"People don't just change over night.

And the burn doesn't just go away.

Flowers are awaiting their flight.

To give their love away."

Song up top is Throne by Bring Me The Horizon

Not happy at all with this chapter. I might have to come back to fix it. Enjoy! COMMENT AND VOTE! Garden.

Korali's Pov.(not edited)

"Why?" I questioned, my eyes slightly widened and my fingers trembling. If I didn't know that she killed for a living I would have went and beat her with a stick. But I wasn't naïve or stupid; she was capable of the swiftest murder.

She rolled her eyes, her gray shirt and dark black jeans loose on her body. She was pale and thin but not in a sickly way. "Just like my son with all the questions."

"Why wont you just let him be happy? Why would you hurt him as a child?" I rushed out not thinking just spewing my thoughts at her.

"I have no softness, everything I did was for his benefit. I wanted the rough, ruthless alpha for a son, since my mate was not. But the boy can't even do that right." Her hand curled around the fence. Then she looked up and made strong eye contact with me. "But you, you are the key."

"I don't believe Jordan's going to become crazy because of our mating?" It was a question and a statement. Because all their words were starting to make me wonder if it was possible.

"Of course not." She rolled her eyes "I'm not crazy," Uh, I beg to differ. "I want power, and Jordan—and well you, are now are the key. My mom was weak; my dad was weak. They didn't think I'd get an Alpha. But I got a weak one, like them." Her face turned up in distaste. "He looked good though." She shrugged bouncing on the silver weak fence that she was sitting on.

"We're not going to help you in any way" I affirmed strongly not backing down from eye contact. It was the only thing I could do. I wasn't trying to try death.

"So I'm going to have to do this the hard way." What hell did that mean? I backed up a step running into a tingly body.

Jordan.

"Why did you leave those messages at the field between our territory and the Amber Pack?" Jordan's voice was deep but low. Easily heard with our ears though. Jordan's mom rolled her tongue across her teeth in a carefree way; as if she was completely comfortable here.

"I wouldn't be caught by the Amber Pack. We all know they're a bunch of weak losers. Especially that worthless daughter. That would be an easy slaughter; for me alone."

He quickly put me behind him. "Leave." He growled through his teeth.

"If I thought you had the balls to kill me do you think I'd come here still calling you worthless? No? Exactly. Like come on, you'd actually live up to one expectation if that were to happen but you can't even do that right." She snorted, her hand pushing a small fray of penny bronze hair behind her ear. "I've only come to see what you a got as a mate." She gave me onceover "She's pretty, a little too short and thin, lots of unreasonable hair, and she seems soft. Like a cookie; easy to control. Doesn't seem like a challenge enough."

"She's perfect" Jordan growled his fists clenching, but his face expressionless. This was not the time to be melting but I managed.

"Oh, this is so good." She laughed. "My little useless Jordan, got the mate he dreamed of. Sounds just like his Father. And he's actually talking! That's a shocker. Well I'm going to go, ya know I have so much to do before the time comes!" Her voice was so cheery—personally it showed that was a definite nut. She got up from her perch on top of the fence and began making her way to the forest and Jordan just let her go.

"You're not worried?" I voiced once she disappeared into the vast evergreen of the forest. The green swallowing her in and appearing undisturbed as if she was never there.

"I—I just can't kill her; I don't want to be what she wants me to be." He looked towards the ground.

"You do know that you're going to have to kill her sooner or later right?" I hated to be the one to tell him. But this was the truth of the matter. His mom was a dangerous threat at the end of the day. I wasn't telling him that he had to do it now or soon, but before she killed him; like Mahalia said.

"I don't know if I have it in me." I knew I had to let it go. For someone like Jordan, announcing that was a big step—if anything it was like a big disappointment. Again. He probably felt like he couldn't do anything right at this point.

"That's," I sighed. It was his mom. No matter how terrible, she still is the one that gave birth to him. "That's understandable. I just hope she doesn't hurt you anymore."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." He grumbled leaving me to walk to the backdoor and into the house. What was I going to do with him?

