A Ridge Mountain Pack 3: The Ultimate Sacrifice

MELANIE

Max and Ginger’s happiness was infectious, but it was also draining. I hung around the party for a bit, then slipped away unnoticed. My mom gave me a knowing smile, telling me to get some rest.

I made my way to my room, kicked off my shoes, and didn’t even bother to hang my dress up. I just needed a hot shower.

After my shower, I didn’t bother with pajamas. I just crawled into bed, bare as the day I was born. Just as I was about to turn off my lamp, my phone lit up.

Who could be calling at this hour? Everyone I knew was at the party. I picked up the phone and saw an unknown number.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Did I wake you?” The deep, sexy voice on the other end belonged to Brock, the man I’d been longing for.

I sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up with me.

“Brock? No, I wasn’t sleeping. I didn’t expect to hear from you,” I said, trying not to sound too eager.

I missed our daily chats. Ever since he left for Ireland, I felt like a piece of me was missing.

“I’m glad. I feel like we haven’t talked in ages. What’s been happening with you?” His voice was like a balm to my soul, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“Well, today was Max and Ginger’s mating ceremony. I was Ginger’s witness.”

I heard Brock suck in a breath. “I’m sorry I missed that. And I’m sorry I missed seeing you. I’ve missed out on so much being here in Ireland.” His voice was tinged with regret.

“Brock, you had to be there for your family. How’s your dad?”

“He’s better. Actually, I’m hoping to be home soon. When’s your graduation?”

“Five weeks. I have a final internship that’s only three weeks long, then I come back and take my finals. The week after is graduation. I still have to decide if I want to stay in my pack or go to a pack that needs a doctor.”

“Five weeks. I’m so proud of you. I think you should come to Texas and be a doctor there,” he suggested.

“That would be great, but if you aren’t my mate I won’t be going there. I hope you understand that, Brock. We can still be friends, but it wouldn’t be fair to my mate or yours if we continued anything more than that.” It hurt to say that, but it was the truth.

I heard Brock sigh on the other end of the phone. “I know, Melanie. I just pray to the Goddess we don’t have to remain just friends. I care about you.”

He paused, as if searching for the right words. I waited, not wanting to interrupt. “I’ll be coming back soon. I can’t wait to see you again. I can’t wait to kiss you again. Mostly, I can’t wait for you to see that we are mates. I believe we are.”

I smiled. His conviction gave me hope. If there was someone else out there for me, I would have found them by now. The summit was just here and none of the unmated wolves there were my mates, so it gave me a great amount of confidence that Brock would be the one.

“I can’t wait either. I’ve missed you. We used to talk often, and I feel like I’ve been missing so much without that,” I told him honestly.

“I’m glad. I have to go. It’s early here and I need to get to training. I’ve been helping lead the training in the mornings, and I’m not here much longer so they’ve definitely taken advantage of my expertise. After that, I’m going to help my parents with a couple things at their house. If it isn’t too late, I’ll call you tonight.”

“Ok Brock. Talk to you soon.” I hung up with a smile on my face. He never failed to make me feel warm and happy.

I laid down, pulling a pillow close to me to hug it as I fell asleep.

BROCK

I hung up with Melanie, a knot in my stomach. I was eager to get back to the states to see her. I knew my pack was suffering without me.

As the beta, I had a lot of responsibilities. The alpha had been handling everything without complaint. He called me two days ago to touch base.

He mentioned a breach at one of the prisons in Texas and said he was looking forward to my return so I could lead a team to inspect and fortify the building. It was his way of telling me to hurry up, without actually saying it. I couldn’t blame him; I’d been gone nearly a year.

Melanie had accomplished so much while I was in Ireland. With all her traveling and exposure to other packs, like at the summit, she likely would have found her mate by now if they were present. I am her mate.

I know it in my gut, and so does my wolf. I regretted missing so many important events in her life. I had completely forgotten about Max and Ginger’s mating ceremony.

I wished I had been there to see Melanie all dressed up. I’m sure she looked stunning. She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot of the world.

