Mates: Werewolf Short Stories

The Human Mate: Chapter 2

Elara POV

The silence didn’t last. It broke the way glass does… without warning, sharp and ringing in my ears.

The pressure in my chest flared again, sudden and frantic, no longer calm but alert. Fear surged through me, not mine. Not entirely. It came from him… from the thing inside him that had gone quiet only moments before.

Thorne’s head snapped up. Every muscle in his body went rigid, like a predator sensing danger. His eyes darkened, the green almost swallowed by shadow. “They know.” he muttered. “Know what?” I asked as I held a hand over my heart while my pulse had already begun to race.

His gaze locked on the trees beyond the clearing. The forest no longer felt like it was listening… it felt like it was watching. “The bond.” he said. “It shouldn’t have awakened this fast.”

The ache in my chest tightened, sharp and insistent. Images—not pictures exactly, but impressions flickered through my mind. Movement. Heat. Hunger. Multiple presences brushing against the edge of my awareness.

I took a step back from him. “Bond? Who is they?” I asked in a shaky voice. His jaw clenched. “My pack.” The word landed heavy between us. Before I could ask anything else, the forest answered for him.

A howl rolled through the trees… low, resonant, powerful enough to vibrate through my body. It wasn’t mournful. It wasn’t wild. It was like a call being answered.

My knees weakened. I barely saw him move but the next thing I know, Thorne’s hand was gripping my arm to steady me. His touch burned through my sleeve, grounding and electric all at once. “Stay behind me.” he ordered.

More howls followed, closer now. Not chaotic. It was controlled. Coordinated. “They’re coming, aren’t they?” I whispered. “Yes.” Was his simple answer but I could hear the anger in his voice and was grateful it wasn’t directed at me.

“For me?” His grip tightened just slightly. “For us.” He said and this time my own fear rippled through my body. The pressure in my chest surged again, erratic now, and I gasped. Thorne turned fully toward me, his expression dark with something that looked like regret.

“They can feel what I feel.” he said quietly. “The moment the wolf settled, it echoed through the pack bond. They know something has changed.” “What? I don’t understand. What is happening?” I asked fearfully. His eyes softened, just for a heartbeat. “Now I try to keep you alive.”

They emerged from the forest one by one. I counted five at first, then more. Shapes slipping between trees, footsteps silent, eyes shimmering in the moonlight like shards of fire. Men and women, all of them radiating the same dangerous stillness Thorne carried but not that I was familiar with. None of them looked surprised to see him out here but they all looked surprised to see me.

I felt their attention like claws brushing against my skin. The ache in my chest pulsed in response, reacting to each new presence. I felt Thorne’s fear, tight and furious.

“She’s human.” a woman said sharply. Her eyes were a pale, unnatural golden brown. “What is a human doing here?” She demanded. Thorne moved in front of me fully, blocking their view. “She’s under my protection.”

A ripple of shock went through them. Protection. That word carried weight. One of the men stepped forward, taller than the rest, his expression unreadable. “You felt it too, didn’t you?” he asked Thorne. “The shift in the bond.”

“Yes,” Thorne said.

The man’s gaze slid past him, landing on me. I fought the instinct to shrink back. “It’s because of her, isn’t it?” he said. The ache in my chest flared so violently I cried out, clutching my chest. Thorne swore under his breath, one arm wrapping protectively around me.

“Don’t touch her with your minds.” he snarled. “You’ll hurt her.” A murmur rippled through the pack… unease, disbelief, fear.

“She hears it.” the golden brown-eyed woman said softly. “The wolf.” She said, her words trailing off. Silence fell. I looked up at Thorne, my voice barely steady. “They can… hear you too?” I whispered. I felt out of breath and pained by their overwhelming presence.

“No.” he said. “They can feel what I allow them to feel. You’re different.” He said the last word with a soft edge to his voice. My eyes drifted to the others that stood in front of us, to the tall man who had spoken first and I saw him frown. “You do realise what she is, don’t you.” He asked, looking at Thorne with something like concern. Thorne didn’t answer. That was answer enough.

“Listener,” someone whispered. The word hit me like ice.

I didn’t know what it meant, not fully but I felt the weight of whatever it was settle in my bones. Fear spread through the pack, sharp and instinctive. The ache in my chest echoed it, amplifying everything until I felt overwhelmed by emotions that weren’t mine.

“She can’t stay.” the golden brown-eyed woman said. “You know what this can mean!” She said, fear evident in her voice. “I know what it means!” Thorne snapped back. “And I know the history you’ve conveniently forgotten.”

“She’s fragile.” another voice argued. “She’ll burn out.” Thorne’s arm tightened around me. “Not if I control the bond.” A bitter laugh came from the back. “You’ve never controlled it before.”

Thorne’s eyes flashed, the wolf stirring beneath his skin. The pressure in my chest surged again—anger, protectiveness, desperation all tangled together.

“Enough.” he growled. Like actually growled and the forest itself seemed to recoil. “She is not a threat. She is not a tool. And she is not yours.”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to speak. “I - I don’t want to hurt anyone.” I said. Every head turned toward me. “I didn’t even know… any of this existed. But whatever this is…” I pressed my hand to my chest. “It’s already happening. Whether you like it or not.” I said with a shaking voice but I was determined to say it out loud. Even though I wasn’t sure what I have gotten myself into.

The man studying me tilted his head. “You feel him.” “Yes,” I whispered. “And he feels me.” I said back, feeling better when my voice came out steadier.

That earned another ripple of unease. The golden brown-eyed woman stepped closer, her gaze sharp. “Do you know what happens to humans like you?” She sneered, dislike flashing on her face. Thorne answered before I could. “Enough.” His voice was final.

The pack hesitated but they didn’t challenge him further. Not openly. The man nodded once. “Bring her to the territory.” he said. “We’ll decide what to do next.” He said and looked like he was about to turn when Thorne spoke up.

“No,” Thorne said adamantly. The man turned to face Thorne and studied him carefully. “That wasn’t a request.” He said but Thorne didn’t back down. Instead he stood tall, looking directly at the man. “I said no.” Thorne repeated, his stare unwavering. “I am the alpha and I will be damned if I will be spoken to like this.” He said and his voice dropped to an icy coldness that made all of them uneasy.

“She will go home whilst the rest of us will discuss this back at the pack.” Thorne said with finality that no one seemed to dare challenge. “Fine.” The tall man finally said before turning and walking off into the forest. One by one the rest followed, leaving me and Thorne alone once more.

“You need to go.” He said before I could open my mouth. I shook my head but he captured my chin between his fingers. “I need to sort this out but I will come to find you.” He said but I still didn’t want to leave. What if I never saw him again.

He must have felt my unease because he lifted my chin a little higher towards his face. “There is no backing out of this now. I promise I will come and find you soon.” He said and before I could respond, he dipped his head and kissed me. I momentarily lost my breath as his warm lips touched mine and I opened myself to his kiss. I clung to him when he pulled back, not wanting it to end but he merely smiled down at me.

“Go. you’ll be safe, I promise.” He said. I nodded as I felt myself complying to his words and walked out of the forest.