She was my mate.
I kept telling myself that as she vanished up the road towards their cabin. My inner wolf clawed at me, desperate to taste the air, to drink in her intoxicating scent.
In a flash, I shed my clothes, stashing them in a nearby tree bag. We hid them discreetly in various spots, in case we needed to change quickly. The thought of our new mate sent my wolf into a frenzy; he took off, his powerful paws pounding the ground, a happy howl escaping his throat.
How the hell was I going to break it to Alpha Hawk that my mate was a human? They were off-limits.
I was deep in thought until Tao’s frantic dash across the road, accompanied by the shrill cries of my companions, yanked me back to the present moment.
The air was thick with tension as two of the girls stormed off somewhere after a disagreement.
The ancient, towering trees surrounded their cabin, and I remained well hidden in the shadows.
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, that was her name. She came to the window and opened it. I was sure her gaze was 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 girl called out.
“Sure.” Alice disappeared.
My ears perked up at the sound of her sweet, melodious voice, like a songbird’s call. I couldn’t see her. My wolf let out a soft whine, his fur bristling slightly as he urged me to move closer for a better look.
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 focused so intently on her that I missed Josh approaching until he was suddenly at my side.
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 travelers staying; it was a prime attraction among the mountain ranges.
The alpha’s warnings to avoid humans were mostly for the younger wolves’ safety, because of their lack of self-control.
Disobeying orders and getting into trouble were common occurrences for Josh. I pray for the day he meets his mate. She is not going to know what hit her.
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. It was making me feel hungry.
We heard Hawk, our alpha, mind-linking with us.
Josh and I replied 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 of 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. Only an Alpha had the chance of mating with a human because of his power.
The silent scream in my heart mirrored his own, a desperate plea to be with her, a silent agony that filled the space between us. It was unlike anything I had ever encountered; a completely unfamiliar sensation.
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 because 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. We found everyone gathered around waiting. 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; don’t let them 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 would not 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.
A crushing weight settled on my chest; how can my alpha not even hear me out? It had been over ten years since I turned eighteen and still, no mate.
But the pull towards this girl was intense, a primal urge that resonated deep within my soul, causing a strange warmth to spread through my chest.
Disobeying Hawk was the last thing I wanted to do. I had duties to do, but I had to be sure about her.
After a quick shower, and some food, I packed some fresh clothes and my black sneakers into a backpack. I didn’t want to wear anything from the bags lying around.
My muscles shifted, fur sprouting as I transformed, the jaws of my wolf gently picked up my bag before we headed back to see her.
There was an undeniable spark, an electrifying energy surrounding her that drew me in, and I had to know for certain—was she, my soulmate? And if so, how the hell was I going to convince my alpha?
