Touch

As soon as Leah saw the smirk on her sister's face, she knew what Aubree was thinking. And when her sister spoke, Leah just reached out to shove her before snatching the bottle of vodka from her hands. She took a swig. "I don't know if I would mind," Leah finally mumbled. "I mean, it's not like I have any other possible mates lined up, unless something actually does happen with Ryan." Suddenly an idea popped into Leah's head, one she was sure Aubree already had. "What if uncle Zee is scaring off all of my possible mates? And that's why I haven't had any guys approach me?" It would also make sense as to why the idea of Zacky being her mate didn't weird Leah out as much as it should. He was acting territorial over her, and it was her natural instinct as a werewolf to be drawn to males who did that, especially so close to her eighteenth birthday. "I just...ugh, this is so confusing," Leah said. She looked over at Aubree. "I mean, you of all people should know. It's just weird to think that someone who's practically our uncle wants to be your mate. And oh my God, what if he's the kind of guy who wants me to start having pups right away? I don't want to do that, Aubree." Leah knew there was large chance she would end up pregnant within a few months of being mated, but with a younger mate, it was usually easier to talk them out of doing it so soon. With an older mate like Zacky or Matt, it would be nearly impossible.

---

Matt laughed at Zacky. "It's Saturday, you idiot," he told him. "And why the hell did you suggest prowling around their school if you hate getting up early?" Matt had a sneaking suspicion that it had something to do with Leah, something Brian wouldn't like very much. Then again, Leah had had pretty much no suitors to date, so maybe Brian wouldn't mind so much. "So once again, we'll just meet at the school around seven on Monday morning to make sure they'll actually be there and then we'll stick around for a few hours to check things out. Because as much as I want to keep an eye on Aubree, I do have a fucking life, Zack." Finishing off his beer, Matt got to his feet, tossing the bottle into the trash before he headed for the door. "Well guys, I think I'm going to head out," he said, offering a short wave before he slipped out the door. He transformed into his wolf form and headed through the woods in the direction of his house, stopping short when he heard voices. He could tell immediately that they belonged to Aubree and Leah, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly where they were coming from. He knew he should go back to tell Brian that the girls were disobeying his orders, but he decided that he would rather spy on them. So Matt headed off in the direction he thought the voices were coming from, sniffing to try and pick up Aubree's scent.

Zacky rolled his eyes at Matt, shaking his head. He may hate getting up so damn early, but he'd do it just to look after Leah. "You don't have a life, who are you kidding. The only thing you do is take orders from Brian to take care of ridiculous pack shit and then go home and count the days until you can ram your dick so far-" before Zacky could even finish, Brian had him so tightly around the thrown he almost thought he was going to drop dead right there. Okay, maybe he had went just a little too far. But it was the truth, he wasn't going to dent it. "O-okay, my-y ba-ad," he wheezed out, coughing and gasping for air as Brian let him go. Zacky rubbed his neck, shaking his head. Honestly, wolf tempers. They were terrible. Zacky gave a half assed wave back to Matt as he went out the door, not even in the mood for his shit anymore. Zacky needed to make a decision of staying here and bothering Brian and the girls for another night or go home where his ex had been bothering him for the last week and a last. Really that was the last place he wanted to be so Brian's couch it was. But first he was going to say goodnight to Leah. Zacky slowly made his way up the stairs and to her room, giving it a small knock before he tried to open it. He said her name softly when she didn't answer, trying to open the door. He furrowed his brow, knocking again and saying her name. He tried to remain calm as he moved to Aubree's room, doing the same thing and her door being locked also. "Oh no they didn't," Zacky growled, his green eyes beginning to glow with rage. Brian had specifically told them to stay in tonight, especially Aubree. Of course when Aubree was being punished she had to drag Leah down with her.

---

Aubree couldn't help it as she laughed when Leah pushed her over. "You know he could be, if he's acting the way you say he is. Matt scares off every damn breathing thing that had the slightest bit of testosterone. You could totally go for Ryan if you wanted, but don't do it just because he's giving you attention. I've always dreamt of finding the perfect mate that I'd fall in love with and want to have pups with, not feel awkward about the whole situation and I know you have too," she said softly, tossing a rock back and forth between her hands. "But maybe it's not as bad as we're making it out to be. Or at least I'm making it out to be, I'm acting like Matt's the fucking plague," she said as she made a face of disgust. The rock she had been playing with fell from her hands and rolled away when Leah mentioned pups. Aubree had completely forgotten about that. "Oh fuck. Oh god. I'm not ready for pups either, Leah. I was totally going to go into this comforting 'follow your heart and your vagina" speech but if your vagina wants a man instead of a boy I don't think that's a good idea. We're not ready to be Mom's, we're still kids," she said as she picked up a rock and through it into the distance, IT landing who knows where. "This is just so frustrating. I understand how you feel. At least you're not totally all up into him and interested in him in the open. The last thing you want is to deal with something like Matt who's just... he's Matt. He's infuriating and makes things more awkward than they should and breathes down your next waiting for you time snap. I don't want that for you. It's so hard to deal with sometimes," she murmured as she pulled her knees up to her chest and took another sip of the vodka.

