Wolf Like Me

Fatin POV (Age 16)

Fatin started to feel it. A buzzing beneath her skin that left her walking back and forth across her room in hopes of burning off the restless energy. 

Leah, Leah, Leah. 

Her mate’s name was there, echoing through her mind as she grew uncomfortable. She knew that Leah would be in bed by now and Fatin was meant to be nailing down the last part of the cello piece for her performance next week. Instead, she sat there, knee bouncing restlessly as a sweat broke out across her body.

Leah, Leah, Leah. 

It was a form of torture; this need to be near her that ate away at her resolve as Fatin stared at the sheet music. The notes in front of her became letters, spelling out her mate’s name. Wherever she looked, Leah was there smiling and calling to her.

She lasted a couple of hours, growing so sweaty that she wiped herself down with a towel and groaned at the pain forming in her abdomen.

Fatin quickly threw on a hoodie, snuck out of the house and hopped into her car. 

Driving faster than usual, her clammy hands slipped on the wheel as she headed her usual route to the Rilke’s house. Though speeding slightly, the journey seemed endless until she finally pulled up at Leah’s house. With a restless huff, she cut the engine and stared at the dark window of her mate’s room. Her knee bobbed again as she pushed the door open and ran over to the tree.

There was a twisting in her stomach, uncomfortable like a rope tugging taught within her; one that for some reason she knew that Leah’s presence would unravel. 

Recklessly she climbed the tree, risking her pristine manicure as she hopped up the branches. The bark scraped into her palms and Fatin winced as one branch drew blood as she grabbed it, yanking herself up higher until she was level with the glass.

One tap. Two. Three. 

Leah, Leah, Leah. 

Growing anxious she began to tap constantly until a light popped on, sending a ripple of an orange glow around the curtains that were quickly pried open. Leah stared at her in confusion for thirty seconds before thinking to open her window. 

“Fatin?” 

“Hey. I didn’t want to wake your parents.” 

“So you climbed an old and seriously unstable tree?” Leah asked in a stage whisper, helping her in through the window in a panic. 

“Yes.” 

“You climbed it why?” 

“I wanted to see you, duh.” 

“It’s dangerous as shit. That tree is older than my dad.” Leah frowned, face contorting at the smell of Fatin that differed from her normal scent. Instead of her Gucci perfume and leaves like fall, there was something else there. It was muskier and thicker, a scent that left Leah wrapping her arms around her mate as she buried her nose into her neck. 

Fatin sighed in comfort as a cold nose brushed against her neck, scenting her.

“You smell good.” Leah let out a displeased whine, annoyed that Fatin’s hoodie was preventing her from being closer to her scent. “Off,” Leah grumbled. She tugged at the garment and pulled it away, leaving them both in their pyjamas. “So much better,” Leah said, towing Fatin towards her bed and pulling her beneath warm sheets. 

“Why did you come here so late? It’s like two in the morning,” Leah asked, looping her leg around her as she clung to her mate like a koala. Her nose buried deeper in Fatin’s neck, inhaling heavily before kissing the skin there once. 

Leah, Leah, Leah. 

The same draw was there but the buzzing of energy was gone; it was now replaced by a new feeling, one to protect her mate that was now close to her. A feeling that left her wrapping her arms around Leah, pulling her tighter against herself. 

“Mine,” Fatin mumbled, nuzzling her own nose into the sweet and familiar scent of Leah’s hair until she drifted off to sleep.

When they awoke it was to Leah’s mother coughing. 

Leah sat up, eyes wide in confusion because it wasn’t unlike Fatin to sleep over- they often did. Yet Maryann looked pissed, and Fatin felt the defensiveness well up within her. 

There was an irking feeling telling her that Maryann was going to take her mate away from her side. It left her eyes glowing in anger as she pulled Leah into her again, arms encasing her with fear. Leah reacted to her hold, breathing deeply and smiling as she nuzzled back into her neck.

Maryann paused, stilling as she looked between them. With an irritated sigh, she called Kurt who appeared in the doorway; snorting with laughter when he saw the girl who he had watched grow up beside his daughter staring at him in a challenge: eyes vibrant gold and shoulders set. 

“It’s not funny Kurt,” Maryann chided. “Rana is worried sick; she awoke to her daughter missing.” 

“It’s a little funny,” he debated, snorting again as he stared at Fatin holding his daughter like she was ready to go to war to defend her right to nest with Leah right now. “I’ll call her dad.” 

