Finally, the last man nodded to the Elders
and walked away, and there was no one left. The reality of having a
Mate suddenly hit me hard. Adrenaline pumped into my blood. She
really was mine, and soon she’d turn to face me.
What if she didn’t show interest in me? My
hands shook. I held my breath as she turned, waiting for our eyes
to lock. But they didn’t. She was watching her feet as she
approached the door. It was the first time I’d fully seen her face.
She was perfect. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail
and freckles dusted her cute nose.
I shifted impatiently, and the movement
seemed to draw her attention. She looked up at the last moment. Our
gazes met, and I felt the pull. My father had told me about the
phenomena. A tug on your insides the first time you see your
Mate.
She felt it, too, because she stopped
walking, and her mouth dropped open a little.
I stepped out of the shadows.
“You have got to be kidding,” she said
softly.
That she felt the same disbelief I had made
my pulse leap. I started to walk toward her unable to keep my gaze
from drifting to her neck. One bite and she would be mine.
I was halfway to her when the change in her
scent registered. Fear. Panic. She was frozen in disbelief, but not
as I’d been. Disgust lit her features. Shame flared in my gut. Had
I mistaken the pull?
The closer I got, the stronger the smell of
disgust poured from her. The horror in her beautiful hazel gaze
tore through the euphoria that had built in my chest. What was she
seeing? The long hair, the scruffy beard? That was just the
outside. There was more to me than that.
My hope withered. I should have known
better.
Unable to stay for more, I turned and walked
to the front of the building.
Behind me, I heard her speak again.
“Sam, I’ve more than fulfilled any
obligation I had to you or the pack. I’d like to leave
tonight.”
As much as it hurt to know she didn’t want
me as badly as I wanted her, I couldn’t let her leave without
trying again.
I went straight to the blue pickup. Her
scent wrapped around the thing. I breathed it in and realized she
wasn’t just any female. She was the compatible human I’d heard
about. There’d only been one other human like her. Charlene. And
she’d changed the fate of the packs. Gabby was different, special,
and her presence explained the huge crowd for the Introduction.
There was a mystery around these two women.
The Elders didn’t know why they were compatible with us, but
Charlene and Gabby represented a chance for more potential Mates.
The Elders were trying to find more like these two and had set laws
to protect them. This changed everything.
I couldn’t treat her like other females, and
my heart sank as I realized what that meant. I couldn’t Claim her;
she needed to Claim me. Based on her reaction, she didn’t want
that. But giving up wasn’t an option. I had the standard six months
to court her and try to win her over. Six months. The enormity of
the life-changing event that had just occurred threatened to bring
me down. I needed patience. But first, I needed to stop her from
leaving.
I needed a plan.
Eyeing the truck, I popped the hood and
looked inside. Vehicles always had amazed me. I studied the engine
for a moment, inspecting all of the connections, then I reached in
and started unscrewing what I could.
“Want some tools?” someone asked behind
me.
“Sure.”
Humans couldn’t run like wolves. Without the
truck, she wasn’t going anywhere.
* * * *
Tools made quick work of removing most of
the parts. I examined things as I took them apart. The way the oil
flowed through the system was ingenious. There were a few other
systems I needed to figure out: fuel and coolant. But the overall
picture was simpler than I’d imagined.
Several of the rejected men watched from the
porch but I didn’t pay them much attention. I was waiting. Gabby
had made her intention to leave clear. She’d show up
eventually.
As soon as she walked out the door, my gut
clenched again as her scent drifted to me.
Son, I acknowledge your interest.
There was a brief pause before Elder Sam’s voice continued in my
head.
I do hope you know how to put my truck back together when
you’re done.
I didn’t acknowledge him. Instead, I
continued to use the ratchet. My hand started to shake again. She
had no idea how desperate I was for any sign of acceptance from
her. Just one sign. Any sign.
“Gabby, honey,” I heard him say. “I don’t
think he wants you to go just yet.”
“There’s more than one vehicle here,” she
said.
