The Alpha's Young Mate

Chapter 9

Clayton's POV

I sit outside looking at the bear I gave to Rose two years ago.

She's such a sassy little thing when mad, it's actually cute. But, I hate that she's 'wad' at me, my wolf is

'wad' at me too now because our mate hates me.

It's my fault, I should've told Damon I didn't find my mate yet. I mean, how stupid can I be to think he

was talking about Rosalind?

I also have to go to the LycanRiver Pack tomorrow with my mate. I don't know how I'm going to tell

Blake my mate is six, unless I don't bring her with and tell him my mate is busy but I can't stand the

thought of her not being in the same house as me and not being under my protection.

I sigh and stand up, taking the bear with me, I walk into the pack house and see Lacey talking to

female pack member.

My decision is made; I'm taking Rose with me.

I walk over to Lacey, "Alpha Clayton." She says turning to me and bowing her head in submission while

the other girl walks away.

"Lacey, I need to visit the LycanRiver Pack tomorrow and I want to bring Rose with, if it's okay with you

since you are her mother."

"I understand you want her with you because she is your mate, but I don't think it would be too safe and

Rose wouldn't be happy without me or Damon with."

I growl when she says it wouldn't be safe — she's safest when with me, I would do anything to protect

that little girl! And she wouldn't be happy? I'm her mate, nobody can make her more happy than I can.

"Lacey, please. You could come with for Rose! I just can't leave her here."

Lacey looks at me with her blue eyes, the same color as Rose's big ones.

"Oh, alright. I'll go get her stuff packed." Lacey says walking away. Glad she said yes, I wouldn't survive

one hour that far away from Rose.

The wind blows through my grey fur as I run through the Southern Woods. I stop running when I smell

Damon, I turn around and see his brown wolf walking over to me.

'Damon.' I say through mind-link.

'Alpha Clayton, I heard you're going to visit the LycanRiver Pack tomorrow and that you're taking my

daughter with.'

'Yes, I am.'

He sits down in front of me, 'Instead of taking Lacey you will be taking me with.'

'You don't make the decisions, Damon. Don't forget who the Alpha here is.' I warn him.

'Besides, I need my beta here to take care of the pack while I'm gone.' I add.

'The Delta can take care of the pack while we're gone. Alpha Clayton, if you want Rose with you have

to take me with.' He growls.

I growl back at him and stand high above him. He shrinks his head down bowing to me, as all wolves

do to their Alpha.

'Fine.' I tell him before we each go in seperate directions, he heads back to the pack, and I go for a

longer run.

I wake up to sunlight shining through my bedroom window; today's Thursday.

I get out of bed and walk to my bathroom, I turn the water on in the shower and get undressed before

going in the hot water.

The burning water helps melt my problems away and clears my mind, until I smell Rosalind's scent. It's

not strong enough for her to be in my room, but then I remember her grey teddy bear I gave her.

I slept with the teddy bear in my bed last night. I know, sounds weird for a 21 year old alpha to sleep

with a stuffed animal, but it smells like her.

I get out of the shower and dry off with a towel before I get dressed in a white polo shirt and dark

washed jeans.

Once I'm dressed I pack my bag with shirts, pants, socks, boxers, my tooth brush, shampoo, and then I

head to Damon's room to see if they are ready to go. Once I get to their door, it swings open to reveal

Damon as he starts with his and Rose's bags. I offer to carry Rose's bag, but he ignores me and

carries it anyways.

Rose stands by Lacey, glaring at me. My wolf cries slightly - she's still 'wad' at us.

God I love that little speech impediment Rose has.

Lacey gives Damon a kiss and hugs Rose before they leave the room with me to go to my car. Once

our bags are in the trunk we all get in the car. All I can think about is how this is going to be a long car

ride.

After about one hour of driving Rose whines, "I'm hungry!"

"Rose, you can survive until we get there." Damon says giving her a reassuring smile.