"I don't know what my vagina wants," Leah groaned, laying back on the rock. She looked up at the night sky full of stars and she just felt so small. "I know, there's no way either one of us could take care of a pup right now but you know Matt's going to make you. And if Zacky does want me for his mate, he'll probably make me, too. They're older Aubree, way past the point where they should already have pups of their own and they don't care if we want them yet." Leah sighed, taking the bottle of vodka and carefully tipping some down her throat. "This sucks. Why can't things ever be normal? Why couldn't we have just gotten to choose our own mates and what we want to do with our lives? Why does all of this shit get to be chosen for us? Why can't we choose one Goddamn thing for ourselves?" Leah let out another groan as she sat back up, leaning against her sister as she took another drink of the vodka. "I miss when we were little and we didn't have to worry about this. Before Matt started breathing down your neck and pissing you off all the time. Before I started wondering if there was something wrong with me because nobody was interested in being my mate and then because I realized that the idea of Zacky being my mate wasn't as weird to me as it should be. Before I realized that both of us are probably going to have pups way before we're fucking ready. And before fucking dad tried to tell us that we can talk talk to each other just because you don't want to fuck Matt. And also before I became a rambling drunk."

---

Soon enough Matt came upon a clearing, and from his viewpoint, he could easily see the two girls sitting on a large rock, passing bottles of what he was sure was alcohol back and forth. Leah was doing most of the talking, and Matt could her bitching about him and about how she thought Zacky wanted to take her as his mate and...what? Zacky wanted to take Leah as his mate? That would explain why he was so eager to prowl around their school. But that aside, why the hell was Leah trying to convince Aubree that it was so terrible that Matt wanted to take her as his mate? The council had chosen it, it wasn't like he'd just up and decided to try and make with a girl who was practically his niece. Filled with fury, Matt turned tail and practically flew back to Brian's house, shoving the door open so hard it bounced off the wall. Quite understandably, Brian turned a glare on him, demanding to know why the hell Matt was barging into his house like that. "Do you know where your kids are?" Matt asked. Now Brian looked confused. "When I was heading to my house, I heard voices in the woods. I followed them and I found Leah and Aubree sitting on a rock, passing alcohol back and forth. So you might want to go check on them."

Zacky quickly made his way down the stairs, about to go look for the girls when Matt came barging in with the most pissed off look on his face that Zacky's ever seen. That kind of made Zacky a little worried and made him wonder what exactly those girls were up to this time. "Well why in the hell didn't you grab them and bring them home, Shadows? Instead you just left them there to continue drinking. Alone. In the forest. Where any male could come after them. Not just from out pack, but rogues as well. Their scent is only getting fucking stronger. Who knows what kind of danger their in," Brian snapped, kicking his chair back as he stood. "Let's go, both of you. I'll need help getting them both home and if I run into any trouble." Zacky watched as Brian stormed out the door, transforming into his wolf before he took out into a full run. Zacky sighed heavily, really not expecting that this was how it was going to plan out. Zacky brushed passed Matt, walking out the door and swiftly transforming into his wolf as he took off into the direction that Brian went off in. Zacky could faintly smell Leah's scent trail, along with Aubree and Matt's. But in the distance there was something else, something that made Zacky extremely uncomfortable and made him run even faster. Something wasn't right. Zacky was terrified that the girls could be in danger, or that some rogues were trying to take what was his. That wasn't going to fucking happen. He wouldn't let it.

---

Aubree frowned as she stared down at her hands. Nothing ever was simple for them. Life was never going to be normal. "I guess the thought of having pups wouldn't be so bad if the thought of your mate didn't just make you want to vomit sometimes. I just hope I don't have a litter. God, can you imagine how stretched I would be? That's just a nightmare," she said as she rubbed her temples. It was common form then to have twins and tripplets, sometimes even quadruplets. Aubree wasn't sure if she could handle that. "Life will get better. We'll get over out awkward stage and figure out life. It's just hard without a mom, we don't know how to deal with it. Dad is literally no help," she said with a heavy sigh. She thought for a moment, her eyes widening. "We have a soccer game in the morning. Do you think I'm grounded from that too? Oh my god I have to play," she groaned. Soccer was one of the many ways that her and Leah took out their frustrations and anger. They played a lot of sports. Aubree furrowed her brow when she heard something, looking around as she sniffed the air. She smelled Matt. "Are you serious. Where are you dickhead, I smell you. I can't even have alone time with my fucking sister, can I?" She snapped, standing up and looking at the surrounding woods. Aubree started getting nervous when the sounds continued but the scent faded away. "Leah, I think we should go," she said quietly, stepping closer to her sister. A few moments later a bunch of wild, nasty looking rogue wolves jumped into the clearing, sly smirkes on their faces. "Oh fuck."

At the mention of a litter, Leah covered her face with her hands. "Oh God, don't even mention litters," she groaned. "I could barely manage one pup, I couldn't imagine having two or three. Or God forbid, four." Especially so young. She and Aubree were still practically pups themselves, they couldn't handle that many of their own. It seemed that Leah and Aubree heard and smelled something at the same time, but Aubree obviously placed the smell before she could, because her sister stood and started screaming into the woods about Matt not ever leaving her alone. But Matt's scent slowly started to fade, and the sounds continued. When Aubree whispered to her that they should leave, Leah nodded, reaching down to grab her sister's hand. But before they could go anywhere, a pack of rogue wolves slipped out of the darkness of the trees, the sort of sly smiles on their faces that made Leah sick to her stomach.

