A small hidden path up ahead would lead me to my destination and I took it gracefully without disturbing the underbrush. I only slowed as dirt turned to rock beneath my feet and I stood on the edge of the cliff, overlooking the valley cloaked in darkness. Looking up at the sky, I realized for the first time that it was also a full moon. I howled up into the beautiful night.
My howl was answered so close by that I stumbled and nearly went over the edge of the cliff. My heart racing, I turned and saw a beautiful, large, red wolf at the entrance to the path that led back to the forest. He was lying down on his stomach like he was waiting for me to calm down and make the next move.
I had never felt such immense happiness as I stared into the bluest eyes I'd ever seen. Patrick. I had always imagined his eyes were green or perhaps brown. Never had I thought they would be blue. Bluer even than my own. They were beautiful and mesmerizing and I knew I would never forget them in a million years.
I walked towards him, hesitantly. His tail wagged hard with each step of my approach. And as I grew more confident his tongue even fell out to one side as he panted in obvious joy. I was doing that. I was making my mate happy and that made me feel stronger and more powerful than ever before.
I didn't know what came over me, but I strolled right up to him and licked the side of his face before jumping over him and running back through the short path into the forest. It must not have taken long for him to recover though, because he jumped on me, causing me to tumble into the brush before I made the first clearing. A weird sound came from my wolf that sounded as though I were choking, when in reality, I was laughing so hard it was escaping through my wolf form.
It must have made Patrick nervous, as he backed off and stared before nudging me with his nose. I tried to stand, but he growled at me. My instinct should have been to growl back, but I immediately submitted. Damn him.
He sniffed and nudged me all over until he seemed confident I was okay, then he stood back and barked, inclining his head towards the forest. I joined him by his side and we ran together for a long time. It seemed that at every possible opportunity our wolves rubbed up against each other. I couldn't have stopped mine if I'd wanted. I knew by the end of the night I'd be carrying his scent, but also to my surprise I was thrilled to know he'd be carrying mine, too.
We ran. We played. We splashed through the water. We tracked a rabbit together. He made the kill, but nudged it for me to take, and I did. I never much cared for hunting or eating raw kills, even in wolf form, but it had seemed important to him, so I ate.
Despite the woods crawling with our kind on the beautiful night of Winter Solstice, it felt as if we were entirely alone. I was grateful we never once crossed paths with my family, and I knew that there were so many black wolves similar to mine in the pack that most likely no one else would pay that much attention if they saw us together anyway. Then again, Patrick stood out with his beautiful rust-colored fur that blended in with the last remnants of fall.
Eventually, we made our way back to the boulder, which happened to be my favorite place on Earth. I suspected Patrick could sense my love of it as he led the way and I followed.
Despite having slept the day away, the night's fresh air had tired me. I couldn't be certain of the time, but suspected it was already well past midnight, and knew the oldest and youngest of our kind had likely headed back home already.
Patrick stood at the edge of the cliff looking out into the valley below, much as I had been when he found me earlier. I joined him at his side, surprised to find I fit perfectly next to him. Our bodies aligned like missing puzzle pieces. He looked down at me then up at the full moon shining brightly above, and he howled. I watched him in awe before joining him in perfect harmony. I had never imagined how beautiful howling with one's mate could be, until that moment.
When the moment broke, I lay down at his feet. Another sign of not just submission, but acceptance. Damn it. I had to pull it together and stop that nonsense, but while I scolded myself internally, he laid his much larger body beside me and I instinctively snuggled into him. I sighed. I would just live in the moment and deal with the consequences later. It wouldn't change anything, I tried to tell myself, but in my heart I knew it was going to hurt even more in the morning to resist him.
The next thing I knew, the sun was just starting to rise. I stretched and jolted at the feeling of the warm body lying next to me. He stirred and gave what I could only imagine was a “wolfy” grin. We stared out across the valley as it slowly came to life in brilliant colors of oranges and golds in the morning light.
