His feather light kisses continued down her neck and to her shoulder and back up to where her neck and shoulder joined, nipping at the area, causing his mate to shiver.

If only she would turn and face him, but even now she refused. His hand on her breast and susceptible nipple tugged lightly at the bud before circling it once more.

Her breaths were uneven as he continued to rub her red bit; unconsciously she opened her legs wider for him.

He trailed down to her wet outer lips, stroking against them with his middle finger...and then a second finger followed suit. His deprived cock twitched before he rubbed it up and down against her lower back a tad, but this barely got the edge off that he needed; he needed more. Way more than that.

One of his fingers slid between her lips, circling her wet and ready hole, a moan escaping her lips before he entered her with it. A louder one this time as her puss pulsed around his invading digit.

And suddenly, she was gone.

Time stood still. Not a sound was heard. He didn't breath, and he was sure his heart stopped as well. Shock, disbelief, and realization took its time to reach for him. He turned his head slowly at his wolf, his other self had the same look on his face.

"...Did she...just? ....Did she...wake up...? Just now...? Now?" The thought finally reached them, causing his shock to turn to fury while his wolf let out a frustrated growl, "She woke up!"

Erick barked, his anger rising with each passing moment, "Why did she leave me?! Doesn't she want this just as much as I do?!"

Pure wanton rage echoed throughout his heated body as he paced. He let out a yell as punch a tree, the poor tree having a hole in its center, losing stability as it came crashing down into the snow, further disturbing what was supposed to be a glorious dream.

"WHY?!" He bellowed in forest, nothing but the sounds of his wolf's howls and his words echoes reached him. A growl came out in each breath as he moved about, trudging through the almost soundless snow.

He looked furiously at the moon, almost wanting to curse before he looked down, running a hand through his hair. He then stopped pacing. His breathing started to relax a bit as another awareness made him look up at the moon once more.

It was a Waning Gibbous; The Deity of Mating and Fate's phase.

...That's right. The Goddess of Mating wouldn't deter him like this. She knew that their mating would happen soon, and he had to be patient for her.

"But for how long?" Erick grumbled out, "How long must I wait before I can claim what is mine?!"

The phase didn't change, but he felt the non-existent wind pick up and whisper past his ears, "......Soon......"

Erick opened his eyes from his memory and looked up at the night sky, his kill finished. It was a Waning Gibbous here too—the first night of it—and it was a most fortunate sign that what the Goddess said was true. He'd have her soon. But first, he needed to return to the pack. Two days on his own was enough.

~/~/~/~

Morning had come, the winter wonderland brought grace and serenity. The sun peeked warmly from behind the clouds, giving a pleasant and gentle air this morning. Erick was anything but pleasant. He was pissed. He didn't have a dream with her last night, hell, he didn't dream at all!

He was sure any animal that remained here could sense his fury: those hibernating woke up with a start, those awake running for shelter. Everything turning to silence as he ran, the cool snow even seemed to melt quickly under his rampaging feet.

"How dare she?" He thought furiously, "She's trying to avoid me!! She's trying to avoid fate, isn't she?!"

He slowed down, breathing hard, but not because he was tired, as he tried to think logically, "What's wrong with me? This is not the Delaney pack way. Emotions like this cause weakness. It is best to remain impassive, cold to everyone, and to focus on physical and mental strength. To show anxiety like this isn't right, even if it's toward your mate—"

The very moment the thought of his mate hit him, he snarled at himself, his feral side returning as he took off into a sprint again, "No! She's my mate! Her place is by my side! I can't be impassive while she's so near! Why has she not tried to seek me out yet! I have for her! What is she possibly thinking?!"

He stopped once again and started to pace back and forth, trying to reason with himself, "The Alpha Deity promised me. I just have to be patient. She and I will be mated." He started to pace himself again as he headed for the compound.

"When?!" His wolf howled his mind, setting him off into a sprint once more, "Another wolf might claim her! I have to have her now! No other wolf may DARE touch her!"

