Nate
“I have a presentation to start,” she says impatiently. “You should go and sign that contract. It was nice seeing you.” She moves to walk back.
“Sarah, please wait….” I finally say desperation etched in my voice.
I try to stop her from walking away by stepping beside her and catching her hand. Our fingers intertwine, and our eyes lock, maybe just for a moment, but I feel the world stop around us. She stops with me, unable to move until she shakes her head and tears her angry eyes from me to look at our hands, so I let her go quickly. The feeling of letting her go leaves my hand and heart with such emptiness that I have never felt before.
“Can I see you later?” I ask urgently, putting every hope I have in that and adding a tiny smile as reassurance that I have good intentions.
“Why?” that’s all she replies.
“To talk, … catch up, I don’t know,” I say, pleading. My palms are sweating as I shove them into my pockets. I already regret every word I said, but she softens up a bit. She is staring into my eyes, waiting for more. I have never felt this awkward. Speechless? Shy? I can’t even put a word to it. She makes me nervous and excited at the same time. I don’t know what to say, what to expect. “I haven’t seen you in years, and I don’t know... I just want to ask how you’ve been.”
I’m trying to put the brightest smile on my face, but my voice is shaking. She can’t say no. The anger disappears from her face, and curiosity takes over. This is so weird. I only barely remember her growing up on the edge of the pack. We didn’t hang out, study, or train together because she was younger than me, and I left for college before she was old enough to train.
Her reaction makes my smile brighter, but she is still waiting, thinking it through. “I only stay in town for a few days.” I lie because I intend to stay as long as it takes, but maybe if she knows I’m going home soon, she won’t be that threatened. “Just a coffee,” I add pleadingly.
“Ok,” she nods, and I restrain my arm from shooting up, pumping the air.
“I work until 5 pm. Meet me outside after that?”
“Yes, I’ll be here.” I jump waaay too quickly at that answer, but I can’t hide how excited I am. At least it makes her smile too. She shakes her head and walks away but with a smile on her face.
I catch up to her, walking side-by-side as I watch her smiling face unashamedly. She shakes her hands out and squares her shoulders before we reach the conference room. A quick look at me again when she opens the door to their conference room and whispers, “Bye."
“See you later,” I confirm with a dreamy smile and erratic heart rate. Dante is doing backflips in my head, praising me for sealing the deal.
The door closes, but I can see her walk back to her computer to continue what she was doing before I interrupted her. I’d stand here all day watching her with a crazy grin if I could. Gabriel realizes that and nudges me back to reality.
“Shall we?” the receptionist asks when I finally direct my attention to them. I follow them, still looking at my date (Yessss) as she stands in front of a room full of people to start her presentation. She doesn’t look at us, but I can see her smile reciprocating mine.
I can’t help it as my mind returns to my childhood memories. I remember seeing her at holiday events, but no other time. Her mums never found their mates, so they moved in together and raised the two girls they adopted. I have no memories of how she became an orphan, though.
I’m deep in my thoughts when Lissa asks me. “So, are you staying for a few days? I thought we would travel home together.”
“You can stay until Monday.” I hear Gabriel answering for me.
It seems like they haven’t even recognized Sarah. My Sarah. Dante is purring when I think about that. I didn’t even know he could do that.
“Who was she anyway? She acted as if we know her.” I look at her but don’t say anything, and luckily, we arrive back at the front desk, where the lawyers are waiting for us.
“Good morning Messrs. Blackwood, Ms. Shay.”
***
The meeting went well. Everything played out as planned, and although I'm excited to move forward with the plan, I can't seem to focus. We wait at the elevator; I stare at the corridor where I last saw Sarah. I want to see her again.
“Be patient.” My brother links me.
I look at him and then back in Sarah’s direction. He knows. I don't need to explain.
I remember when Gabriel found Lucy. He just stood there for a few moments, staring at her, and then they started moving toward each other. Everyone around them stayed silent. I held my breath till they reached each other.
They immediately reached out to hold each other’s hands while smiling like kids and walked out of the room. I knew instantly that they were mates. I think that is what I expected for myself.
I look back at Gabriel. “Let's get out of here, and we can talk,” he says, and I nod my head. That is all the answer I'm capable of.
“So, who was she?” I hear Lissa.
“None of your business,” Gabriel answers with an Alpha tone in his voice. “You'll go straight to the airport, and I'll meet you there later.”
“Yes, Alpha,” she bares her neck. We reach the park in front of the building, and Lissa leaves to get a cab for herself.
“Let's go get a drink,” Gabriel offers.
“I need that for sure.” I wipe my face with my palms thinking about the craziness of this situation.
“I guess she is your mate.”