I swallowed hard. That wasn’t what I’d hoped
for. She was afraid, I reminded myself. She just needed time.
“If we go inside to ask anyone else, we’ll
come back to more vehicular murder,” Sam said.
He was right. I wasn’t about to give her up.
She was mine.
“Fine,” she said. Not looking was killing
me. I glanced up as she stepped off the porch and marched toward
the main gate.
“You won’t get far,” Sam said.
She hesitated at the edge of the yard light
then plunged into the darkness that surrounded the driveway. It
didn’t take long for her to disappear from sight, and I ceased
ratcheting to listen. She didn’t stop walking as I’d hoped she
would.
When she reached the point where I couldn’t
hear her anymore, I set the tools aside and started to follow. Her
scent led me. I wouldn’t lose her.
* * * *
Studying the motel Gabby had checked into, I
remained crouched near the tree line. There wasn’t much to see. Two
parked cars occupied the small parking lot, and through the office
window, the man at the desk leaned back in his chair and stared at
a small television. I glanced again at the window for Gabby’s room.
A light shined through. Did that mean she was still awake,
though?
She’d walked so far, her feet dragging long
scuffs in the dirt along the shoulder of the road. She’d been
exhausted. I’d thought she would have turned back before she
reached the motel. Yet, she’d kept going, her desperation to leave
clear. And, my desperation to keep her had me crouched behind a
bush.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I regretted not
catching her while we walked. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I
couldn’t risk knocking on her door and trying to talk to her. She’d
been upset the first time she’d laid eyes on me. I doubted the
second time would go much better as tired as she was.
The light in Gabby’s room dimmed
considerably, drawing my attention. A plan formed. Slowly, I
grinned in the darkness and stood. She didn’t need to
cooperate...she just needed to sleep through it all.
Keeping to the shadows, I crept toward the
motel. Outside, I pressed my ear to her door, listening. The sound
of her deep breathing made my smile. She was already out. Time to
move.
The round handle resisted when I tried it,
and a frustrated growl escaped me. It would have been easier if she
hadn’t locked it. I twisted the knob sharply and heard the locking
mechanism break. Holding my breath, I listened again. Inside, her
breathing remained steady. I eased the door open, watching for a
security chain. Nothing. I opened it wider and slipped into the
room, quickly easing the door closed behind me.
Gabby lay on the bed, the bathroom light
shining on her hair. She was curled on her side, a hand resting
under her cheek. My heart clenched tight in my chest at the sight,
and I reached up to rub the ache. Mine. I exhaled slowly and tore
my gaze from her to look around for her things. There wasn’t much.
Her shoes were neatly by the door, telling me a lot about her
personality, and her bag near the bed. I found her toothbrush next
to the sink where the stench of rotten eggs, from the faucet,
lingered.
With everything stowed away, I removed my
jacket and lengthened the strap of her bag. Unable to look away, I
watched her as I fit the bag across my back, out of the way. My
palms began to sweat. I planned to carry her to the Compound.
Touching her, holding her, for over an hour...my skin rippled, and
I closed my eyes for a moment to steady my control.
Opening my eyes, I moved close to the side
of the bed and pulled back the covers. She didn’t move. I took my
time to cover her with my jacket. My hands shook when I bent to
slide my arms under her.
She weighed nothing to me as I lifted and
settled her against my chest. She murmured and nestled her cheek
against my neck, and I froze, unable to breathe. My heart hammered
hard in my chest. Pure want boiled in my veins. Bite me, I thought.
I held still, hoping, but she didn’t move.
After a moment, I realized she wouldn’t, and
I calmed enough to walk to the door. Using my foot, I nudged the
door open and walked out into the night, carrying the most precious
thing in my world. I held her to me, enjoying the feel of her in my
arms as I kept to the shadows. Avoiding the road and its noise, I
went to the woods.
I took my time, walking carefully, not
wanting to jar her. What would she do if she woke? If she woke
while I held her, she’d most likely be angry. If I were lucky,
she’d bite me in her irritation. I shuddered and tried to push that
kind of thinking aside. It wasn’t helping my control.
