Chapter 16

Mystery Guy's POV

"Yo dude let's go! Chop chop!" I yelled down the hall at Ben who was taking his sweet ass time getting ready.

"Just a second dude! Got to comb my hair."

"Seriously?! We're going to training not the bar!" I through my hands up and turned to walk away.

"Hey you never know, what if she's my mate?" Ben stepped out of the bathroom wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"Then I feel sorry for her. Having to share a bathroom with another girl." Ben took off after me and I sprinted down the hall laughing the whole way.

"I'm going to kill you!" I could hear Ben calling out behind me. I just laughed and kept running out the front door and towards the training center.

Just as we got to the front door of the center , I stopped and turned around and put my hands up in a stop motion to Ben. "You don't want to fight me. Least not right now."

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

"Because then that pretty head of hair of yours will be messed up!" I laughed and guarded myself as Ben took a cheap shot at me.

"Just wait. You're the demo dummy today." Ben smirked and walked inside while I just laughed. Ben and I have been training together since we were old enough to know left from right. I knew what he was capable of, but he also knew what I was too.

I was so distracted with Ben that I never smelt it. At least not until we walked into the private room. I stopped dead in my tracks and my whole body tensed up.

"What is she doing here?" I could feel Maddox looking threw my eyes.

"I don't know. That reminds me. Did Ben ever give us an update on her real father? Has Axle said anything to you?" Axle was Ben's wolf.

"No, he hasn't actually. Probably got to wrapped up with the creatures and forgot."

"Right. Just like we did. Remind me to talk about it to Ben later. Something is up with this girl, and I know as much as we both want to take her right here and now, we have to think about our pack. She's too much of a mystery." I tried to calm Maddox's whimpers in my head before he ever began. By the time I was done with him and my attention back on her, she was standing up and turning around. Ben had been talking to Joe, one of our top warriors who escorted her here, and I missed the whole conversation.

Once she turned around, we locked eyes and just stared at each other for what seemed like forever, but in reality, it was only a few seconds. She was the first to look away, trying to hide the nervous look on her face, but she turned towards the mirrors so I could still see those emerald eyes. Even without the sunlight, they still looked like they sparkled. Just then Ben smacked me right in my chest to get my attention.

"Dude, you ok?"

"Yeah. Let's just get this over with."

"Remember, tough and hard." Ben said looking towards the runt.

"That's what she said." I chuckled lightly hoping he didn't notice our little exchange of glances.

Ben and I headed onto the mat to where the runt was now standing. Ben introduced himself as the future alpha of this pack and shook her hand. He then pointed to me and introduced me as his beta, but when she extended her hand, I just walked away.

"I mean no disrespect but is he always an ass-monkey?" I heard her ask Ben.

Ben just laughed at her and then hollered out, "Yep pretty much. So called ass-monkey threatened to mess up my hair!" She started giggling at his comment.

Holy shitballs. Her laugh. It was so intoxicating. I had never heard her really laugh up close before. It had Maddox wanting to just wrap her up in our arms forever.

"Ass-monkey. That's a new one. Mind if I steal that?" I heard Ben ask her.

"Only to use on him." She said. I swear this girl would be the death of me.

"Ok that's enough of the double teaming. Time to get started. We only have a few hours before little runt here has to be back home for bedtime." I stated coldly as I walked to the edge of the mat and threw my shirt on the floor. She wants to play hard ball, I can…

My thoughts were cut short when I turned around and she was taking off her jacket and sweatpants. Maddox was drooling all over everything in my head. Perfectly toned body, kissed by sun, curves in all the right places. Wait, no. I can't think like this. Strictly business. Focus.

Just as I was pulling myself back together Ben comes over and taps me on the arm, wiggling his eyebrows and pointing at her. A low growl rumbled through me and it made him jump. Fuck. I didn't want him to know. I guess now the question was, could I handle sparring with her and the sparks or sit and watch another unmated male put his hands on my runt? Guess we're about to find out. Ben and I met the runt in the middle of the mat. We ran down the list of rules and when we finished Ben told me to spar with her first. Great!

