The Mall and a Plan

Emily

Aahh, malls. I have a love hate relationship with them. I want to fight the man with my fist in the air and reject consumer consumption and all that jazz, but on the other side of the coin; I like pretty things and makeup. What is a girl going to go? I am walking between Thomas and Cassie. We ran into her after we dropped off the keys and sent a couple of guards to my house to pack up. It will not take them long since I do not have a lot. Most of the stuff I have is computer related. Cassie insisted on coming with us since she needed a few items so now here we are, entering the mall together.

"Where to Gamma?" I ask as I look around. He looks down at me and inclines his head towards the main part of the mall.

"Anything you want, no limit. Get what you need and like." He looks around, scoping out the area, looking for threats. He knows she needs a lot. No one who wears duct taped shoes does that if they have a second pair. He wants to give her everything. He looks back down at her. "We have a formal dinner tomorrow; I would like it if you were my plus one." He adjusts his top button nervously "You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable."

I give him a smile. "I will go." I will have dinner in a dumpster with him if he asks me to.

"When it is just us, you can call me Thomas, it would be weird to live with me and still call me Gamma." He gives me a soft smile and a gentle push and told me to go have fun. I grab Cassie's arm, and we walk around. Thomas trails behind us, not far, but far enough to give us a little space. Now and then, Cassie gets distracted by a female walking by us and I give her and amused snort. She thinks she is being slick, but it is pretty obvious when her head swivels.

I spot a few stores I like. My style tends to be tomboyish or androgynous, with the occasional hint of feminine softness. It is not that I do not like feminine clothes, I just feel awkward in them, so I don't bother. I walk around the racks of the store Cassie picked, choosing items I know will look good on me while chatting with Cassie. She has a couple of shirts hanging over her arm while studying another on a hanger.

"Do you think I should wear more colors?" She asks as she holds up a neon green tank. I shake my head no to the green and move on to the next rack. I find a red top that I think she might like, and she grabs it out of my hand to go and try it on. She comes back out to show me, and it is not bad. Red might be her color. It is sleeveless and button down but not to form hugging. She grabs a jean jacket and a couple of tanks and I go try everything on. I am loving all the stuff I picked out, and I take my loot to the counter and wait for Thomas.

The lady at the desk rings me up, but when she looks up at me, she stops. I had forgotten about the bruises. She looks around me and leans in to ask if I am okay. She keeps looking at Thomas and I can tell what she is thinking. I appreciate it really, but it is awkward. I tell her I was in an accident and that I am fine. A lie right here is a lot easier than having to tell a stranger that my mate almost killed me. She releases her breath and gives me a small smile and a nod and continues ringing me up. Thomas pays the lady, and we head out to the next store.

Cassie wants to go into Mictoria's Secret, and I follow her in. I did not see Cassie as the Mictoria's Secret type, but one never knows. We both start loading up our arms with items while asking each other what we think about certain items. Thomas looks very interested in everything I have picked out, even pulling things off the shelves to hand to me. He has good taste; I will give him that. I pick a variety of other odds and ends and head over to the dressing room. Cassie, I find out has a lingerie fetish; she might be butch on the outside, but she loves the feel of lace undergarments. I get it; I do too. I do not know what it is about the power of sexy undies, but for some reason they give you a burst of confidence. Who knew a thong could be so magical?

A few hours later and multiple bags later, we decide to call it a day and head home. I managed to find something to wear for tomorrow and I am already planning out my accessories in my head when Thomas interrupts my thinking. "You hungry?" he asks. Damn straight. I worked up an appetite.

"Yes! Can we get burgers?" Cassie agrees and Thomas takes us through the drive thru at a local burger joint. We each eat our food in comfortable silence as we continue our drive home. Cassie calls the doorman from her phone as we start to pull into the pack house garage to ask him to bring a trolly to the garage so we can load all our stuff on it rather than carry it up.

As we are unloading all the bags, I begin to feel ill. That antsy, creepy feeling deep in the pit of my stomach, making my burgers retaliate. I can feel my wolf perk up, no longer a silent observer. "He's here," she growls out in my head. I look around frantically and instinctively move closer to Thomas. I can feel pin pricks racing down my skull and down my spine. Thomas stops what he is doing to look down at me and realizes something is wrong. My hazel eyes are mixing with the blue of my wolfs. She wants desperately to come out, but we cannot shift.

Thomas pulls me into his arms and rubs my back. "What is going on? Talk to me." He is looking around in the same directions I am trying to figure out what is happening.

"He is here. Jake, he is near me." I feel angry, but I am calming down now that I am in Thomas's arms. Cassie hears me and rushes over to us to stand her back to mine, sandwiching me in between them while she scouts the area. Thomas mind links guards and we are soon surrounded by warriors. Thomas shuffles me into the building keeping my front away from the garage opening, using his body as a shield. I try to stop him by planting my feet into the ground and pushing back, but he is a lot stronger than I am.

"Wait! If I can feel him, we can find him. We should use this," I growl out at him; "I do not want to miss this opportunity to catch this asshole!" Thomas lifts my struggling body up and carries me in surfboard style under his arm. He sets me back down once we are future in the building and spins me in front of him and leans down to eye level.