He was struggling with the internal battle with himself, "No. No one will. Patience is a virtue. The Deities have taught us that."

"But...What if she doesn't want to be mated with me?"

He stopped dead in his tracks, "...Doesn't....want...to?"

The thought turned to words, and his words put him in overdrive as he ran once more, his feral side returning with a vengeance and overthrew his logic, "That's not her choice!! She will be!! When I return, I'll get some of the others to go look for her. Just you wait, my elusive mate!" He sprinted back toward the Delaney pack den, his mind made up in this matter.

~/~/~/~

Once in sight of the compound, he stopped, skidding his feet in the snow when he breathed in. The air...that scent... His wolf roared to life inside of him, his already feral eyes turned even wilder with each heartbeat, the emerald in his irises glowing brightly.

It's her!

This is her scent!

He took off into a sprint once more as he tore through the compound. Many of the lower ranks backed away, some yelped in shock, startled by the tension that radiated off him as he ran toward the manor.

"Where is she? Where is she?" Erick thought in a frenzy, "Where is she?!"

Without much other thought, he literally ripped the front left door of the manor off its hinges, tossing it out of his way as he ran in, following his nose past Conroy, Emmanuel, and two females, who were equally as startled, but he could care less about them at this moment. He charged into Adeline's study, bursting the doors open and imbedding the doorknobs in the wall, shaking the hinges lose, but not entirely broken.

"Erick?" Keric stood in concern from his seat.

"What's wrong?" Adeline asked, standing from her desk and stepping forward toward him.

Erick growled deeply, stopping both of them from approaching him, "Where?"

"What?" Adeline asked, but Erick ignored her as he turned and ran out the room.

"Erick!" Adeline shouted, chasing after him along with Keric, Conroy and Emmanuel following suit as well.

"Where are you hiding?!" Erick growled deeply as he ran toward the Omega quarters, trailing out her scent as he slammed the door to one of the flats open.

"Not here either!"

Snarling in his chest he turned and passed Adeline and the others just as they got there.

"Erick! What is wrong?!" Confused, Adeline continued to run after him, "I admitted in an Omega female! What's so wrong?"

He didn't hear her as he dashed back to the manor.

"Erick! It's just an Omega!" Adeline yelled, but once again her voice didn't reach his ears, his wolf howled in his head, their rage and need increasing with every heartbeat, every second he couldn't find her.

He was long past the point of no return as he sniffed the air again, running up into the manor once more.

Stronger. It was stronger now!

He made a sharp right turn down the hallway slamming a little into the wall but maintained momentum as he rushed toward the dining hall.

He fortunately didn't have to slam the dining hall's glass doors as they were not only open, but he stopped running, breathing deep and long.

She's here.

Right in front of him, there she was.

It was pure irony that her back was too him; she was setting plates on the tables. She's here. She can't leave us now, His wolf howled in his mind and the very thought made him growl out loud. He saw her stiffen as he did. Slowly, almost hesitantly, she turned and faced him for the first time.

"Damn she's beautiful," Erick thought, as he finally saw his mate's face, her orange to blue-gray eyes wide as she looked back at him, and her slightly up turned nose's nostrils flared out as if she was trying to scent him back.

Her dark auburn hair was tied back in a simple ponytail, her bangs wavy as it trailed down the sides, cupping her face.

His mate's chest heaved, and when she finally gave Erick eye contact, she quickly averted her gaze to the ground.

Erick narrowed his eyes in confusion at this, but that confusion soon disappeared when she started to back away from him.

"No!" Before he could think anything else, he ran at her and grabbed her. Remembering that she was carrying plates, he rolled, protecting her from the glass that shattered onto the ground. He pinned her underneath him, her eyes seemed dazed, but she was alright.

He felt electricity run through him when he touched her soft skin, causing his blood to start heading toward his nether regions. Her wrists fit so easily in his hands before he drew them up to interlace their fingers together. He bent his head down and inhaled her scent on her neck.