"Why can't I spar with you?" she asked, pointing her finger at Ben.

"I don't want to hurt you on your first day." Ben replied.

"Try me. Dare you." She responded back while cracking her knuckles. She really was a feisty little shit wasn't she.

Ben looked at me and I just shrugged. "She wants you to break her bones then go for it." I had to block Maddox out. He wouldn't have been able to handle watching Ben touch her, and at that point I don't know if I would've been able to stop him from taking control.

Ben and the runt got into their fighting positions, and I stood off to the side out of their way. Since this was only the first day, we were testing to see what she knew if anything at all. I watched as she ducked out of the way from his blows and tried to deliver some herself. The match went on for a good 10 minutes at least until she caught Ben off guard and somehow wrapped her legs around his neck and summersaulted him onto his back. Any normal human, the land would have knocked the wind out of them.

"Didn't you say you were the soon-to-be alpha?" She taunted while patting his chest. He laid there, I think more in shock that the runt got the upper hand on him rather than the pain.

After a quick water break they went back at it, me standing on the sidelines watching and correcting some of her moves. Time was flying by, and we only had about 15 minutes left. We decided to take those last 15 minutes to hydrate and cool down.

"OK so tell me. Where'd you learn to fight?" Ben asked her.

"I'm the youngest of 5 girls who's stuck between 3 boys. Survival of the fittest." She said.

"Well, you did very well today. Kind of impressed." There he goes again with the flirting.

"Well someone had to mess up your hair and ass-monkey over there didn't seem to want to carry out his threats." Ben's jaw about hit the floor in shock as she said it with a smirk on her face. "Well I better get going. Long walk back to Wolf Claw."

"Walk?! You walked here?!" My mouth betrayed me, but too late now it's been said.

"No jackass. I brought the bus and then walked partly up the road until one of your warriors picked me up. But I can't take the bus back because they don't run this late. And before you even ask, no I don't drive. I don't have a car." This girl has some balls. To come into another pack's territory and run her mouth like that knowing our status? Damn she's perfect.

Ben and I look at each other and neither of us had to say anything. Knowing what was out there, we couldn't let her walk home this late at night by herself.

"We'll take you home. And before you deny it, you don't have a choice." Ben had his serious face on that told you to not question him. The runt just shrugged and mumbled a 'whatever' under her breath. I forgot she doesn't have her wolf yet. I would have to remind Ben about that on our ride home after we drop her off.

We all grabbed our stuff and the runt and I waited outside until Ben came back with his dad's blacked out SUV. There were so many things I wanted to ask her, but I didn't want to scare her away. She doesn't even have her wolf yet, so she doesn't even know. Hell, I don't even know if she can feel it yet. They say humans can feel the bond but not as strongly as we do, but what about the sparks. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and try to think of something simple to make small talk.

"So, you're 17 right? I ask.

"Yeah. Last I checked anyways." She never even glanced my way. She kept her eyes in front looking for Ben.

"When's your birthday?" At this , I got a sideways glare.

"What's it to you?" She snapped.

"Just wondering how long we have to play nice before real training begins " I was lying my ass off right now.

"Real training huh?" She saw straight through my lie. I could tell by the little half smirk on her lips that she was trying to hide. "I'll be 18 on November 21st." She tried to stifle a yawn but failed.

"You sure you're from around here?" There's that glare again, and I swore I saw something shift in her eyes. "I only ask because you sound like you have a slight southern accent."

"As far as I know I am. Lived here as long as I can remember anyways. But I have been told that before. Momma says it only comes out when I'm tired or really pissed." She looked down at the ground, kicking around some pebbles that made their way onto the sidewalk. "I used to get made fun of for it when I was younger."

"Well I think it's adorable." Holy fuck! What is wrong with me!? Where the hell is Ben?!

Not 30 seconds later I saw headlights coming at us from down the road. Oh thank the Goddess. Ben slowed down and parked on the side of the street in front of us, and I opened the back door for the runt to climb in and then closed it and then I got into the front seat.

