SLADE
She turned right into me. Granted, I had been walking up to her, but I didnât expect the contact. That night at the BBQ, I had watched her from a distance.
The summer evenings were warm, and she was flushed in a sleeveless cotton dress. She looked amazing. So I decided to get closer, against my better judgment. Then we crashed, and her scent engulfed me.
I didnât expect to be so affected by her. So I only spoke what little I could manage and then got away as soon as I could.
I needed to clear my mind. My wolf was not happy, though. The whole way back to the pack house my wolf was yelling at me.
~âWHY DID YOU WALK AWAY?! She was so close!! We could smell her!â~
âThatâs the problem,â I muttered to myself.
~âYou should have touched her, kissed her. Sheâs our mate!!! Why did you leave?!â~ was all my wolf said before going quiet again with an irritated growl. I knew I hadnât heard the last of it yet.
I lay in bed in the guest room of the alphaâs quarters when I heard the front door open and Max, Leah, and Addison walking in and laughing with each other.
Why were these people all so happy? It was nauseating. But as I lay there, I listened to their conversation. All the encouragement. All the advice. And, of course, the threat.
I chuckled to myself. That alpha-dad bravado was funny, and I wasnât too scared.
I drifted off to sleep, knowing tomorrow everything was going to change.
***
In the morning, I woke, showered, and slipped into comfortable travel clothes. After packing up my things, I grabbed my bag and took it downstairs.
I could smell breakfast and could tell that everyone was down there. But instead of laughter, there was pained silence. Nobody knew what to say.
Their daughter and sister was leaving, and their family was so close I could tell it was hard for them.
Breakfast was eaten in silence. Her brother and his mate came over to say their goodbyes with promises from both sides to visit.
As the bags were packed into the back of the SUV, she hugged her family who all had tearful eyes. Addison wasnât crying, though. ~She is strong~, I thought to myself.
We got into the backseat of the car and slowly drove back down the mountain. I looked over to her as she watched out her window.
Apparently, she was just being strong for them so they didnât have to worry. Because now that we had driven away, she sat quietly with tears rolling down her cheeks.
We rode in silence for a while, Addison still watching out the window with what looked like determination to remember every inch of the mountain that for so long was her home.
~âSay something,â~ I heard whispered in my mind. My wolf was back, and now that we were alone and there was no escape, he decided to make his appearance.
~âLike what?! I donât know this girl. What on earth am I supposed to say to her?â~ I said back to him. My wolf growled, which showed his irritation.
I had no idea who this girl was. Just because she had some effect on me didnât mean I knew what to do with her.
~âSay anything, man, the silence is deafening.â~
âYou miss your familyâ was all I managed to get out before mentally smacking myself. ~OF COURSE, she missed her family. Idiot.~ And my wolf snickered at my thought, calling me an idiot as well.
Addison turned around with an incredulous look. That look was all the answer I needed. But she surprised me when she spoke.
âI do. I never imagined I would find a mate that was from a different pack. Obviously itâs a pretty normal thing, but I just assumed I would find someone from home.
âHonestly, I didnât even think I would find a mate. Iâm twenty-one, most people find their mate when they are first able to at eighteen or nineteen. I guess that should have tipped me off.â
She shrugged and gave me a small, tight smile.
âI wasnât really on the hunt for a mate,â I replied.
âYou didnât want a mate?â she asked quietly.
I paused for a moment, choosing my words carefully. âI just wasnât exactly searching for one.â
âSame,â she said with a smile. When I looked at her curiously, she continued.
âI could have sat at home waiting for some strong man to come and find me, but the woman in me refused to do that. So I went on with my life. Maybe Iâd find a mate, maybe I didnât.â
Her response surprised me. With most females, that was all they wanted. This girl was interesting, but I wasnât about to let that affect me.
âWhere is your pack?â she asked, bringing me back from my thoughts.
âEast. Itâll be a bit different from what youâre used to. No mountains. Mostly plains and flatlands. I prefer the open space, though.â
âHmm.â Addison seemed to be lost in thought, and the conversation lulled as we drove farther from her home.