"It's her," his thoughts echoed through his head as he slowly trailed down to her crotch, pressing his nose again her as her smell was stronger here, "It's really her."

As he began to pull away, he scented a totally different scent that threw him off a bit. He looked sharply up as he scented the male Omega standing across from them, his fear and shock reeked in the air. A low and hostile growl escaped Erick's throat.

"Go away. NOW!" He projected at the male.

The male shook violently in fear as he made his way out.

"No one will dare take her from me," Erick thought, in sync with his wolf, "No one!"

"Wait! Erick!" Adeline ran inside the dining hall, along with Conroy, Emmanuel, Marco, and Keric now.

"Wait," Adeline took a step toward him, "That's just a—"

Erick barked loudly at her. "That?!" He as his wolf thought, livid.

"Mine...She's MINE!" Erick barked out as he lowered protectively over her, especially as there were more males near his mate.

Adeline's and about everyone else's eyes widened as those words left his lips, but Erick could care less as he once again faced his mate, taking in her scent at her neck. However he stopped upon what he saw. Inside, he wanted to rip his throat out for not noticing it earlier.

It was healing, but there was a large bruise on her neck that looked like she had been recently strangled.

Erick's breathing shallowed as his head slowly turned to her left arm, seeing the bruise that lay right under her elbow in the shape of a grip, also in the same condition as her other one. "...Who...?" His word came out more wolf that human, "Who did this..?!"

His sniffed at the one on her neck first. The scent was faint, but it was still there. He turned and quickly did the same for her arm.

He saw red as his eyes showed absolute fury as he growled, "Marco...Conroy..."

It that moment, he was off of her and in front of Marco as he punched him in the dead center of his face, sending him flying as he hit the floor face first and skid down before his body turned and tumbled down the hallway floor with the same impetus; he landed against the wall of the staircase, crashing the icy white drywall inward along with sounds of cracking in his body.

Conroy didn't even get a chance to face him as Erick grabbed him by his throat and shoved him up, sending him straight through the wall and into the living room as he slammed onto the coffee table, the glass shattered and frame destroyed by his weight.

Just as Conroy twitched and started to stir a bit, Erick ran up to him and forcibly grabbed him by his throat, slamming him hard into the wall.

The females who were there from before backed away from them, utter terror on their face, but they knew better than to stay in there and watch as they walked quickly outside without even so much as a glance back.

Conroy looked at Erick with wide eyes as he struggled to breath. He tried to lift his chin and turn his neck toward Erick, trying to bare his submission to him.

However, as he did, Erick's nails sharpened to claws as he dug them into Conroy's neck, threatening to tear open his arteries and causing Conroy to twitch in pain.

"I have no reason to accept you submission, Conroy Delaney," Erick's voice was almost in a whisper, his lips twitched with his words, "Neither yours nor Marco's."

When Erick tightened his grip and started to pierce his arteries, Conroy tried to grasp at his hand on his throat, but he was losing strength and soon blood, his eyes starting to roll to the back of his head.

~*~*~*~

Jessica snapped out of her daze when the male got off of her. She sat up and watched in sheer terror as the male—Erick—hurled Conroy and punched Marco in his rage using the same speed he used on her. Shaking her head from the rest of the stars she saw, Jessica scrabbled back as she pulled herself to stand against the wall.

However, she couldn't move from that spot. She couldn't run at all as she watched Erick run up to Conroy and slam him into the wall, imbedding him inside it as he choked him. Her eyes shakily looked at Adeline and Keric, her lips dry and trembling—not even a sound was able to escape them.

"Why..? Why?!" Jessica thought as she looked back and forth from Erick to them, "Why...are the Alphas just standing there?!"

Her body shook against the wall, her legs a fierce combination of weak and stiff.

"Erick!" Adeline shouted, her monotone voice held an underlying emotion of panic, Keric behind her as they finally ran to him, "Stop! You don't want your...your mate to see this do you?! What do you think she's feeling watching this?!"

