Sanity

Chapter Three: Explanation

I blinked rubbing my tired eyes, mouth gaped open. "No, it can't be. This isn't real. Snap out of it Sam." I thought to myself. I studied the figure. It was large and regal looking. Its grey and brown fur glistened in the morning sun, and its blue eyes starred at me, beckoning me; the feeling was strangely familiar. It called to me, bidding me to its side. Oddly I didn't fear the large creature, and for a moment I even forgot how unbelievable the situation was. Nevertheless I opened the door and obeying the creature walked the distance across the yard, my bare feet shuffling through the damp grass.
As I walked closer, the wolf depend his cover in the brush. Walking slowly into the woods, I followed it until we reached a small stream. It stopped and looked into my eyes. A voice entered my thoughts. I knew the voice.
"Hello Samantha. Do you remember me?" His voice rang in my brain clear and deep. I nodded my head, shock covering my face. Noticing it he reassured me, "Don't be afraid. You know me, my voice. Listen and breathe. You are safe with me." He kept talking to me in my mind. Focusing on the voice I almost didn't realize he was sifting back into his human form.

"Brett?" I questioned him aloud.

"Yes." He answered simply. "We must go, follow me."

"Where are we going?"

"Trust me. You are safe." He held out his hand, and I broke eye contact. Looking down at his hand I noticed his naked skin. His body tensed; it was as if he could sense my attraction the instant I felt it.

"I'm sorry." I said looking away as I realized I had been starring.

"It isn't anything to be embarrassed about. It's an animal instinct. It's natural. Humans only suppress it because they think it's rude. It isn't." He didn't say it like he was bragging but instead with a reassuring confidence about him. "It's actually extremely attracting when a female shows arousal outright." I was shocked; he described me like a lioness in heat. Almost as if my attraction to him was a sign saying 'come get me.' It made me extremely uncomfortable.
He gestured again for me to grab his hand. We began to walk, and he wore his bare skin as if it was normal. Not attempting to shield himself from my view in anyway, only making my obvious knowledge of his nakedness even more awkward.

***

We entered a small clearing where a few cars were parked. A man I didn't recognize met Brett with a stack of nicely folded clothes. He dressed standing next to me, and I found myself starring once more when I noticed the man looking at me sniffing in my direction. Suddenly Brett began to growl. The man looked at the ground and backed away from us.
"Everyone let's get going. Quickly!" He announced and the other men nodded in his direction before piling into the vehicles. He grabbed my hand and walked me over to a car opening the passenger door. He helped me in, closing the door behind me, before walking to the driver's side and getting in.

"What's going on?" I finally asked as I snapped out of the trance like state I had been in.

"It isn't safe for you here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I'm sure you've noticed we are a little different than your average business men." He joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah but..."

"We are werewolves." He said realizing I wasn't going to drop the topic.

"And..." I coaxed.

"And... The other ones like us that live around here aren't exactly friendly."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"I chose you, and they know it. They will come after you because you're mine."

"Wait what do you mean 'chose you' and 'you're mine'? What are you talking about?"

"I mean I'm going to take you as my mate."

"What I'm in high school and I'm not a.... and I can't."

"You will." He said becoming very serious. "You are mine, and I know you want me; I can smell it. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? I'm not like you. Humans don't just go around claiming people and taking them away to God only knows where. What about my family? I didn't ask for this." I said felling tears well up in my eyes.

