Chapter eight

“What the hell do you mean I’m your MATE!?” I yelled at him, he stayed planted. Usually my outbursts make people anxious, it usually does for Russell. My mom fidgeted and still couldn’t look at me. While I was distracted Benjamin came towards me and put his hand on my cheek. 

“You are my mate Wisteria. We are destined for each other.” I slapped his hand away. 

“Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me!” I took another step back and was pinned against a table, the edge of it digging into the back of my knees, on it was a book. I turned and grabbed it before he could do anything. I turned and threw the book at his face, it landed with a loud crack to his cheek. “F**k you!” I moved around him and as he tried to grab my arm I swung around and punched him in the mouth. I bolted for the door and threw it open. 

“Wisteria!” I heard my mom yell after me, I slammed the door in Benjamin’s face and ran out into the yard. I clenched my hands and started to shake with anger, tears pricking the back of my eyes. I stormed off towards the woods, anything to get away from that man. 

“WIST!” I heard Russell call but I just kept walking. “Wisty! Wait up!” Thats when I felt a familiar hand grab my arm. Russell tried to turn me around but I stayed planted, not wanting to look at him. 

“Leave me alone Russell.” I told him, trying to control my anger. 

“Wist? What’s going on?” Then I turned and yelled. 

“I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!” Russell let go of my arm with a flinch. I usually don’t yell at him but the fact that Benjamin was trying to take my heart by force hurt worse then anything. “I don’t want to be here! Let me run! Let me become a wolf! I need to get away!” I said, tears started to run down my face as my anger hit its highest peak. Russell grabbed my face and made me look at him. 

“What happened Wist? Tell me.” I couldn’t contain my anger anymore. 

“Benjamin! He said I’m his mate! HIS MATE RUSSELL! He’s twenty five! I’m seventeen! Let alone I WANT YOU! I LOVE YOU!” I gasped at what I just said. I didn’t want to say it that way, to tell him this way, and Benjamin took it from me. Russell’s look of anger was enough to snap me out of my head. Behind us I saw Benjamin walking up behind us, I tried to ignore him but Russell saw my glance and turned around. 

“YOU! You dare to say that to MY WISTERIA!? Just because your an Alpha doesn’t mean she’s yours! I already knew she was an Alpha! Yet I still have her heart and I’m just a damn beta in this pack system! Who do you think you are?!” Russell started to clench his fists in anger and I knew what was coming next. Russell ran at Benjamin, he tried to side step Russell but he grabbed Benjamin by his throat and slammed him into the ground over and over again. I thought Russell was going to kill him but Benjamin put up his legs and kicked Russell in his knees which made him buckle. Benjamin got up with a cough and punched Russell in the face. But Russell was bigger then Benjamin, he grabbed Benjamin’s leg and swung him around and threw him into a tree. When Benjamin collided with the tree he screamed but quickly got up and ran at Russell. However Russell was quicker, He ran towards Benjamin and clotheslined him which caused him to fall backwards to the ground. “Are you done Mr. ALPHA?” Russell asked him through gritted teeth, When Benjamin didn’t answer Russell put his foot on Benjamin’s throat. “Not gonna answer?” With strength I didn’t know Benjamin had he grabbed Russell’s foot and twisted it, With a yell Russell fell to his knees, Benjamin got up and dashed behind Russell and put his arms around Russell’s throat. I went into action at the thought of losing Russell. 

I ran behind Benjamin and climbed onto his back, using all my strength to try and get him off Russell. After clawing at his throat something in me told me to bite down as hard as possible so I did and to my surprise Benjamin screamed in true pain and let go of Russell. Russell knelt over wheezing and grasping at his throat, with all my strength I turned and kicked Benjamin away from Russell and bared my teeth the way wolves do when threatened. “Stay away from him! You try that again, i’ll claw your throat out! Alpha against Alpha, you won’t win! I’m younger and stronger! REMEMBER THAT!” My mom ran to Benjamin and started to tend to his wounds, I turned my back on her and knelt infant of Russell. I could tell from his face it was hard for him to breath, I raised his arms up over his head. “But your head back and let me see your throat.” He did as I said, I grabbed some snow and held it to his throat to get any swelling down. I heard Benjamin laughing behind Russell. I stood up as Russell Held the snow against his throat. 