"Now what are two pretty little things like you doing all the way out here, alone?" one of them taunted. He gave the air a sniff. "And so close to being ready to mate, too. Tsk, tsk, you've really made a terrible mistake, girls." The pack of rogues started to move towards Leah and Aubree, and Leah squeezed Aubree's hand as hard as she could, sure that her heart was going to beat out of her chest. But before the rogues could get too close, three gloriously familiar wolves burst out of the woods, stepping between the girls and the rogues.

---

"Well what the fuck was I supposed to do?" Matt shouted, surprised that Brian was so angry with him. "You know as well as I do that Aubree doesn't listen to a Goddamn word I say. And Leah just does everything Aubree does, so she wouldn't listen to me, either." Sighing, Matt followed Brian and Zacky out the door, transforming into his wolf form before taking off at a breakneck pace into the woods. As they got closer, Matt could smell Aubree and Leah, and with their regular scents he could smell their fear, and this spurred him to run faster. There were also unfamiliar scents, one that Matt knew belonged to rogues. Now he realized that he'd been stupid to leave the girls alone in the woods just to go and tattle on them to Brian. As they approached the clearing again, Matt could hear an unfamiliar voice, and then he saw the rogues surrounding Aubree and Leah. He, Zacky, and Brian burst out of the trees, forming a barrier between the rogues and the girls. Brian was the one to step forward; as the main alpha and also the girls' father, he was understandably the most adamant to protect them. Matt went to stand by Aubree's side, his teeth bared and his hackles raised as he stared down the nearest rogue. If that bastard so much as took a step towards Aubree, Matt would rip his throat out. "Stay away from her," Matt growled. "You can't have her, she's mine."

Zackt burst into the clearing once he got there, snarling and growling at the rogues. Zacky took his place beside Leah, nudging her free hand with his snout to let her know that if was okay before stepping closer to the assholes that dared mess with something that was his. Zacky could see just how pissed off Brian was as he stood there, quiet and still. Zacky couldn't make a move until he made a move. Which was really irritated because all he wanted to do was rip their throats out. They had no home, no pack, no life or future. No one would miss them if Zacky killed them. "How dare you come onto my land and bother my daughters," Brian barked, looking like he was getting ready to move. "Not while they're sitting on that rock they're not. They're fair play for anyone to take. Hell. Property or not property they're still fair game," one rogue said, his attention mostly at Matt. There was this one rogue that kept staring at Leah, his attention so focused that it made Zacky himself actually uncomfortable. Zacky snarled and barked, trying to give him a warning that didn't work. So that was it, Zacky took off after him and pounced, sinking his teeth right into the wolf's jugular. He wasn't going to let him look at Leah like that. She was his and only his. No other scum bag was going to have her, he just wasn't going to allow it. After Zacky ripped the rogue's threat out, two more rogues jumped onto his back and started biting into him. Zacky yelled and fell to the ground., trying to roll the ass holes off of him.

---

Aubree took her sisters hand, squeezing it tightly as she pulled her close. She was absolutely terrified right now and she wished more than anything to smell Matt's scent again coming towards her. "I'm so sorry, Leah. This is all my fault. I always get you in the most fucked situations," she whispered, tears building in her eyes. A rogue was about to advance towards them when all of a sudden three giant, beautiful and familiar wolves burst into the clearing. Aubree sighed in relief. She never thought she would be so happy to see Matt like this. Oh, and her father and Zacky. Aubree still kept a death grip on her sister, not wanting to let go. She was to afraid to. She used her freehand though to reach over and run her fingers through Matt's soft fur, the feeling comforting. When Matt went all territorial on her, she could feel her panties begin to moisten. "Fuck, no, God dammit," she cursed, freaking out. She couldn't control herself, it was just getting worse anymore. She didn't have to look up to know what they were all doing besides Zacky, who was ripping a biych to shreds. She couldn't hear the sniffing and the low growls admitting from all of their throats, except Matt's. Aubree looked over at him, he wasn't paying a bit attention to her thank god. He was too focused on the task at hand which she was totally fine with. "I can't wait until you get your mate and you can't control when you get turned on," she grumbled into Leah's ear, pissed as all hell. Though when this was all over she was giving Matt a serious talk and asking why one minute she could smell him and the next he was gone. This whole situation probably could have been prevented.

When Zacky stepped up next to her, Leah gripped onto the fur of his neck, careful not to pull too hard. She was still scared to death, but she felt safer now with Zacky, Matt, and their dad there. She shrunk closer to Aubree when one of the rogues moved even closer to her, trying to tighten her grip on Zacky's fur, but he quickly moved away, pouncing on the rogue. She knew that under any other circumstances, their dad would be angry with Zacky for making a move before him, but since Zacky was just protecting one of his daughters, Leah doubted her dad would care so much. She screamed when two other rogues jumped on Zacky. He was going to get hurt! But soon their dad jumped into the fight, pulling one of the rogues from Zacky's back and quickly finishing him. Leah squeezed Aubree's hand, wishing they'd never come out here in the first place. Suddenly everything was quiet, and Leah opened her eyes to find all of the rogues laying dead on the floor of the clearing. Their dad and Matt both walked with limps, and it was readily apparent that Zacky was injured as well. They were all hurt and this was all Leah and Aubree's fault.