What would I do if she woke? I studied her
features, the way her lashes fanned against her cheeks, the
freckles that sprinkled the bridge of her nose, her soft lips. I
struggled to keep moving as I stared at them. What would she do if
I kissed her? Would she run again? Probably.
I tore my gaze from her and studied the
woods around us. Leaves crunched under my bare feet. In the
distance, frogs croaked. Nearby, the animals quieted until we
quickly passed. At this pace, it would take less time to return
than it had to leave.
What would she do when she woke up and found
herself back in her room at the Compound? I frowned as I considered
her reaction. She wouldn’t be happy, that was for sure, and that
wouldn’t work well for me. Mad people didn’t listen, and I needed
her open to reason when we first talked. How could I keep her from
being angry?
I remembered something my dad once told me
about my mom.
She was good at confusing the hell out of me until
I didn’t know what to do or say. That was when she usually got her
way.
Glancing down at Gabby, I wondered if I
could confuse her enough to get my way. The ache in my chest
returned. I couldn’t rub it. So, I pressed her closer. It
helped.
As I expected, it didn’t take long before I
entered Thomas’ territory. Fortunately, she hadn’t woken. She’d
barely moved. I should have been thankful for that but was too busy
dwelling on the fact that I’d need to let her go soon. My fingers
twitched with the need to hold her tighter.
Instead, I paused and crouched near the
ground. Balancing her in my lap, I studied her for a moment.
Although a gentle breeze played with her hair, her peaceful
expression never changed. I wished I could be there when she woke.
Reaching down, I grabbed a handful of leaves and began to tuck them
into her soft hair. Unable to help myself, I touched her face. My
fingers left behind streaks of dirt. I cringed. Hadn’t meant to do
that.
She looked like she’d walked herself back to
the Compound. With a grin, I lifted her again, my hands likely
leaving dirt streaks on her clothes. She shifted in my arms, and I
froze. She made a small noise and settled her hand against my
chest. Again, I had to focus on breathing.
She was mine. She’d figure that out. I just
needed to give her some time and find a way to give us a chance to
talk. When she didn’t move again, I started out, closing the
distance to the Compound.
There were still a few males wandering
about, but no one paused to speak with me when I entered. A few
cast worried glances at Gabby. Probably the leaves. I stopped to
drop her shoes near the entry. I planned to put some mud on them
too. Then, I padded my way to her apartment. It was easy to find.
Now that I had her scent, I could trace it anywhere.
I shifted her to one side so I could tap on
the door. Sam opened it right away, a surprise lift to his
expression at the sight of Gabby in my arms.
“Is she all right?” he asked. His gruff
voice gave away his concern.
I nodded and stepped forward. I didn’t want
to have a conversation while I held her. If she woke up now, in my
arms, looking like a mess...well, it wouldn’t be good.
Sam quickly moved out of my way. I strode
into their apartment and followed her scent to the bedroom. As
gently as possible, I shifted her in my arms and pulled down the
covers then tucked her in.
She didn’t know it yet, but I’d take care of
her, always.
I stood outside, working on the truck, and
every time the main door opened, I tensed. The sun had risen a long
while ago. Each passing hour made me more nervous. What would I say
to Gabby when she did appear? Should I apologize right away? No, it
was better to gauge her mood first. The leaves might do the
trick.
It wasn’t until well after the sun rose that
the door opened, and her scent drifted into the yard. My palms
started to sweat as I listened to her step onto the porch. When she
stopped, I swallowed hard, and glanced her way. She had lifted her
face to the sun and closed her eyes. Leaves still clung to her hair
and dirt streaked her face, making her look wild. My chest grew
tight. Mine. She was mine.
I wanted to hold her again. Touch her face.
The need made my skin ripple. Shifting my focus to the truck, I
located another bolt and quickly set the ratchet. It took two
tries. The rippling faded but my nerves didn’t.
The sound of her movement had me inhaling
deeply as I waited for her to cross the yard. Her annoyance and
confusion salted the air. But no anger. That was good.