“Yes, but I’m not sure. Dante says she is. But I didn't feel what I should feel with the mate bond. And she certainly didn’t feel anything at all.”
“Humans usually don't feel it,” he says nonchalantly, but I growl at my brother.
“She is not a human.”
He laughs at my protectiveness, then stops in front of me with his legs wide apart and arms folded—typical Gabriel. “All right, so who is she?”
“She grew up with Isabella and Amy. She is Avery's sister.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “I didn't recognize her. But now I understand why she was scared and even mad.”
“Yes. I think she was still in grade school when I left for college. But then, one summer, she was gone. I don't know what has happened. Do you know anything?” I ask him, knowing he was in college at that time.
“I think she left to study somewhere else. Dad was still Alpha back then, so I only heard about it after. She never had her first shift. I don't know if she has a wolf. What is Dante telling you?”
“Dante says she is our mate. But he didn't feel her wolf. Maybe she really is a human.” I don’t understand how Dante feels it, but I don’t. I’ve never heard anything like this.
“Everyone thought that she was. I guess that is why she left to study among humans.” Gabriel thinks further.
“That makes sense. Humans don’t feel the bond. Also, when I touched her, I didn’t feel the tingles I should feel with my mate.”
“That is weird. You should've felt everything just the same."
People go on about their lives around us, and we just stand here, thinking through everything we know about the mate bond. “When I let her hand go, emptiness washed over me. Which is like the mate bond, right?”
“Yes, definitely. I assumed she was your mate when you turned towards her and started walking like you were in a trance. That is how wolves usually behave when sensing their mate for the first time.”
“I just followed Dante's instincts. What is going on? I need answers.”
“I head home, and I ask her mums and the doctors about her childhood, and I ask father about how and why she left,” Gabriel says.
“Don't ask father. I have a bad feeling about it.” I reply quickly. I have no idea if she was forced to leave, but her reaction suggests something has happened. I want to figure this out before Father puts me down with his opinion.
“I’ll look into it and let you know. What are you going to do?” he asks me with a frown.
“Well, she agreed to meet me here, so I hope we can talk, and I’ll have some answers about her wolf. I need to learn more about the pull I feel toward her.”
“Are you going to tell her about the bond?” he raises one of his eyebrows.
Am I going to tell her? Should I tell her? She was reluctant to agree to a chat and coffee. How would she react if I just dumped this bomb on her? “I have no idea. Maybe that would scare her away even more.” I need to know first about her wolf and why she is angry at us.
“Yes, that’s possible. She was not happy to see us.” He chuckles.
“No, she wasn’t.” I sigh in defeat.
Sarah The whole day was crazy after Nate showed up. Focusing on work was a new challenge I’d never had before. He’s been gone for hours now, but I still flush when I think about how he smiled at me. How many times have I dreamed about him smiling at me like that? I can’t even count. My mind is full of questions, though. Why is he here? How is it possible that he looks even better? Are we really going to meet today? What am I going to say to him? Hi, you look sexier than ever. … Hey, long time no see… Hi, I’m Sarah, remember me?... Yeah, like any of that would lead to something good… It’s been like ten years since I last saw him, and I almost forgot how it feels to look into his deep blue eyes. With a flick of his smile, my well-built confidence disappeared just to transport my body back to that shy 14-year-old girl’s mind and heart. The memory of the last time I saw him floods my brain: While packing my bags to leave my home to study in a boarding school, I look out the window
Sarah The way he strides toward me shakes my whole world. The last shred of denial that it’s happening breaks when his smile creates a dimple on his left cheek, making butterflies flood my stomach. He is here. Here to meet me. To smile just at me. Even if the world exploded around us, I wouldn’t notice. My brain slows his movements like slow motion in a movie as he bypasses Britt to stand on the other side of the chair where I left my jacket and bag. My mouth has gone dry, and I can’t seem to form words, standing there stupidly with a bottle in each hand. “Hi, Sarah,” he says, and the gravity of his cheeky gaze slices straight through me, shutting up my thoughts. “Here’s a beer.” I croak out awkwardly, handing the bottle. “Thanks, I thought we were having coffee,” he says casually, with that cocky grin still present. It looks like he successfully woke up from the shock he seemed to have in the law firm when we talked. “Oh yeah, I hate coffee, but you can get one.” I mo
Sarah The afternoon sun emits its last rays, but we barely catch any between the area’s skyscrapers. Brit’s arm is still looped over my own as we walk, balancing our work- and gym bags in the sea of people rushing to catch the next subway or train. “So, tell me, how did it go?” Brit implores me ending our silent walk to the gym. “I don’t know. I’m still processing.” I sigh heavily as I wipe my face with a hand. She has no idea where I'm from, what secrets I have to keep, has to hide to protect others. “Ok, then tell me who he is," her voice jumps an octave at the end of that sentence as she inclines her head towards me. “Arrr. Why is he here?” I let out a growl in frustration. “Maybe if you’d talk to me, I could help figure that out.” She stops in front of me, blocking my way on the pavement. “Ok, ok. So, we grew up in the same town. I lived there till I was fourteen," I tell her the truth, keeping it as simple as possible. "He is five years older than me, and we never hang out