"Come on, it's time to go home," their dad said, gesturing with his snout back towards the house.

---

As soon as the territorial words slipped out of Matt's mouth, a familiar scent hit his nose. His behavior had turned Aubree on, which wasn't unusual at all. But he had other things to pay attention to right now, no matter how delicious she smelled. Matt only moved away from Aubree when Brian jumped into the fray, going after the one remaining rogue that wasn't already dead or being handled by Brian or Zacky. The one thing about rogues was that they needed to be scrappy to survive, and it showed in their fighting styles. As they were fighting, the rogue managed to get a damn good grip on Matt's leg, sinking his teeth deep into his flesh. Matt let out a loud yelp, shifting around so that he could get his teeth into the rogue's neck. Matt used this leverage to flip him onto his back, wasting no time in ripping the rogue's throat out. At this point, Matt limped over to Aubree, giving her free hand a comforting lick. When Brian gave the order to leave, Matt walked along beside Aubree, gritting his teeth at the pain in his leg. That damn bastard had gotten him good. And one had gotten Brian pretty good as well, since the other alpha also walked with a limp. They'd all suffered a few injuries in the fight, but to Matt it was worth it to keep the girls safe.

Zacky probably would have been dead if Matt and Brian hadn't pulled those other rogues off of him. Which was a scary thought right now but at the time he didn't care. He would do anything to protect them. Zacky knew that he was probably going to get major shit for attacking before giving the command, but he just couldn't help himself. At least it was just the three of them and not a bunched other people from the pack watching him break the rules. Zacky whimpered softly as he made his way back to the house, staying close by Leah. He limped the whole way there, not even sure how bad his wounds were or where they were. He just knew that they had gotten him a few times on the neck, then back and especially the leg. They got all of their legs. Zacky sighed heavily as he entered the house, not even sure if he wanted to transform. But when he saw Brian and how pissed off he was when he changed back, Zacky knew he had to. "You know better than to attack before given the command. I don't care who you're trying to protect. You follow my lead. My rules," Brian snapped as Zacky sat down in the chair, knowing he probably shouldn't since he'd get blood everywhere. "Look, I'm sorry. He was going to come after Leah and I couldn't let that happen, I had to stop it," Zack said as he got upset, but not in much mood to fight from how much pain he was in. Luckily Brian felt the same and just dropped it. Zacky looked around for Leah, Spotting her over in the corner just staring at everything while her sister was a blubbering mess. "Are you alright?" He asked Leah softly.

---

Aubree followed the guys home, still holding tightly only her sisters hand and reaching down to get a good grip on Matt's fur. She wanted to go hold on to her father but he looked even more pissed now than he did earlier. Aubree could feel her eyes start to burn, tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't want to cry but she knew she was going to. She knew she had really fucked up this time. When they got to the house she let go of Matt and Leah, rushing around to get a first aid kid. Since her dad was the first once to change she attended to his wounds first, giving him stitches and putting gauze and band aids where he needed it. This was all her fault. It may only take a few minutes for a werewolf to heal, but it might tak even for these. Before her father could say anything she got up, seening Matt come in. She wanted to run and jump on him and tell him how glad she was that he was okay. Aubree followed Matt into the living room, watching him sit down in the recliner before she went and sat down on her knees in front of him, she looked up at him, sniffling as she began to clean his wound. "I'm so sorry," wiping her nose with her sleeve. "I'm just so streesed out lately and so has Leah I just figured we needed a night out. I never meant for you of or dad or uncle Zacky to get hurt," she said as more tears rolled down her face.

As they walked back to the house, Leah held Aubree's hand in hers, the other holding tight to Zacky's fur. She was just in absolute shock, and she felt so terrible that she and Aubree had caused their dad, Zacky, and Matt to get hurt. She couldn't imagine if one of them had been killed. When they were back in the house, everyone went to the living room and Leah took a seat in the corner, hearing but barely listening to Aubree blubber and cry as she tended to their dad's and Matt's wounds. She drew her knees up to her chest, hiding her face in her knees. Leah didn't want to move, even when she heard Zacky speaking, but she did anyway, and when she looked at and saw him covered in blood, suddenly Leah was crying, too. "I-I'm sorry," she sobbed, reaching out to clutch onto Zacky's shirt. "We...We didn't m-mean for you guys to...to yet hurt, uncle Zee." Leah ran her hand over his shirt, wishing it was his fur. She remembered when she was little, how Zacky used to transform into his wolf form and lay in bed with her whenever she had a nightmare and she would just run her fingers through his fur until she'd stopped crying.

---

Matt followed Brian and Zacky into the house, barely paying attention to Brian as she snapped at Zacky. He went into the living room and sat down in in one of the recliners. He could sense Aubree following him, and she was on her knees in front of him as soon as he sat down. Seeing her cry like this broke Matt's heart, and he let Aubree finish cleaning the wound on his arm before he reached out and ran his fingers through her hair. "Shh, it's not your fault," Matt said. "I know that's not the first time you two have been out to the woods to drink. I was a teenager once too, remember?" Matt chuckled softly. "You and Leah aren't the ones who hurt us. Those rogues did. And I'm sure I can speak for your uncle Zacky and your dad when I say that these injuries are more than worth keeping you two girls safe." Matt leaned down, pressing a kiss to Aubree's forehead. "Now, I'm sure you're tired. So why don't I take you up to your room? And then I'll promise I'll leave you alone to sleep." Matt looked to Brian, and after seeing him nod, Matt pulled Aubree to her feet and helped her up to her room.