Realizing I needed to get home and change, I stood, stretched, and sadly turned my back on him to walk away. I was prepared to take off in a sprint the moment I hit the woods, but he nipped at my heel and nodded his head in the direction I knew was Kelsey's old cottage where he was staying. I shook my head sadly and started to walk away. Again he nipped at my hindlegs. I yelped and turned. He didn't look as happy this time and nodded his head again, walking in the direction I knew he wanted me to follow. Again I shook my head. Only that time I growled at him and saw his tail go between his legs as he lowered himself in submission to me. I didn't think wolves could cry, but I'm pretty sure there were tears in my eyes as I turned, fighting against my wolf to gain control, and took off at a full on run.
As the house came into focus ahead of me, I heard the heart-wrenching cry of my mate. I couldn't keep my wolf from returning the cry, but did push us both on to the safety of home.
I shifted quickly at the door and walked inside as quietly as I could. I started for the shower and then realized Patrick's smell was still covering me even in human form, and I couldn't stand to wash it off just yet. So I pulled on a nightshirt and snuggled into bed. My sweet spot didn't feel so sweet, and the normal comfort of my bed felt suddenly empty.
The mating call had been answered that night. My wolf had accepted his wolf, even if I wasn't prepared to accept the man. The bond that we would one day share had been ignited, calling me to accept my mate in every way possible. I cried myself to sleep, trying not to think of what I had done.
Patrick
Chapter 4
The Winter Solstice run had been the greatest night of my life. I had shared every moment of it with my mate. She was beautiful, with a solid black coat, except for the small, white, heart-shaped spot on her right upper-hind leg. I had only noticed it when I nipped her, trying to convince her to come home with me. She had made it clear that wasn't possible. It had nearly broken my heart watching her run from me.
I should have pursued chase, but I hadn't. Later, after I lay there for far too long, licking my wounds, I tracked her back to the pack house. The smells were too numerous and her trail too faint by then to tell where she went. I assumed the parking lot and then home. How I wished I knew where home was.
As her scent was still fresh and evident on me, I solidified a new determination to find her. Her wolf had accepted mine. Things were going to change now. No more running from me. I had to know who she was. I needed to look into those mesmerizing blue eyes in human form so badly it hurt.
It was Saturday afternoon by the time I really got moving. I headed into town to shop for the messages. There was really only one store to shop and. I didn't have much food left in the house. I didn't want my mate to see me as nothing more than a bachelor, incapable of caring for myself, let alone her. I grabbed the bare necessities and quickly took them home.
Back out, I headed for the Crate. There were a few other places to eat, but that was my favorite. I called Kyle and asked him to join me there. While waiting I ordered a burger and chips and a pint of Gat. When the order arrived, I sighed, seeing crisps on my plate. Fries, I reminded myself. Order fries next time. Starving, I dug in anyway.
When Kyle finally arrived I ordered another round for the both of us. I couldn't afford to get ossified in the midst of my hunt for my beautiful mate, but a Gat or two for courage couldn't hurt.
“So, how was the run last night?
I didn't see you even once after it started.”
Nothing could have wiped the grin off my face. “I found her!”
“Patrick, that's awesome. I'm so happy for you. What's her name?”
“No idea.”
“Well, tell me where she lives, and I can help with a name.”
“No idea.”
“Can you tell me anything at all about her?”
“She's a solid black wolf. That's all I know for sure.”
Cole Anderson, who was on the Pack Council, slapped me on the back as he joined us. “Half of Westin Pack are black wolves. That doesn't help much.” Taking a long sip of his beer, he grinned. “Hell, my wolf is solid black, so that's one you can mark off your list, ҆cause I sure as hell didn't run with you last night.”
Jesse, the owner and attending bartender, even joined in laughing at that.
“Cole's right, there're a lot of black wolves in this pack. Obviously, we can eliminate the males”—they all chuckled again—“but that doesn't narrow it down much, I'm afraid.”