He sat there silent for a long time weaving in and out of traffic viscously as he sped down the highway. In that moment I was afraid. I didn't understand why he picked me. What would my family think when they found me missing? What would Brett do to me? He said that I would be his 'mate'. Did he mean that like I thought he meant it?
After about three hours on the interstate, we got off in a little town and drove down a two lane road for about half an hour before turning down a little dirt road which we took for another half an hour. We pulled into a small community. The houses were set up like a subdivision all the same style and colors until we reached the center. There were shops, restaurants, community building, schools, etc. We continued through the center and then to the far side of the community until we reached the outside where a large house sat on a small hill. It was similar to the smaller houses in style but easily tripled in size. As we pulled up the drive the garage opened and Brett pulled in closing it behind us.
He got out and walked around the car opening my door and extending his hand. I took it hesitantly, and he walked me inside the house. We entered into a large living space with tall ceilings. It had a long sofa with a kitchen at the back and a dining table at the one side. To the other side was a grand stair case; open to the floor below was a hall with doors to one side. He continued walking me through the house, and as we reached the stairs he didn't stop. He continued up to the second floor.
I was getting nervous, did he mean to 'make me his mate' right now? He opened the door at the end of the hall and walked me in. He faced me kissing me on the forehead. "Cloths are in the closet, shower and get dressed then come down stairs. I'll order something for dinner." He commanded in a calm voice. He turned and walked out of the room shutting the door behind him. I let a deep breath out.
I looked around the grey and black room a moment before walking into the bathroom. The stone surfaces were all a white and gray marble and the shower was only separated from the rest of the room by a clear glass door. I shut the bathroom door and began to undress before turning the water on and stepping into the shower. The warm water felt good on my body and for a moment I let the stress melt away as I stood under the shower head.
The water was loud, and I didn't hear the door because when I opened my eyes, I was shocked to see Brett standing just outside the shower staring at me. Without a word he began to remove his clothing slowly and meticulously placing it aside. I tried to stop myself, but I made eye contact with him. He spoke in my mind, "Please look, I love it when you smell like you want me." I didn't understand why I listened to his words, but I did. I looked him over as he opened the door and stepped into the shower. I went to move away from him, but he told me to stay where I was. He turned on the shower head on the opposite side. Leaning his head into the water, he closed his eyes.
When he opened them, he smiled looking at me intensely. Instinctively I went to cover myself with my hands. He brushed them away, "You are too beautiful to be like that. Besides you are mine." He smiled resting his hands on my shoulders. I looked away wanting to be anywhere but there.
He leaned in pulling my lips gently to his. I could feel how he wanted me. It was taking every bit of self-control he had not to press me against the shower wall and have his way with me then and there. He turned away from me, "You should go. Just wait in the bedroom for me." I did as he told exiting the shower and wrapping myself in a towel; I looked back as he turned the faucet to cold and sat in the shower floor keeping his gaze from my body.
I sat on the bed in the towel for a moment thinking about Brett. What was so different about him? I couldn't help but be attracted to him even after everything that he did. The way he looked at me, the way he was so possessive, it should've made me mad, but it only made me want him more. I heard the water being turned off and rushed to the closet, but before I could throw on something, Brett opened the bathroom door. He was still drying off when he looked up at me grasping at my towel, wishing I had put cloths on when I had the chance. He looked surprised.
"You know you're doing it again? You can't help yourself can you? I guess it's because you've never been around an alpha before. It's all over you; it's almost distracting." He spoke as though nothing had happened. "I expected you to be dressed by now. I guess it's good, better get used to being naked. Werewolves are naked all the time. It happens when we shift. I'm probably confusing you. Come sit." He plopped down on the bed not bothering to cover his bare body. I walked over to him, but before I sat on the bed, he put his hand on mine, still clenching the towel, "I'm sorry the wolf in me got a bit excited, but it's all good now. Please, you don't need this." He said as he lightly tugged the towel, and I let it drop to the floor tentatively. I needed to understand what was going on. I was stuck and there wasn't any way I'd be getting out of here anytime soon.
"So, this place is my packs territory. I am Alpha here, which means I'm in charge. Everyone here will protect you; that's why I brought you here. When I take you as my mate, you will become an alpha too and a werewolf, but don't be scared it's really cool." He looked deep into my eyes and I could tell he cared for me in a deeper way than any human could understand. "We change when we want, and you can smell everything. After you get used to it, we'll need to have some pups; it's what my pack expects. Everyone is going to love you, I promise. You are so beautiful Sam. Do you know that?" He kissed my forehead and then hugged me. He held me there and even through everything even when he scared me, I knew he would protect me.

"How many people live here?"

"About four-hundred."

"How soon do they want me or us..."

"The mate thing?" I nodded. "That is up to me, but I will try to be patient."

"And pups?"

"Oh yeah humans call them babies. We have the same thing, but they are born werewolves."

"I'm just seventeen. I'm not ready for pups."

"All that changes when you're a werewolf. Your animal instincts are more present. Some werewolves mate right when they come of age if their pack is safe and stable enough. My sister is going to have her first pup in fall; she is fifteen."

"Wow, how many siblings do you have?" I asked trying not to sound disgusted by the idea of fifteen year old girls choosing to have children.

"Four sisters, the one having the pup is the oldest. Her name is Rachel. And then my other sisters are twelve Jade, Megg, and Cleo."

"Triplets that's cool."

"Well, it's not that rare with werewolves after their first few children they tend to have litters most twin and triplets occasionally four will be born."

"How many children is an alpha expected to have?" I held my breath trying not to freak out.

"It depends on the size of the pack and their standings and treaties. We have already promised our first three alpha offspring to be married with neighboring packs. And because females usually move away when married if the first three are girls we will have to have another child to assume alpha duties after us."

"That's a lot."

"Not really." He laughed. "I'm sure we won't have any problem reproducing."

Again I became very uncomfortable and overwhelmed. I never saw myself as a housewife with a ton of kids or 'pups.' What if I messed up? What if I couldn't do it? What if I couldn't be a good werewolf and not just that an alpha? Just this morning I had thought I hallucinated the whole thing, and now I'm going to help lead four-hundred creatures I thought were things from fairytales and bad dreams. I began hyperventilating. I couldn't stop; Brett was saying something, but I couldn't understand the words; my vision was bleary, and then I closed my eyes feeling as though I was dying. I could feel as Brett caught me, and then nothing.