We had only made it maybe 15 minutes out of the gate when I heard her heart rate and breathing slow down. I turned around to glance back at her and she was laying down across the backseat passed out. She looked like an angel laying there sleeping. Sure she was still a little sweaty, and her hair was all sorts of out whack from training, but she still looked beautiful.

Ben cleared his throat to get my attention and I sat back in the seat and looked out the windshield.

"So…does she know?" Ben asked me.

"Know what?!" I was genuinely confused.

"That you're her mate." He said.

"How do you know?" I looked at him.

"That little growl you let out when I was checking her out before we started training. The way you wouldn't touch her at any cost. Do I need to continue?" he asked.

"No. And no she doesn't know. She doesn't even have her wolf yet remember. Although her 18th birthday is coming up, very soon actually. Chances are she'll find out when she shows up for training I guess." I shrug it off.

"So you're not going to tell her?"

"No. And neither are you! Got it? You are the ONLY person who knows. Well besides me obviously."

"OK. I won't say a word."

The rest of the drive was continued in silence. When we pulled up to her house I got out of the SUV and went and opened her door. I tried to wake her up but she was out. If it wasn't for the sound of her heartbeat, I would've sworn she was dead.

I carried her to her front door, with Ben behind me carrying her bag and knocked on the door. I'm guessing one of her younger brothers is who answered the door. We explained who we were and that we were just bringing his sister back home from training. He let us in and showed us to her room.

I laid the runt on her bed and then covered her up with one of the billion blankets on her bed. Seriously? How many blankets does one need? Ben set her bag by her desk and we start to walk back out. I stopped before closing her door and looked back at her and scanned her room committing it to memory. I softly closed the door and then headed back down the stairs to the living room. We thanked her brother and left to head back home.

We were halfway back home when Ben slammed on his breaks. There was someone standing in the middle of the street.

"What the fuck?" We both said at the same time. Then the person motioned us out of the car.

"This is how horror movies start you know." Ben said still staring at the person in the middle of the street.

"Grow up. You're a fucking alpha. Act like it!" I had already started opening my door and I heard Ben follow suit. We walked slowly to the front of the SUV and stood side by side.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ben hollered out.

"It is not you we are after. It is the chosen one we want. Stay away from her and no harm will come to you or your people." The person's voice was female and soft. Almost sounded like it was floating through the air.

"What in the actual fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Just what I said. Stay away from her. This is your only warning." And with that the figure vanished leaving me and Ben standing in the middle of the road. Ben and I stood there looking around and then back at each other, confused as hell.

"What in the actual fuckery was that?" Ben asked, looking at me.

"I have no idea on who it was, but I have an idea on what. Let's get out of here before it comes back." We got back in the SUV and started driving again.

"So what's your idea on what that was?" Ben asked looking over at me before looking back towards the road.

"Think about it. 2 creatures, both at the runts house. We take the runt home and then that?"

"Wait. You don't think the runt is "the chosen one" do you?" You could see the gears grinding in his head. I was waiting on the smoke to start rolling from his ears.

"I honestly don't know. Would explain her dropping out of school and the run ins at the libraries."

"Yeah, that does make sense. I think." Ben rubbing his face with one hand.

"Ok, let's say that she is this "chosen one". Is she on our side or theirs?"

"What do you mean?"

"If she's on their side, maybe they know I'm her mate and are afraid that I'm going to take her from them and that's why we just met that bitch in the middle of the street. But if the runt is on our side, maybe they want her for something and know that we would try to stop them. She did say no harm would come to us or OUR PEOPLE." I was running a bunch of different theories through my head but there were still to many questions unanswered. Little did I know at the time that one of those theories was somewhat right.

"Either way, I think we should tell our dads about this." Ben looking nervous now.

"I agree. Mindlink your dad and I'll tell him to meet us at the office." We both mindlinked our dad's and headed straight back to the packhouse to inform them on what just happened.