The Chat Between 'Mates'

With the greetings done, Jen brought his attention to Ellie. “Alpha. This werewolf…”

“Call her our guest. For now,” William simply said, his tone stating no further talk about the topic. Though his tone brought more worries to Ellie about her situation, Jen bowed in respect.

“Yes, Alpha. Ah. About the werewolf who brought that group of intruders into our home…”

The moment the Beta changed the topic, Ellie could sense the air around William grow heavy, sending a horrible chill through her bones.

“I assume you have them hostage?” the Alpha questioned.

“Why yes, Alpha. In fact, because we had sensed you coming earlier…” Jen looked past the crowd behind him, where a pair of werewolves brought over a heavily injured, scrawny teenage werewolf towards them. The scrawny boy struggled to get out of his captor’s grip, only for his efforts to be in vain, for neither one of them budged an inch. One of the ‘guides’ tossed the captive werewolf down, before their leader.

William knelt to the downed mutt’s level and grabbed him by the chin. “So this is the werewolf who called those mutts?” he questioned.

“Snuck them in, but yes,” Jen corrected. “Some of us already have our turn to make him pay for his crime, but we decided to let you take the final blow. It’s your call, Alpha William.”

William nodded to his words and dropped the captive’s face.

“Do what you want with me… But don’t forget this is only the beginning. I don’t care if they don’t take revenge for my death; they will make sure the job gets done!” the captive werewolf exclaimed.

William did not seem bothered by the bold statement and got up from his spot. “Alright then. If that’s your last words… Douse him in honey. Fresh from the beehives. And feed him to the hawks and dogs alive.”

Ellie widened her eyes at the command. Did she hear that right?

She was not the only one surprised by it, as the struggling officer tried to speak. “W-Wait a second, Alpha, isn’t that a bit-”

“I am NOT your Alpha!” William shouted, surprising Ellie with that attitude. “After what you did, expose some of us to that sort of danger, and even siding alongside those people, who are nothing more than real monsters, you don’t deserve to even have your dignity as a werewolf. The only fitting end for you is a gruesome death. Get him out of my sight.”

The captive werewolf shook in greater fright by the order, as the two werewolves who brought him here took him away from the scene. “No! Wait, please! I’m sorry! I’m sorry I betrayed the pack! I’m sorry I got swayed by those people into letting them infiltrate us! I-”

“Save it for someone who cares,” William interrupted, glancing at Jen, who immediately took a cloth out from his person, and used it to gag the criminal, turning the latter’s screams into muffles.

Ellie looked at William, terrified by what just happened. While she now understood why she found him injured in the woods, she could not believe he would toss a member of his pack away without listening to his whole story. Then again, after his previous claim, she supposed she could not blame William for the decision made, but even so…

‘That was far too cruel…’ she thought in terror. ‘Even if he was being punished for betraying the whole pack, was it necessary to go this far?!’ She looked around to the whole pack, and saw no one displaying even a bit of worry for the traitor, increasing her puzzlement. ‘They… No one is caring about this… Even if he is a traitor, don’t they agree that that’s-’

“And what of our guest, Alpha?” Jen then asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“For now, she is to be treated,” William answered. “Healers, use whatever herbs you need to use to ensure a full recovery.”

“Yes, Alpha,” several werewolves answered, as one got up and led the still shaken Ellie to one of the houses.

******

With her injuries now properly treated thanks to the healers, Ellie was then taken to a guest house to stay in. During the time she was getting treated, she noticed many werewolves staring at her. Whether they were suspicious because she was a stray who arrived with their Alpha or simply because of the sort of werewolves they were, she did not know, but it really made her nervous.

Whatever the reason, their thoughts about her has nothing to do with her. Not when she would be leaving as soon as she recovers. While she was grateful for William’s help, and it would make her feel a bit guilty to leave him without a mate- despite the number of times she told him otherwise last time- she did not want to cause him any more trouble, nor did she want to know what would happen if she remained in this dangerous pack any longer than she should.

