Chapter 10：9.

We pulled onto Shelton pack lands after a short drive, Eric was rattling on and on about how much he hated the mating process, how he didn't want to ever find a mate. I was nervously pulling on the hem of my t shirt, running my slightly damp palms against my jeans. Eric noticed after a moment and smiled towards me, "India, they're your family. It'll be alright. You have nothing to be worried about."

I nodded in agreement, though it did nothing to calm down my shot nerves. It was weird coming onto pack lands without the familiar links surging through my head. I was blind here. Deaf. I didn't like it.

Eric stopped the truck outside my parents house and I sat there glued to my seat as he rolled his eyes, getting out and coming around to my side. He opened the door and leaned against the door frame.

"I'm serious Luna. They're still your parents. They still love you. I'm sure they miss you as much as you miss them. Come on. I'll be right here. If anything goes wrong Colton will be here before you can snap your fingers and we can get you out of here. Not that anything will. They're your family."

I nodded and took a cleansing breath, stepping from the cab and taking Eric's arm. I could see him smirking and I could feel Colton's annoyance. Eric had obviously let him know he was touching me.

"You're a child." I scolded and he laughed, seeming to agree with the statement.

We walked up the porch steps and I wiped my hands nervously against my jeans before knocking lightly as my heartbeat increased.

The door swung open without hesitation and my mother pulled me into a giant blubbering hug full of emotion.

"India, baby, we've missed you so much. The house is so quiet without you. Come in, have a seat, make yourself at home." She squealed as my father enveloped me into a bone crushing hug next.

"Hey sweet pea, how's the new pack?" He asked me proudly and I smiled, my father had never been one to show pride for me until now. He was all too ready to tell everyone his daughter had mated with the strongest alpha in North America.

"It's great dad. Really." I smiled honestly as my mother got teary eyed all over again.

"It's so great to hear that dear. We were worried. You know how some alphas can be."

I nodded and took a seat on the couch, Eric hovering protectively behind me.

"Eric, you can sit down you know."

"I need to be ready for anything. I can't do that seated. My wolf is on edge for some reason." He said quietly, already going back into terminator mode.

"I take it this is Colton's beta?" my father raised an eyebrow and I nodded. "I knew he wouldn't send just anyone here with you." Dad smiled as the door swung open and Mikayla ran in, practically jumping on me on the couch.

"I have missed you so much you have no idea what it's like being around Skye and everyone else without having a mate." She huffed, still holding onto me for dear life. "Now I want you to tell me everything, how is the Alpha, what is his pack like, who did he send you here with?"

She looked behind me then and noticed Eric, and I watched in amusement as she did a double take, locking eyes with him in awe.

"Mate.." I heard them both whisper simultaneously and I looked back at Eric who was looking at her like he'd just found rain in a drought. I smiled at that. Maybe now he would understand why Colton was so protective.

The door opened again and I watched as the familiar brown haired, brown eyed boy from my childhood sauntered in looking nothing like himself. He looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes telling me how little he'd slept. His muscle mass had shrunk considerably, the usually prominent biceps looking lackluster and downsized. Ty hadn't accepted or rejected his mate, and it was taking a toll on his body.

"Are you gonna hug me or did you come here just to stare at me?" I smiled and was soon wrapped in his familiar embrace, his nose buried in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. I smiled and hugged him back, noticing how small he'd let himself get.

I looked back at Mikayla, her and Eric absorbed in their own little world.

'I need to talk to Ty. I'll link you if anything happens. Promise.' I shot to Eric and he nodded in my direction as I gripped Ty's arm, pulling him from the house.

We walked towards the little path in the woods in silence, just enjoying each other's company. I hadn't been in the woods in so long, I'd forgotten how peaceful it was. The wind whipped through my hair, the curls blowing freely. The birds were singing, the forest bright and alive, a beautiful day, and a stark contrast to the conversation that was about to take place. 

"Ty... you need to accept your mate." I finally breathed, ending our silence.

"I knew it was coming." he smiled sadly, still keeping pace beside me.

"Of course you did. She's your mate Ty. She's the one who's destined for you. Just let her in. Please. You won't know how great she is until you give it a chance." I pleaded with him.

"Why are you so adamant about this India? This isn't what I want and you and I both know it. Why pretend that it is? I told you how I felt. I told you we could've fought this. Instead you run off with him and let him do goddess knows what with you." He growled.

Hurt coursed through me and I felt the sting of fresh tears as they welled up in my eyes, the moisture gathering on my lashes.

I stopped walking then, anger beginning to surge through me.

"You listen here Ty Shelton. I found my mate. The one wolf who is supposed to complete me. And guess what? HE DOES! It's everything that it's supposed to be. It's what's RIGHT. I'm so sorry that you can't see that because you won't give your own mate a damn chance. If you did. You'd understand what it feels like. You'd understand how hard it is for me to sit here and be around you knowing how you feel about me, or how you think you feel. There was a time when I would've done anything for you. Anything. But I didn't act on it. You know why? Because of this. Because I didn't want you to hurt and I didn't want to hurt myself. But I can't change fate. I can't change the mating process. It's a game of hide and seek. A mating game. And when you finally win, and you find your other half, it's better than any consolation prize you can imagine. If you would let the poor girl who only wants to love you, who's suffering right now because of your selfishness, a chance, you would see that. I'm sorry things didn't work out the way you wanted them to Ty. That's life. It's not fair. But you work with what you're given." I spat, turning on my heel and walking away quickly.

He grabbed my arm and spun me around, unleashing his own anger.

"You don't think I've wanted to forget you? To accept that she wolf and lead my pack like I should? I want to be a good alpha here India. I want to do what's right. But when I look at her, all I see are all of the reasons she isn't you. Her hair is black, not the sun kissed golden curls I'm so used to spotting in a crowd. Her eyes are green, they're bright with life, but there's no compassionate blue to overwhelm me and stop my heart. Her laugh, isn't your laugh. Her voice, isn't your voice. Her scent, isn't your scent. My wolf wants her. The human side of me, wants you. You're my best friend India. You're the one I want to come home to everyday. You're the one I want to complete me. It's times like this when I wish I weren't a wolf. Because then we'd be together, and you know it. If there weren't any bonds, you'd be mine." He said sadly.

"I do know that. If we were human, we would have been together. But we aren't. We're wolves Ty. You're gonna get the title of alpha soon. That means you need to be strong for your pack. To do that, you need to accept her. Just let her in Ty. She can help you get through this." I said sadly, hugging him tightly as tears spilled over. "You're taking a toll on your body, and her's too. If this is how bad you look, I don't want to imagine what that poor girl is going through." 

"Don't cry India. I didn't want you to cry today. I wanted today to be a happy memory. Not a sad one." He sighed, returning my embrace.

"I know you did." I sighed.

Eric entered my mind link then, letting me know Colton wanted me home immediately or he would show up.

"I've gotta go, but I'll try and come back, tell your mom I'll send her that recipe soon." I promised, hugging him once more as I ran towards the truck, pulling myself into the cab beside a grinning Mikayla.

"Well, welcome to Lithe pack life." I smiled as Eric climbed into the drivers seat and headed back towards my packs land to where I knew my mate was waiting.