Alpha's Mate

Chapter 9

Jade's Pov

     "I still think it's way too much stuff" I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at the cart.
     "How long are we going to stay with you guys?" Skylar asked them.
     "Until we figure out our situation," Alpha Ayden said and sat on one of the chairs in the store.
     "We don't need this much" I argued.
     "Just get it all." Caden leaned against the wall and smiled. "You're not paying for it just accept it"
     "Well, I don't want it all" I eyed him down.
     "You have been wearing the same clothes for two days now. You need to change" He replied.
     "Are you saying there is something wrong with me?" I glared at him.
     "Nothing is wrong with you. Apart from the god-awful lingering smell you have" He smirked and I scoffed.
     "You want to talk about smells? What about your forest, sweaty, manly smell you have" His laugh echoed throughout the store and I smiled.
     "Is that supposed to be an insult?" He asked.
     "What does this have to do with the clothes?" I tried changing the subject.
     "We can make it about the clothes" He stepped closer to me.
     "Caden" Alpha Ayden sent a warning growl from where he was seated. Caden raised his hands in defense and winked at me.
     "Let's just go ahead and pay for all of this so we can get back home," Skylar nervously laughed.
     The lady at the counter charged all the clothes and bagged them. She kept trying to make conversation with the boys and even bent over to show her cleavage to them. None of them showed interest and hurried her up so we could leave. We reached for the bags but they insisted on carrying everything. We shopped for hours and went into multiple stores. After what felt like forever we finally went back into the SUVs and headed back home. I took this time to admire the boys individually.
     Lance had short, black hair and amazing emerald green eyes. He is a couple of inches shorter than Alpha Ayden. His eyes would occasionally crinkle up as he drove back to the packhouse. I haven't seen him with anyone so I am guessing he doesn't have a mate yet. He had some tattoos peeking out of his shirt. He had a sharp chiseled chin and plump lips.
     Caden had longer dirty blonde hair. Most of the time he had it in a messy man bun. His eyes were crystal blue and all of their facial features were similar. They all have a serious look on their face every so often I see them smile. I don't think Caden has a mate either I haven't seen him with anyone. He had tattoos covering both his arms and peeking out of the collar of his t-shirt. He was the same height as Lance, but they weren't taller than the Alpha.
     Alpha Ayden's features were mesmerizing. Everything about him made my insides churn in a good way. His eyes were hypnotic and his smell was intoxicating. His presence made me want to obey his every command. I felt like he had so much power over me. I can't tell if it's the Alpha or the Mate bond. Maybe I never felt this way with Alpha Roy because Ayden and I were destined to be together. Every time we touched I felt sparks run throughout my body. He had fewer tattoos than Caden but I can see some when he would move his arms. It made me want to take off his shirt and take in the rest of him.
     He looked over at me and I felt my heart stop beating for a second. His eyes roamed up and down my body and I put my bottom lip between my teeth. He shifted in his seat but never broke eye contact with me. I wish I knew what he was thinking. There was this aura around us and that made me feel hot. He ran his hand through his hair and I licked my lips. Everything he did was so attractive. I wanted to jump on his lap and let his hands roam all over my body.
     "I'm glad you've changed your mind" Sara's voice popped into my head.
     "I mean look at him. I can't help it. I mean look at him, but I know that at some point he is going to reject me. I need to prepare myself with that and not fill my imagination with lies."
     I cleared my throat and finally broke eye contact with him. He sighed and I looked up at Caden. He had that same smug look and he wiggled his eyebrows at me.
     "Do you think he can sense the tension between us?" I asked Sara.
     "When two mates have met but have not marked each other they have this aura around them that anyone can smell."
     "Smell? Wait what's a mark?"
     "It's when two mates accept each other and mark themselves forever."
     "How does that work?"
     "It's....intimate. It will only work if both fated souls agree on the marking that will complete the process"
     "So what happens if he rejects me?" She stayed quiet and sat down on the floor.
  "I am not sure. I know that it's a painful process."
     "How much more painful can it be than these past eleven years?"
     "In some cases, it does cause death."
     "Wow."
     "I don't think that's the case here. He is different when he is around us."
     "For now let's just keep our distance. We still don't know what his intentions are with me and Skylar. Plus, I will finally be free from  this miserable life."
     Sara nodded and laid down in the back of my head. Knowing that rejection is more painful than what I've been through y whole life is overwhelming. I don't want to leave Skylar alone and I still need to come up with a way to get the rest of the girls out of Alpha Roy's pack.