"...Mate...?" The thought tried to register in Jessica's mind, but her state of being kept her in too much shock to react.

"She'd thank me!!" Erick barked out at her, his voice full of anger, his grip getting tighter.

"No! She wouldn't!" Adeline told him, still trying to calm him down, "She's scared of you, Erick!"

Jessica watched as his tense body started to relax at her words. Erick glanced over his shoulder and looked at her.

"Let him go, Alpha. Please," Adeline spoke softer, "Your...mate doesn't need to see this."

"W-w-w...wait," Jessica's thought froze in her mind before her eyes widened even further, the words Adeline spoke finally brought enough strength with it to break through her shock as she processed the words, "Al...Alpha...?! He's the Alpha?!?!"

~/~/~/~

Erick looked at his mate, fear drenched all over her face, causing his wolf to whine inside of him. He turned back toward Conroy, a low growl in his chest as he watched Conroy's eyes start to flutter shut, blood running down his neck; the artery pumping furiously with blood it was going to lose.

He wanted him to die, but the look on his mate's face repeated in his head like a nightmare. He never wanted her to look at him like that, especially now that he finally sees her. With one last snarl, he retracted his claws and let Conroy drop to the floor; blood pouring out of his neck as he breathed deeply, coughing.

"...Why is she hurt?" Erick asked, looking down at Conroy who was too weak to get up, but he was able to reach for his neck to stop further blood from leaving him.

"Yesterday we were making runs though the surrounding towns," Keric replied, his nose twitched at the smell of blood, "Conroy, Marco, Emmanuel, and myself. When were arrived in Jackson, we scented a lone wolf."

Erick growled, showing he was still on the danger line and wanted him to get to the point, "Why is she hurt, Keric?"

"She ran from us. Marco caught up with her first and...tackled her to the ground. She tried to get away and Conroy..." Keric cleared his throat, "slammed her into a tree and choked her."

Erick growled in rage and enmity, staring at Conroy with death dealing eyes as Keric continued, "I intervened and Marco grabbed her arm to get her to come along with us back to the den."

Erick turned his head at Keric and glared at him, his elongated teeth bared at him, his hands in fists he wanted to beat the shit out of him as well, "Why did you allow her to be hurt, Keric?"

Keric averted his eyes and kept his voice leveled to not upset him further, "We did not know that she, a lone wolf, was your mate. Otherwise, it would have never happened, my Alpha."

Erick turned his head sharply at Adeline, who let out a small gulp and averted her eyes as he did, "Why was she not sent to the Infirmary after being admitted in?"

"...They were bruises," Adeline answered, voice somewhat on the softer side, "I'd figure that she'd heal—"

"Bullshit!" Erick barked, "Otherwise she would have healed before I got back!"

"My sincerest apologies, my Alpha," She replied, her eyes still averted, "I swear it will never happen again."

In the silence, Erick started to calm down, though he was still fighting the urge to hurt Keric. He wouldn't dare touch Adeline. His father had taught—rather instilled—him that females were never to be harmed or hurt by males no matter what the case. As much as he wanted to, he wasn't going to start now.

"...What is her name?" Erick finally asked in the silence, calm enough to regain some of his senses.

"Jessica, my Alpha," Keric replied, "Of the Méraudin pack."

"The dead pack in Northeast Quebec?" Erick asked, looking back at him in slight surprise.

"The last known survivor, sir," Keric nodded.

Erick took in a breath and slowly let it out, "...Jessica." Her name itself calmed him down even further.

"Erick," Adeline spoke softly and slightly hesitant.

"What?" He looked at her, rage no longer held in his eyes, but he was still annoyed with her.

"There is also something you should know," Adeline spoke hesitantly still, "...She's an Omega."

Erick's eyes turned to that of confusion as he angled his head as if to rehear her, "...What?"

"She's an Omega, my Alpha," Adeline repeated.

Erick didn't believe what she said as he looked up at the ceiling in silence.

"An Omega? My mate?" He thought, "It couldn't be possible...unless—" He took a deep breath as he thought about this before looking back at Adeline.