***

"Tattoos? "I have one." His eyebrows rose and he glanced at me questioningly his concentration going back to the wooden blocks in front of us.

"In a place where you'll never see it." I winked. "I'll never do it again. Hurt like hell. You?" It wasn't in a technically naughty place either, but why not leave a little mystery about me. It was on the bottom of my foot.

"No," He mumbled his reply.

"I don't know you, you seem like the type." Jordan shrugged, pulling his Jenga piece from the bottom of the stack.

"You know I'm starting to love you more and more each day," I took my turn and I said that while he was taking his. It threw off his concentration and he knocked the stacked down.

"N—What I don't understand is why?"

"Like I've said before Jordan. I believe in you. I know you think no one has ever done that for you. But I do. You, caring so much for your pack, and even if not romantically, me, makes me love you. I know you've never been told I love you, but Max does, Cailo does, Ailey does, and of course Abner! I'm sure the Arion chick does too, and Kaliko. And I do the most. I love you."

"I don't deserve you as a mate or your love Korali. You should stop it," he pleaded weakly, and at this point I could tell that he was just tired.

"Funny thing about love Jordan, is once you start you never stop. And you never chose" I picked up the Jenga pieces and started to place them back on top of each other.

"What did I do to deserve you?" He was looking at me as if I was some foreign object, something priceless. It was a great feeling.

"Nothing. I'm not perfect, despite what you told your mom." I smiled. "But you were a child Jordan, you were raised to be a power hungry, but that's not you."

"Why would you—" he paused for a second, then he just decided to take out a random wooden block.

"Why what Jordan?" My eyesight was on the pieces, I planned to take the from the top of the stack, as long as I could so the foundation would be as shaky when I took from those in the end to make him lose.

"Why would you want to bear my pups?" That question caught me off guard. I stammered so he posed another question.

"You know what I'm capable of. What is probably coursing through my genetics."

"For one, your mom even said that's bullshit and she's a nut. I want to have your babies because I don't believe what your pack believes. I don't think you're going to become crazy, it would have happened already. I don't think you will kill for fun. And I don't believe our children will be cursed." I told him as if it was the most common knowledge in the world. I knew it bothered him, almost to the point of sickness. I could see that paleness and that look of fatigue that came over him when he thought about his mother or children.

He paused and looked at me then sighed and I felt like he needed a bit of cheering up. He was feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable. I placed my hand on his which ignited the tingles then I got on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his softly. I held my position for about 20 seconds before releasing him and throwing him a smile.

"Friends don't kiss," he muttered weakly noticing that I knocked over our game as I kissed him.

I smiled. "Is Jordan learning how to joke?" I teased. "But I don't think we can quite call each other friends at this point. I mean we almost fuck each other every other second of the day. We're more friends with benefits even if they're only a peck or two." Then I looked around at the setting day. "You want to go for a swim?"

Jordan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "No, I don't think the last time went well."

"We weren't swimming together, you just happened to be there looking straight out of a porno. And plus, I though that it was a fish in my defense." I held my hands up laughing a bit and scoping the pieces back into their box.

"Fish in that pond wouldn't be that big."

"Cocky aren't we Jordan," I winked.

Jordan's eyes squinted on me for a long period of time before something flashed in his eyes that I couldn't decipher it; and it wasn't his wolf. Ever since I've been marked, our wolves have been pretty dormant. They've finished what they were meant to do, now it was time for the human sides to finish the rest.

"I'm going to sleep drop you off with Max at the pack house." He stood up quickly, grabbing my hand in a march towards the door. He was oddly determined and I was confused.

"But why I thought—" I thought we were enjoying each others company. But I let my complaint drown out.

"I'll—I have to do something, Korali and you'll only be a distraction." After all our talks I thought we were past this. My eyes welled, but I blinked them away and sighed.

In the end I thought that I could be the one to change you. But, you have to be willing to change. And my love just wont do it for him.

