The Unexpected Mate

Part 31

Troy insisted on driving me even though I could have easily shifted and ran home. But having him drive me home meant more uninterrupted time with me so who am I to argue. I also think he just wanted another shot at the cookies his mom had given me. We were quiet again as he drove me home, we both had a lot on our minds. Troy asked if he needed to drop me off away from my house but I knew my parents would be gone late to a meeting so he could drive up to the house. He pulled into the drive and shut the truck off.

"Do I want to know what my father said to you?" Troy turned in his seat and asked me.

"Probably not." I said honestly. "He told me about Andrew. I'm so sorry Troy, I can't imagine how that felt losing a brother."

"It wasn't easy. I was there when it happened, I blamed myself for a while. That if I had been faster or stronger I could have saved him somehow. I know now there was nothing I could have done but I still miss him a lot. My mom was a wreck after it happened, it's why we moved here. She couldn't bear to be in the same house that he grew up in, seeing all the memories from his childhood broke her heart. So we packed up and moved here." Troy explained. "It was rough and I would never want to go thru something like that ever again. But one good thing did come out of it."

"What was that?" I questioned him.

"I found you." He smiled reaching for my hand. "He would have loved you, would have told me to do everything I could to find a way to make this work. I plan to do just that, I can't ever lose you Annie. I would die without you." He kissed my hand and I felt a little guilt creep in my mind. I had yet to tell Troy we only had a year to find something out before I had to either mark or reject him. I hadn't told him the consequence if I did neither of those, death.

"We will figure it out." I leaned over to him for a kiss but instead of leaning in he pulled me into his lap. I was nervous being his close to him, I had never been like this with a guy before.

"Little fish you are blushing." Troy said as he ran his fingers across my now rosey cheek. I ducked my head to hide my now flaming face only to have him take my chin in his hand and lift my head. "You do not have to ever be embarrassed around me Annie, I'm your mate remember?"

I scrunched my nose at his smirking face before giving him a shy smile. "I know but I've never really kissed anyone before you. I don't really know what I'm doing."

"I'm glad to hear that because I would hate to have to rip other guy's lips off their faces." He teased me. "You know what we can do?"

"What?" I questioned him.

"We can practice." His smile now big.

"Prac-" But before I can finish my question he cuts me off with his lips against mine. We have kissed before but not like this. This felt different, I've never felt anything like this before. It had a loving almost desperate feel too it, like he couldn't get enough of me. I opened up my mouth to deepen the kiss and I'm not sure if it was me or him that moaned in gratitude. My mind was on a whole other cosmic pleasurable level that I missed the growl and truck door being yanked open. Next thing I know Troy is being yanked out of the truck and I was now on the ground instead of his lap.

"Get your hands off her!" I looked up from the ground to see Jeremy had Troy on the ground and had his fist pulled back ready to punch him. He was going to hurt my mate! I felt Nan take control and I shifted. I growled as I jumped at Jeremy knocking him off of Troy. I stood in front of Troy, protecting my mate from Jeremy.

"Annie? What are you-" Jeremy started to say as he got up from the ground, then understanding dawned on him. "Holy crap. He's your mate." He stood up and took a step towards us, I growled at him making him back up with his hands up.