Zacky frowned at how shaken up Leah was, wishing she'd just see how he was healing and already doing better. He was definitely going to be sore for s few days though but it was worth it to keep them safe. "Leah, Sweetie, it's okay. Calm down. We're all safe, see?" He said, gesturing to everyone in the room "We got a bit banged up but that's what we do, it's what we're here for. Your dad wouldn't be your dad and Matt and I wouldn't be your uncles if we didn't come running to your rescue," he said with a smile, kind of wanting to cringe when he called himself her uncle. He didn't want to be her uncle anymore. But what can you do. "How much have you had to drink?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and rocking her gently. "Are you tired? I can take you up to bed unless you're hungry, then we can get you something to eat." Zacky was thinking that he probably should have changed or at least taken his shirt off before holding Leah but he didn't really care. She was so shaken up that he just wanted to hold her and comfort her. Maybe they were all too harsh on the girls lately. Well he couldn't say girls, it was mostly Aubree. But Zacky thought that maybe he needed to back off of Leah a bit and let her find her mate her own way. It was times like these when she looked at him like her uncle that made him lose all faith in having her become his mate.

---

Aubree sniffled, closing the first aid kit as she nodded slowly. She didn't bother with helping Zacky though she knew she should have. But once Matt suggested taking her upstairs to bed that was all she could think about. Aubree took Matt's hand as she followed him up to her room, closing the door behind her after unlocking it when the key. She didn't want him to leave her tonight. She was terrified that she might loose him. "M-Matt... will you sp-spend the night with me?" She asked quietly, playing with a loose string on her hoodie. They were actually being civil and affectionate for once and Aubree wanted to enjoy it for as long as it lasted. Plus she was a bit tipsy so that played a bit of a role in it too. While she waited for his answer, she walked over to her dresser and pulled out some pajamas, setting them on her bed. She began taking off all of her clothes except her underwear, putting her pajamas on. "If you're getting in my bed though I have to wipe you down with a rag. You're not ruining my sheets with all of that dried up blood and mud," she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she went into her conjoined bathroom to find a washcloth and wet it. She had a feelthjnf that he wasn't going to say no. He couldn't say no to her.

"A couple of shots," Leah mumbled, curling against Zacky's chest. She'd lost count of how many times she'd sipped from the vodka bottle, but it was enough to give her a decent buzz. "No, no, take me to my room," she said, sniffling. She got to her feet and followed Zacky up to her room. Leah went to her dresser and pulled out some clean clothes, heading for her bathroom but pausing in the doorway. "Um, will you stay with me?" Leah asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, I-I'm just really shaken up and I want somebody to stay with me." Leah was sure Zacky wouldn't turn down a chance to stay the night with her, not if she was right about him wanting to be her mate. And she really did just want someone there so she could feel safe as she fell asleep, and she couldn't ask Aubree. Leah ducked into her bathroom, slowly changing into her pajamas before she went back out into her room. "But um, could you rinse off first?" she asked, looking at Zacky and suddenly noticing again all of the blood and mud that covered him. Leah went over and crawled into her bed, flicking off the light before she tugged the covers up to her shoulders. She was sure it wouldn't be long before she Zacky joined her in the bed.

---

Matt's eyes widened just slightly when Aubree asked him to spend the night. Just a few hours ago, she'd been screaming at him to leave her alone. But there was no way he was going to turn down a chance to spend the night with her. He opened his mouth to speak, but was a little distracted when Aubree started to change clothes right in front of him. She'd certainly grown up a lot over the past two years, and Matt couldn't wait until that body was his, pinned underneath him as he finally took her as his mate. But he couldn't think about that right now, not when Aubree needed his comfort. When Aubree came out of the bathroom with a rag, Matt took it from her and started to wipe himself down, going to toss the rag onto her bathroom floor when he was done. Normally, he slept without a shirt, but since he was sharing a bed with Aubree, he decided to keep his shirt on. "Man, your bed is pretty comfortable," Matt sighed, relaxing against Aubree's mattress. He reached his arms out for her, pulling her against his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Zacky nodded, taking her up to her room. His eyes never left her the entire time, watching her go about in her room and pick out some pajamas. Zacky was completely caught off guard though when she asked him to stay with her. At first he wasn't sure what to say. He knew he couldn't turn down this once in a life time offer though. Zacky smiled and nodded. "Of course I will. I won't leave you," he said, biting his lower lip. Zacky knew that she needed someone with her tonight from how shaken up she was and he didn't blame her. He wished that she'd realized that it wasn't her fault. Zacky looked up when he heard the bathroom door open back up, giving her a small smile. He and almost completely forgotten about the blood until she told him to rinse it off. He pouted but nodded, making a face when she shut the light out on him. He went into her bathroom, shutting the door softly behind him before stripping all of his clothing and getting in the shower. He let the water run down him, stinging some of his still open wounds, but rinsing the old blood off. Zacky got out and put his boxers oh, going back into the bedroom and sliding into bed with Leah. "Is that better?" He asked softly as he wrapped an arm around her.