Perhaps my mom was right. Maybe I should just give up.

***

When I arrived at the pack house I was immediately greeted by smiling pack members, who even smiled at Jordan. He held my hand and just stared at me for about a minute before I asked if he was okay. He nodded softly pulling my wrist up and brushing his lips across my pulse. I thought it was weird, but I didn't question him.

Amiella and Zahara ran out the kitchen chasing a laughing Abner and three other babies covered in flour. When they looked up and saw me they immediately straightened and Abner came tripping his way over to me.

"Abner no!" They yelled in unison, but it was too late. The baby already had his arms wrapped around my leg and smearing his floured face against my jeans. I beamed swinging him into my arms and grabbing another baby off the floor; the other two in tow. I skipped into the kitchen happily ready to face the disaster that I'm sure was happening behind those swinging doors. Anything to distract me from thinking about where Jordan was going to be or doing.

After being there on the third day, I was more than a little annoyed. Especially at the fact that I wasn't allowed back home at least. Nothing was wrong with the pack house. In fact, I loved it there. But it still wasn't my home and rather he admits it or not, Jordan needed me. I knew he wasn't crazy but he might have a mild case of anxiety.

"Just don't look through my internet history!"

"Ew Max, just remind me not to type the letter 'P' into the search bar."

"I wouldn't type 'x' either."

"So gross," I chuckled throwing the pillow in my 'pack house room' at him. It was the Alpha and Luna room, if they were to ever stay there. It was an overabundance of pillows and bed space. The bed was bigger than a king size—so obviously it was custom made. It was a lot bigger than Jordan and that's saying a lot.

I was laid out in it with Max's computer and Max on the bed at the end playing video games, Cailo writing something on the desk in the corner, and Kaliko braiding her hair next to me.

"What is Jordan doing, Max? Or Cailo, or freaking Kaliko?" I was practically radiating anger.

"What? Nothing, he's fine." Kaliko brushed off pausing to add hair to her braid.

"Why can't I go home?" I slapped my hand down onto the bed to show my sentiments.

"He's fine. He maybe just needs some time to confess his dying love for you," Kaliko gushed falling back onto the pillow sighing.

"Right." I snorted.

On the fourth day I was sitting in the dinning room with Max, drinking a cup of juice while one of the little girls taught me how to finger knit.

I felt Jordan before I saw him come into the room. Max's eyes were bright and secretive when he saw Jordan come over. He had left me here for 4 days and I was livid. I wasn't allowed back to the house I had to send Ailey or Kaliko (who is taking her 'finding time' off here), to go get me clothes to wear. So instead of being happy that I was finally seeing my mate, I was angry.

"I'm sorry Korali." I spit out all my juice and started choking on it. Max laughed patting my back softly earning a growl from Jordan.

I was practically growling at his presence. I bared my teeth at him and he looked almost taken aback. Through my anger I gave him a onceover. For one, he was covered in mud—which was odd thing because Jordan is always clean, for two he had suitcases under his eyes, and three he seemed antsy; nervous. That didn't dissipate my angry though.

"I am so pissed off first you leave me here without any idea what's going on. Then you—" he cut me off by pecking my lips quickly. I noticed some of the pack members were watching in shock that he openly kissed me. My eyes narrowed, "Like I was saying, then you wouldn't let me come home!"

"You still see it as that?"

My face scrunched in concern "Jordan I'm angry at you, not regretful. I meant what I said."

"Good, good," then he smiled slightly. I glanced around taking in the pack members' looks of total surprise and fear.

"Jordan you're scaring me." He was scaring us. The pack wasn't use to his smile just like I wasn't. Hell, they weren't use to his voice.

"I know—I'm just trying to—I" He stopped speaking and let out a harsh breath. It was a breath that told me, he wasn't saying what he wanted to say fast enough and he was irritating himself.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for treating you badly. I thought it was better off."

"Wha-"

He took my hand and pulled me out of my seat.