“How about eye color?” Jesse suggested. “That could narrow the pool down a little more at least.
“Blue.”
“Blue?” they all questioned.
“Yes, blue. The most vibrant and amazing blue eyes imaginable.” I sighed, feeling like a lovesick pup, and knew it was showing as the men laughed harder.
“Dude, you got it bad,” Chase chimed in. He attempted to order a beer, but Jesse scolded him and gave him minerals instead.
“Have a Coke on the house, pup.” He laughed, handing him the minerals.
Chase pouted, and then shook it off in true easygoing Chase fashion. “Black wolf, blue eyes? I can still think of a dozen or more. We could start a list and go visit each of them.”
“Hey, that's not a bad idea,” Kyle said. “Start writing.” He motioned to Chase as Jesse produced a piece of paper and pen. “Let's see, Leslie Matthews.”
“Willow,” Cole added.
“Hmmm, Lacey.” Chase added to the list.
“Wait, how about Heather?”
“No, I'm pretty sure her eyes are brown,” Kyle said. “But, Christine is a black wolf with blue eyes.” They all got quiet.
“Christine? I'm not sure she'd be the type to hide from you, but yeah, maybe.”
“I say start with her.”
“Okay then, where would I find this Christine?” I asked, yet something didn't quite feel right about the name. I laughed to myself. What the hell? Would I even know, I mean just know, if the name was right? I doubted it.
“It's getting kind of late, maybe we should try tomorrow.”
I checked my watched it was quarter past ten. “Yeah, I guess it'll have to wait till tomorrow. That feels like a donkey's year, but I know it's for the best. I'm just really anxious to find my mate. The sooner the better.”
Kyle gripped my shoulder in a friendly manner. “Tomorrow, Pat. We got you. We'll find her. I promise.”
“I'll keep thinking over the list tonight and add to it if I come up with anyone,” Chase volunteered.
“Thanks, you guys are the best.”
I tossed and turned half the night, too excited to sleep. Christine. I kept saying it over and over in my head, but to no avail. It just didn't feel right to me. By the time the sun rose I was in a foul mood and exhausted.
Liam knocked on the door far too early.
“Hey man, Kyle said you were really anxious to start hunting for your mate. I have the list if you're ready. We can get an early start. Early bird catches the mate?” He laughed at his own lame joke.
“Yeah, come on.”
“Man, Kyle said you were stupid excited about this plan, but you don't look so happy this morning. You sure you want to do this?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “Sorry, I really didn't sleep well, thinking about it last night.”
“Well, you're going to scare an already nervous mate if you don't settle it.”
“Sure look it, let's go.”
He took me to a rather large, blue, two-story home. I was always amazed at the level of comforts the Westin wolves were afforded. An older man opened the door.
“Liam, what brings you by this morning?”
“Hey Morgan, I was wondering if Christine was around. This is Patrick O'Connell.”
I shook the man's hand. A sniff of the air told me this Christine was not my mate.
“It's nice to meet you, sir, and I'm sorry for the early hour. We'll catch her later.” I turned to leave, but Liam was quickly by my side.
“What are you doing?”
“It's not her.”
“How can you be certain?”
I looked at him like he was an idiot, but he really didn't understand, having never been mated himself. “I just know. Her smell isn't here. If she lived here, her smell would be everywhere. It's not. It cannot be her.”
“Hey, what's going on?” Christine asked from behind us.
Liam turned to greet her. “Hey, Chris, sorry to bug you so early on a Sunday. This is Patrick. He's looking for his mate.”
“And you thought that might be me?” She perked up and immediately started checking me out. I had been checked out by plenty of women in my lifetime, but this one was just arseways. I couldn't handle it any longer.
“No,” I said rudely.
“Oh.” Her face fell into a pout. “Well, what did you need, then?”
Liam explained. “We know his mate is from Westin Pack, but she seems a little skittish. We know she has a black wolf with blue eyes, so we're just going through the list of people we think might meet that description.
