Chapter 16

Lana s POV The entire trip was spent in silence, awkward silence. The tension was so thick I could almost taste it on the tip of my tongue. Drake was driving alarmingly fast as I watched the trees zip past us in a blur, hesitantly I reached over and touched his arm. He growled menacingly at me. "Get your fucking hands off me" "Drake, everything will be fine" I tell him when he suddenly rips the car to the side of the road, dust and dirt spraying everywhere. "Get out" Drake spits at me. "What?" "I said get out" He bellowed, fur was starting to spread up his arms and the growl tearing out of him so frightening I opened the door and got out. Drake suddenly takes off leaving me on the side of the road. I watch as he leaves shocked that he just left me in unfamiliar territory. Tears threatened to spill as I looked around and saw only forest. Thick dense forest. Sniffing the air, I try to figure out which way to go before remembering I can ring Tate. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I realise I have no cell service; I place the phone back in my pocket and decide my safest bet is to follow the road in the direction we were driving. I followed it for about ten minutes, looking for any scents. Tate s pack had a distinguished scent that reminded me of pine needles and earth. After a few minutes I was able to pick up one of the patrol warriors scents and followed it. Cutting through the trees. Sticks scraping at my legs and tearing my jeans, my arms were covered in scrapes from the thick shrubs. I followed it until I hit the fence line and chose to follow that instead. It didn t take long before I came to the entrance gate. The wolves I saw the first day jumping from their posts, their guns aimed directly at me, making me realise they might not actually recognise me because I never got out of the car and I was in the back. I put my hands up. "Stay back vampire" A man called, he had blonde hair cut short on the sides and like a wave on top dressed in black armour. Vampire? I shake my head, but he continues to point the gun at me. "I said stay back, this is werewolf territory" He calls to me. I try to figure out why he is calling me a vampire when it hits me when I try to speak, and my words come out slurred. My fangs were protruding, and I didn t realise how desperately hungry I was. "I m Lana, Tate s mate" I call out to him and he looks to the other men who also had their guns aimed at my chest. I see another man s eyes glaze over and know he is mind linking. I don t move not wanting to get shot. It wouldn t kill me, but I had no doubt it would bloody hurt to be hit by a bullet. They suddenly lower their weapons and I hear the gates opening. "Alpha is on his way" The blonde man says, and I nod. "You can go through" He says gesturing to the gate. I walk through the gate nervously watching them, praying to the moon goddess they don t shoot me in the back. I was halfway up to the second gate, when a huge dark grey wolf darts toward me. I take a step back before its scent hits me and I realise it is Elias. He stops a few feet away before I approach him, letting out the breath I was holding and run my fingers over his fur. He was more silver than grey and huge when I suddenly heard another growl making my head snap to the second gate to see a huge black one. The grey wolf taking off, back to its patrol duties I assume. The black wolf cocks its head to the side watching me and I know it s Tate, by the pure size of him and the Alpha aura. He must be upset that I patted another wolf. "Here puppy puppy" I call to him. He huffs, turning his head away and I walk over to him and he growls at me. I run my fingers through his fur and kneel down in front of him which actually then made him tower over me. "What s your name?" I ask wondering what Tate s wolfs name was, he whines pushing his big furry head on mine, and I kiss his snout. He purrs, as I continue to rub his face, pushing his body against mine and nearly knocking me over. "Hey, don t scent me" I tell him knowing he was leaving his scent on me. I roll my eyes at his possessiveness. "It was only Elias; I like how soft wolf fur is nothing sordid going on" I tell him, and he whines at me. I grab a handful of his fur, pulling myself up and follow him through the next gate. Halfway to the next one, I hear bones snapping the sound making my teeth ache before feeling a warm hand grab mine. "Where is Drake and why are you alone?" Tate s voice says beside me, making me look up at him before realising he is naked. My eyes trailing down his toned and muscled body before looking away when I notice the huge appendage between his legs, my face heating up and I know I must resemble a tomato. Tate chuckles at my reaction. "Where is Drake?" he asks, continuing the walk and pulling me along with him. "He left me on the side of the road because I made him angry" I tell him, and he growls his grip on my hand tightening. We walk through the third and final gate. "Why didn t you ring me?" He asks angrily, making my eyes snap to him, his jaw was tight as he spoke through gritted teeth. "No, cell service" I tell him, doesn t he think I would have tried. Not even I am stupid enough to want to walk willingly through the forest on another packs territory. He nods once when a perky looking redhead woman walks over to us, her eyes trailing over Tate and I step in front of him blocking her view of him, not liking the way her eyes were trailing over him like he was a piece of meat. She seems shocked, her eyes darting to me before going to Tate. "Is this her, your mate?" She asks in a nasally voice. I already don t like her just by the tone of voice and the way she spat the words at him. