A Match Made in Hell

Elaina dropped her bag on the bed heading straight for the quaint bathroom. Once a year she would come to the mating hall for one night and relax in a hot bath as she tuned out the sound of dozens wolves mating.

She had been looking forward to an evening to herself since she knew she needed to be at work the next morning for a presentation. Elaina sighed as she entered the bathroom and spotted the average sized tub.

Over the past two years especially working in an office and having no motivation to do much of anything had resulted in an additional sixty pounds making it harder to fit into not only her clothes but also bathtubs.

She turned on the hot water and stripped down regardless, determined to relax she eased herself down into the tub. Her foot reached out and turned off the water when it began rising too high. Still most of her body was out of the water, making her grateful for the extra heater in the small room.

Elaina paused for a moment, frowning at her breasts and round stomach sticking up out of the water. She sucked in her belly trying to make it sink below the water to no avail. Only making her notice her pubic hair growing back in after she had shaved it for her ex-boyfriend. She remembered the way he whispered in her ear how sexy it would be, and how desperately he wanted to devour her wet, bare pussy.

It was an honest attempt that she had made when she found her nether-region covered in red irritated bumps and a few nicks. It was weeks before she finally had gotten past the painful ingrown hairs. She still couldn’t believe that he broke up with her over it when she had only done as he asked.

Elaina bent her knees and slid down into the bath water. She listened to the muffled sounds of the small splashes and tuned out the world to focus on herself. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply allowing herself to feel like one with the water.

---

Anthony walked slowly to the steps of the mating hall. Younger wolves ran past him on all sides to enter the motel-like building and track down their mates. He had figured tonight wouldn’t require more than a couple of hours from him, he planned to walk the halls, have some drinks at the bar and sleep in his car before driving home in the morning.

For the last nine years his Alpha had always been generous enough to assign Anthony to urgent business during this time of year. This year the Alpha had become too distracted with the birth of his first grandchild and forgot. Leaving Anthony no choice but to do his diligence.

He took comfort in the knowledge that next year would be his last at the mating hall. While females are required to attend until mated or menopause, men had the option to stop after ten years and choose their own mate or choose to be alone.

While being alone was always Anthony’s preference, convinced that a woman would make him weak. His wolf yearned for the connection of a mate and grew more irritable and uncontrollable with each year he was denied.

He rolled his eyes at the over-eager young men bursting into rooms and slamming doors behind them. He felt his wolf pushing to take over, and stopped briefly in the hallway as he fought for control. Suddenly the realization hit him as he connected with his wolf. His mate was close, and all his previous plans were destroyed in an instant.

Anthony’s wolf had taken control, leading him to a room where he was now standing, his hands clutched a shirt he pulled from a duffel bag on the bed. He breathed in the sweet scent of strawberries as he noticed the light shining from underneath the bathroom door.

He wasted no time, striding across the room and bursting into the small bathroom filled with steam. His eyes focused on the woman in the tub as she began slowly rising up from under the water. The tub clearly too small for her thick figure and long legs.

Anthony stood in silence watching the water drip down her breasts and over the dark circles around her nipples. His staring was interrupted by her sudden outburst, “get out!” She screamed, and yanked hard on the shower curtain in an attempt to close it.

The curtain rod came crashing down, one end splashing into the water making a mess as the other end hit Elaina on the head. Anthony’s wolf whimpered insisting that they step in to help her. Anthony barely maintained control and stepped out of the bathroom closing the door behind him.

Anthony locked the door to the room and sat on the bed leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He didn’t want a mate. He never wanted a mate. His wolf growled, ‘our mate’ at Anthony’s hesitation to accept the woman into their lives. Anthony sighed heavily when he heard the bathroom door open.

Elaina’s footsteps were fast and heavy when she rushed to the bed. She snatched her duffel bag from the bed beside Anthony. “I thought I told you to get out,” she demanded returning to the bathroom with her bag. She listened for sounds of him leaving while she pulled on her leggings and sports bra with a baggy sweatshirt.

She knew he would still be out there since she had heard only silence. Taking a slow breath to calm her racing pulse she opened the door to face him. She knew his wolf had taken over when he stood facing her. The hazel in his eyes from before had been replaced with a fierce gold color.

“No,” she stated plainly and crossed her arms across her chest.

“Mate,” he demanded in a strained voice. Elaina shook her head and moved to the other side of the bed, putting more distance between them.

“It’s time for you to leave, there is nothing for you here, you stupid wolf.” Whimpering Anthony’s wolf allowed him to regain control. Curled up in the back of his mind he reeled over his mate’s rejection.

“As much as I wish I could oblige, you and I both know it doesn’t work that way.” Anthony started, crossing his arms across his broad chest. She wasn’t sure what he meant by that but assumed that it was because of her looks.

“It could,” she paused, “nobody has to know we ever met.” Anthony gestured to the security camera in the corner.

“They already know, and it’s not like the old days. Rejection is forbidden, at the very least one of us would be put to death.” He ran his hands through his dark brown hair in frustration.

He met her blue eyes and could see her making calculations trying to find a solution. “We could say it was a mistake,” she urged taking a step back from the bed, clearly scrambling, “we tell them that when you got closer to me your wolf realized he was wrong.”

Anthony’s wolf let out a whine that turned into a growl. “Look,” Anthony let out a frustrated tone, “I didn’t want this either, tomorrow we can go home and both blame my Alpha for making me come to this damn thing!”

Elaina dropped her head, climbed onto the mattress over the covers and curled up with her back towards him in defeat. Her wolf made her presence known for the first time all evening letting out a soft whimper feeling Elaina’s pain and disappointment.

Anthony flicked off the light and climbed onto the other side of the bed. Laying on his back he stared at the ceiling, wondering how he managed to have found the one woman in this hall to not be throwing herself at whoever walked in the door. He wasn’t sure if she was going to make this easier or harder on him.