"That doesn't matter," Erick replied.

Adeline's eyes filled with shock and disbelief, "What?"

Erick's eyes narrowed at her, his upper lip twitched in aggravation, "I have no reason to explain myself to you, Adeline. That. Doesn't. Matter. Now get out of my sight."

Realizing her mistake in spiking his mood, she nodded. Adeline looked at Keric, "...Keric, could you have others come and put Conroy and Marco—"

"No. He can't," Erick interrupted her coldly and looked at Keric, "You will have a few of the lower ranks clean up and fix the mess, then order a new coffee table and carpet. Now."

"Yes sir," Keric bowed and left, disregarding his sister's order entirely.

Erick glared at Adeline as his voice came out cruel and hard, "Your place does not include commanding my betas when I'm here, Adeline. And as for Conroy and Marco, leave them. They'll heal."

Adeline gulped once more and nodded, leaving him as she headed upstairs to her room, knowing better not to question or talk back to him at all.

Once Adeline was out of sight, Erick felt relief that he was finally alone with her; he turned back to face his mate, his Jessica.

He stopped when he turned around. Disbelief and renewed frustration filled his face.

Where did she run off to now?!

~*~*~*~

As they were talking, Jessica slipped slowly back into the kitchen, trying her best not to draw any attention.

"...You?" The sound of Katalin's voice started her as she turned around.

Jessica's eyes shook as she saw the look of fear and shock etched across Katalin's, Kamilla's, and Oscar's faces.

Oscar was against the wall, sweat trailing down the side of his face from his fear.

Kamilla was frozen stiff, the Honey BBQ ribs forgotten in her shaking hands.

Katalin's eyes were glued to her as well; she was no longer cutting potatoes.

"...It's you?" Katalin's words existed in a whisper, disbelief stitched in her words, "You're the Alpha's...mate?"

Jessica gulped hard as she backed away from them and exited through the kitchen door, closing to behind her. Her body shook as she stood there, but then took off into a sprint.

She shouldn't run, she shouldn't, but Jessica couldn't help it as she ran past everyone as fast as she could, several of them stopped and sniffed the air as she ran past, many of them gasping, and looking at her in disbelief.

"Impossible!" Jessica thought, the snow crunching hard under her sneakers and the wind slashing past her face, "This is impossible! Wasn't Keric the Alpha?!"

She tore down the path to the Omega quarters, dare not looking back at the stares she knew was there, or worse—if he was there chasing her down. She shook her head as she ran.

Her wolf whined at her. Stop! Go back, that's our mate! Ours! We must not let any other females claim him!

"Are you insane?! That's an Alpha! The Alpha of the Delaney pack!! No! We are not going back there!!" Jessica ran, her thoughts running wild, "How is this even possible?! My mate's supposed to be an Omega like me! Or at least a Theta! Nothing more!!"

When she got to the house she ran in, and locked the doors with all three locks and ran to Kamilla's room and locked the door there as well. She shut the blinds, locked the windows and laid down the bed designated for her, her body trembling, her blood racing, and her breathing rapid.

How stupid.

Even if he wasn't the damn Alpha, as a werewolf it was easy to rip down locked doors, shatter open locked windows, knock off the blinds, and take their mate's in a bed—

The very thought scared Jessica, tears forming in her eyes, "No! He's not our mate! The Alpha can't be my mate...My mate can't be an Alpha! Oh what difference does it make?!"

However, as much as she denied it, her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to him that he was. It hurt her and her wolf inside to say any different, no matter how much he and their bond scared. Jessica bit her lip as she pulled the pillows over her face.

Her wolf whined once more. He's ours. There is no mistake in this. We just have to claim him.

Her wolf projected on how safe they felt in his embrace, how when he breathed on her neck. She projected them running together as wolves, him nuzzling her muzzle with love and care, promising to protect her and whatever cubs may come. She then projected her thoughts on their dreams, when he would caress her skin, kiss and nip at her neck and shoulders, message her breast as he fingered her.

