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He snickered. “Get your head on straight and we will try this again tomorrow. Same time.”
I nodded and watched him climb the stairs, leaving me alone in the basement. It was early yet, maybe 1 or 2 pm, when I headed to my room for a cold shower and a fresh change of clothes. My wolf wanted me to hunt down Luca, but I ignored her and made my way to the kitchen. After grabbing an apple, I headed outside.
The sun warmed my face as the wind brushed gently against my cheeks. The smell of decaying leaves and tree bark filled my nostrils as I inhaled the world around me. It wasn’t home…it was better out near the forest.
“Hey there,” a familiar voice said.
I turned, spotting Lori walking up with a smile. “Hello,” I said in greeting. I liked Lori, at least what little bit I knew of her. She had a happy disposition and being around her had a calming effect.
“Are you heading into the forest too?” she queried.
“Um…no. I had a little free time and wanted to look around.”
“Why don’t you join me? I only need to pick a few herbs for Rita.”
“Rita?”
“I forget that you’re new around here. Rita is the local witch. I often fetch her some herbs when I visit.”
“That’s very kind of you. Okay, I would love to join you on your walk.”
Lori spoke about her family and friends. She was twenty years old and only visited in hopes of finding her fated mate like her older sister, Anna, who found hers three years ago.
“Is finding your fated mate common?” I asked.
“No. Not anymore. When Anna found hers though, it renewed everyone’s hope again.” Lori said with a happy smile.
We trudged along, leaves crunching under our shoes. The birds sang us songs while sounds of the forest provided the background music. The air smelled crisp. Winter would be here before we knew it.
“So, if finding your fated mate is rare, then….” I couldn’t decide how to phrase the question. Lori must think I’ve been hiding under a rock all my life.
“How are so many wolves mating?” She asked with an arched eyebrow and a sly smile.
“Yes.”
“The same way humans do. They meet, fall in love, and then imprint over time. That’s what my parents did.”
“And if you find your fated mate, can you refuse?” I asked with Luca in mind. Not that I wanted to refuse the mating, but I wasn’t ready or willing to jump ignorantly into the fire.
“I’ve never heard of anyone finding their fated mate after imprinting. That’s a good thing I suppose because if you refuse the mating bond, you will eventually go mad.”
“You mean insane?”
“Yes.” Lori’s face lost its happiness. “The stronger the wolf, the longer they can stave off the madness. But it’s mentally taxing.”
My gut twisted and my wolf stirred. She didn’t like the thoughts of Luca being in pain, and honestly, neither did I. When had I started caring about him? His body was all granite with hard edges and well-defined lines that cut around every muscle. A chiseled jaw, luscious lips, and smoldering eyes made him a walking sex machine. My lust was expected but caring was not.
Maybe when he held me while I broke apart. Or it could have been when he took care of me this morning after sex. But whatever the reason, I realized that Ididcare about him.
“Here they are!” Lori knelt and plucked some small pinkish-white flowers.
“Valerian!” It surprised me to see it growing. I didn’t think it was native to this area.
“Yes,” Lori confirmed. “Luca gave Rita permission to spell the ground so it would grow. In addition to using it in her elixirs for anxiety and other ailments, she loves making a sleeping tea for herself at night.”
Lori gathered the three Valerian flowers and dug up the roots, storing them in a secure pouch. “This is all I need,” she beamed.
We headed back, but my mind still focused on Luca and the fated mate information that Lori had given me. I missed him and had to constantly fight against seeking him out. But it wasn’t painful, only mildly uncomfortable. Maybe if I had been raised differently, grown up with the knowledge of fated mates, I would jump in headfirst. But instead, I had a load of inner demons that circled around abandonment issues.