---

Aubree could feel his eyes on her as she changed. She wasn't sure if she had done that purposely or if she just didn't care at this point because she knew he was going to see if anyways. When she went and got him the rag and handed it him, she watched him clean himself off, sighing softly. Aubree climbed into bed, pulling her covers tightly up to her chin. She couldn't help but let out a small giggle when Matt said that her bed was comfy. If was prettt comfy, it was always so hard to leave it in the mornings before school. Aubree turned so she was facing him, burying her face in his chest and inhaling deep. Right now this whole mate thing didn't seem that bad, but her wolf knew that he had been in danger and she wanted to be be near him. "If you hadn't gotten hurt you'd still be begging for attention outside my window. Just like you will me again tomorrow," she said with a smirk, placing a small kiss to his chest. The whole being nice and affectionate to one another was only going to last for one night. That was all Aubree was probably going to personally allow it for.

Leah heard the shower shut off not long after it had turned on. Her room was flooded with light as Zacky stepped out of the bathroom and seconds later, Leah felt the mattress dip behind her as Zacky down beside her. She realized pretty quickly that he wasn't wearing anything but his boxers and then she realized that she was silly to think that this would like how she remembered from when she was little. She wasn't a little girl anymore and Zacky wasn't her uncle comforting her after a nightmare. He was a man who obviously wanted to take her as his mate and was laying nearly naked in her bed. But the more she thought about it, the less strange it seemed. Matt could be Aubree's mate, so why couldn't Zacky be hers? It wasn't like she had any others lined up. And he'd been acting territorial towards her tonight, which was probably the main reason none of this seemed as weird as it should be. "Uh yeah, it's much better," Leah finally whispered. She shrunk closer to him. "Thanks for staying with me."

---

Matt smiled when Aubree turned to face him, his smile transforming into a smirk at her words. She was right. If things had gone differently, Matt would probably be outside beneath this window, begging for Aubree's attention, just like he had been every night since she'd gone into heat and every night until her birthday. "Well I'm just trying to make you realize what I've known for a long time," Matt said softly. He gently rolled Aubree onto her back, propping himself up on his elbow as he looked down at her. "That you were meant to be my mate. There's no getting out of it, Aubree. And the sooner you figure that out, the sooner we can actually be happy again." Matt gave Aubree a wink, slowly leaning down until his lips were pressed against hers. He was aware that what he was doing could backfire terribly, but it had turned happen sooner or later. Her birthday was in two weeks, Matt had to show Aubree that she was meant to be his mate.

Zacky couldn't tell if Leah felt uncomfortable or what it might be. She seemed to be conflicted with herself about something as she scooted closer to him. "Are you alright? I can go try and borrow a pair of your dads pajamas if you want me to. I can't promise they'll fit. But it's something," he said, trying to figure out what was wrong. Zacky would have kept his clothes on if they hadn't been stained with blood and torn to bits. But as He thought about it, he couldn't help the sly smirk that formed on his face. Was she uncomfortable with him just lying her in his boxers next to her? Did it make her feel things she didn't understand? Zacky needed to tell her. He needed to stop being so afraid of Brian and how he would react knowing another one of his best friends wanted his daughter. "You know, Leah, you've grown to be such an incredible woman. You're so beautiful. You have the most amazing body that I can't really look away from anymore," he said as he trailed his fingertip along her spine. "I've had my eyes set on you for a while, Leah. I've been so patient but it's killing me. You have no idea how badly my wolf wants to dominate you, to mark you, to be at that ceremony for you on your birthday. It's been so hard not to scare you off or make things awkward because my territorial instincts keep wanting to take over because I keep thinking you're mine. "

---

Aubree's heart started beating faster in her chest as he rolled her over onto her back. She looked up into those hazel eyes of his, not listening to a word he was saying. She noticed him moving in. But she didn't do anything about it. When she felt his lips press onto hers it was probably one of the most beautiful feelings in the world. She always heard that kissing your mate for the first was just simply amazing. Aubree hesitantly kissed bsck, her hand slowly reaching up and Cupping his cheek in his hand. His plump lips were so soft, the metal of his lip ring cold against her lips. Aubree eventually pushed him away though, her eyes wide as she stared at him. She didn't know what to think or what to say. She wanted to feel so awkward and slap him for doing that but she couldn't. Because she actually liked it. She actually wanted more. "This is wrong, it's so wrong," she murmured, furrowing her brow. "But why does it feel so right." She crashed her lips back onto his, moving closer to his body. She could feel her wolf craving him, wanting more of him, getting exited for her upcoming birthday. This terrified Aubree.

"No, no, it's alright," Leah mumbled, hearing Zacky offer to borrow some pajamas from her dad. She wanted a warm body next to her so that she could feel safe, and she knew her dad wouldn't like that it was Zacky in her bed, especially with him being nearly naked. When Zacky started to speak again, Leah froze. This couldn't be happening. Was he actually telling her that he wanted her as his mate? She shivered slightly when she felt his fingers trail down her spine, and against her better judgement, she rolled over to face him once he'd fallen silent. It was so weird to think that a man who was practically her uncle, a man who had changed her diapers, was laying here next to her in her bed, telling her that he wanted to mate with her and mark her. But the wolf inside Leah was drawn in by his territorial behavior. And it wasn't like she had any other boys who wanted to be her mate, at least not any that she knew of. She probably had had some, but Zacky had scared them away. "I-I don't know what to think of all of this," Leah whispered, chancing a glance up at Zacky. She bit her lip. "It feels wrong because you're practically my uncle. But...But my wolf doesn't care."

