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He arches a brow in challenge, still holding out his finger expectantly.
“Fine,” I sigh, reaching forward and hooking his pinky finger with mine. Sparks simmer between our skin, sending a shiver racing down my spine.
Damnit, why does he have to feel so good, smell so good, look so good?
This whole situation is beyond fucked.
“Tomorrow,” he murmurs, the low, sultry tone of his voice making me shiver again, that one word filled with an unspoken promise. He tosses me a wink as he steps backwards, the air around him shimmering. Within seconds, he’s shifted back to his wolf form, casting me one last glance before he spins around and takes off, the moonlight glistening off his glossy black fur.
As he sprints off into the night, my own wolf whines, willing me to go after him.
5
It was a risk to wander near the six-pack territory during the full moon run after explicitly being told to stay away. Actually crossing into their territory was even riskier, but once I picked up that scent on the breeze, my wolf was intent on chasing it down. The closer I got, the more my sense of rationality clouded, and though I didn’t understand what was driving me into a frenzy at the time, I sure as hell do now.
I have a fated mate.
The revelation hit me like a mack truck, and as I sprint through the forest to return to my own pack, my mind is still racing while I struggle to come to grips with what just happened.
It’s not that I don’t believe in the concept of fated mates, it’s just that I never really expected it to happen to me. Fated mates arerare, and my pack’s small. I figured my odds of finding her were pretty slim. But now…
This is a whole ass mess, isn’t it?
Mierda.
Even as I increase the distance between us, my wolf remains agitated. He’s already pining to be reunited with his other half like a lovesick pup. The fact that she’s the sister of one of the six-pack alphas is definitely an unexpected twist, but it could be a positive one. I just have to figure out how to play it.
For now, the best thing I can do is keep this whole fated mate bomb under wraps- at least until I know what’ll come of it. My pack has been through a lot, and loyalty is everything to them. I have a feeling they won’t take kindly to their alpha being fated to a stranger.
I pick my way through the forest until I find the bulk of my pack running together near the motel, gliding in with them seamlessly. A few greet me with excited yips and howls, and I nip at their flanks playfully as I run past them, my large paws drumming the earth as I weave through the other wolves to retake the lead. I doubt any of them even noticed I’d left- it’s not unusual for us to split off from the group during full moon runs and rejoin later. At least Ihopethey didn’t notice.
I’m expecting to slip right back into that sense of contented familiarity when I rejoin my pack, but something already feels different. My wolf is restless. My mind won’t quiet. And as I run, I can’t help but feel like something’s missing. I’m suddenly all too aware of that space inside me where the bond now resides, awakening from a dormant state like a flame flickering to life. It wantsher.
There’s something primal about the call of the bond, more closely connected to my animal side than my human one, and I quickly realize that it’s not something that I can escape by running off energy. My best chance at dampening the pull is probably to tuck my wolf away, so I veer away from the group again, leaving them to finish the run without me as I head back to the motel.
The front of the Twilight Grove motel isn’t much to look at, and the back is even more decrepit. Shadows cling to the rear side of the building as I approach and shift back to my human form, finding the stack of clothes I left behind and pulling them on. Even without my wolf at the forefront, my mind’s still going a thousand miles a minute, my inner turmoil distracting me so much that I don’t even notice I’m not alone out here in the dark as I tighten the drawstring of my sweatpants around my hips.
“You’re back early.”
I jerk my head up at the sound of the voice to see a silhouette leaning against the wall of the motel, shrouded in shadows. She’s got her arms folded across her chest and one of her legs kicked up against the brick behind her, and when I see the blonde hair, for a second, my heart stutters and I think it’sher. Mymate.
Then she steps out of the shadows, and I quickly realize that it isn’t.
“Jeez, Chey, you startled me,” I grumble, stabbing my fingers through my thick dark hair.
“Seriously?” she laughs. “That’s a first, I’ve never been able to sneak up on you.”
She’s right. I’m always aware of my surroundings, and I just gave away much more than I intended to by admitting that she caught me off guard.
Chey makes her way closer, tucking her hair behind an ear as she eyes me suspiciously. “What’s going on, Alpha?”
“Nothing,” I mutter. “New territory, that’s all.”
She raises a dubious brow. “You sure?”
I nod.
She pauses to give me a once-over, considering. “Mhmm, I’m not buying it,” she finally clucks, lifting her chin and pointing a finger at my chest. “You’re hiding something.”