“What I expected from a purebred Alpha. Using anyway they can to win a fight.” He laughed and looked at me. A wicked smile spreading across his lips, I didn’t know what that smile meant but I didn’t care if he was hurt or not. 

“OH SHUT UP! I don’t care!” I quickly turned back to Russell.

“Wist,” he said my name like a prayer. “Thank you.” I looked at him confused. 

“For what?” 

“For loving me and wanting to save me over your own life.” I smiled and put his other hand on my cheek. 

“You are my everything Russell. Forever and always. He and no one will take that way from us.” I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. He pulled away and coughed. 

“I’m sorry, I want to smile and laugh from joy but kinda can’t right now.” Russell said still trying to laugh. I shook my head at him, he was this kind of person. When it came to me he didn’t care how hurt he was, always wanted to make sure I knew he was ok. 

~~~~~~~~

“What were you thinking Wisteria? I raised you better then that!” We were standing outside, Russell was asleep on the couch and Benjamin was in his room asleep. 

“Mom, you can’t be serious.” I told her, arms crossed over my chest. 

“Wisteria,” My mom said with a sigh “I know you don’t like it but Benjamin can protect you from Black Moon. Plus he’s an alpha, and your an alpha. You know that’s how this stuff works with wolves,” I shook my head. “I know you don’t understand it now but it’s for your safety. Russell can still be your protector but not your mate.”

“Mom, do you even hear yourself right now? Your telling me together with a twenty five year old man. I’m seventeen, isn’t that just a little, I don’t know, weird?” 

“The werewolf stuff is different than human society Wisty. You should know this, you were obsessed with them for years when you were a kid. You even wanted to be a wildlife photographer when you were a kid,” She told me, with no emotion on her face. “I just want you happy and protected. Your father and I protected you for seventeen years, now it’s time someone else did someone that is your own.” 

“I can’t believe this! Mom Russell can protect me and I can protect him! Don’t you see that? He’s better for me then that… that beast of a man ever will!” 

"Shh! Keep your voice down,” She told me, looking through the window of the door to make sure Russell was asleep and Benjamin’s door wasn’t open. “I know you don’t like it but please think about it! Soon your going to have to leave and join a pack. Wouldn’t you rather have a pack that works better under two Alpha’s instead of an Alpha that can’t seem to see what's right in front of her? What’s right for the pack?” 

“Pack? What do you mean I’ll have to leave?” I asked her in total confusion. 

“Listen, Benjamin has a pack he leads in the rocky mountains. That’s why he’s here, he’s looking for others to join and your the only other Alpha he’s met. With you beside him you two could finally take down Black Moon and make the world a better place for all Mythos.” 

“Mom! I don’t want to leave Colorado! What about you and dad? Plus Baxter? Won’t they come after all of you?” I asked fear in my voice.

“Your father and I can handle ourselves. Baxter is going to go with you, if you left he wouldn’t be able to eat. He follows your orders, no on else’s.” 

“Mom, he wouldn’t possibly be able to make the trek up the rocky mountains. He’s a DOG! He’s… well He’s different from me and Russell. He may be a husky and be the closes thing to a wolf then any other dogs but you can’t possibly be serious about this. Your going to send away your own daughter?” My anger started to rise. 

“I’m doing this to protect you! Can’t you see that? This is the last thing I can do for you as your mother Wisteria.” 

“Mom, I don’t want to go! I want to stay here and protect you and dad!” Sadness replaced my anger as tears started to fall down my face, even though she was on Benjamin’s side. She’s still my mother, and I love her. She pulled me to her and kissed my forehead. 

“I know baby, but you have to. You must leave by tomorrow morning, your father has already packed some clothes for you. Benjamin is going to drive to the pack with Baxter and your clothes. Your going to run, run as far away from here as possible and whatever you do, don’t look back. I love you baby.” She let me go and went inside. I looked out over at the tree line and thought. 

‘When did my life get so complicated.’