Nate I feel ecstatic about how our date went. It’s good that she remembers me positively because that is clearly not her feelings toward the pack in general. The way she stopped as our eyes locked was everything I had hoped for. Seeing her again was the best thing. She was way more relaxed, and we could talk freely. Her feelings were over the roof. I saw everything on her face, from happy smiles to unshed tears in her eyes. The few hours I spent waiting for Sarah to show up was torture. Topping that with the moment I thought, she stood me up. I have no idea what possibly goes through her mind. It was not the ideal way to meet her. If only I could stop myself and wait to maybe approach her, not at her workplace… But I couldn’t think; I just followed my instinct- more like Dante’s instinct. This was a complete intrusion into her life. I didn’t even knock on her office; I just walked in on her presentation. I couldn’t do worse than that. Making a simple conversation was hard when al
Sarah I’m in the forest. Running and running. This feels like the only thing I’ve been doing for a while. The surprisingly chilly weather already made my face sensitive and my feet numb. Running. The untouched nature in this forest would be dangerous for hiking, but I can safely travel on the ground full of leaves. Every color the fall weather can bring surrounds me as the seeds and leaves from the trees cover the ground. I love this season. Not as much as I love winter, but its beauty is undeniable. It is then that I smell wolves around me. I bend down to smell the ground, seeing my paws sinking into the leaves. How do I have paws? I look down at my body and my brown fur. Since when do I have fur? Then the realization hits me. I’m a wolf. I don’t even have a moment to think it through because the wolves I smelt have arrived. They surround me before I can blink. I look around, seeking an escape route. When I turn to run away, a silver-white wolf approaches me. His eyes lock wit
Sarah We sit in silence for a while, and I start eating again as a cover for my awkwardness away. He finally loosens up and continues with his food too. “Do you go to that gym often?” Nate asks, and I brace myself to look at him again. “Yes, I’m a coach there and take classes as well. I teach krav maga twice a week," I nod, and the memory of last night's encounter surges through my brain. Dante's angry growl, then his puppy eyes, before Nate's confusion. “That sounds interesting. How did you come to do that?” he puts his forearms on the table, keeping his gaze on me once again. Being his sole focus still makes me squirm in my seat. “I loved training back in Black River. After I left, I missed the exercise, so I tried a few different sports, and krav maga is something I really enjoy. I became a trainer two years ago.” His face lights up at my answer, and he dives in with questions about training and teaching. He obviously has much more experience in both but seems interested in
Nate “I think we should go. I have to take Abby home,” Sarah says while standing up. “Can’t you stay any longer? She is still having fun with her friend,” I reply. My heart stutters from her sudden coldness. “We have to get home before her mum leaves for her date," she averts my gaze, picking up her bag and searching in it. “I didn’t mean to make you sad.” My curiosity took things too far. She looked indifferent, not a tiny sign of hurt or anger, and I pushed forward with more questions. I know now that I shouldn’t have done it. She was clearly masking her emotions. “It’s okay. What happened has happened. We can’t change that. Plus, it is definitely not your fault. So, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I’ve been fine for years,” she says, slightly lifting her chin at the end. I try to look into her eyes, but she avoids my gaze successfully as she motions for Abby to come closer. “Yes, but I feel like I just tore up old wounds.” “Well, if you put it that way…” she sighs, and her shoul
Sarah As we step into the apartment, I glance from Nate to Eleanor and back, waiting for their explanation. “We are related – second cousins, I think,” Nate answers first, and Eleanor nods. “What?” I ask as my face scrunches up in disbelief as the thoughts this means storm my brain, rapidly increasing my heartbeat. Beth always told me that Eleanor doesn't know anything about werewolves. But she knows Nate. Was she lying? “My mother and Nate’s mother are cousins,” Eleanor clarifies, glancing from Nate to me from a crouching position in front of Abby. Words get stuck in my throat as I’m gaping for air. I turn around and step back to the corridor, closing the door behind me. What the hell? It can’t be a coincidence that I won a scholarship to the same school Eleanor attended. That means all my suspicions about the previous Alpha and Luna kicking me out of the pack could be true. They knew Eleanor’s mum. They are cousins. The clicking sound of the door interrupts my whirling thoug