Jessica rolled over, feeling her arousal start up, heat forming between her legs. She closed her eyes as tears rolled down her face.

She did want him.

She wanted him so bad it hurt, but couldn't—shouldn't—allow herself to want like this, "He's an Alpha...he's an Alpha... I...I can't—"

A faint knock on the front door snapped her out of her immediate thoughts into thinking nothing. She didn't even have to guess to know who it was.

It was definitely Erick.

She didn't move as the faint knock happened again.

"Jessica," For the first time in years, she heard a voice mind which didn't belong to her or her wolf's, "Open the door please."

Jessica's lips quivered. She wanted to, but she didn't want to; her wolf wanted to tear the doors down that separated them from their mate.

"I don't often request. Open the door now, Jessica," Erick's voice was gentle in her mind.

With a thunderous heart beating, she slowly got out of bed, wiped the tears away, and hesitantly unlocked Kamilla's door, heading towards the front one.

She licked her dry lips slowly, her hand shakily reached for the first lock...

then the second...

and the third, before she tentatively opened the door to reveal the handsome, tall, and powerful male. Her mate.

"Why did you run away from me, Jessica?" Erick's voice was surprisingly calm, gentle, and soothing to her.

Jessica took a step back and he took a step forward in pursuit. Jessica's heart was moving way too fast to her and she gulped, "I...I-I....I'm so...sorry, my Alpha—"

"Don't call me that," Erick took another step forward as she took another backward.

"My...my apologies, sir—" Jessica continued to walk back.

"Don't call me that either," Erick's eyes never left hers as he continued to follow.

Jessica backed down through the hallway. As she realized she was staring into the emerald of his eyes and she quickly averted them.

"Don't look away from me," His husky and deep voice gently commanded her, forcing her to look back up at him.

Her shaky hand rose and touched the wall, trying feebly to propel herself back.

"I'm scared—"

"Don't be."

"This isn't—"

"It is."

"I can't—"

"You can."

"I shouldn't want—"

"You may."

"I'm an Omega—"

"It doesn't matter."

Jessica clumsily reached out to her bedroom door, missing it the first few times behind her before she finally opened it and backed into it. Erick followed closely.

"W-what should I—"

"Erick," He answered before it slipped out.

At that moment, Jessica realized she had blocked any exit out. But did she? Did she want any exit?

~/~*~/~

Erick then closed the gap between them and kissed her lips hard, bruising them with his own.

Jessica let out as stifled whimper as he pulled her in close, grabbing the back of her head and his other hand her waist.

She tasted like heaven to him as ran his tongue lightly against her lips, begging for entrance.

Jessica slowly started to relent, but when Erick grabbed her butt, she gasped against his lips and his tongue darted in, entering her mouth, seeking hers out.

As their tongues entwined and fought in their dance, Jessica melted into their kiss as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Oh tasted as good as he smelt, the scent of pine, myrrh, and sage rolled of his skin.

Erick lifted her legs up and they locked around his waist as he headed toward the bed that scented of her, his lips never once leaving hers. All thoughts of going to his suite left him; He had waited too long and he needed her now!

As they fell onto the bed, Erick tore off the shirt she wore with ease, the seams effortlessly undone. As he ripped her pants off just as easily, he saw her virginal white and teal colored panties. He ripped it off her too, though this time, he was careful in making sure he didn't hurt her. Erick looked back up in her eyes, but he quickly looked down at her bruised neck and arm.

"...I need to heal these," He whispered and before she could say otherwise, he bent down and ran his tongue over her arm's bruised skin, healing the bruise with each stroke.

Jessica was being more and more damp as his skilled tongue healed her, sucking it lightly before moving up to her neck, and she let him. The feeling was more intense as she continued to bare her throat to his wet and rough tongue, tracing his back's muscles with fingers.

"There," Erick pulled back, proud and pleased that she submitted to him before kissing her again and continued to strip the rest of her clothes.