Mate

Brielle's POV

I know I must have looked pretty clueless with my eyes bulging and mouth agape.

Surely, I looked like an idiot...right?

Why else would he have that stupid smile from ear to ear on his face?

"Elijah... you're -" I still could not believe it.

Sexy Eli is...my mate. I was so giddy, so ecstatic, and... nervous. So damn nervous that it made my knees weak.

He grabbed my hand, pulling me along, making me almost fall as I stumbled. He opened the door to an empty study room by the library next to the ballroom. Let me tell you, our pack house is enormous, and I mean HUGE. It's almost like a damn resort.

But I guess with a pack to hold thousands, it's no surprise this dancehall was overcrowded. There are study rooms everywhere for people to come in because my parents take education very seriously. Eli took advantage of finding an empty one, pushing the door open.

"Eli, what the hell?" I said as he slammed the door, turned the lights off, and caged me between the wall and him.

My wolf, Sienna, couldn't stop purring as if she were a damn kitten. "You whore! You're not helping here." I said to her, making her chuckle.

"Mate!" Eli whispered against my neck, letting a low guttural growl escape his lips, making me bite my bottom lip as he slowly sniffed my neck. I couldn't help but close my eyes as the mating bond sparks spread through my body.

"Eli, what are you doing? Stop." I say, not meaning a damn word, as his hands grip my waist, pulling me against him.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been holding back from claiming you as my mate? I've been fighting the urge to rip your damn clothes off and mate with you, Brie," he says, licking my neck softly, and sucking my skin on the curve of my neck where he intended to mark me soon, sending a shiver down my spine that felt like an electric volt running through my entire body.

"I've been wanting to claim you for so long. And today... You're finally mine. All mine," he says in a low, lustful voice that sends shivers down my spine. A good shiver that awakens something in me. Something new that I have never felt for anyone before.

It feels weird, in a good way. This new sensation between my legs... arising, making me bite my bottom lip.

Holy shit, he's turning me on.

I gasp as I feel his tongue lick over my skin again, nipping, sucking softly, but possessively.

He slowly moves his hand up until he reaches my neck, caressing my collarbone.

I can't help but let out a small moan, closing my eyes as I tilt my head back, bucking my thighs to suppress the feeling between my legs.

"Please, Eli... I can't do this. Y—You're my beta. And- best friend to my brothers. What will they say when they find—"

"Shh... Do you not want this? Me... and you... You're mine, Brie. I know you're smart. You've been taught what will happen when a girl finds her mate. We belong together. And neither Xavier nor Alexander can do a damn thing about it. You. Are. Mine... All mine." Eli's eyes darken as he whispers over my lips and presses a kiss. I can feel his bulge poke my leg, making my eyes widen.

My breath becomes hitched and gets caught in my throat. My heart is beating out of my chest so fast that I can practically hear it in my ear, thumping, making tension grow inside me.

He knows what he's doing to me. He's purposely provoking me, trying to turn me on, and it is so damn WORKING!!

He smirks as he sees my eyes dilate. "Be a good girl, baby. Let me taste you."

"What?... Eli, I." I stutter as my eyes widen and my heart beats erratically. I can feel butterflies flutter uncontrollably in my stomach.

"Ssh!" he whispers, claiming my lips and pulling me against him, closing the gap between us.

It didn't take long for us to get tangled; our kiss heated faster than a firework, making me feel as if I was floating.

The rumors are true. Oh boy... they are so damn true!

When you make out with your destined mate, once you've reached that peak in your life, your body ignites in this lustful spark that goes through you like a thousand tiny volts surging through your body each time you touch each other.

If I'm being honest, my mind is still cloudy.

I'm confused, but I can't stop, and I don't want to stop.

I have secretly liked Elijah Sterling since we were kids.

But his cold-hearted demeanor made me believe he never wanted a mate.

Rumors had it that he had found his mate in college two years ago, which disappointed me. But he soon defamed that gossip. I had no clue about it because I hadn't heard his clarification.

I was heartbroken and avoided seeing him when he returned home.

Whenever he saw me, he tried talking to me, but thinking he had a mate, I avoided him because I didn't want to get between him and whoever she was with.

Boy, was he mad when he found out about it. When he learned the names of the girls who started the rumor...let's say he did not go easy on them.

They tried to excuse themselves, saying the rumor was because of false information.

But Eli wouldn't have it.

The girls who had spread that rumor didn't hear the end of it for weeks. He was so mad that he made sure they didn't spread false information about him again by making them train harder than the rest of us thrice daily. Even after training, they were kept busy doing various volunteer work around the pack, like cleaning, cooking, caring for newborns, and more.

I don't know why I was so jealous of it. Thinking of him with another girl made me... jealous.

Because deep inside... I wanted him too.

"Are you... accepting me as your mate, Eli?"

"Dummy... Isn't it obvious? Why wouldn't I? I've patiently and painfully waited for you for two years. But now you know. And I'm not letting go, Brie. Understand? I will never let go of us," he says, cupping my face and running his lips against mine in a feather-like motion, leaving a kiss behind.

I sigh, pressing my forehead against his.

"What about my brothers? What are we going to do about them?"

"I'll deal with your brothers. You... worry about making me more proud. You're graduating with honors, and coming back to me as soon as possible, understand?" he says, making me tilt my head in surprise.

"Would you be okay with me leaving for college?"

"Brie, I trust you. I know it will be hard for us, but I trust you. And believe me, I have no intentions of cheating on you. I'll be waiting for you to come back to me."

Though this sounded like a plan, I was worried about him. One—my brothers have always been overprotective of me. Sure, Elijah loves my brothers and my parents, and I love his family too.

But my brothers might not like that he and I are mates.

They hated the idea when he asked them about the possibility of us being mates.

What if they're not okay with us being together? They will be the new alphas after tonight, which means he has to follow their every order.

Two—I was leaving a whole ocean away from him. It's not like I was going to college nearby, where I could return on the weekends like some of our members do—some even return daily.

But, No.

I was going to be far... much farther than that.

It could be dangerous if I suddenly came into heat and he wasn't around to help me ease the pain. In our world, if a girl turns of age and finds her mate, her body automatically releases pheromones and goes into heat, ready to mate and procreate their new family.

But- in different circumstances like... if the girl gets rejected, if she rejects her mate, OR if they don't have intimacy, non-mated werewolves can smell the pheromones, making them get turned on, and... it could be dangerous for her.

It's happened before, sadly. Girls have been forced upon, assaulted by werewolves who have no sense of self-control.

Goddess, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

I don't know what Eli is planning or what his thoughts are. But it's as if he sensed my worries, chuckling and hugging me tightly.

"Look. Don't worry about a thing. I found an elixir that can help suppress your pheromones until you're ready to mate. I won't pressure you into anything you're not ready for, Brie."

"But I want to," I said hastily, making him pause.

He looked at me with wide eyes. Slowly, his lip tugged into a smirk, and his eyes darkened, telling me he was turned on.

I ran my hands against his back, making his skin shiver, and eyes closed as he gave a low guttural growl.

I could tell he was fighting the urge.

"Tonight is a big night for your brothers and you. Let's wait on this conversation until after the party. I'll wait for you. If you haven't changed your mind about being with me by the end of the night, then we'll see what happens. But if you decide you want to wait, I have no problem waiting, love," he says, gently kissing my lips.

Hi guys,

So I've been away working and dealing with personal matters for a while. I'm sorry, but I didn't have much time left in between to sit and write. Hope you guys enjoy the book. Don't forget to comment, vote, and share. ♥️