indiscretions. Hopefully, it means he cares enough about me to not bed any more women. I am surprised that he has not tried to contact me; after all, I am his mate. And from what I heard, the mate bond makes it nearly impossible to stay away from one’s mate. I should know I have seen it in my parents and sister and brother-in-law. Lucas must have some strong self-control…or not, because if he did, he would have known or suspected I was his mate and would have stayed away from other women. I guess that is the part that hurts the most. Knowing my mate was with other women while knowing there was a chance, I was his mate. After all, in the beginning, he was drawn to me as I was to him. It wasn’t until after that night my father gave Lucas a lecture and the night Lucas told me he liked me that he suddenly changed and began seeing other girls. It was so hurt every time I saw him with a woman that I wanted to scratch her eyes out and scream. So, I focused on school and friends and even casually dated a few times. Nothing serious and we only kissed.

I guess I could say Brian was my first kiss. It was really sweet and nice. I also think he likes me more than a friend but now that I have a mate friendship is all it can be between Brian and me. I still don’t know what will happen between Lucas and me and if you ask me, I miss him. I have no idea if that is due to the mate bond or just me. I know even though I was hurt and angry at him we did have something special in the beginning. I also wonder if he misses me at all.