She was my mate.
I kept telling myself that as she vanished up the road towards their cabin. My inner wolf was itching to break free and take in her scent.
I quickly shed my clothes and stashed them in one of the many bags we had hanging from the trees around here, just in case we needed to change in a hurry. My wolf took off, thrilled at the thought of our new mate.
How the hell was I going to break it to Alpha Hawk that my mate was a human? They were off-limits.
As I was lost in my thoughts, Tao darted across the road in front of them, and their screams snapped me back to reality.
The air was thick with tension as two of them stormed off somewhere after a disagreement. Their cabin was nestled among the trees and I stayed well hidden.
The other two kept themselves busy, and soon, Alice came back out to the car. Her smile was mesmerizing as she unloaded it and carried things inside. Tao was panting, his tongue hanging out.
His excitement got my heart racing too. The other two returned and they made up, their chatter friendly. Alice came to the window and opened it. I was sure her eyes were looking straight at me.
“Alice, can you help me with this? I’m not sure how to empty it without it all falling out of the pan,” one of the girls called out.
“Sure.” Alice disappeared.
My ears perked up at the sound of her sweet voice. I couldn’t see her. My wolf whined, urging me to move closer for a better view.
I could only see one girl moving around through the window and it was frustrating. I wanted to see her. My wolf whined in agreement.
I was so focused on her that I didn’t notice Josh bounding up to me until he was right there.
His gruff tone told me exactly what he was thinking, and I didn’t need to read his mind to know he was feeling a sexual attraction towards them.
I grunted at him.
Like me, Josh hadn’t found his mate yet, but he was different; he was happy to sleep with anyone to satisfy his sexual needs. I, on the other hand, was more selective.
The lake was a popular spot to meet some of the travelers staying; it was a main attraction among the mountain ranges.
We had been told many times by our alpha to stay away from the humans, but it was mostly because of the younger wolves and their inability to control their temper and strength.
Josh had a habit of disobeying orders and getting into trouble.
The sound of dishes clattering brought our attention back to the girls, who were giggling as they ate. I inhaled the scent of the cooking.
We heard Hawk, our alpha, mind-linking with us.
Josh and I replied that we were on our way when the front door to the cabin opened and Alice came out. She took my breath away, even in my wolf form.
My mouth hung open, and a bit of drool fell out from the corner. She looked around before sitting down on the porch swing, tucking her gorgeous legs under her, and opening a book to read.
I stood still, my heart pounding at the sight of her. Tao agreed with my thoughts; it wasn’t possible for a wolf to mate with a human—too many complications, we were always told.
But my heart and his were screaming for her. It was something I had never experienced before.
Josh turned and started running first. I took a quick glance back at Alice, who was sitting on the porch, her head lifted as she stared out into the woods towards me.
I knew she couldn’t see me as I was well hidden, but it felt as if she sensed me, or maybe I was just overthinking things. I needed to talk to Hawk when I got back.
I caught up with Josh and we raced back to the pack house. We quickly dressed and went straight in. Everyone was gathered around. Hawk came out with our luna, Star.
She got her nickname after she mated with our alpha, because on their ceremony night, a shooting star fell from the sky.
She also had a knack for dealing with him. She could calm his temper, bring it from a raging inferno to as calm as a lake on a perfect day.
“We have word that a wolf from the Red River Pack has been lingering near our borders; he is known for causing trouble. Men, I want you to keep your women safe; none of them are allowed to wander off on their own.
“Secondly, we have a few holiday cabins rented for the next two weeks. I want regular patrols out to keep them safe.”
Hawk went through other details which were divided among some of the lead warriors of the pack.
“Alright, everyone can go. Seb, can I see you?” He furrowed his brow at me.
I knew what this was about. I hung back until everyone had left and it was just my alpha and luna standing before me.
“What’s going on, Sebastian; you didn’t check in with us earlier?” Hawk’s eyes bore into mine as he tried to read me.
My heart was already pounding in my chest. I knew they weren’t going to like what I had to say.
“I don’t know. I got distracted by a girl. A human girl.” I let out a deep breath, my head dropping a bit.
“You need to steer clear of her,” Hawk warned, his words grinding out between clenched teeth.
“But what if—”
“It’s not an option. Humans can’t know about us. Keep your distance. Remember the girl from last year?” Hawk’s words hit me hard, my heart sinking.
Luna retreated to a corner, busying herself with something.
She was usually on top of this kind of stuff, and her silence was puzzling. She had to sense something. But when I opened my mouth to speak again, she just shook her head.
I was beyond frustrated. It had been over eight years since I turned eighteen and still, no mate. But the pull towards this girl was intense.
I decided to head back her way after grabbing a bite to eat.
After a quick shower, I packed some fresh clothes and my black sneakers into a backpack. I didn’t want to wear anything from the bags lying around.
Transforming into my wolf form, I picked up my bag in my jaws and headed back to see her. There was something about her that drew me in, and I needed to be absolutely sure she was my mate.