---

Matt was pleasantly surprised when Aubree kissed him back, since he'd honestly been expecting her to push him away, maybe slap him. But then again, he was her chosen mate and kissing him for the first time had probably sparked things in Aubree that she couldn't ignore. "It feels right because we were chosen for each other," Matt said, hearing Aubree's soft spoken question. But he doubted she heard him as she kissed him again, this time a bit more eagerly. He could smell the scent that came from her when she was turned on and he let out a low growl against her lips. This was treading on dangerous grounds and he knew it; he was finally having the physical contact with Aubree that he'd been wanting since she turned sixteen and it was bringing his wolf out. But he couldn't try and mate with her yet, it was too soon. Her body wasn't ready for him, and it wouldn't be until she turned eighteen. After a few minutes, Matt reluctantly pulled away from Aubree. "We can't do much more of that," he whispered breathlessly. "Because if we do, I can't promise that my wolf won't come out and you're not ready for that yet."

Zacky's heart felt like it was going to just burst right out of his chest as he waited for some sort of reaction or answer from her. When she didn't say anything or even move he wondered if she had fallen asleep. He was sort of startled when she turned over to say something to him, his eyes slightly wide. He let out a relieved sigh at her response, giving her a small grin. "It's okay, I know it probably awkward. I just... I can't help myself. Can you give me a chance? You need a real man, Leah. Not some scrawny little teenage boy that isn't going to do anything to protect you," he murmured, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. He breathed in her scent, holding it in for a moment before letting it out slowly. The fact that she wasn't completely pushing him away and saying no to the thought was making him happy. Zacky cautiously and softly kissed the corner of Leah's mouth, not wanting to go too far with it but wanting something a bit more than a cheek kiss. Inside he could feel his wolf gettting all worked up by the simple display of affection and Zacky had to fight him back. His wolf desperately wanted to mark her. Bask her in his scent so all over wolves would back off. But he knew he couldn't, not yet anyways.

---

Aubree pouted slightly when Matt pulled away from their heated kiss, her face flush as she panted softly. She just laid there as she watched him, not really sure what she was feeling right now. She was angry and confused. She was also happy and felt like she finally did something she was longing for. But she also felt like her skin was crawling at the fact that she just practically made out with her uncle. No, she needed to stop thinking that way. He wasn't her uncle, he technically never was. They weren't bloood related, he was just her dad's best friend who used to change her diapers when she was little. That's all. Totally okay. "But...I-I... don't expect that from me again, Matthew," she grumbled as she rolled over to face away from him, but still making sure she stayed pressed up against him. She felt embarsssrd for even liking what just happened. She was so confused with her emotions right now she just didn't know what to do with herself.

"I-I don't know," Leah mumbled again. What exactly was Zacky wanting her to give him a chance to do? Be her mate? That was a lifelong commitment, it wasn't something you could enter into lightly. And she was so confused, she just didn't know what to do. But the more territorial Zacky behaved towards her, the more Leah was turning towards just saying fuck it and tossing it all to the wind. When Zacky kissed the corner of her mouth, Leah froze, not sure of what to do. She knew she should push him away and tell him to just wait, but her wolf enjoyed the slight bit of affection and it wanted more. Very slowly, Leah turned her head just enough to catch Zacky fully on the lips, placing her hand on his cheek. It had been so long since she'd kissed anyone that the feeling of Zacky's lips on hers felt a little strange. But once that feeling passed, it felt absolutely incredible, the way Leah had always heard kissing your mate for the first time felt like. That thought hit Leah like a bolt of lightning and she sprung away from Zacky, staring up at him in the dark with wide eyes.

---

Matt snorted softly as Aubree turned away from him and mumbled. She seemed to have the idea that she had a choice in all of this. Now that she'd kissed him, had a bit of affection with the man that was supposed to be her mate, her wolf wouldn't be able to resist him anymore. She could try and act like she didn't want him, but the closer it got to her birthday, the harder it would be. If Matt could plan things the right away, maybe have another night like this one, he could hopefully have Aubree begging him to mark her and make her his mate by the time her birthday rolled around. "You can think that all you want to, Aubree," Matt whispered, trailing his fingers over her side. "You're forgetting, the council chose me as your mate. There was nothing you could do about it before and now that we've kissed...sweetheart, by the time your birthday rolls around, you won't be able to resist me."

Zacky was caught off guard completely when she moved her head and captured his lips with hers. He slowly and cautiously began to kiss her, the kiss feeling like a bolt of electricity and fire. Like fireworks on Fourth of July. Everything he imagined it would be when he kissed his mate. Zacky could feel the wolf inside slowly getting satisfied, but there was a new arising hunger. One that couldnt be fulfilled just yet. Zacky's eyes widened when she suddenly pulled away from the kissed and jumped back. "What? What's wrong? Are you okay?" He asked, reaching over and turning the light on. She looked absolutely terrified. Maybe he went to far. Did he care? Well, not really. there was no way that she didn't get any pleasure out of that. "You can't tell me you didn't enjoy that, Leah. I can tell you did. Hell, I sure did. The wolf definitely did," he said as he licked over his lips, his eyes slowly looking over her body. He needed to get ahold of himself before he did something he would regret. He just had to wait. It wouldn't be long though. Zacky just had to get Leah to want him just as much as he wanted her.