I’ve had lovers in the past, a few casual flings with pack members who weren’t interested in finding their mates, even a human or two. But ever since I met Melanie, I haven’t touched another woman. She’s all I think about. She’s all I want.

I shook off my thoughts and headed for the shower. I threw on some gym shorts and sneakers. I didn’t bother with a shirt, I’d just get sweaty and rip it off anyway.

I made my way to the training grounds, passing a few early risers. I was leaving soon and needed to get in these last few sessions with the wolves who needed extra coaching.

Under my guidance, they had improved a lot. They were almost ready to show the alpha that they were cut out to be on patrol and part of the guard.

The training session wraps up in a blur. I’m drenched in sweat and caked in dirt, the telltale signs of a good, hard workout. If you’re not a mess by the end, you didn’t push yourself hard enough.

As I make my way back to my parents’ place, ready for a much-needed shower, my mind drifts back to Melanie.

Her stunning blue eyes, her silky skin, her long blonde hair, and the way her lips parted when we kissed all come to mind. She felt just right in my arms, like she was molded to fit me.

It’s as if she was created just for me, and I truly believe she was. I recall the time we went swimming near the waterfall at Ridge Mountain. The memory alone is enough to stir a physical reaction.

I quickly remind myself to steer clear of such thoughts if I want to keep my cool. Soon enough, she’ll be mine. All of her, forever.

I step through the front door, passing the kitchen where my mom is frying bacon and pulling biscuits from the oven. “Brock, is that you?” she calls out.

“Yes. I’ll be right out after a quick shower.”

I hope she doesn’t notice the bulge in my shorts. How mortifying.

I’m almost to my bedroom when my younger sister emerges from hers. She’s only sixteen, a surprise addition to our family.

She nearly collides with me, distracted by the music playing through her earbuds.

“Oops, sorry,” she says, flashing a quick smile before her gaze drops to my shorts. “Oh.”

She giggles and retreats to the kitchen. Just great. Nothing’s worse than your baby sister catching you with a hard-on.

I shake my head and head to the shower to take care of business.

I’m as quick as I can be, given the circumstances. I don’t want to upset my mom by skipping breakfast.

As I make my way to the kitchen table, my dad walks in. He’s looking healthier and stronger each day. Despite his injuries, he still commands a room.

“Brock. We need to fix the fence by the tree line today. Your mother wants to start her garden, but she can’t until we’re sure the deer won’t eat all her vegetables.”

He doesn’t bother with a good morning, just dives straight into the day’s tasks.

“Sure, I was planning on it. I just wanted to grab some breakfast first.”

When I say “we,” I mean me. He supervises while I do the heavy lifting.

I don’t mind, though. Soon I’ll be gone, and he’ll have to pick up these tasks himself.

He can’t go back on patrol, so Mom has a long list of chores waiting for him as soon as he’s able.

“Hmm,” my dad hums, picking up a biscuit and slathering it with butter. “You should try one of these biscuits.”

My mom’s always been a great cook, and I’ve missed her food.

I devour five biscuits, a pound of bacon, six hard-boiled eggs, and a cup of coffee. I’m a big guy, and I eat like one.

My dad’s no different. My sister just watches us, a look of disgust on her face at our appetites.

“When are you heading back to Texas?” my mom asks, sipping her coffee.

The room goes quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

“End of the week. The alpha’s basically telling me to haul ass back. There’s a security breach at one of the prisons that needs my attention.”

My dad just nods in understanding. He used to be in charge of security, so he gets it.

“I guess we better get going then, Brock. Your old man needs to get things done while you’re here. I’m too beat up these days to do much. Plus, you can tell me about the girl I heard you talking to this morning.”

I raise an eyebrow in surprise. He was up that early? His wolf hearing must have picked up some of our conversation.

“You heard me?” I ask.

“Of course I did. I was getting some water and happened to be outside your door when I heard you say her name. I’m nosy, what can I say.”

He winks at me and stands up.

My dad knows I’ve been waiting for my mate. He understands the significance, so I’m sure he’s going to grill me once we’re outside.

And, as I suspected, I wasn’t wrong.