“You will have your own cabin, it will be next to ours. They are twice the size of the old pack’s cabins. The families live in houses on the other side of the territory. The alpha has many businesses, so the pack lives very comfortably.”
I nod, not saying anything, just taking in the scents of my new territory. We walk up a trail, and a bunch of cabins come into view. “How big is the property?” I ask him. I breathe deeply, loving the smell of the woods.
“Right around 20,000 acres.”
I look at him in absolute shock; this is a huge property.
“He wanted everyone to run as they please, to be free. Enjoy being a wolf. He also put cabins in the woods, throughout the property, as a getaway.” Well this alpha seems amazing and very thoughtful
A bunch of men are waiting at the bottom of the road, but I don’t see any females. “How many women are here?”
He looks uneasy for a second before he answers. “You’re the only one.”
Did he just say that I am the only female?“What do you mean?”
He stops and looks at me. “You know how hard it is for packs to give up their women.” I nod. It is absolutely true. Most of the older and more traditional packs have their women under tight control. The women in my old pack aren’t so old-fashioned, because we had a younger alpha. But women in other packs have not been that lucky. They are kept in traditional roles: they mate and have babies—that is their life. Their alphas think women should be kept hidden and protected from everything. If the group is under attack from a rival pack, the women are expected to stay inside and watch their mates being slaughtered. Hell, no. If I knew my mate was fighting, I would be right by his side.
Mav has told me that, in this pack, you can be yourself and enjoy a lot of freedom.
“I was planning on transferring here anyway,” I tell him.
“Yeah. I know, sis.” He smacks me on the back, being a brother, and I roll my eyes because he is just asking for his ass to be beat.
We finally make it to the end of the road, and I come face-to-face with a bunch of hot-looking men. They all breathe deeply, taking in my scent, to see if I am their mate. One by one, they all introduce themselves. I’ve got to admit I am going to love seeing all of these young, hot men around me all the time. We all shake hands. This is their way of saying they are not going to cause me harm, and I appreciate that 100 percent.
One of the guys smirks at me. “Beautiful lady, I am now your gay best friend.” He could be on the cover of a magazine. He has beautiful blue eyes and dark brown hair. He is not as tall as most shifters, but he is still huge.
I laugh at him. I can already tell he is goofy and is right about being my new best friend.
From the corner of my eye, I notice everyone parting. I hear a growl, then a word: “Mate.”
My head snaps around, and I see the most beautiful man I have ever seen in my life. I stare into his eyes, which are a piercing blue. He is huge. He has broad shoulders, dark brown hair that reaches his jawbone, and scruff on his face, giving him a mountain-man look. He is wearing a red plaid shirt, with the sleeves rolled up his forearms, which looks heavenly on him. He is just pure beauty in my eyes. If I had to picture a dream guy, he would be it—hands down. He breathes in deeply as he stares at me intently. I breathe deeply too; then it hits me like a ton of bricks. He is my mate. I can’t believe it. “Alpha?” Mav asks him.He is the alpha?
“She is my true mate,” he tells him.
I blink, taking a step closer as it slowly sinks in. That I’ve finally found him. “You’re finally here,” I whisper; then he splits the distance between us and pulls me into a hug. He lays his head against my neck, breathing deeply, and I close my eyes. A shiver runs all the way down my body.
I can’t believe that he is holding me. One second I was on the run from Ken, and now he is here in my arms. As emotions take over, I start to shake and he tightens his arms around me. “Finally,” he growls, his voice deep. His nose runs back and forth across the crook of my neck.
I fist the back of his shirt, wanting to crawl into his body. My stomach is twisting and turning.
He pulls his head back, looking down at me. I have always heard that meeting your mate is the most emotional thing, but I never imagined it would be like this. It’s like the world has stopped, and my heart stopped and then restarted in sync with his. His eyes turn golden, as his wolf is on the verge of emerging, and I know mine are exactly the same.
“Well, I never imagined this,” Mav says, interrupting the moment, and I let my hands fall from the alpha’s back. I try to step away, but he snatches me to his side.
Everyone’s eyes are on us. I smile because this is everyone’s dream—to find their mate—and I just found mine in such an unexpected way. “Me either,” I whisper, looking at Mav. In minutes, my life completely changed.
“I guess the house we fixed up isn’t needed,” one of the guys jokes and the rest of them laugh.
My cheeks redden in embarrassment. The alpha growls low in his throat, and everyone quits laughing immediately. I hide my smile at his protectiveness. He can sense my discomfort. You can sense certain emotions in your mate. You can tell if they are scared, in distress, or in danger.
From what I have heard, sex with your true mate is amazing, because they were made exactly for you, the other half of your soul. We women are all virgins when we find our mates, but we heal very quickly—so the pain is gone in a split second.
We can also only get pregnant under the full moon, which is kind of fitting, as we are shifters. We don’t shift under the full moon; we can shift any time. Our wolves are a huge part of ourselves. They are right under our skin, guiding us. Right now my wolf wants out, to run with her mate.
My mate.
His hand drifts from my back to my hand, intertwining our fingers. Maverick looks at our hands; then it’s like it sinks in with him. He smiles. “I am happy for you, sis. I knew this day would come, but I am glad that it is with him.” My brother nods at his alpha, not meeting his eyes.