A knock was heard at the door, in which she answered, “Come in.”

The door opened, and William walked into the hut. “Hope you’re recovering well in here,” he said.

“A-Alpha!” Ellie stuttered out. She did not expect to see him again. At least, not so soon. As the Alpha, shouldn’t he be busy tending to things? Especially when he’s been away from his pack for a while?

“No need to be that surprised. It’s only normal for a werewolf to see their mate. Or at least someone who smells like her,” William said.

Ellie wanted to argue once more that she was not his mate, but now that she knew who he really was? She was frightened by the consequence of arguing against him any more.

William did not mind her silence, as he took a seat on a chair. “So, now that you’re well enough, we can get back to my questions. And if you know what’s good for you, you better answer them honestly.”

Ellie nervously gulped at that, knowing well of what he was capable of, especially now that she was weakened, no thanks to the Wolf Swap Rite.

“Now then, let’s start off simple. Who the hell are you?”

“My name is Ellie. … Formerly of the Hermit Pack,” she answered, though quite hesitantly at the second half.

William instantly grew suspicious from her hesitation and clutched her throat, choking the female werewolf. “Already trying to lie, are you? Given how you hesitated like that.”

“Th-… That’s not it… Honest…” Ellie gasped out, holding onto William’s hand in an attempt to loosen his grip for some space for air. “Things happened in that pack… And I was hurt by it all… I’m not lying, I swear…”

It was silent when she said that. William simply stared at her, trying to get a read of anything out of her, see if she was telling even a hint of lie. As he recalled to the event from her pack, though, he realized that she may be telling some form of truth there, and dropped her.

“Next question, then. Your scent. Why do you have two scent instead of one?” he continued.

Ellie- relieved to have some air- stared at him in confusion. Two scents?

“What are you talking about?” she asked.

William’s face twitched in annoyance at the question and explained, “Don’t go playing stupid with me. Ever since we met, I smelled two different scents on you. Even if you were in a relationship with someone, there is no way the other scent would still linger as strongly as your own.”

His statement only served to confuse her even more. Two scents… on her body? Both equally strong? But that wouldn’t make sense. She was just one werewolf, and she knew for sure she was not with a pup.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ellie answered.

Once again not satisfied with her response, William caught her in a chokehold again. “It seems as though you are trying to test my patience now. Shall I help you jog some memories?” As he asked that, he tightened his hold on her throat, causing the girl to struggle in his grip.

“N-No…! You’re wrong…! I really don’t know what you mean…”

William remained silent at her claim, as he wordlessly stared at the girl. There was no way she wouldn’t know what he meant. She had to be hiding something, and he will do whatever it takes to get the truth out of her. That was what he thought, at least, and yet…

‘William. I don’t think she’s lying. Much,’ Liam said in his head.

‘Yeah, that’s what I figured,’ William mentally admitted, releasing his grip on her, allowing Ellie to breathe. ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if she is or isn’t hiding anything. It doesn’t change one thing…’

“I do hope you are not thinking you will be leaving as soon as you’re recovered,” he began, regaining Ellie’s attention. “Surely you didn’t think I brought you back out of the goodness of my heart.”

A slightly pained expression formed on her face, in which the girl swallowed down. “You still think I’m your mate… Except I told you, I-”

“Oh, I don’t care if you are or aren’t,” William interrupted, to her confusion. “If you think I brought you back as my mate, you’re wrong. At least… in the way of a lover.”

She became more perplexed by those words. “Then… why did you bring me back?”

“Because deny it all you want, it does not change the fact that you have the scent of my mate. And when a werewolf finds his destined mate, he is fated to be with that other werewolf until his time comes.”

“I thought you said you didn’t bring me here as a lover,” Ellie recalled.

“And I didn’t. Like how you undoubtedly want to be away from me- a mere stranger who is also Alpha of a dangerous pack, I also do not want to be around a lying, weakling mutt for longer than need be.”

“’Need be’?”

“I don’t want you as my mate. I do, however, want you to bear my child.”