Her Younger Mate (Old Version)

Chapter 63: Purpose

I was just finished training. My body was finally completely recovered and I was steadily reaching my top performance level. I had been training alone daily at least three hours, plus two more hours with Kathe, Matt and the rest of the pack. Matt is still busy begging Amanda to talk to him and Kathe said that the things were not going well with the guy from the club. 

Those were their businesses, not mine. Lately, I just didn't care. I can only think about Caleb and how our bond is slowly fading into the distance and time. He has not called me and all mail services have been delayed for bad weather. I will not call him first, though.

Two days had passed since I met Oliver at parents' house, and I had not had the courage to call him. Being close to him would only make me confused. I do not want to rely on anyone to carry on with my life. I will be okay on my own.

As I made my way back, I saw him walking toward me. My hands began shaking and I was choking with my own saliva. My heart was racing. I closed my eyes. He is not here. This is my mind playing me tricks again. I will be okay. I closed my hands into fists and opened my eyes again. He was not there. I exhaled heavily. I am oka-

"Love. Why would you leave me?" the bastard said.

"You are not real. You cannot be here," I whispered.

"Shh... Just kiss me. I love you."

I began screaming and shouting for help. "Get away from me, you monster!"

I sunk to the floor hugging my legs against my chest. I knew he was not real. The real Alexander Hunter is still in custody waiting for trial. But, this fake one has been hunting my dreams and even my time awake.

"What happens love? Do I have to get your pup again so you know your place?" he whispered in my ear.

I could fight. I had been training; but whenever I looked at his face, I just felt like crying. He frightens me. I just... "Please, Caleb, save me..." I whispered and lowered my head resting my forehead on my knees.

I kept hearing the monster's voice in front of me, behind me, beside me, in my head, telling me that he loves me and that I belong to him. I sobbed helplessly begging for my mate to save me but knowing that he just would not do it. He did not do it the first time. He will not do it now.

"Anna. Are you okay?"

I looked up to see the worried face of my brother kneeling in front of me. I jumped and hugged him.

"He was here. Alexander Hunter was here. I saw him, but he was not real," I said.

"Anna..." He rubbed my back and stood up, pulling me with him. "Everything will be okay."

"No, it won't," I said choking on my words. "I am trying to be strong. I want to live, but what is the point anymore, to be rejected my mate and terrorized by an imaginary crazy bastard? Is it even worth it?"

He stared into my eyes. "You have a purpose no matter what. You are the Beta and Chief Warrior of this pack. This is your family. Use your strength to protect everyone you love. As long as we are alive, there is still a future, there are possibilities. Someday, everything will be better. You will find love, happiness, peace. Just hang in here. I will be here for you."

"I have a purpose," I said smiling. I still have people to protect.

"Yes, you have. I am making you an appointment with a psychologist. Come with me. We need to talk."

***

"So, what do we have to talk about?" I asked once we were in the meeting room.

"Wilder came back from his mission," Alex said.

Wilder Hudson, a cocky bastard with a bad temperament, a worse sense of humor and no filter, is our third in command. There is a reason why I never talk or ask about him. He is annoying. I will never understand how he can be Alex's best friend. However, he is a capable fighter and an excellent teammate. We have saved each other lives' more than a couple of times, but outside the battlefield we openly diss each other.

"Oh, that guy," I said rolling my eyes.

"Yes, this guy," he said probably believing he made such a badass entrance.

Just what we needed: another member pack with who gets a kick from eavesdropping.

"What do you have to say?" I asked in a bored tone.

He put his arm on my head and leaned on me. "When are you planning to grow up? You have been five feet since you were fourteen."

"When you stop being annoying and immature," I said, shoving his arm away.

"I am like four years older than you."

"And you act as if you were a four-year-old," I said.

Alexander cleared his throat.

Wilder straightened up. "Alpha Alexander, I will now report the results of the investigation. The team from the council and I found that the great influx of rogues around the territory is rather organized and deliberate. We have been killing many rogues, but they keep coming back like cockroaches. The rogues we have tortured have all talked about a possible attack. The approximated date is January the sixth or seventh and our spies have observed that the rogues have already begun to slowly migrate to the South-East and South-West limits of the pack. However, I would advise against leaving the North limit unattended."

"Agree," Alex and I said at the same time.

We spend the rest of the afternoon planning possible courses of action. We decided to carry on "cleaning missions" in rogue territory starting in January the first. However, beginning tomorrow we will assign warriors to protect the limits, just in case. Wilder will handle the North, while Alex and our parents will deal with the South. Alex assigned me to protect the pack house in case 'something happens.' He tells me all that bullshit about protecting the pack, and then assigns me to guard the very center of the territory. I accepted his decision, but I will fight if I am needed.

After the meeting was over, I decided to walk my way back home to clear my mind. Alex stayed reviewing the full report that Wilder brought. As I was walking, Wilder caught up to me and draped his arm across my shoulders. I took his index finger and shoved his arm away from me.

"I have told you not to do that," I said.

"Sorry, bad habit," he said.

We kept walking in silence side by side.

I stopped in my tracks. "Could you like go somewhere else?"

"I can't. Alex told me to escort you home."

I sighed. "Of course he did." I also noticed that Alex had blocked the mindlink. Coward. The house is literally four blocks away. I gave up and kept walking. It is just like a ten-minute walk at most.

"About what I said early, I am sorry," Wilder said.

"It is okay. It is not like it is a big deal."

"I heard what happened. If you need someone to talk to-"

"You would be the last person I would call," I said. We were in front of the Alpha house now.

"I know the pain of losing a mate. If you need someone to talk to, call me," he said.

I stared at the serious expression on his face. "Wow. I must look really shitty to make you get all serious."

He laughed. "You look like a depressed chihuahua."

"Oh, you shut up."

"Seriously; Even if it is not me, talk to someone. It helps." He turned around and left.

A/N: I am highkey praying you will not hate me for what it is about to go down in the next chapters.

BTW1: I postponed my trip for the next weekend. So, I will be here annoying you for a while.

BTW2: If you want a character to have more "on air" time let me know. Caleb is coming back soon and a couple of chapters will be about him. He is still in the hospital suffering as you'll wanted.