"And I have something to show you." I got up handing Max my cup and waving at a few of the uncomfortable pack members.

Jordan started walking really fast towards the house I noticed one thing before we got to the house. I stopped there and notice that my weeping willow tree had a swing attached to it and lights strung up around it. It was still daytime so the lights wouldn't be truly appreciated till night but I still noticed.

"What's going on?" My eyes went to his in a worrisome way.

"I know nothing could make up for how I treated you over the last 5 months. But I thought of it as a start. If you will still like to be my mate." My heart started to thump once I registered the words. I guess Kaliko wasn't being overly romantic—although with Jordan, I doubt he would proclaim his love for me.

"Jord—"

"Just look first. I have a very hard time dealing with emotions and expressing them and I'm not a good mate but." Behind the house Jordan and I shared was a beautiful garden filled with many of the flowers I've talked and dreamed about when I thought he wasn't listening.

There were rows upon rose of flowers, ranging from red, to blue, to purple. There was a fountain in the middle and a new gate leading to the forest. It was opened but only because the gate wasn't manually closed at the moment.

"Is this a bribe to get me to stay with you?" I asked with awe, taking in the rich, green scenery.

"Well I had hoped—"

"So this is a bribe?" I cut him off. " It's a wonderful one, Jordan. Beautiful. You did all of this in four days?" My heart was still pumping strongly. I was afraid that I might go into cardiac arrest from the excitement.

"I had help," he admitted and I thought it was adorable.

"Did you speak to your pack members that you asked for help from?" He shook his head. "One day at a time," I muttered walking further into the garden.

"Forget-me-nots!" There was a whole section dedicated to the flowers. They were neatly arranged and I could feel my eyes water.

"I planted those by myself."

I sighed and faced the facts. "I'm going to give into this day of happiness today, but just know tomorrow is when you have to show me you're sorry. Because you—Jordan you hurt me, and you put me through a lot. I know my mom was right at the end of the day, but I stayed because I hoped you come to your senses but when you left me for those days. I lost a lot of my hope. We are going to discuss this tomorrow." I moved closer to him my hand brushing his cheek, watching him intake breath.

"And I kind of still want to hit you in the face with a brick for leaving me." He nodded, utterly serious about the situation. "But today. Today is for us." I finished, letting his hand go and dropping the other from his face. I stood about 6 feet in front of him and removed his sweatshirt that I was wearing.

He swallowed and I unbutton my pants.

"Kore—?" His words died in his throat when I went for the hook on my bra. When I pulled off and dangled it from my fingertips, he swore, his eyes never leaving my chest. I casted it aside and reached for my pants and underwear, quickly discarding them too. I gave him a free look before turning around and starting to run, immediately changing into my wolf.

I could hear my mate's feet pounding after me but I wasn't afraid. For the first time since I've been here, I was happy.
***
My fingers were dancing along the nape of Jordan's neck, and he was hovering over me ruining a perfectly good moment. We just arrived back in the house after a good run from the forest. We barely made it in the door before his lips attacked mine and I practically ran him into the wall. Our hands were all over each other as if our hands could burn each others' clothing off.

When we reached the bed in his room is when he started having an act of conscience.

"You have to stop worrying so much." I soothed, smoothing over his forehead.

"I just... I don't want to cause any long-term sadness that my offspring can bring." I sighed reaching for the hem of his shirt to lift it over his head but his hand stopped me.

"Well look at it this way maybe my sanity will repel the insanity." I laid back down onto the bed, irritated. "Ok. Well that was a turn off. Thanks."

"I'm not good at relationships," he mumbled turning up off of me and lying down next to me.

"When did you lose your virginity?" He turned his head away from my direction. "Jordan you're not a virgin." My eyes widen at his non response. "Oh my gosh, this is just too good! I have a virgin alpha as my mate! Why would you wait if you had lost hope? I would have thought you would have done it after you thought I wasn't coming. Oh... That was your way of not being hopeless."

"Stop romanticizing it. I just—"

"It's okay