I look over to my right to see a little gas station and I pull the car over immediately. I open my car door

and step out, "Alpha Clayton, what are you doing?" Damon asks looking annoyed. I don't answer him

as I just walk into the gas station and head to the food.

What would Rose like? I look around and see a giant chocolate chip cookie. I love chocolate chip

cookies, maybe Rose loves them too.

I grab one and go over to the counter to pay.

While I hand the chashier the cookie a couple of guys walk in and their scents hit me. They're wolves.

Rogues to be exact. Well this is just peachy.

The blonde one looks at me and growls, he starts walking over to me and I walk away from the cashier

girl, telling her I'll be right back.

I head to the back of the store, where the cashier can't see, and the two guys follow. I hide behind one

of the shelves stacked with candy and wait for them to come around the corner.

When one is close enough to me I jump out and punch him in the face. He stumbles backwards as the

other guy runs over to us and pushes me into the shelf I was hiding behind, causing some stuff to fall

down.

I get up quickly and tackle him into a different shelf that had a bunch of bags of chips and other snacks.

The blonde one pulls me off his friend and punches me in the nose and face a couple of times. I block

his next punch he throws at me and I punch him back, over and over until he is laying on the hard floor.

I then get tackled by the guy I had tackled down and he puts his hands around my neck as he starts to

choke me.

I reach one of my hands out and grab onto something hard before I swing the object and it hits his

head. He releases me and I push him off. While he lays on the floor I kick him over and over.

I then feel someone grab me from behind and I hurry and back up into a wall, which made the blonde

guy let go of me. I then grab ahold of him and swing him down on the floor before grabbing one of the

shelves, knocking it down on top of him.

I hurry back to the front of the gas station. The cashier girl looks frightened as she asks, "What

happened back there! What did you do!"

I don't say anything, I just hand her the money, grab the cookie, and then head out to my car. When I

get in the car I try to hand the cookie to Rose but she doesn't take it from me.

"What took so long? What happened?" Damon asks, I then turn to him and hand him the cookie so I

can drive away quickly from the gas station.

"Alpha Clayton, your knuckls are busted up and your lip is slit open." Damon says while he turns to the

back seat and hands Rose the cookie.

She takes it from him and starts eating it — but yet she wouldn't take it from me. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

I growl slightly before answering Damon, "I had a run in with some other wolves."

"So you got in a fight with them, but yet you were still able to buy a cookie?" He asks looking at me.

"She was hungry." I tell him. He sits quiet after I say that and watches Rose eat her cookie.

After another hour of driving we finally reach the LycanRiver Pack. I park the car and get out to be

greeted by Blake.

"Clayton, glad you could make it!"

"You've changed a lot." He adds as he gets closer to me.

"Oh really?" I ask with a smile.

"Yea, got bloodier knuckles than I remember." He chuckles while Damon gets out and gets Rose out of

the back seat.

"I had a run in with some rogues at a gas station."

"Rogues? Man I hate them," he pauses, "and who's this little girl?" Blake smiles at her but Rose hides

her face from him in Damon's chest.

"That's Rosalind, my beta's daughter." I answer. Blake turns his gaze to me, "So you brought your beta

and his daughter but not your mate?" He asks me.

"She didn't feel like coming." I tell him.

He nods,"Oh, I was looking forward to meeting your mate."

"Speaking of meeting mates, where's yours and your son?" I smile at him.

"Well, come on in and I'll introduce you!" He says turning and heading towards the house as Damon

and I follow. When we get in the house Blake walks over to a pretty blonde girl with green eyes. He

kisses her on the lips, which made me sad alittle because I can't kiss my mate.

"Honey, this is Alpha Clayton, Clayton this is my mate Zoey." Zoey smiles at me, "Hello Alpha Clayton."

"Hello Luna Zoey. " I smile back at her.

She giggles slightly, "You don't have to call me Luna, just Zoey."