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Melinda you re not on duty, go home" Tate says his hand wrapping around my waist and I realise just how tense my body is as I relax under his touch. She growls challengingly and I step forward Tate s arm tightens around my waist when she pales suddenly her eyes watching my face. "She isn t even a wolf" The girl spits. "I said go home Melinda" Tate says using his Alpha s voice and she turns on heel walking off muttering under her breath. "Please tell me that isn t your ex" "That isn t my ex" He says automatically. I look over my shoulder at him. "You told me to tell you she wasn t" He shrugs. "So she is, how long ago?" I demand. I haven t been with anyone since meeting them and well haven t been with anyone entirely, so the thought that he was prancing around with another woman after he met me appalled me. "Before I met you, I haven t been with anyone Lana, I swear not since I met you" He says, pulling me against him and wrapping his arms around me, I rest my cheek on his chest loving his warmth, until I feel something growing against my stomach, I step back looking down before my eyes dart to his. "I m still a man, and naked with you touching me, Lana" He states while my mouth hangs open. My face heating. He suddenly shifts back into his black wolf and I let out a breath. Nudity wasn t a big thing in packs. You were bound to see each other naked at some point but that didn t mean I wanted him walking around naked especially after meeting this Melinda. I follow him home and I open the front door. Tate shifts back when I find myself suddenly pressed against the wall. His lips on mine, I wrap my arms around his neck kissing him back before he pulls away. "What happened with Drake?" He asks, looking down at me, his body pressed against mine still. "His father banished him and stripped him of his title" I tell him. Guilt hitting me, none of this would have happened if I just kept my mouth shut. Tate gasps shocked, "I don t understand, why would his father do that?" He asks and I look away. Tate grips my chin forcing me to look at him. "Why would his father do that?" He asks again, his eyes softening when he realises, I am on the brink of tears. "His father is an asshole, he tried to make me submit so I challenged him" Tate growls low in the back of his throat at my words and I thought he was mad at me too. "Drake left" I whisper. Tate steps away, "He will come here, don t worry about him Lana. This is a good thing. Drake should have challenged him as soon as he tried to make you submit to him. You did the right thing" Tate says, yet it didn t make me feel any better. "But he is a rogue now" I tell him, and Tate shakes his head. "I won t let him be rogue, we are mates, what is mine is yours and his" Tate says. I nod before stepping forward and wrapping my arms back around his waist and hugging him. "Everything will be okay Lana" I nod. We hear a car pull up, the door slamming making me jump. Before hearing his voice. "Why did you leave, I have been looking for you?" Drake growls. "You left me on the side of the road, I didn t know you were coming back" I defend myself, he never said he was coming back just told me to get out. "You left her," Tate growls at him. Drake sighs. "I needed to cool off, just forget it" Drake says, turning toward the door to leave again. "Drake" Tate says angrily before composing his anger. Drake turns back to look at him. "Where are you going?" It was clear he had no idea where he was going either as he doesn t answer. "Your place is here now" Tate tells him. "I ain t being your fucking Luna" Drake snaps at him. "I don t need you to be that s what she is for" "I m not submitting to you Tate" Drakes says angrily, his body trembling as his fists clench. "I never said you had to, the pack can have more than one Alpha, you re my equal just like she is" Drake looks at me in his arms before looking away. "Please Drake don t leave" I beg him, and his eyes snap to me before suddenly realising Tate was standing there naked, Drake's eyes trail over him before looking at me and I try to suppress my smile. He steps forward and I reach for him, but he freezes. "I m going to have a shower" He says walking up the stairs. I look up at Tate and he sighs before looking back down. "He will come around, just leave him be for now, it would be hard being thrown away like that"