---

Aubree squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore him. She didn't want him. Nope, she didn't. She thought that the more she kept telling herself that then the more it would be true. But she wasn't sure how long she could keep telling herself that. Not after tonight. Not after she finally got a taste of what she'd been longing for. Matt was right. Aubree let out a shaky breath, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. She rolled back over, glaring at him. "You piss me off so much," she growled, pushing him onto his back as she climbed on top of him. "If it weren't for the fact that I felt so guilty and was so terrified for you tonight you wouldn't be here right now," she said as she gripped onto his biceps. She leaned down and began pressing light kisses against his jaw. "I can resist you all I want to. I won't come begging. The more you tell me I will the more of a challenge it is for me not to come running to you," she said as she kissed and nipped her way up to his ear. "I do have to admit. After having all these dreams and finally getting to feel your lips against mine, the wait of my birthday for you to mate me and fuck like a wild animal is going to be hard," she whispered hotly in his ear before she licked it. She climbed off of him, giving his cheek a small pat before she got comfy under the covers once again. "Goodnight, Matthew. "

Leah squinted at the light when Zacky suddenly turned on the light. His words barely registered, but when they did, she managed to sputter out an answer. "I-I'm fine," she mumbled, shaking her head slightly. She propped up on one elbow and reached over Zacky to turn the light off again, feeling a bit more comfortable in the dark. "I did enjoy that." Leah couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, but they were the truth. Her wolf had enjoyed kissing Zacky, a lot more than she ever thought it would. And suddenly she was imagining what it would be like to have Zacky Mark Berke and actually take her as his mate, and thank thought made her shiver. Why was she imagining a man who was practically her uncle fucking her? And why did the idea actually turn her on? Leah knew that Zacky could probably smell that she was turned on, and even though he couldn't see her in the dark, she nuzzled her face into his neck to hide her blush. "Maybe we should go to bed now?" Leah suggested, although it came out sounding like a question. She pressed a kiss to his jaw.

---

"Well good sweetheart, pissing you off is what I aim to do," Matt said smugly, his eyes going wide when Aubree forced him onto his back. When she climbed on top of him, his hands instinctually went to her hips, pulling her hips down against his. He felt her fingers digging into his biceps, but he actually enjoyed the slight sting. Matt hissed through his teeth when he felt Aubree's lips along his neck. What the hell was she doing? At her last sentence, Matt actually felt himself get a little hard, and he growled as Aubree rolled away from him again. She was treading a dangerous line, getting his wolf riled up. Matt could control himself, but his wolf, not so much. It wanted more from her than she could give right now, and he wasn't about to let her just roll over and go back to sleep after what she just did. "You're walking a dangerous line, little girl," Matt growled into her ear. "You're young and you haven't transformed yet, so you have no idea what it's like when your wolf actually gets worked up. You might think you do, but you don't. So watch yourself. I don't want to do anything to hurt you, but if you keep this up, I might not be able to control my wolf."

Zacky held his breath as Leah leaned over him to turn off the light, quietly releasing it once she moved away. He smirked when she said that she was fine and that she did in fact enjoy that kiss. Zacky could smell that she did. Slowly he could begin to smell that delicious fragrance she released whenever she was turned on. Zacky let out a low growl, pulling her closer to his body as he buried his nose in her hair. He honestly wanted to bury his nose somewhere else. "You smell fucking delicious. The things I would do to you, Leah Haner," he murmured, his voice deep and husky. The smell was driving him insane. His wolf wanted it for his own. Wanted to taste it, smell it, mark it as their property. No other wolf but him could have her. He wouldn't allow it. Zacky snapped out of it when she suggested going to bed, though she made it hard when she started placing kisses against his skin. "Alright, buttercup. We can go to bed now. Sleep on my suggestion. But I do know you want me as much as I want you," he said as he kissed the top of her head. "Sleep tight."

---

Aubree smirked, knowing she was really getting him riled up. "You can be a good boy and wait until my birthday," she said, turning her head to give him a small kiss on the lips. Maybe she can start giving him tiny bits of affection in the means of kisses and hugs. Start off easy. Maybe a few make out sessions here and there. But even after her birthday she was sure they were going to argue like cats and dogs, that was just how they were. Nothing was going to change that. "Here's the deal. We're going to start this party off slow. No going hungry wolf on me whenever I kiss you and grabbing my ass kissing me all sloppily," she said, even though that did sound appealing. She didn't want that right now. "Slow and easy. I want to do this slow and easy. Just for a few days. Then maybe you could start staying the night with me in my room or I could go stay with you at your house, work on that big ball of awkward," she said with a heavy sigh. It wasn't going to be so bad. She just needed baby steps. "Now seriously, Matt, go the hell to bed. Stop being mister big bad wolf and just sleep. I think we've had enough excitement for one night." Aubree smashed her face into his chest, breathing in his scents that slowly lulled her to sleep.