Samad seemed to find it just as hilarious, the two men laughing down the phone to one another as Kurt explained why his daughter had disappeared. 

“What did he say?” Maryann asked as Kurt appeared in the doorway. 

“That Fatin-” He looked at her with a set jaw that did little to hide his smile. “You should have texted them straight away.” 

Fatin let her eyes glow bolder, fingers gripping onto her mate for dear life. 

“And that he’s calling the school. The two of you will have a week off but you will be expected to work from home. He’s running both your cello and some clothing over here in an hour and he wants you to call your mother and apologise for not telling her where you were going.” 

Leah frowned. “Why do we get a week off school?” 

“Because Fatin is in her first rut, which for unmated wolves is far different than mated ones. No one should part wolves in a protective nesting state. Though it is amusing, I never thought I would find a wolf’s warning state funny. I’m sorry Fatin but it’s hard to take you seriously kiddo.” 

Fatin grumbled, pulling Leah closer again. 

“When you get a moment, you should take a shower and take one twice a day because I do not want my home stinking of you. Leah, the door stays open, okay?” 

Leah nodded, blushing. 

“Good. Now maybe you should get some breakfast. Your dad should be here shortly with your things.” 

Days passed and Fatin never left Leah’s side other than for bathroom or shower breaks. As she rehearsed her cello Leah sat on the floor beside her with her mate’s cheek resting on her leg, a book in the palm of her hand. 

Fatin cooked for her and made sure Leah was eating and drinking more than enough. She did her laundry and sorted Leah’s schoolwork. Then at night, she would hold her as her lips roamed Leah’s and a film played; long since forgotten in the background. 

It was comforting; the feeling of Leah’s mouth on hers left her in a calm state, and it briefly quelled the need to protect. Replacing it with a new one. 

She liked when Leah grasped at her, trying to pull her ever closer, or when she sighed or giggled against her lips- her cheeks a deep shade of pink. 

But she also knew that she would never rush Leah and knew that her mate was years off from wanting her like that. Leah liked things slow, tentative, planned, and romantic. Fatin obeyed happily, keeping her emotions at bay. Wanting to please her mate even if her wolf at that moment wanted more. 

It was a craving for her mate to be happy; right now that meant heavy make-out sessions where Fatin would end up pulling back after a while, not wanting her wolf to want too much. Each time Leah would let out a discontent sound when Fatin pulled away, trying to tug her closer again.

“Come over here and cuddle,” Leah groaned once she got back from her third shower of the day. 

She knew why Kurt made it a rule.

Earlier that day she had skipped her morning shower to catch up on some cello practice in Leah’s room. The issue was that Fatin’s scent wasn’t as strong to her own nose, or even Leah’s parents, but to Leah it was magnified greatly.

Leah had entered the room after her shower earlier, dressed in a shirt and shorts with hair so damp it stained the neck of her t-shirt dark. Her nose wrinkled, eyes lifting to where Fatin sat trying to nail a piece.

The next thing she knew, a hand was running down the front of her collarbone as Leah kissed her neck. It was odd, more forward than Leah usually was as she sucked a mark into her skin. A hand dropped lower until it rested on Fatin’s chest.

“Shit.” Fatin moved to stand and dislodge herself from Leah as she put her cello away. As she turned she was met by eyes tinted gold, Leah appearing slightly dazed. Lips once again attached to her neck and Fatin shuddered, her wolf sinking into the feeling with joy.

“Ooookay. Babe, hey, look at me.” Fatin gently pushed her away by the shoulders. “Are you alright?”

“You smell good.” Leah ducked her head against her neck, inhaling deeply.

“Fuck, okay, I’ll be right back.”

“Fatin-”

“I’ll be five minutes angel.”

Fatin did her best to wash every bit of the scent off herself and then took care of other… issues.

Unfortunately, Fatin now understood why she was meant to shower so often. Health class had said alphas in ruts were more desirable but they never covered mated pairs. Leah grew restless when Fatin smelled more and Fatin didn’t like that it was because of her scent and instinct. As such, she washed and scrubbed herself with Leah’s coconut body wash until the smell grew to a bearable state. 

Leah was calmer as she entered, though still looped her arms around Fatin and curled into her. “Can we watch something for a bit? I can’t hold you whilst you’re playing.”

“Okay.” Fatin smiled, climbed into bed, and pulled up Netflix.