"I am not ignoring you; I am not saying it is a bad idea. I am saying retreat and regroup. We can figure out a plan where we control the situation. Right now, Jake is in control. We do not have him in our sights, we do not know his exact location and that can put us all in danger. Work smarter, not harder, understand?" Thomas finishes speaking and looks back from where we came from, and then back down at me. He tugs on his beard, and I can hear the low growl he is emitting deep in his chest. He is visibly angry, but not at me. He points to a small pattern on the ground and tells me to stand on it and do not move from that spot. I cross my arms and stand in his stupid square as I watch him stalk back to the garage.

I am pissed, but I get it. He was not dismissing me, and he is right; we need a plan. Retreating is not letting Jake win; it is a safe and smart move. I start to form a plan in my head. I cannot physically get Jake, but maybe I can use my hacking skills to track him down. Jake does not know what I am capable of doing and that is to my advantage. I make a mental checklist while I wait for Thomas.

A few minutes more and Thomas comes back with Cassie, and I can tell they are both pissed. So, the three of us are angry now. Jake was not found but Thomas ordered his picture to be circulated to the general public with a reward instead of just to the pack. The doorman walks in with the trolley filled with out things, and we head for the elevator.

Cassie looks at me for a few seconds before speaking. "When Jake rejected you, did you have a chance to accept the rejection?"

I am stunned, no I did not. I am still technically mates with Jake. Shit. I shake my head no "I never got the chance to" I answer and look down at the ground. Fuck, I am still linked. Yeah, I can feel where he is at, but it also puts me at a huge disadvantage.

Cassie drops her head back and sighs, and Thomas growls deep in his chest. Both understand the dangers of me still being linked to Jake. The elevator doors open, and we climb in silently. The three of us in our own worlds thinking of what to say or do.

Cassie hums and lifts her head back up. "The risk of remaining linked is far greater than the benefits. I think you need to break that link," she says.

Thomas nods his head slowly. "Being able to feel him is the only advantage you have. He is a stronger wolf, so his reach will be far more dangerous. The longer you stay connected, the stronger his connection to you is. He will be able to see what you see, manipulate your dreams, and find your weaknesses. If your wolves were on equal footing, you could counteract or put-up walls and blocks but..."

All things that have already crossed my mind, but he put them out there in words. I hate knowing, hearing or even thinking that I am weaker than anyone, but facts are facts. I have my own strengths, true, but when it comes to this I am not as strong. If he had marked me, my wolf would have become stronger because mates make you stronger, but since this is just a partial link with a bonded mate, I am fucked. I have to accept the rejection and quickly.

Cassie grabs my hand and gives it a squeeze as the elevator comes to a stop. She grabs her bags and tells me she will talk to me later as she gets off on her floor, leaving me alone with Thomas. We stand next to each other in silence until we reach out floor and start walking to the door.

My mind is racing. Will my wolf be strong enough to help me? Rejection and acceptance both take power, and power is not something I really have. Will my acceptance be nothing but meaningless words? My wolf could be injured because she does not have that type of power. She will be drained, and that also worries me. I can feel her moving about. She is also worried. She understands the dangers, but she is willing to go through it if it means freeing me from Jake. Most wolves would be upset at the thought of having to accept a rejection from their mate, but neither one of us have ever liked Jake.

I do not remember coming into the condo, but when I come back to reality, I am standing in the living room looking out at the city in a daze. I turn around towards Thomas, who is standing there just waiting for me to do whatever it is I need to do. His eyes are full of curiosity and concern. I should just communicate, maybe he can help me or knows how I can be helped.

I take a long, deep breath to calm myself. "I want to accept his rejection now, but we are not strong enough and we do not have that type of power. I am a runt, so a lot of things that come easy for everyone else do not come easy for us," I tell him honestly. "We need a way to do this safely." He gives me a sad, lopsided smile and nods his head.

"I know. Sam said he has a way if you are willing to do it. If your wolf allows it, he can briefly merge with her so you can both feed off us," he states. I am more than surprised. I know Lycans have powers greater than wolves, but I always forget just how powerful they are.

"How?" I ask. "And yes, Gabby says yes. Can we do it now?" I want to get this over with. Thomas nods his head yes and puts his hand out for me to hold. He intertwines our hands and leads me to his room as he explains how it works. He will shift and I bring Gabby to the surface, since that is as close as I can get her. We both slice out palms and hold hands, combining our blood, and then I allow Sam to enter and merge with Gabby forming our temporary link. He will be able to share his strength with us so we can say the words we need to say.

I am anxious as hell but excited too, maybe even a little scared. I am trusting these two to keep me safe. Thomas leads me to the bed and tells me to sit down. He walks a bit away from me and starts stripping, and I avert my eyes to give him some privacy. I can hear him softly chuckle under his breath, but I keep my eyes on the view outside. Now is not the time to eye rape him. Soon enough I hear the snapping of bones as his body shifts into his Lycan. The rumble of his beast from deep within his chest washes over me, like a tiger's purr. It was completely animalistic yet comforting at the same time. I move my gaze back to Sam and with a start, I realize he has moved next to me without me hearing him.

In my head I hear a voice like an echo but with two voices combined, bot Sam and Thomas "You ready?"...