“Oh, how fun!” she said cheerily. “Can I help?”
“No,” I said the same time Liam said, “Sure.”
She looked back and forth between us and decided she like Liam's answer best. “So I know Lacey and Leslie. And I'm always getting mistaken for Willow. Oh, and Elise of course.”
A shudder of recognition ran through my body when she said Elise. I had never heard the name before, but something about it resonated through me.
Liam laughed, “E? Not a chance. Don't you think we'd know if it was her?”
“True, so then there's Kendra. Yeah, Kendra's shy and keeps to herself a lot, I'd totally bet it's her! Can I come along and introduce you?”
“No,” I said again in unison with Liam's, “Sure.”
Of course she tagged along.
The three of us piled into Liam's SUV and headed off to meet Kendra. Pulling up in front of a pink rancher, I got out and took one sniff and decided this was not her. I tried to get back in the car, but Christine's arm was linked through mine.
“Not so fast, just to be sure, I think you should meet her at least.”
Introductions were made, confirming Kendra was definitely not my mate. This set the stage for the remainder of the day. After our list was complete, Christine had pretty much taken over. I met fourteen additional single she-wolves. None of them were my mate. Half of them didn't even fit the description.
I was irritated and exhausted by the time Liam finally dropped me home.
My phone rang and Kyle’s face flashed across the screen. I didn't want to answer it. “Hello?”
“Liam told me it didn't go so good today. I'm really sorry. I truly had hoped this would be the day you found her.”
“Thanks. I'm not ready to give up yet.”
“Have you tried tracking her?”
“Of course I have.”
“I mean truly give in to your wolf? Kelsey had no idea who or what she was, but when she'd let her wolf out, she always found me. She had no idea I was a wolf shifter, but her wolf just knew. Might be worth a try.”
“Yeah, sure, can't be any worse than today. Your entire pack of eligible she-wolves now has word I'm on the hunt for my one true mate and every one of them seems to think she could be it. Don't they realize that the one and only would know, just as I do?”
Kyle laughed through the line. “Don't sweat it. They all w
ant their one true mate. That's all. Grasping at straws and all that.”
I didn't exactly understand what he was saying but I thought I got the gist of it at least. Grasping at straws? Sometimes I swore they spoke a different language entirely.
Sheer exhaustion helped me sleep through the night and I felt more refreshed and ready to do whatever it took to find her by morning. Heeding Kyle's suggestion, I grabbed a backpack and threw in a change of clothes. I set it on the ground then shifted, grabbing the bag with my teeth and carrying it with me. I didn't want to surprise my mate with a first time meeting in the buff.
I sniffed the air. I sniffed the ground. I closed my eyes and just gave in to my senses. Soon I was running. I ran through town and kept going. I came to the Westin Foundation and sighing, I shifted and changed into the clothes I had brought along.
I decided since I was there I might as well say hello to Kyle and admit yet another failure in my search. As I walked into the Foundation, I was floored. Her scent was everywhere. It was so strong and prominent. Could she really be there?
I walked to the front desk. “Kyle Westin's office?”
“Down the hall to the right, it's marked, you can't miss it,” said the pretty brunette receptionist.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.” She smiled and I thought maybe she was flirting with me, but my mind was so consumed by my mate's smell that nothing else mattered.
As I was walking in the direction she told me was Kyle's office, I passed an area marked “HR.” Her scent was even stronger, if that was possible. My nose carried me forward. There were three doors and a small reception area, but no one was around. The door directly beyond the reception desk was hers. I knew it was hers. There was no doubt in my mind that my mate was there. I started to move forward, unable to stop myself.
“Patrick?”
I turned and saw Lily smiling at me. “Patty told me a handsome stranger was looking for Kyle. I should have known.”
I gave her a smile, all the while needing to know exactly who was just beyond the door. So close, and yet so out of reach.
Fighting Destiny (Westin Pack Book 2) Page 3